1973 Indianapolis 500 - FULL RACE "EXTENDED VERSION"

the cars are underway following the pace car for the beginning of the 1973 Indianapolis 500 the crowd of more than 350,000 people will finally get what it came for here today despite the rain storms despite the delay for hours on the start of the race everybody's still here and just as enthusiastic as they were when the gates opened at 5 o'clock this morning some of the people have been here already for 10 long hours there is the field of 33 cars one car has not started that a fog Harkey same problem or something liked it that the great AJ point had there's car keys car back in the pits already very reminiscent of what happened to AJ Foyt in last year's race or what a frustration that must be Jackie yes I think a major problem forum of EDS emotions are high at this time I can't imagine what's gone wrong I've taken the front doors going off the car so it it must be something that's confusing them for a long way okay it's been such a long delay are these men in your estimation as a racing driver even more tense than they might otherwise have been no I think that they've worked it off a little bit in fact some of the real pros some of the real Hoffman and they are probably in better racing condition know that they would have been earlier today it's a lot of pressure and a lot of strain some of the other drivers are having trouble you can see the the movement in the cars of this time Jimmer is heating tire temperatures up okay the way Johnny Rutherford on the pole for example was twisting his car back and forth let's take a look at the field now on the pole Johnny Rutherford and next to him in the middle of the first row poppy ups are in the white car the Olsen I Tegel and on the outside the defending champion Mark Donohue in the dark blue number 66 wrote to sweet savage number 40 number five Gary Fenton Towson number 11 Mario Andretti moved out to the third row of the field in the third row on the inside we have number 24 young Steve Priscilla for Parsippany New Jersey surprised at finishing that qualifying next him al-ansari Carter before that's the white one in the middle and on the outside the Levin fear screen Jimmy Carruthers in front number 21 the next row Peter Epson on the inside of the McClaren number 20 Bobby Allison number 12 there is fat banana starter with the flag in his hand when he gives them the green that'll be at the base bar coming off Jeff can take the bait the fact you should get the green right now looks like a repeat of last year so it's a good one here they come probably answers right for the lane those explosions are not cars those are the bombs overheads that are normally set off during the start of the race there is a report already that there may be spectators hurt not confirmed the wire fence right here in the straightaway was ripped apart it was very fortunate that a car did not come into the crowd because one of these Sanders holding up the wire screen has also been broken in half right here at the most crowded part of the grandstand we almost had an automobile go into the crowd and it affairs definitely that there are spectators injured but here is a replay of what happened here he was back in the sixth or seventh row this car check sure that it might have been soft Walter but watch there's a car going starting to the right right there credible explosion fuel spraying out over the spectators the first few rows that could mean real trouble and they're like explosion and like a pinwheel all right garden sprinkler all the fuel is being straight out of the car that could be a good thing for the driver if he has survived this crash loving to arrest another view of this from a head on camera and again you will see how this the cable cables inside this screen are the only thing to stop this car from flying into the crowd there watch now the screen itself is completely destroyed the cables flinging him back out on the race course upside down and again that's fuel spraying on the crowd that's a matter of great concern and here that inwe'll affect the alcohol phase fuels spitting out of the car upside down another car leak Kunzman I believe number 16 barely missing the crash in soft water who is under the car terrible terrible accident on the started Indianapolis only seven seconds after the start of the race well there's the car of my kiss we're trying to count up the cars involved in as it looks like 9 or 10 cars all together there's a stretcher being brought into the stands that confirms the fact that spectators are injured in what degree we do not know at this point there you see the wire fell in Brooklyn in Hamptons that hole there it is closer look at it that and another pole we're snapped in half you see the wire screen destroyed but those four cables are what held a car within the race course salt Walter being taken away now to the evidence it's definitely car number 77 salt Walter 25 year old former motor boat racing champion son of a million millionaire owner of a steel foundry in Dayton Ohio that's the remnants of his racing machine cheered in half totally there again spectators being ministered to in the grandstand they have nothing moved as yet first aid treatment coming first there the hole of the fence you see the ambulances on the racecourse the spectators will be brought through that hole in the fence with a car hit just a shocking shocking moment in Indianapolis they're there to be a number of spectators maybe eight or nine Dave tiles is down the pits with Jerry grant let's go down well Jerry grant has possibly given us the best description of actually what took place joy drive it over again well that's these things happen in a split second but I believe that something happened to his car because they're talking about which car no walk they tell me what salt Walter the blue car and I was squeezed over against the wall I had no more room to squeeze out when his car veered to the right I ran into my left front wheel and it almost knocked the steering wheel out of my hand and the next I I continued I stayed on Atwater because I saw his car climb over the wheel and go up and I I knew that we were in trouble and the only place to go is straight ahead I was committed there was no skill involved but the way that's a car veered into me so sudden there I would reckon it something happen like you speculate on this like a rear half shaft or something now the people in the pits of my guys say that looked like something like a half shaft broke and it just turned him right into me and of course I saw nothing except for the car start to go over the top of me quite a number of cars involved in this side addition assault Walter Walid Allen back Mike Mosely John Martin Mike hiss Lee Kunzman Jim McElroy dick Simon David Hobbs all those cars in this crash there goes 98 amazingly enough of those cars involved in the accident the only one that will not be in the starting field here finally is the car of David salt Walter all of the others will make the start 32 from the original starting field of 33 we have a late medical report on the condition of salt Walter from Methodist Hospital he has third-degree burns you know on some 25 percent of his body the doctors say that his condition is still serious but stable he is now communicating with people and the doctors say that he seems to be improving as for the two teenage Indiana girls who were the most seriously injured spectators both are still in the intensive care unit both are serious with burns since Monday there's been a great deal of talk and controversy about the manner of that star in one minute Jackie Stewart and I will examine that subject after Monday's disaster at Indianapolis the sorry the race was rescheduled for Tuesday but the rains came and they continued and continued the cars were sent out once scheduled for a 9:00 a.m. start they were sent out about 11 o'clock but without the green flag falling there was more rain and they came back in the game was frisbee not motor racing that gave Jackie Stewart and I a lot of time to talk about Monday start was it a good one or a bad one I asked Jackie for his opinion on it it's very difficult Jim because remember there are two things that you must consider first of course there must be discipline in that piece lab there's got to be good spacing and everybody's got to stay in their allocated positions but you must also remember that there are racing drivers in the field and it's their job to try and anticipate the start as well as possible to try and take advantage of a car that might not just perform too well at the beginning of a race so that the drivers although they have to be disciplined also have to be competitive and this is a difficult conflict it certainly as well as you know we looked at the videotapes very carefully last night and we found some interesting things I think why don't we take a look at those tapes right now well it was a very very untidy field I think that's the most impressive thing you can see here that on the second row there in fact are four cars in fact krisiloff has moved up ahead of one of those cars he's come from the sons line and moved ahead of the second line in fact now this of course he shouldn't have done and and this is a big problem with discipline in this case now Peter raphson in fact has moved up from the fourth row into the third row seeing that gap I mean I think he's playing a racing driver I mean this you can hardly blame him for but he has done it as the fuel comes in to ton for here and the pace car still leading them we can see Pat Verdana start on the left-hand side and you know the front row looks good Jim it's tidy but the rest of the fuel are pretty open look who's back they're moving up AJ Foyt has already gone from the eighth row to the seventh row and he's still in turn four so he's moving up as well looking for gaps and I think this is because the field itself is so untidy I don't think there's been any lane discipline AJ still moving up very quickly at this point has almost gotten up to the sixth row which is the row in which salt water was driving now this time AJ does come very very close to salt water now of course we're looking at it from a long lens that it's difficult to see exactly what that third dimension is but he is very very close and at this point salt water definitely starts to move off to the left of our screen now this is a problem and Pat Madden has given the start no no that the pack is so spread out and