Vintage Indy 1967: Turbines

[SWC75]

Andy Granatelli had been running cars at the speedway since 1946, always trying something different to find success. After several years trying to coax the Novi through 500 miles, he switched to a new concept: a turbine powered car, as opposed to a piston driven engine. The engine was not in the front or the rear. It was next to the driver. But it was faster than the other cars and, to the disgust of many, made virtually no noise. It just seemed to humming a tune, the exact opposite of it’s predecessor, the Novi. Maybe they could have influenced a tape recorder playing the noise of the Novi. At least the driver wouldn’t be deaf at the end of the race.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STP-Paxton_Turbocar

　
Andy hired Parnelli Jones to drive his new car. Here are segments of a lengthy interview with Jones and Bobby Unser where they discuss Granatelli and also AJ Foyt, who would emerge as the winner of the 1967 Indy 500:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STP-Paxton_Turbocar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=sXctYKOSvzM&feature=endscreen
Mario Andretti on AJ:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=7heBrfhxm2E&NR=1
The AJ Foyt story:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIlF3b10EjQ&feature=related
　
The other cars were not match for the turbine but a $6 bearing in the transmission was not match for the race. Jones’ car gave out with three laps to go, leaving the race to AJ. But first he had to survive one of the most dramatic endings ever as a four car crash ahead of him on the last lap created a maelstrom of broken cars, debris and dust that left everybody- including AJ wondering if he could get through it. He did and win his third Indianapolis 500. Any highlight film, not only of auto racing but of 60’s sporting events always included Jim McKay’s call of AJ suddenly appearing out of the cloud to win the race.
There were more and more foreign drivers in the race, seeking to follow in the footsteps of Jimmy Clark and Graham Hill but they all seemed to have mechanical problems and were not a factor in this race, leaving it to the Americans- and the turbine.

Two brief (6-7 minute) summaries of the race:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysGNu5BkxSI



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS5ajIANFdY

The official highlight film, (24 minutes), with a detailed explanation of the turbine engine:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4itFz7EVGqA
Many highlights don’t mention that the race was run over two days due to rain. Note Jones’ amazing driving avoiding a collision when Yarbrough spins. It also shows how USAC responded to the dominance of the turbine by trying to legislating it out of existence, although another version of it would be back the next year. One U-Tube poster pointed out that racing often brags about how what they find out in racing cars contributes to the development of passenger cars. Maybe if USAC wasn’t afraid of the turbine, we’d all be driving turbines now. And, as this highlight explains, they can run on a variety of fuels, even, they allege, perfume! How would you like a car that smells nice?

Here is a 48 minute edited filmed version of the original telecast, presented on ABC’s Wide World of Sports after the actual race.
　
　

 

[br801]

Thanks for putting these posts together. This is about the first year I have any recollection of the race. As you have noted, there was no live telecast in those days. It's great to see and hear Jim McKay. Few have ever chronicled a sporting event better.