1963 Indy 500 The Classics

I'm Mike King welcome to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum for another edition of Indy 500 the classics I'm joined by Donald Davidson Speedway historian and Donald in 1963 as the teams came here certainly the rear-engine cars were making some noise but the Roadster was still King that's right Mike the rear engine revolution was beginning and also the influx of the European drivers Jim part from Scotland came over Dan Gurney and American they were together on the Lotus team of rear engine cars and some people wondered whether Jim Clark might be able to win the pole position but it was Parnelli Jones in this very car number 98 who was gonna have something to say about that Tim McIlrath the sensational rookie of 1962 is the first driver to make the 10-mile the qualifying run 149 plus miles per hour is fast but wind the enemy of all race drivers buffets the straightaways in dangerous gusts Parnelli Jones takes his turn the fastest man on the track in practice he raves the wind and turns 150 1.15 3 miles per hour it's a new qualifying record and evidence that the traditional Indianapolis racecar will be hard to beat Jim Clark of Scotland is on the track in a loop the car with engine in the rear fashioned after European road racing cars one of the most radical designs to be introduced at the speedway it qualifies easily at the speed of 149 point 75 miles per hour when Sutton second place in last year's 500 fails to reach the hot pace his anxious crew yellow flags the qualification attempt hoping for better conditions Don Branson one of racing's greatest qualifiers produces second best time of the day with 150 point 188 miles per hour following him onto the tract is Jim Hurtubise and the famous Novi supercharged v8 proven the most powerful cars at the speedway the Nova's have thrilled the fans for many years but bad luck has plagued them now Jim her Toby's breaks the spell with a qualification speed of 150 point two five seven miles per hour cutter and mechanic Jean Marcin AK is nearly overcome with elation and Jim Hurtubise is ready for the race veteran driver Roger Ward has driven the 512 times it has two wins one second and a third to his credit the 42 year old professor of racing shows the rookies how to take poor smooth laps at high speed he qualifies with the fastest speed of his career one hundred forty nine point eight Oh miles per hour drivers strained to build speed in practice sessions Jack Turner is not seriously injured but it's the third time in as many years his car has been airborne from his hospital bed he prudently announces his retirement from racing as speeds go up crowds increase proving the universal popularity of auto racing 1961 winner AJ Foyt breaks into the exclusive 150 mile-an-hour Club nice ax stops clowning long enough to put his foot on the throttle and qualify at 149 point 5 700 miles an hour not quite the speed he wanted but any saxs in the show now Dan Gurney climbs into his second FLOTUS utilizing the driving skill that made him famous on the ground free circuits of the world he qualifies in one hundred forty nine point zero one nine miles per hour chief Stewart Harlan finger gives last nut instructions to Chuck Hulse one of the most promising drivers of the year all strengths out three fast laps and his excited crew waves him on to a qualifying speed of 140 9.3 400 miles per hour faster than he's ever driven in his life a rocky romance develops between veteran Dwayne cutter and the new little car in quick succession he spends on turn one then in turn two blows an engine and finally catches on fire but his affection for Mickey Thompson's knee-high design wins over all obstacles while others laugh at the fat little wheels and flattop the 50 year old grandfather's boots it around the track like a roller skate he qualifies at 140 8.00 two miles per hour little wheels have done their job and it's Dwayne Carter's turn to smile on Monday Lyn Sutton's car looks like this on Tuesday it looks like this sad and unbelieving he circles the car wondering which looks worse is it the front end or is it the rear on Wednesday Sutton has company Dempsey Wilson joins the club on turn one and on Friday while practices hot and heavy looking Ronnie Duman pays another visit to the wall it's his third crash in the same turn a monotonous routine for a young driver Bob Harkey tries it backwards also on turn what then rookie Bobby unser delights his pit crew by topping 149 miles per hour and the second Novi is in the field Unser many time winner of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb proves that a mountain boy can drive this fast track too third Nova is on the track it's hot brought it into the field by dragstrip star art Malone at more than 148 miles per hour when Sutton tribes oh how hard he tries but last year's second-place winner can't get up to speed mrow zaboo's from Texas once qualified and then bumped tries another car and wins the last spot in the starting field this successful bid ends qualifying for the 1963 500 one little bit of trivia about the final practice session before the race to this day it's known as cooperation everybody used a fuel injector but in 1963 Jim Park Dan Gurney in the lotuses had Weber carburetors they are the last people to rank operators on corporation day we've got the 33 cars lined up and let's go racing at the Brickyard the 1963 Indianapolis 500 this car pulls off the track and the green flag is up Parnelli Jones leaps under the lead on the