so untidy that it's possible at two cars of touched here that could have been the moment could have well if that has happened or if these two cows touch the salt water accident certainly started to occur at that time and he came straight across there in front of Jerry grant and that's where the accident occurred just at that point there where it circled and I'm pretty sure it's a standard motor racing accident where two cars two open wheel cars touch and when this happens Jim well all hell breaks loose because the car claims over the other car but even a slight tap on the backside at this time can cause a car to veer in any direction and I'm pretty certain from my point of view as a driver that's what has happened let's take a comparative look at the starts of last year and this year this was last year start well now it looks a great deal more tidy and look at this year I mean here's a picture of this year start and they're spread all over the place I can't really imagine why in a way this has been allowed to happen there's got to be discipline and of course this to some extent is the responsibility of USAC to try and enforce this and here we see again this year where they're all spread around there are some rows there well there seems to be four cars in the one rule no question of that well right now Dave dials are standing by in the gasoline our alley or pit area and which one is it at this moment he has a report on a meeting that has just taken place between the drivers and USAC officials apparently it was quite a special meeting okay Dave well it was a stormy meeting of gigantic proportions all the drivers in there with us AC officials along with Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials we get it on unimpeachable authority one of the drivers stood up and said look if you don't shape up the start of this race you're going to get us all killed out there there were obscenities name-calling you name it a big storming session no threat of a boycott and I asked one of the drivers when he got out of the meeting what in the world can you do about it he said really nothing he said but you'd think that they could start this race successfully he said after all they have only one race a year and they had the rest of the year to prepare for it and he managed to followed up almost every year and he said our lives are the ones that are on the line now what they have done now is to say that we will not start the race at 80 miles an hour they were supposed to start it at 80 yesterday and all the drivers have told me the same thing there is no possible way that we were going 80 miles an hour and we had to accelerate too quickly and thus increasing the danger so this time the pace car will be driven at at least 100 miles an hour to ensure a little safer start and hopefully it will get better but right now the atmosphere between the drivers and Speedway officials is anything but friendly now back upstairs so much for Tuesday Jackie Stewart had to leave us then to fulfill racing commitments in Europe in a minute we'll move to today Wednesday and the race we're back at Indy where it looks like we're finally going to get the start of this year's Indianapolis 500 I'm Jim McKay and since Jackie Stewart as we said has had to return to the continent for this weekend's upcoming Grand Prix of Monaco let's run down the ABC cast of characters if you will working in the pits Dave dials and Don Hein in the pace car again this year and again as always the host of the 500 for ABC my colleague Chris Schenkel and very shortly will be going down to Chris for his words on the pace lap and working with me in the food since Jackie has gone home here is an old colleague on these racing telecasts crystianna makya deter of national speed sport used Chris what kind of a race do you look for now look for different 500 um a really different one I say that because open animosity has flared among some of the drivers or the events of the first start two days ago charges of poor driving and so forth we have ten of the cars that were in that action have been rebuilt to put back on the track with proper parts and so forth but we don't know what kind of condition they're in when they ran one lap yesterday John Martin one of the cars that was involved pulled in with no brakes so we have an area of uncertainty there with ten of the machines the long delay has produced a problem for the owners many of the crewmen have gone back to the regular jobs Lindsay Hopkins who has four cars in the race told me a little bit ago but he has five men down on his four pit crews and while knee down on Beck's entire pit crew is pick up for today's race then of course there's a speed thing everyone seems to have forgotten about the 200 mile an hour lap I look for the speeds to be down because of a concern over fuel consumption okay well now for the third time this week we are about to hear what have often been described as the four most famous words in American sport spoken is always by track owner Tony Hulman well that's it the spectators in the mechanic leave the racecourse the cars are being started there's Peter Revson turns his car soon you will see the 33 loneliest men in the world on that race car there's AJ Foyt trying for his fourth Indianapolis 500 win nobody's ever done that ever there's the rear view mirror that was invented at this racetrack in 1911 by the winner of the race ray Haroon so he could ride without a mechanic there Mario Andretti a former winner and again AJ Foyt way back in the field in the e throw of the slow qualifying time Gordon Johncock in car number 20 that's one of the ante Granatelli Patrick cars all of them ready to go Johnny Rutherford sitting on the pole the old starved Texas on his helmet here is the first row Johnny Rutherford Bobby unser and Mark Donohue let's take the one by one Johnny Rutherford of Texas qualifying speed of 198 point four one three the fastest qualifying speed in history we turn one lap at 199 miles per hour that is a MacLaren's bar bill 20 Bobby unser in car number 8 he was the fastest qualifier the pole sitter last year led the race until he broke down he's in car number 810 Kearney's Olsen ight Eagle attorney himself of course a former famous racer on the outside the defending champion number seven sixty six parts Donahue in of the Roger Penske team there are two of those cars with his team also in a race in the second row most impressive sweet 7 Gary Bettman house and Mario Andretti sweet savage a couple of years ago had a very bad crash was out for a season now back again again considered worth most promising drivers in the sport at car number 43 Travis in the middle of the second row number 5 Gary Fenton housing his father was a very famous driver who never won this race who died in a crash in practice testing a car for a friend on this race course some years ago Gary Benton Houseman some say he's the favorite number 11 Mario Andretti on the outside he won the race in 1969 and this is one of his better qualifying positions since then one of these so-called super team cars directed by former winner Parnelli Jones Row three speed prislop al unser and Jimmy Carruthers Steve Krystal op was a big surprise with his qualifying speed of 194 point 9 3 - he's from Parsippany New Jersey one of the younger drivers in the field he'll be in car number 24 al unser in number 4 is a two-time winner of this race in consecutive years 1970 and 1971 he also like Mario Andretti is a member of the Parnelli Jones Bower Miletich team and on the outside of this row number 21 Jimmy Carruthers for a long time people have been saying he's one of the coming drivers in the sport this could be the year and now let's go to Chris Schenkel who is riding in that pace car that you see out in front of the field is driven by four or five hundred winner Jim Rassman okay Chris Bobby unser mark Donahue beginning to close up they're supposed to be 100 feet apart as we at 60 miles an hour you have to speedway a parade laughs and we'll be going into the pace lap close to the base car putting that up dolly cold Tony Hulman Gerry tough layup Cadillac driver Jim Rassman as a little faster heartbeat at this moment is where the short shoot an eighth of a mile here on the southeastern going into turn number two Bobby Hudson perfect position here we go into the three turnin except for David hops car the driver is on paying attention and now we're reaching a hundred miles an hour guess it's going to be exciting zip a cage the bird Bobby unser parks Donahue second-row savage 2020 the rest of the green flag did they come towards the starting line will the pace car go off this time Chris Schenkel was in that car talking to you it's going on if we're gonna get a start there's time for that in the corner walking with a green flag he hasn't give it again they run off the start yes they have Bobby unser first place parked out of you a second and now Johnny Rutherford has been passed by sweet savage rather than the polls that are dropping back in the field incident father leader marked out of your second at mario andretti third might ready to start on the outside of the second row really got a good start and he's moving up now on mark Donahue they see Johnny with the blue and then and ready and then Johnny Rutherford who was on the pole and conceivably might have decided but the other guys know couple years ago Johnny Rosenberg qualified second shortly clickers Bobby unser go this is the way Bobby unser always try to the crash of a dog sorry boy we've been getting conditioned to that I apologize it's Bobby Allison with smoke coming out that happened right on the home stretch of the spot where the crash was the other day Bobby I was in a trouble of the start and now he's got more trouble it appears as though as turbocharger let go it's the same kind of trouble that befell David Hobbs earlier it's one of the three-car Penske team rookie Bobby Allison appears to be out of it now they may be able to get it fixed but he'll be way behind if they do ok Bobby unser is still the leader mark Donahue still 2nd Mario Andretti 3rd the Indianapolis 500 finally that long last underway day of trying once again it's Bobby unser by the bike park sunny who that re already Johnny Rutherford and sweet savage those two cars very close together and then Gary Benton Houser will return to the action in a minute we're back at Indianapolis and there is a casualty Peter Redmond has come up against the wall nothing sure if it doesn't