1967 STP Turbine

every indianapolis car is a special designed and built for championship racing but this year something really special rolled in it was one car that couldn't leave the garage without drawing the crowd the STP turbo car monopolized attention wherever it went other drivers other owners the press and the fans all understood that here was something really used with the driver and the engine sitting side by side and most impressively new and sound with the flavor of the spacing everyone wanted to know more about it more pictures were taken and more interviews recorded than anyone could remember happening before a new car a revolutionary car doesn't just happen three years of planning had gone into the development of a totally new chassis but the project was stalled by lack of the right engine until as Andy put it that's where the United Aircraft of Canada per village as all the things we needed fit our race car all cars coming to Indianapolis receive a technical inspection by USAC official covering weight geometry quality of materials and workmanship there and we'll accept it I want to compliment you on the design and structure of this chassis this is one of the finest cars there's a freeway in the good many years and in possibly the beginning of a new India you're to be congratulated as qualifying trials draw near the pace quickens Parnelli obviously speed up well into racing rate 164 165 166 miles per hour it looks good it's a happy crew that awaits qualifying trial I knew that the car wouldn't be extreme qualifier because I missed the other fellas can click to the Nitro and and out horse cars quite badly with the nitro high-energy nitro methane fuels used by piston engine cars qualifying speeds were running very high a record number qualify on the first day and record speeds are reached the minimum qualifying speed will prove to be 162 and 1/2 miles per hour the maximum will come within an eye blink of 169 but Parnelli didn't do so badly using his normal fuel his first lap speed was 160 6.48 to qualifying speed is the average of four laps 166 point four eight to again 165 point 899 165 point four four one for an average of 166 0.075 the turbo car qualified six in a field of 33 [Music] [Applause] after the traditional parade and pace laps bringing the cars up to speed in stock order the pace car pulls into the pits and the race is off [Applause] Shirley Jones makes his way high on the outside out of the groove he takes gurney Oh John [Music] we really didn't have the intentions of passing on impose but they all started going to the groom upset about that I can't get down anyway my side back off follow two or three other automobiles there it was behind me so my my little past two or three of them and to see what the outcome is after I get out of the corner just seemed relatively easy was up right there behind that turn to a lot of time we hit this credibly I think you've got defensive just wide open and so halfway through the first lap car Nelly Jones has slammed his turbo car in the first spot lap one is a track record for Jones of the turbo car one fifty four point three seven four miles an hour it looked easy from there the race became a battle for second place the front it's still Jones recent hill on his 51st left Leroy gar rule following normal groove for conventional cars comes in front of our Nelly who deliberately spins to avoid a serious collision I really never lost control of the car during a spend with time lost on the fifth Jones loses would even danger briefly our Nellie uses the caution light when passing is forbidden to make a fuel stop and the lien passes temporarily deployed Parnelli knowing point will have to pit soon sedately shaves the second soft boy sleep the strategy was simple you've got to finish to win so don't push the car the Turbo Power is suddenly over dude on the Main Street [Music] on the hundred and ninety-six left with seven and a half miles to go the car lost power to the wheel I was running quite smoothly there under the caution I thought there is nothing that can go wrong it's like my passenger car down the highway all of a sudden they just run out just like that the terrible car didn't win and it's race was over but the controversy had created had just begun within weeks after the race decisions of the US auto club would rule the car out of competition by changing the rules governing turbine engines but at the moment there was too much disappointment to look ahead the cause of the failure was found a defective ball bearing cost six dollars at a press conference call to protest the USAC decision Andy shaken had this to say I hope illegal cars have too much time and blood in it all I supposed to do now I can't sit here and die I just don't see how I can do it Shirley Murphy owner of AJ Foyt's car as a car owner of a piston engine car which won the race only because the bearing went off of Andy's car I don't think turbine should be barred because Parnelli was able to drive that car and handle it on the track because of the four-wheel drive and the chassis construction and not because of the tar that was in it Parnelli had some comments - I'm the only individual that really could give an honest comparison nobody music ever asked me how much advantage I really had but I was a little disturbed about and I think that if the other race drivers had the knowledge that I have from driving because they'd have a different outlook on it Colonel Gordon Cooper astronaut an Indy race car owner protests the USAC action and I believe this is a dangerous trend that we're establishing this rule has just killed the turbine engine it's a death blow to the turbine engine and if we want to rule out progress then we've done it the car was quiet but the sound and fury of the controversy of whistle Linda being was destined to echo through racing history for years to come

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Length: 8min 34sec (514 seconds)

Published: Thu May 04 2017