backstretch Jim Hurtubise takes the lead the crowd roars but Nova is in front Parnelli Jones pulls even with Jim Herta bees on the back straightaway passes him on the turns and regains the lead in the second flat Bobby unser finds troubling turn one his cars against the wall the caution flag warns drivers to slow down as the emergency crews clean the track you or Bobby unser and is novi the race lasted only a minute and a half the field comes around again and another car is missing art Malone can't cut the second Novi in gear the field begins to spread out with Parnelli Jones steadily pulling away from the rest of the pack monalee Jones is really charging no one can stay with him alum crow loses a wheel in turn one and Jim McElroy than Bobby Marshman spin in the pits a near catastrophe but no harm done Marsh man's crew pushes the car back into a spin now finally Russia's into his first pit stop time is critical or he must make three pit stops in exactly 22 seconds his crew replaces three tires and refuels the car Parnelli gets new goggles a drink of water and a clean windshield he's off back to the race Roger Ward's crew tries to match the lightning speed with which Parnelli Jones will service one tire off two tires off the wheels are hammered tight and Lord speaks back to the race while the big Indianapolis roadsters have had to stop for tires and fuel Jim Clark in his lightweight Lotus has grabbed the lead now he must make his single plan had stopped of the day the tiny car can run half the race on one set of tires and load of fuel will this important advantage be enough to win at the halfway point of the race the crowd behind the Novi pits senses trouble again a serious oil leak eliminates the last Novi Jim Hurtubise climbs out of the car the dejected Novi team knows it's all over for another year once again Jim McElwain spins in the pits but now going faster than all others our Nellie Jones has regained the lead from Jim Clark in the 126th left Parnell he makes another pit stop between these stops he must be the fastest on the track to stay ahead mobile technicians have been working with the crew alma they've blended a special fuel designed to give the power needed to average more than 150 miles per hour the design is working the power is there with quickman worked by the crew and extra power under the throttle our Nellie is still in the lead as he returns to the track the blistering pace increases more and more drivers are showing the strain you Speedway safety patrol finds that driver Lloyd Ruby has escaped injury but his car is all through the 13th ensign to leave the race boy boobie now takes the long lonely walk back to the pits Duane Carter's little rear-engine car has got as far as it can he costs into the infield with the engine in pieces a gallant try by a veteran driver our Nellie's hot face just won't quit Ted Cruz signaled their drivers that they must go faster faster to stay in this race Jim Clark in a solid second place maintains his steady speed now with only 38 laps to go Parnelli makes his last pit stop Parnelli comes in fast almost too fast or Clark is gaining on him every second he remains in the pits Parnelli blast back to the race for Jim Clark is hurtling down the main straight hoping to pass him finally holds his lead but Eddie sacks interrupts the duel of the leaders as he spins out and hits the inside rail but Eddie Sachs is not out of the race he gets a restart Parnelli is just foreign to half seconds ahead of the smooth driving part our Nellie's crew frantically calls for even more speed the pores on the coal but part stays closed behind it the speeds grow Freddie and Eddie Sachs crashes for the second time losing a wheel another hazard for tired drivers Parnelli dives low in the turn to miss the wrecked car then finally Jones takes the white flag one lap to go but Roger McCluskey in third place makes a desperate bid to improve his position on this 199 flat McCluskey spins he will not finish this race but Parnelli Jones finishes the 500-mile ordeal in three hours and 29 minutes victory and riches await Parnelli Jones who has won the fastest Indianapolis 500-mile race ever what is the design that produces this great planet was it his superb driving was it the engineering know-how that gave him that extra power and speed or was it the teamwork that rushed in through each pitstop in record time Mike how finally doesn't know nor does the drop they only know they have found a huge champion of speed Scotsman Jim parks Lotus captures second place warmer winter AJ point is close behind in third and heavy sacks makes it across the finish line with one wheel when La Jones takes the triumphant tour he's the man who proved the design or a winner in 1964 Ford would go to a double overhead camshaft racing engine but in 63 Jim Clark was second with a production-based Ford engine now how many pit stops do you suppose a Jim Clark made on his way to second place 500 miles of racing I'm gonna guess three your way high one pit stop amazing just half way that's incredible weld the act Jane Ian's car driven by Parnelli Jones in victory lane for the 1963 Indianapolis 500 another Indy 500 classic for Donald Davidson I'm Mike King we'll see you next time

Channel: doctorindy

Views: 35,748

Rating: 4.8571429 out of 5

Keywords: Indianapolis, Indy, 500, Indycar, USAC, CART, IRL, Motor, Speedway, Legends, of, the, Brickyard, Speedvision, highlight, film, Foyt, Andretti, Unser

Id: BiSsZ0vilAs

Length: 22min 8sec (1328 seconds)

Published: Sat Sep 15 2012