appear the car in pretty good shape and Peter all right out of the car walking away under his own power beforehand about having to go to Monte Carlo to race this weekend Jim it's a disappointing start for this versatile driver that happened in turn four it here is Mario I'm Freddie into the fifth Mario who was in third place has come into the pits this is unscheduled and there is Sammy sessions in the pits in car number nine he has a problem epidemic a very early pitch topic three on you meanwhile Bobby unser in carnivore eight is still the leader two former leaders there former champions is a lead now unser the one in 1968 at mark Donohue who is the defending champion here now but there's no incident involved with that so biggest leaving some smoke high into the air hunter still the leader mark Donahue seconds in this a good panel for first and second first lap speed was a new record 177 point six zero and now John Martin is car number 89 he's been having trouble always out of the car it looks like that's it again for the champion of this race in 1969 but on the race course Bobby unser Mark Donohue is the Dan Gurney car against the Roger Penske car there is the balaclava as they call it the flame-resistant foot that they were under their helmet try to talk to Mario Andretti there are the leaders though uncertainty remember the pitch down fire Oh tell me what happened to Brittany you're out for the day broke a piston what does it happen I just happen to apparently up to the time okay Mario is ready walking away out of the Indianapolis 500 this finally Joan she saw his team manager on the race car sit still Bobby unser number eight in the ocean he legal things are stunning hue in another Eagle this year is fittingly Donna who drove a McLaren to victory last year this year he's an Eagle tilt by Dan Gurney who is the team manager of the car in front of him to Indianapolis winners in the first and second places human at the fine rate that they are pulling away from the rest of the field it is their place however now is sweet savage in car number 40 that is the car owned by Pat Patrick the oil man and sponsored this time by Andy Granatelli for though your figured Indianapolis there's only one here once that was with Mario Andretti in 1969 they're in sauna use the engineer graduate of Brown University chasing Bobby unser the man from an Albuquerque New Mexico garage remember the racing family remember he's won the race once and brothers wanted quite another brother was Tillman Indianapolis back in the 19th 17 so raising the Pikes Peak Hill Climb until they passed a special rule against our pride is a real tough draping family and their mother maman sir she is called hugs to moderation she is in the stands today the second laughs be fun away with 180 point six one four there that was six miles faster than previous record set by Bobby unser last year the weather is fine at 65 degrees their Chiba the witness sixteen miles an hour boy the fourth turn diagonally across the infield into the second turn so it shouldn't be too much of a problem today you will notice a lot of empty seats by the way during our coverage today remember this is the Thursday that this crowd had a compact they started out numbering more than 350,000 you couldn't see it is Oh considerably less crowded than that now how many people are on the ground is difficult to say a lot more than it appears by the stands however because the infield is no white bowl people milling around under the stands and turn one of the other turn areas now they're starting to move into traffic and here comes Joe Leonard the current national driving champion in fact he's won the Nashville USAC driving championship the past two years Joe into the fence and that seems early the super team is having it tough today Andretti is already out of it here's the second man and the three-man team in the pizza there's a current standing Bobby unser number eight in the league mark Donahue number 66 second sweep Sanders number 43 and Joe Leonard's coming out of the fifth again looks like he's alright little bit earlier Jackie's jewel and I was Jackie was still here talked about the matter of pit stops listen to Jackie's explanation sensing so here we see Gary Benton hoes ins Roger Penske mcFarland coming into the pits the speed coming into the pits is very important because he's got to stop an exactly the right place for the seven men to get onto the job of course each man is a specific job three of the men are involved in the fuelling to for putting it in and one for an overflow to be sure of minimizing a fire risk for men looking after changing the tires seven men and all the cars lured and pushed away and I will show individual movements we see the car coming in we see the jack going in and lifting the car this is so they can take off this rear tire the change rubber at particular times in the racetrack and of course the front tires changed as well only on one side this is taken off and put back along with a few Matic tool this is the overflow pipe and this is them putting the 60 gallons of fuel in this is to minimize the risk of fire again the rubbers put back on secured by the air tool everybody has to wait until every motion is completed the cars Lord they start to push the car out although the engine is running and the car is in gear they want to make an excellent cliff fast exit from the pits and now we see the clock running at the top now to make a very fast pit stop they've got to do it in under 20 seconds in the race we see the same motions we see Gary Burton houses sitting in the car just taking a breather with a visor up he puts the visor down and every second of the pits means 300 feet on the racetrack itself the length of a football field they pushed the car away and off he goes back in the race demonstration of a pit-stop Drive earlier by Jackie Stewart in the race leaders are still the same now this year Jim they've added one man on the pit crews to a total of nine including the driver so it's pretty crowded out there certainly is this Roger Penske giving a safe signal mark plus six he's got six seconds on the third place car which is sweet savage in car number forty but it's still the ultimate Eagle of Bobby unser and out in front arch Donahue ii briefs have its third and we'll be back in a minute and so now ladies and gentlemen is from the pace car for me up to a more tranquil position to keep you informed officially is just how the cars are running and to tell you the cars that are out of the race well at this moment we have the yellow light Harlan Fingal the chief steward has turned it on and these are the cars that are out of them that are leading the race we have Bobby unser who of course is in front last year's winner Donahue's second Rutherford the pole sitter is third Lloyd Ruby the wetter veterans still trying to win his fourth and they put up the yellow because Bob Harkey in car number 28 spun out so that means he is one of five through nineteen official laps that have left the race leading the field now to 27 Indy racers we'd like to show you the cars that are out and fly Bobby Ellison had a broken connecting rod Mario Andretti broke a piston Peter Epson hit the wall in his out Sammy sessions had an oil leak and as we indicated Bob Harkey spun out on the 19th laps through the first 10 laps the speed was 182 but because of the caution it has come down to 143 okay Jim again with frizzy kana Maki and there is Mark Donohue coming into the pits March none of you the cars been running in second remember we're still operating on to the yellow here don't take advantage of that forfeit stuff race take advantage of this very early ello they wouldn't ordinarily stopping for majority laps of God by to try and get through the race in four stop yo golly you're done we'll see what anybody else takes advantage of this yellow and when they do that the green came back I think a quarter that's it stop the grease came out a couple of seconds before they started bleep mark this pesky back after the wall he just guests a little bit wrong that yellow was a very short duration part he broke down on the backstretch hit the toe in it's not an accident of any kind is no to really track so there was a quick dream and marked X lot that's gonna cost like the NASCAR races when the yellow comes out the electoral tape delightful odd and the drivers are held at their interval by these lights and they check the pond as they circle the track so the fact the yellow about means that market moves all that much did it close up too much okay but he lost quite a bit there the standing pound number eight by the answer number seven Johnny Rutherford who said Allah for remember is now second equal duck number twenty Gordon Johncock he is third that's another of the Andy Granatelli Patrick petroleum cars sweet savage now drop back Bobby unser maintaining that lead of course he did that last year for quite a while until his car broke down and that was the story of the old Snite Eagle last year every time he could finish a race just about it won but it didn't finish quite enough it did not finish for example the Indianapolis 500 these just romantic here at Indianapolis faster and faster every year are sleek powerful toasting some 900 horsepower matter-of-fact Jackie Stewart and I had a discussion about that the speeds and how they've changed let's take a look motor racing to a great extent is a numbers game I'm talking about the statistics of the sport that are studied so closely by the engineers by the mechanics by the drivers themselves to try to find out exactly what is going on out there take the example of the statistics of speed here at Indianapolis the speeds on the straightaway have not increased in any way the way the speeds in the corners have increased during the last 11 years for example no because there has also been in that time a very great increase in power I mean in 1962 they were producing only about 500 horsepower today in 1973 they're producing 900 horsepower and really there isn't a big difference on the straightaway speed when one considers the difference in power in the street they're doing about 214 miles on earth and in 1962 that were doing about 205 miles an hour but of course the tongue the karma speeds have increased enormously and this is where today there's there's this sharp increase on lap times we're today against 140 mile an hour 1962 we have a 40 mile an hour increase to 180 miles an hour in 1973 this is a tremendous