SWC75
Bored Historian
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- Aug 26, 2011
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This one starts with shots of the spectators arriving and setting up, (we again see the rickety platforms they build to see more of the race). There’s an aerial shot showing the nine hole golf course on the infield, (I had assumed that was closed on race day and that the fans camped out on it but it appears to be clear- how would you like to play golf on the infield at Indy on race day?
This was Bill Vukovich’s second straight Indy win, making him the dominant racer in America of his era. He’s so determined to go faster and faster that his team keeps posting the “EZ” sign, (no radios then), to slow him down. But the race, as they say in the film, was “decided in the pits”, as Vukie only pitted twice with his leading rivals, Jack McGrath and Jimmy Bryan, did so three times. McGrath also has a frustrating pit stop that lasts 1:47 because Jim’s car stalls just as he tires to pull out and has to be pushed back into his pit.
It’s interesting to watch the starter for the race walking out onto the track to wave his flags. They now do it from a platform over the tack. It must have taken a brave man to venture out onto that road to make those signals in the old days. One wonders if there was an incident that caused them to build the current platform:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQFfEHEQe3g
It was clearly another hot day as Art Cross, who had finished second the year before, is shown patting his helmet as he comes into the pits, a signal for a relief driver. He gets out of the car in much the same shaky manner as Carl Scarborough, the driver who died of heat stroke the year before, (Art lived until 2005). He’s replaced by former winner Johnny Parsons, the second of five drivers for that car:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1954_Indianapolis_500
Drivers mentioned in this film but not in previous posts:
Johnny Tompson drove at Indy from 1953-60 before dying in a sprint car accident in Allentown, Pa. in the latter year.
Jimmy Bryan was a top driver from 1952-60, winning 23 races, including the 1958 Indy 500. He also won the inaugural “Race of the Two Worlds” at Monza Italy in 1957, an event that brought together Indy and Formula One racers. He died at Langhorne in 1960.
Jimmy Daywalt has another long pit stop and is shown pounding his fist in frustration. He competed at Indy 8 times, finishing in the top ten twice. He survived his racing career only to die of cancer at age 41.
Pat O’Connor survives a late crash in this race. He would not be so lucky in the 1958 race.
Here is the U-Tube Highlight film. Again, you can expand it to full-screen by clicking on the box with the arrows in it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_k39rO4AAo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJtseZa73_4&feature=related
This was Bill Vukovich’s second straight Indy win, making him the dominant racer in America of his era. He’s so determined to go faster and faster that his team keeps posting the “EZ” sign, (no radios then), to slow him down. But the race, as they say in the film, was “decided in the pits”, as Vukie only pitted twice with his leading rivals, Jack McGrath and Jimmy Bryan, did so three times. McGrath also has a frustrating pit stop that lasts 1:47 because Jim’s car stalls just as he tires to pull out and has to be pushed back into his pit.
It’s interesting to watch the starter for the race walking out onto the track to wave his flags. They now do it from a platform over the tack. It must have taken a brave man to venture out onto that road to make those signals in the old days. One wonders if there was an incident that caused them to build the current platform:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQFfEHEQe3g
It was clearly another hot day as Art Cross, who had finished second the year before, is shown patting his helmet as he comes into the pits, a signal for a relief driver. He gets out of the car in much the same shaky manner as Carl Scarborough, the driver who died of heat stroke the year before, (Art lived until 2005). He’s replaced by former winner Johnny Parsons, the second of five drivers for that car:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1954_Indianapolis_500
Drivers mentioned in this film but not in previous posts:
Johnny Tompson drove at Indy from 1953-60 before dying in a sprint car accident in Allentown, Pa. in the latter year.
Jimmy Bryan was a top driver from 1952-60, winning 23 races, including the 1958 Indy 500. He also won the inaugural “Race of the Two Worlds” at Monza Italy in 1957, an event that brought together Indy and Formula One racers. He died at Langhorne in 1960.
Jimmy Daywalt has another long pit stop and is shown pounding his fist in frustration. He competed at Indy 8 times, finishing in the top ten twice. He survived his racing career only to die of cancer at age 41.
Pat O’Connor survives a late crash in this race. He would not be so lucky in the 1958 race.
Here is the U-Tube Highlight film. Again, you can expand it to full-screen by clicking on the box with the arrows in it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_k39rO4AAo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJtseZa73_4&feature=related