increase okay well timing various sections of the track make it very easy for the engineers to see what has happened but why is it happening it's happened because of various things generally this happened because of aerodynamics and it's also happened because of tires basically adhesion to the racetrack entire of course where you're getting this basic adhesion there is a big difference and the good old days where you see the the very high tire the very narrow tire you are getting it cutting through the air very cleanly it wasn't giving much adhesion of course and around the corners that were slipping all over the place and then of course they got a little bit wider and it suddenly they became very low they brought in what's known as the low profile tire and it got wider in by getting wider it gave more adhesion more drag down the street and of course also not such good clean air movement and then of course nowadays they've got a tire with no tread on it I mean it stops any movement of the tread they've only got little holes in it really to measure the depth of the tread and the wear but you can see from here the enormous difference and of course annealer dynamics this this is a big thing because the downforce in the front with it modern aerodynamics is around 600 pounds in the front when the air passes over this enormous lee large rear aerofoil it's 1600 pounds of pressure going down onto that racetrack and of course a lot of bite so the tires have given a lot more adhesion but they're a win factor in resistance and the air foil itself pushes down making maybe a little bit slower on the straightaway but greater adhesion and therefore faster in the corners that's correct they do drag a little bit in the air but by droves they really give bite and adhesion to the driver let's watch more how it happens on the track yeah that was an earlier discussion with Jackie Stewart now back to the action this is Wednesday this is the final day of the race and a battle for third place going on between Johnny Rutherford who was the pole sitter and young bill lukovitch the son of a famous racing driver battling for third Bobby unser still the leader as you see Gordon Johncock is part of a 20 second fence mambas real tight battle foot for third between Johnny Rutherford and Billy Vukovich brought the furnace full great things been expected for a number of years Booga - and his father won this race twice trying to win it for the third straight time was killed during the race back to the 1950s Jim some drivers did not stop during that yellow flag if Bobby unser charcoal grill prevention Lloyd Ruby who started 15 and is running now wait really coming on Boyd Ruby is running very foul man come here so many times with almost fun but here comes Johnny Rutherford into the pits by now taking over third place from the heat McLaren the manager is Teddy Mayer who's an American but the cars are built in England States by boys Jefferies how's it look Johnny's parents I know we're sitting right above his bed they're from Texas buying people and they're only routing their their son the other car you saw number five was Gary Fenton thousand of the Penske team he's in the fence there you see the two cars wanted back of the other Steve McClaren Team Penske and there's the dirty team the Granatelli team of the Parnell finally John super team educated have been suffering the early going with troubles leader that was a racecourse is still Bobby I'm sure that super there's AJ points flowing down kitty that was 500 trouble for AJ Foyt and his car number 14 the coyote filled itself powered by a point engine formerly known as a port engine enough over the point because they are filled in Texas by AJ you know late thirties he really wanted that fourth one she have pitstops warned of the quality evening see here Indianapolis they were in quite long even the better teams are a little slow today there is the leader Bobby on carnival race and he's coming down a little low on that turn you know the other fun thing is wider he is coming into the bit leader into the pit well you heard Jackie Stewart probably how long to see how well the gurney team can do on this one this is one of the very expensively financed they have uniforms everybody very clean very meticulous very well-trained man's got his job and he's doing it well right here AJ Floyd's complaint was a rattling engine we understand average speed for 30 laps 150 2.41 6 miles per hour remember every time there is a yellow flight that's people come down of course it's a long pit stop for Bobby unser this is going to cost him I think is not problem doesn't seem to be a problem in the engine or anything okay finally getting to signal is be pushed off our number 20 Shunta we savage they're stealing cars number 20 and 40 Al Unser what a battle it looks like we're going to have 500 pit stops up against rubble the standings in Indiana Indianapolis 500 Gordon Johncock went rolling to laughs and then he had to make a pit stop now his teammate number 40 sweet savage has taken the lead how unser has moved up into second place is car number four and Mark Donaghy was now back in it again car number 66 that red car is the leaders bleep Savage one of the youngest drivers in the field car right behind him is Roger McCluskey number three who has a lap down he's not on the same level with the leader however they car behind with rusty his Al Unser that's how close it is for the lead now the first bars in Senate are you see our fat Lee for first place Saavik 26 years old to a lot of racing glory Al Unser looking for John Tocqueville book of itch are holding their pitched up to this plan that most fella said they would follow earlier forty 1860 left that's why he went in and surrendered to lead to maintain what hopefully will be a forest operate a big day for sweet savage Krusty behind McCluskey you know won the Ontario 500 last fall a veteran racing driver from Tucson Arizona boy how he loved to win never done one lap down right now sandwich in between the two lead cars one of the left of course is the leader what the fight was rusty again Ellen the only four car team in the race one of which is already out five are was the obvious thing and Melkonyan are the other drivers on that four car team very close define these three cars you have a co turbulence that made for us keep our bauble a little bit the drivers are talking about running closely behind another fellow the wing on the front car up the ability the second car to remain stable as we saw a little bit of that a moment ago now the leader he's from Santa Ana California 26 years old father of a six year old girl want to use that grace and then very shortly thereafter has serious injuries a couple years ago without pre here now back again and apparently and obviously I think the cuskey is drafting well I would think so sweet hasn't faster car than McCluskey's which is a year old model and he's take advantage of every opportunity he's a race savvy driver he could even a slingshot by here - he wants to get that lap back no one professional likes to be one lap down this early in the going drastic birth rate is being facet of a racing game there is Tempe telling mark Donahue that he is 13 seconds behind the leader behind sweet Saavik but Al Unser is coming up on the leader trying to get by McCluskey their monster going down low and he's getting by Roger this time worthy enough savage believe he's got to take the lead nothing fight to it not that time he drops back behind again drastic repetitive interesting subject Jacky's George talked about that earlier - you know where'd you hear Jackie and I both used very frequently on these racing telecasts is drafting or sometimes as the Europeans say slipstreaming it's a thing that's kind of complicated and yet visually I think you can explain it quite easily - well I often see it in the same way as one sees a boat breaking through the water gym because a boat creates a wave behind and creates dead water and this as analogy is quite close to what we are talking about in a racing car breaking through the and causing a wave behind it and allowing a car to get in behind here we see the motor boat with the weight going out now you see from the point of the boat we get this wave and of course the race car creates the same sort of thing as it goes through the air this wave goes out which allows another car behind to come into dead air - still here and it doesn't have the same wind resistance now that car behind can pull out and overtake with an increase in speed and this is what drafting is all about this is what slipstreaming means on a racetrack itself it has tremendous advantages and here you see it on the track itself you see the car behind the white car coming up close behind the lead car he's probably gained 5 or 6 miles an hour at this time as he starts to lead himself out to about the back wheel though they're still dead here until that back wheel until he gets past by the time he's passed there he's gained enough speed to take advantage in the corner which of course is a tremendous advantage well now in the stock cars that we saw during the the winner at Daytona for example drafting is almost totally an unmixed blessing but not so with these hopefully open wheel racers is it no because you can lose there and with the aero files that have been designed today to increase the downward force this can be a major problem in the corners because when a car is in a corner what you see is this spoiled air coming over it's no longer cleaning and it's no longer allowing the ear of oil to press down the car onto the racetrack to give adhesion and when the car goes into a corner what happens is that the car gets in behind the lead car there's suddenly no air and when the car reaches the maximum cornering force suddenly he finds himself going out towards the outside of the race losing adhesion of course it loses speedin in some cases can cause a very major accident so there you have it what I think is a very lucid explanation of drafting a kind of sophisticated way of hitching a ride at 190 miles an hour we'll be talking about that during the race right now let's get back to the action yeah that was an earlier discussion but this is the action now in the Indianapolis 500 standing still Savage the leader hunters second and right behind him trying for the lead again now unser right behind savage McCluskey still hanging with them again is one lap down they're racing better than 185 yellow flag the average at 50 laps 159 in a fraction ok monster trying again coming down low you could get it this time Al Unser YC won the race he could make it 3 today sweet savage and everyone and now unser takes the lead how under his brother Bobby led in the early going we might be slowing down to must be jesting advantage of sweet big pike I'm Gordon Johncock tweets haven't you now Al Unser is quite a competitive great way sure it overcast skies we couldn't still get for rain today however if we get in 101 left official race one about a quarter of the 200 left now there's a Johnny Rutherford back in he was black flagged by stutter pack for then apparently he is leaking something out of the course the official word is that they something is coming out of the car whether it's fuel or oil or water we do not know and boy are they not in that pit looking to see if they can see any problem or is it is spewing anything now still no sign of what it might be for others mark Donahue having a problem 66 last year's winner blowing down the race board for the attrition rate is really something so far Donahue blowing sound he may be out of it Johnny Rutherford but it's al unser the leader we'll be right back we're back again at the Indianapolis 500 Jim McKay here with 50 cutter Mackey Chris Schenkel this is Mark Donohue into the pits and he is having his problems today the defending champion Jim we've got an epidemic apparently in the making here with connecting rod both problem Bobby elephant finally got his problem diagnosed is that while I gallon back and Jim man police folks falling by the wayside because of broken connecting rod bolts Al Unser still the leader in the race sweet savage is second and Gordon Johncock is third so we have a launcher from the Parnelli Jones came leading the race and mates from the Andy Granatelli Andy Granatelli Pat Patrick team sweet savage and Gordon Johncock running second and third would be quite a showing today for the Patrick team there is we savages all here is Johnny Russell British offense again potential opportunist break for the bowl officers Dover leaders savage ii John Gunther could be a permanently and a little lower Hunter looks like he gonna make a pit stop I can get savage to lead again yes yes oh my god I serve it racehorse anywhere in the air I think he's in that one to the right I can't even tell what part each part of the car is just disintegrated the red flag of course without the race is stop sweet savage is moving inside that thing the fire there sweet is wearing he is wearing one of these new suits where the poem automatically goes off inside the suit wearing and he is wearing it if there's any hope it might be a man how it could be moving from this beyond me I've never seen a car just disintegrate like that when he made a pitched up just a little bit ago the cars most 75 gallons if you only head fire truck racing to the Dean has hit a mechanic we're trying to get Savage out of the bar the man was thrown into the air hit by a fire truck we're talking about different people driver 500 is engaged in the stars at the ambulance coming out man the mechanic running out get lost I think he is from one of these Granatelli cars he might be creep savages mechanic possibly running out to see what that'll turn four you see this is visible from the pit area but just about as they come out of turn four he hit that wall that you'd be running off to the left you know that's the place where a Dave McDonald hit the last fatality in the race he had any facts ten years ago that's where Mike Mosely hits the mark Donaghy his card four years ago it's a place where people whose was killed of many years ago at the earthen embankment seems to be a very dangerous place to get a few moments at all Peter rest in the car with but not far from that very spot well here is what happened let's see if we don't see what happens concededly there the car is out of shape coming out of turns board he starts to turn left no hard left turn coming tremendously high wouldn't happen let's play the wheel going over towards Bobby unser across the track and just gets five you close to the right well look at that wheel look at that look at that time Lion of the Ariston gives us some idea of course some of the energy some of it at least be dissipated by all the parts flying off but the heavier part of the Karcham the engine parted on the right bouncing up and down in fact this could be digging holes in the racetrack Jim that's the engine and transmission tumbling and the driver in that fifth two three on the left this is Vince Granatelli in the STP hits you see that his driver and one of his mechanics we believe mr. down the pitch for the second time in 48 hours I'm talking with race driver Jerry grant who has witnessed a terrible spectacle here Jerry you were about a hundred yards you would estimate behind sweet savage when what took place well somewhere that I was coming off turn four when I saw we'd probably hit the wall and and I certainly don't know exactly what happened but I'm I'm surmising the track is extremely oily and everyone that I've been around is slipping and sliding and having a very difficult time in fact as we're shooting a complete different light to deter instead of going through the groove we're coming down across the warm-up apron trying to stay out of the oil and in coming back across the oil so I have had quite a few near misses and people that I've been following him in slippin and slidin and I talked to Joe Leonard back there and George Snyder behind me and I said all having the same problem and if there's oil all over my car there in other words what you're really saying to because you've been driving on an unsafe racetrack it's it's making an old man out of me Jerry when you say that you nearly lost it several times where you had control controlling it there how difficult would that be now are you really telling me that you really had trouble keeping your car on the racetrack and keeping it off the wall well when you say lost it you don't like to drive these cars sideways that the speeds were going and there's quite a bit of side words driving out there because the oil on top of the of the groove and you have to cross that groove sooner or later and trying to put the horsepower down it makes an extremely dangerous a very tricky situation and are you interested in going back out there on that racetrack as it is now and putting your life on the line I would sure like to see the track form attempt to clean the track up because right now it's a very dangerous situation okay race driver Jerry grant over the second time as we say in 48 hours has the witness to tragedy here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway again let's see if we can see what happened to that wing Chris there is a car out of shape back into static this is indication that perhaps he lost the downforce because of the you know the movement of the wing and he's just doing straight across there and watch in here watch the wing on the rear of the car is moving is definitely off the car safety for to throw easily off and the fuel exfolia me we have word the mechanic who it was a mechanic from the Granatelli team from the car of Brian McBride a third car in that team Armen tour and a young crew member from Culver City California is a man who has been taken to the field hospital from the pits 22 years old sweet savage the race driver we have no word on a chef who has no idea of his condition he made a decision to change from a regular driving streak to the phone suit between qualifying in the race in his home state there's plumbing in it and one trouble happens almost automatically fills up the suit and as far as the fire is concerned this may have helped him in this area well there's the question of impact of g-forces there is the question of whether or not he inhaled flames in addition to that lots of questions unanswered to this point Savage has been taken to the field hospital so has the crew member we'll take a break and come back and here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after that tragedy involving Swede Savage and car number 40 having the lead the the crews here at the Indianapolis Speedway are out there doing the usual efficient job and we just can't give them enough credit if you've been coming here year after years we have and thousands of other race fans have they know that it's stamped perfectly with competent and excellent people they know that the safety factors here the safety crews are the best anywhere in motor racing throughout the entire world so as they continue to clean up the track to restart this race let's take a look at the standings of course sweet savage is out of it so it is now al unser in the lead with Donahue second Jerry grant is third Gordon Johncock is fourth and through 50 laps officially the speed is just a little over 159 miles an hour Dave dials had an interesting up-close point of view about oil here let's join Dave well you heard race driver Jerry grant just a few moments ago talk about the oil he didn't want to come out and say it was really an unsafe and dangerous track but this is oil it's nothing else I'm no race car driver and know nothing about what makes these machines tick but this is oil Oh here and that can only come from oil being on the racetrack and being thrown up on the car on the face and therefore it has to be on the tyres has to be on the tires and it makes for a very slippery racing condition so oil has been a major factor and you'd have to say a dangerous way thank you David and now we'd like to show you the cars that are out of the race here in the running of the 500 of course earlier Bobby Allison Mario Andretti Peter revs in the same sessions and Bob Harkey and now joining those five we have Lloyd Ruby AJ Foyt and his Ford Jim McElroy and of course number 40 Swede savage having been very up close when an accident occurred three years ago in the pace car I know about the safety here at the in Annapolis Motor Speedway I speak from firsthand they are the greatest Jacky and Jim did a piece earlier let's join them Jackie I don't think I've ever been to a motor racing event anywhere where I've seen as much Frank concern and almost fear on the part of owners mechanics and drivers as there's been before this year's 500 because of the speeds I guess this year I think there's been a dreadful fever everyone has been most concerned I think all the talk of the 200 mile an hour lap that they thought to be possible at Indianapolis has accelerated everybody's concern Jim because there is no doubt that there is a terrible risk at Indianapolis and for that matter any of the other super speedways of a gigantic accident occurring due to speed there are tremendous safety precautions here - I think Indianapolis offers perhaps the best facilities for safety then any racetrack in the world it's really incredibly good it's the best I've ever seen you know the rearview mirror was introduced by Ray haroon in 1911 to see what was coming behind then of course more recently they've introduced the balaclava to try and minimize the risk of fire to a driver's face when fire busts out in a race track the helmets themselves have improved their good Integra hello mr. Dale's just now they've got much much better gloves to try and minimize that the fire risk and in the hands which of course is very difficult the overalls themselves are of course fire proof and of course thermal as well and nowadays they're getting into their cars and a much more solid way the seatbelt they've got six point seatbelts that really hold a driver down the fuel cells that you're seeing there are much safer than ever before and this minimizes again in the case of in fact a fire the fuel cells have come from the Aero industry really and are a great improvement they've got onboard fire extinguishers nowadays in the case of an accident an electric eye or a heat cell lets off that fire extinguisher and it also works with impact as well now the fire facilities of Indianapolis are fantastic the fire trucks they've got 21 and all now this is a great number to service only two and a half miles they you know in this particular case they've got record trips as well they've got record trucks that in a case like this a power tool to to prise open a monocoque or a chassis to allow a driver road firemen themselves they've got 250 firemen totally they've got a hundred and five and the pit loaner of pit road alone and a fireman like that can get right into a fire and rescue a driver this is all new and the ambulance side again they're well equipped look at nineteen ambulances with one caveat rocket ambulance which is really an intensive care unit to a lower driver a very seriously injured driver to be transported from the racetrack to a major hospital downtown in Indianapolis this is of course well equipped it's it's fully equipped for resuscitation it's got heart machines and of course it's got all the vital drugs that are necessary to keep a man alive just to get them to a major hospital they've got blood drips they've got everything very well equipped and there's nowhere in the world that I've ever seen anything like this before of course they've got the hospital now the field hospital at Indianapolis is again so well equipped they've got a hundred and forty-one doctors that 140 nurses they've got therapists and inhalation of thirty-one total employees are 312 they've got all the equipment as well they've got everything that is possibly needed of course they're servicing 325 thousand people at the race they've got helicopters but the two available helicopters and then they've got three standby helicopters that you know already in the case of need they couldn't have much more in the way of safety devices and yet still we have men driving 200 miles an hour racing machines when of course that originally was laid out in nineteen hundred and nine was paved with brick two years later and with asphalt some years after that but those are about the only changes it's still the same racetrack isn't the racetracks remain the same German this is a big problem because the speed that's become the factor of Indianapolis and this is where in my opinion speed has got to the point where it's so potentially dangerous because it's not just a drivers risk the drivers nor the risk of taking but the race caster they are traveling so fast that literally once they get out of control they almost become ballistic missiles now the walls at Indianapolis well of course the impact to our driver is terrible this very wall here is where our fallout died the day before first qualifying the day or first qualifying and of course he almost hit that wall in the way that he spun almost head-on now the wall of course is very very very strong and the modern racing car can only stand so much in particularly the man can only stand so much a lot of people are concerned about the pit area here too I'm concerned because the pit wall itself isn't very high it's really very short and very small now my fear is that a major accident would occur between say two cars on the main front straightaway in the case of this pit wall it's only 24 inches high if two cars collide one could be launched into the air it would go right over that pit wall into the gas tanks and the people are only just behind that now this for me is a terrible fear I think our responsibility to motor racing it's so intense that we must try to minimize this risk and I think we'll see changes here at Indianapolis on let's say the pit wall but also I feel sure on the speed the the opinion down in the pit road even from the drivers themselves today is that we're going too fast the pluses and minuses of Indianapolis let's get back to the race safety here and when accidents do happen giving us an opportunity to salute dr. Tom Hannah Clarence Kegel a director of safety Joe Quinn and their crews let's go to Dave dials and Bobby unser Bobby unser you were right behind Swede savage when it happened I know it's impossible to see everything in a split second but the best you can remember what did you see well I was right behind him in fact I was you know right behind I thought for a while that he was gonna hit me when he hit the fence right Rick came off the control arms and all on it but actually what happened he it just came off he was loose he barely had been in what do you mean by loose ball Louis I mean the race car was skittish on the racetrack do you think because of the oil Bobby we've had dozens of drivers tell us that that's an unsafe restructure no it is not unsafe in fact for the most part they're turning pretty fast speeds out there running you know some of 185 miles an hour out there and it's not too bad I don't think the track is unsafe at all it's just that some cars obviously don't work as good in the when they you can't have 33 cars on the track without having some oil to begin with all right you get a lot of rubber on the racetrack number two but the racetrack is loose there's no question about it but I've been here 11 years now and it's been loose every time I've never found the racetrack but to an entire race so I expected exactly what we're having out there and with Swede what he did is he come off number four turn and I've watched the car in fact I was trying to pass him I tried to pass him on number two turn over there and he was the race car was loose that means the rear end of the car was not getting good traction and when he came off the things started wobbling a little bit awful number four and then it took a big one to the right and started a you know kind of a slow we're in sweeping around to the right hit the wall and obviously had the accident right there you had no trouble getting by yeah well I almost made the mistake I had a heck of a decision to make right then because I was so close that it was a question of whether I get on the brakes and try to stop which I knew I couldn't do first I hid the bracelet start to stop when I saw Justin hit the wall and the next thing I did is he hit the outside wall start fits inside wall and I still have more pressure up so I just got on the gas it's hard at that cut and accelerated vine just died and I watched the rear tire coming towards me and I just got to in time apparently Bobby I would be interested knowing exactly how fast you were going as well as you can determine that that time being right at that place at that point because you were right well besides if I have to compute that probably I was running right there I would say I'm gonna guess 180 miles an hour something like that okay Bobby unser former Indianapolis champion the man who was closest to the Swede savage car when it hit the wall yes driving it in a competition of motor racing it's a combination of luck and skill and you saw Bobby do both avoiding the inferno the flying wheels during accident of sweet savage the maintenance crews are doing a very fine and fast and thorough job we'll be back to the action following this message we're back in Indianapolis and it looks like the green flag will come out again there has been a wait actually of an hour and 11 minutes the debris has been cleaned from the tracks Swede savages and Methodist hospitals as a condition is described as critical the man is alive not just race by the way again savage the stable conditions both of his legs are broken and he has rubber burns to his right hand in both arms the burns are severe the man in the pits has died Parmenter Ronde crew member of the Gordon MacRae car from Culver City California at age 22 died at 4:23 this afternoon in Methodist Hospital the race goes on and Al Unser is the leader in car number 4 there's his brother Bobby who is actually one lap behind but just behind his brother brother brother five people try to unlap himself as they say from brother al in second place at the races Gordon Johncock apartament 20 third place until hoga card number two only those three cars the same lap well uh sir may well become my three-time front of the 5-under today and I went back to back a few years ago now he's out front in that finally built car again sweet savage is alive is in the hospital and conscious Walters Modesto Indianapolis unser the leader Bobby unser one laps down just behind him in second place again the race his Gordon Sean Kosta teammate of sweet savage he's in car number 20 the third place infantry is still super timid during the period the race was stopped AJ Foyt has replaced George Snyder in front of 84 and his continuing quest for a 14 F was the determination of AJ Foyt's difficulties Lestrade getting out of his own car which broke down and getting into his teammates car that of course is allowed under the rules and poise is the leader of the team so he gives aside who's gonna drive the car that cars in fifth place two laps down up in front Alan sir he is the younger of the two brothers is some five years younger than brother poppy who was just behind him that interview was right behind Swede savage at the moment that he feared down left and hit the wall Alan sir was just ahead of him prepare Tory to going into the pits during the time the race were stopped all the crews were allowed to work on the cars and everyone forgot fuel and wanted to with these they were all saved tres going on under continually lowering skies not very bright here either that's the Chevy Chevrolet in the race on the right side of the screen Jim Carrey Carlin spoke to unix's stock black Chevrolet generate a lot of interest here with not running well in the race at all today all right we're getting a lap signing on the leader here on Al Unser remember this track is miles around 45 seconds exactly with the 200 miles an hour but it's obvious we're not going to see that today there's not been done in Indianapolis they have not been up in that area Al Unser current leader from the Parnelli Jones bel millet six gene from California the car designed by Maurice Judy famous European race car designer who was certainly one of the men who made Lotus cars until he came to work for part of a Jones as the time that is 48 cents 184 point four to six miles per hour that is a very very bad plan especially because of the oil on the track another car out that squalid Allen back in number 62 he's been sitting down there for fire Toyota going to turn one he just pulled off the track no accident involved there there is no young Bobby unser is not as close to brother Alice daddy was tried to unlap himself but he may be having a problem because not nearly as best she was where John five-second remember bilkul the sir unserved I was slowing down did the other cars are closing in on the leader it looks like a lot sir is having a problem inspiration business at this rate first tire the picture is lead cones but he said quite a ways down in the standing and that's Martin Johncock is gone hi I'm Jim okay course John caucus car number 20 has taken the lead a 30 secure old race driver driver from right here in the state of Indiana a veteran on this course better than you sex really never won the it was Johncock ship who started all the talk about the 200 mile an hour lap with his tire test apiece earlier this year and some really nice beat going down at the Texas Speedway is this a certainly strange emotional situation here they Granatelli car Johncock leading to ray what a job of controlling that bar could have said that far to the right and perhaps into the crowd for others a young mention trevor has done a certainly firm job as Mike Bosley in braiding running into him he kept that car straight as an arrow coming down the straightaway you know something else this part with a tire flew appeared to be exact blew back on the racetrack put leaders some small bit of the great very possible great pass away try to clean the track and liver Carruthers has done he's gotten all the way back to the pits a remarkable driving performance will return to Indianapolis in a minute the racing goes on at Indianapolis it is not quite as dark as it appears on our color camera pictures but the visibility avilés still plenty good enough for racing but it's pretty dark late afternoon the mood for a stopper here course John Koch leading the race Bobby unser second Hill group of eight second there's Allen's they're coming out of the fifth again remember he had been the leader he's a remarkable report from the pitch Jimmy Carruthers right front tire was punctured by a connecting rod boat from his exploding engine to break a connecting rod fall so far today Susie hae pointed tip over Carter 84 is in the pizza Kenny has been affected black flag bike the old us a bright light that made you must come into the pits now back to the leader Gordon Johncock in car number 20 John Koch the leader of the only part of the same rap with him at the moment is number two driven by Bill lukovitch the Eagles however cookie George vignati has put some fenders on it so this big little aerodynamic triangular devices in front of the wheels to make the car work better in the force of an axon it's doing very well and there we have Allen sir no chance for thirds victory okay got out of the pits with one lap that came back in again I'll unser is out of it when he takes off that helmet there is Jerry grant one of the Ojai deagle team he is the teammate of Bobby unser he's a mentor almost worthless race last year so that pit stop with ten laps to go that not only cost them victory but the manner of the pit stop eventually closed many places and the team $75,000 there's the time forty nine point five seconds and that is 180 1.80 eight miles per hour down is on line Al Unser is out of the race al what was the problem I think a fist of milk in the engine or some went wrong with it inside the engine will start vibrating real bad and just drop the cylinder and it just went around you're telling me that you made some adjustments during the red light pushing quite badly we make some adjustments to the car and it was just handling beautiful I could have I felt I could run all day why'd you say what was the condition of the track at the time you dropped out okay and now here is number 60 that is Brea McRae the third member of the Granatelli Patrick team slow it down New Zealand New Zealand Jim mousers withdrawal he was the 12th car to drop from the race so far away 75 laps in Gordon Johncock is gone as a five second lead over Phil Vukovich who is in second place Bobby unser in third place is down one lap the two leaders both the leader of the second place man John Hawkins Milkovich have really made only one pit stop so far they took on gas during the break but they're really 500 and there is Mark Donohue into the fifth yet again many pit stops this afternoon jubin defending champion the man who won the race a year ago the rookies have been having their problems Bobby Allison out of the race he was a teammate part Donahue when we say rookie we need first year at Indianapolis Allison of course we're the most successful NASCAR stock car driver another rookie was Graham McCray who you saw coming in potentially rookies still running at this moment when I was talking this morning to Billy Pugh kovitch back in the garage area had sent us all this stopping and starting for three days making you nervous he said I don't think so he said I don't I've convinced myself anyway I'm sure glad this isn't my rookie year here we got Bobby unser fine Gordon Johncock right Johncock the leader Bobby unser in third place with one o'clock down at John Roxton without a five-second - there is the speed giving Gordon Johncock by his pick for 183 miles an hour the speech still very much up there he knows he's got a tough man behind him Jim that Unser foul man filling up terror remember these and the speeds made possible by the increased horsepower of the engines the turbochargers they're getting about 900 horsepower now and also by the town thrust of those wings the air foils in the front and in the back 600 pounds the front 1600 pounds the back as we say it appeared to us from our replay there goes by the leader so he's got the same lab Lemonier a CPC gym or the leader is by someone that not take the lead because the race without a pace car a yellow flag could put them right around a bacchanal item we have an electro pacer here where the lights are said that about 80 miles an hour okay John is still the leader but are the others on the same lab John by 55 5 over book of itch the race goes on there's a look at Philly Popovich in car number two Philly where's that number because he finished second in the National standings there's a pit find at Gordon Johncock hit two laps from now Vukovich finished second for the season of the National standings last year give you an idea of what a confident the successful young driver he is he's 29 years old Fresno California son of the great racing drivers we said father of a nine year old boy Billy jr. Jim Billy's about six seconds behind John and trying hard to close that interval is a report again from the pizza grab McCrae scars when out of the race of the perpendicular Chris I slip of the tongue he said six seconds I think I know you at 26 seconds delete anything lengthen up quite a bit in recent laps Gordon Johncock still first lukovitch still second and on the same lap with the leaders of the only survivor from eight laps Alistair out of the race brother Fabia left behind and there is Vukovich coming in for a pit stop to see what kind of a pit stop is going to be scheduled our unscheduled scars use a tremendous amount of the alcohol-based fuel not gasoline remember here at Indianapolis right side going up the crew chief from the home and Indianapolis Jim Whiteside rubber he came in rather slowly though and there's Gordon Johncock the leaders delight on the race course remember he is duper stop they said to tip is to very shortly Johncock the next time should be coming in yeah they're they're telling a be end of the pitch battle going on Gordon Johncock trying to win his first 500 after a long and very successful career the US auto club circuit his father did before father of six children 36 years old a wide shot of look that crane that one of our by the way our cameraman not patting us on the fact that is patting our camera but the guys on the back David a sensational job this afternoon under very trying circumstances is the leader into the pits that's good each on cockpit action right now earlier here's Bobby unser pulling out Bobby unser has hopped in the race car destroyed by the creek down there in turn one now back to the fence remember the fifth team here has lost a crewman who died six Imogene he was doing so well he was running thin and now he's the dangers car and the standing but he really came in fast and he's really accelerating out of that part of it AJ Foyt has broken down for the second time today remember he started off in car number 14 when that broke down he took over his teammates car number 84 but now AJ as ralph de palma did many years ago will return Gordon Johncock is still leading the Indianapolis 500 extending his lead over Phil Vukovich in second place now plus 27 seconds John beating Philly volfovich Bobby unser still listed his third but he has broken down it is out of the race so that is the maharajah getting it right in aj point how he wants to win that fourth inning that plus 500 but he won't do it this year his last car for the day is broken down and he's riding at home the leader Gordon Johncock doesn't write little the Indiana not very far from Indianapolis born in Hastings Michigan 36 years old he's driven in 105 championship races as they call him on the USAC trail including today's race there Phil booth kovitch still in second place 27 seconds behind bar number two cars owned by Jerry O'Connell of San Jose California sponsored by his Trident roof business it's known as a sugar ripe prune special only race car sponsored by up in front ahead of the prune car is the Granatelli mattress bar their interests much more in the oil some spotting of Johncock who's quite a rugged individual quite short wearing a baby blue crash helmet doesn't seem quite right congruous touch Cordy is one of the smaller drivers with the circuit making it more comfortable I suppose for him inside these cramped monocoque chassis guards 5 feet 7 inches 150 pounds of Vukovich again mark Johnny here last year's winners been in and out of the pitch seven times you with that thinking problem whatever it is the clouds still lowering here it could rain at any time it has been raining for a month out here another timing unfortunate speeds are holding up I don't think visibility is still any problem that the drivers out there of course if it were they but it's getting a little tough for our cameras not too much light color camera taking a lot of light for the race drivers I give me an hour the clouds darkening John rock is getting close to pit stop time he made his first stop on the 42nd lap during the time the race was halted so now he's getting close to a hundred miles on this tank full of gas he should be getting ready to make a pit stop in another ten laps or so there's the timing forty nine point eight seconds that's 180 point seven to two miles per hour little slower but not very much and at this point and the late afternoon we can't tell for sure whether the darkness coming on or rain or both the dose allows are really low and flat we've had a report for the last two hours so that there is rain in this area moving towards the racetrack most of the weather here comes in the ratings are hold for some time jean-jacques is getting calls to record speed Jim at 110 laps at 160 1.7 the record under sixty three point seven and he's flying out there we may see more than just one tenth lap record broken before this 500-mile race is over today leads down a little bit to 25 seconds saw the two pits split-screen there 11 cars are only left running in the race there were 33 3 at the first start on Monday 32 of today's start now all the 11th left Candace races been marred by there are the two fits again into the right and now my composedly is out of the race no accident here well the last two years the rate Center for him crashed for not so this time fortunately you know he was involved in that first live accident this year there's a fire which been fiery accident okay we're nearing the end of this race and we'll be back in a minute the yellow flag is out in Indianapolis not for an accident but for rain it is raining again and rain Monday at rain Tuesday now the race is an official race whether they started again or not which I very much doubt 11 cars left running in the race and that's Gordon Johncock in the rain and the gathering darkness at Indianapolis it appears that he is going to win a rain shortened race the electoral pacer are keeping the boys down or a very safe speed and they're observing it no one's closing up to just before the yellow came out Roger McCluskey hooked up in the third place again so it's Lukovic second McCluskey third John Cook of course the leader the red flag is in the hand of starter fat man and he isn't using it get the yellow still being held out we could get a red flag at any moment if so it doesn't mean the rain is the race is definitely over but to all intents and purposes it does become but they couldn't possibly dry this track you see the rain coming off the wheels and the tires they couldn't possibly dry this track before dark Johncock is gonna win this race just as soon as the red flag comes out we wonder if he has enough fuel to stay out here we don't know how long they'll keep the yellow flag out Jim I may be feeling that the shower stopped the track would rather get a little more run again and he's due for a pit stop almost now well I'd start up at 4 then on the right of your screen see if it puts out the red this time the man in the white coat standing almost on the pit wall making a movement there GOx still running there's the yellow flag being my decision there's the red flag sure will be they can try this tractor join caucus won the race let's go down to Dave dials on the business this is the moment you've just won your second Indianapolis 500 it's gotta be a pretty good day for you mr. Granatelli well that's a good day that's a bad day SPB car won the race today Andy I don't think anybody really understands the frustration over the many years that you felt here in Annapolis before they ever heard of STP are really a lot of people ever heard of Andy Granatelli does this give you back that satisfaction that you lost all those years of frustration well you know we had some problems today with some of our people in the accident so I really don't feel very happy today but I am happy to win the race and thank you very much okay Andy Granatelli whose car has just won his second Indianapolis 500 victory he is now heading for the Victory Lane celebration and so are we okay boo kovitch his second of course Andy was referring to the fact of sweet savage and his other driver is in the hospital critically burned and that a crewman Armand Turin was killed when hit by a fire truck in the face his friends strange Dave Indianapolis let's go down to the pits again the winner of an abbreviated Indianapolis 500 and you'll never care whether it's abbreviated or not Gordon Johncock well I didn't quite hear all what you said there's too much noise here but I really you know happy this is a happiest moment of my life and I got an unfit crew to thank every one of them because they worked on this automobile and if it failed like some of the rest of them we'd never be here right now I really hate to win a race like this with a train short and I would sure like to see that goal of the 500 miles going I don't think many people know your background you're from a little town in Michigan and you did come up the hard way if anyone ever did didn't you well yes I've been running for 18 years I started in two Modifieds and I run them I guess for about nine years and I've been speed way since 1965 and we've done pretty good the first couple years but we've never finished the race since 1966 no no George mechanic let me get a word with George big naughty a man who has been to the winner's circle before George big naughty this is a great another great thrill for you and any career of Benadryl yes it is my sixth win here but kind of feel a little sad one of our drivers sweet savage was hurt earlier here an oil slick spot ended up wrecking the car and hurting himself I understand he's in serious condition but well George this it's a bittersweet victory and at best this has been a bittersweet month in Indianapolis perhaps we all learned something this month and next year perhaps the whole affair could be a lot smoother I think we gotta bring the car okay the car now is going to Victory Lane George big naughty a man who has now visited the winner's circle seven times Dave dials reporting from the winning pits we might point out that it's quite possible to any Granatelli and George big not II do not know as yet that their crewmen died they're referring to trouble in the fact that their drivers in the hospital they may well not the worst news as yet well here at Indianapolis and what too many people was the longest month in May that they have ever spent and that includes our ABC production and technical crew and and being a Midwesterner I just like to tell them that it'll be better next year and of course a tremendous pat on the back to the cross-section of America the fans who lingered here kept the vigil for three racing days and finally getting the race in officially today they sustained themselves in various ways here there wasn't always food available but nevertheless they stood by and today there were thousands here and it was another record percival for a million dollars and of course it was instant fame for Gordon Johncock who got the major portion the winner's share of the over 1 million dollar purse and there will be great payoffs too for the man that finished second that's Bill Vukovich whose dad won here in 1953 and 54 and of course veteran Roger McCluskey that was one of three Lindsay Hopkins cars that finished the race mr. Hopkins from Atlanta and Miami Florida had entered for and believe me there is a happy car owner he had one of the three that finished finished fourth in the race these are the cars that failed to finish as there were only 11 running at the end nine cars with often Hauser engines the four cylinder jobs that have dominated here since 1934 winning all but nine races and when they don't affords did there was one Chevy Gerry Carl smoky unica's car which was called the Orion to suppress it was running at the end and of course there was also a Ford that went the 133 laps and this was the shortest race in history here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 133 laps 332 miles a range shortened races 1926 and again in 1950 were even longer than those today we hope you enjoyed our coverage here of the 1973 running of the Indianapolis 500 that was won by a very deserving veteran Gordon Johncock once again the winner Gordon Johncock the executive producer of ABC Sports is Roone Arledge coverage of the Indianapolis 500 was produced by Chuck Howard directed by Jeff 40 and Don ohlmeyer technical directors Verner Gunther and Bill Mara's our associate directors in engine appleís are Roger Goodman Bernie Hoffman and Jack galavan this is Chris Schenkel along with Jim McKay Jackie Stewart Chris economy key Dave dials and Don Hines saying good night from Indianapolis you

Channel: doctorindy

Views: 211,965

Rating: 4.7867804 out of 5

Keywords: 1973 indy 500, indy 500, indy, indianapolis 500, indycar, usac, 1973 Indianapolis 500, swede savage, swede savage crash, armando teran, indy 500 crash, salt walther, indy 500 killed, indy 500 death, indy 500 fire

Id: 0Vo_Mz-AXQQ

Length: 93min 46sec (5626 seconds)

Published: Thu May 30 2013