Re: Indy 500 history question

>Does anyone know what year was the last year that turbine cars ran in >the Indy 500? 1968 I think (?). -- Cheers! Graeme Nash

I have no clue, but I would guess '69. Racer X Veteran Sim Racer #4 Corvette C5-R in the GTIC #24 Monte Carlo in the DORL Victory Lane- http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/1423/

1968 I think (?). -- Cheers! Graeme Nash

On Sat, 27 May 2000 17:59:48 GMT, "J. P. Hovercraft" >Does anyone know what year was the last year that turbine cars ran in >the Indy 500? The STP Turbines were 67, with Parnelli Jones and 68 with Art Pollard, Joe Leonard and Graham Hill. Following that season, they reduced the inlet area by about 25% which made the cars uncompetitive, which is exactly what USAC wanted... I believe at least one turbine car was entered for 69 but it was way off the pace and didn't attempt qualification.

Does anyone know what year was the last year that turbine cars ran in the Indy 500? Thanks, J. P. Hovercraft

On Sat, 27 May 2000 17:59:48 GMT, "J. P. Hovercraft" <[email hidden]> wrote: >Does anyone know what year was the last year that turbine cars ran in >the Indy 500? 68? It ran 67 but I think it came back for 68. ----------- "My dispute is with the IRL. I will not support the IRL because I think that's what has disrupted open-wheel racing in America for us. I mean, we are pulling in different directions and that doesn't make sense." -- Mario Andretti, May 2000 Juan Montoya tells the truth about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway http://espn.go.com/media/2000/q2/car_000517jm1a.wav Oval racing is 98% engineering and 2% driver talent. Al Unser Jr: The Indy Retirement League Poster-Boy http://www.speedcenter.com/gallery/gallery98/13midohio/need_an_ashtray_here480.jpg

It must have been '68 as Bruce McLaren only went to Indy once as a driver, and failed to qualify one of the Shelby turbine cars (they look a little like the STP Paxton cars of '67 and were designed by the same man, Ken Wallis). bb wrote in message <[email hidden]>... > >and if memory serves the driver/entrant of the '69 attempt, was non >other than Bruce McLaren!

I think the turbine car that failed to qualify in '69 was driven by Al Miller, sponsored by 'Jack Adams Airplanes' and designed by Glenn Bryant. It could only manage 156.440 m.p.h. in qualifying. I would dispute that the turbine cars in '68 were uncompetitive following the reduction in the air inlet. Joe Leonard put his car on Pole with a record lap of 171.559 mph. The turbines could have won if their luck hadn't as usual run out. 1968 was also the last time a front engine car qualified for the race for the trivia fans. Steve

On Sat, 27 May 2000 17:59:48 GMT, "J. P. Hovercraft" <[email hidden]> wrote: >Does anyone know what year was the last year that turbine cars ran in >the Indy 500? The STP Turbines were 67, with Parnelli Jones and 68 with Art Pollard, Joe Leonard and Graham Hill. Following that season, they reduced the inlet area by about 25% which made the cars uncompetitive, which is exactly what USAC wanted... I believe at least one turbine car was entered for 69 but it was way off the pace and didn't attempt qualification.

On Sat, 27 May 2000 20:42:50 -0500, The Black Cat =^..^= <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>On Sat, 27 May 2000 17:59:48 GMT, "J. P. Hovercraft" ><[email hidden]> wrote: > >>Does anyone know what year was the last year that turbine cars ran in >>the Indy 500? > >The STP Turbines were 67, with Parnelli Jones and 68 with Art Pollard, >Joe Leonard and Graham Hill. Following that season, they reduced the >inlet area by about 25% which made the cars uncompetitive, which is >exactly what USAC wanted... I believe at least one turbine car was >entered for 69 but it was way off the pace and didn't attempt >qualification.

and if memory serves the driver/entrant of the '69 attempt, was non other than Bruce McLaren!

1968 was the last year. The turbine was never classified as being illegal but the new rules rules concerning its inlet area effectively banned it. -- Regards, Bruce Kennewell, Canberra, Australia. --------------------------- J. P. Hovercraft <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Does anyone know what year was the last year that turbine cars ran in > the Indy 500? > > Thanks, > > J. P. Hovercraft >

Bruce- i didn't mean it madethe race, however it WAS there.. IN PRACTICE ONLY, as was i to see it! it never got up to a competitive speed and was withdrawn from further embarrasment. it was a dark blue & silver. Bruce B On Sun, 28 May 2000 20:55:56 +1000, "Bruce Kennewell" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>No, there were no turbine-engined cars after the 1968 race. >In 1969 all but three of the engines used were turbocharged (either Ford or >Effenhauser units), >The exceptions were Dan Gurney's Weslake and the two Repco-powered Brabhams. >> >> and if memory serves the driver/entrant of the '69 attempt, was non >> other than Bruce McLaren! > >

No, there were no turbine-engined cars after the 1968 race. In 1969 all but three of the engines used were turbocharged (either Ford or Effenhauser units), The exceptions were Dan Gurney's Weslake and the two Repco-powered Brabhams. -- Regards, Bruce Kennewell, Canberra, Australia. --------------------------- bb <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > On Sat, 27 May 2000 20:42:50 -0500, The Black Cat =^..^= > <[email hidden]> wrote: > > >On Sat, 27 May 2000 17:59:48 GMT, "J. P. Hovercraft" > ><[email hidden]> wrote: > > > >>Does anyone know what year was the last year that turbine cars ran in > >>the Indy 500? > > > >The STP Turbines were 67, with Parnelli Jones and 68 with Art Pollard, > >Joe Leonard and Graham Hill. Following that season, they reduced the > >inlet area by about 25% which made the cars uncompetitive, which is > >exactly what USAC wanted... I believe at least one turbine car was > >entered for 69 but it was way off the pace and didn't attempt > >qualification. > > > and if memory serves the driver/entrant of the '69 attempt, was non > other than Bruce McLaren!

"EFFENhauser"???!!! Freudian slip, perhaps!! :-) I meant, of course, "Offenhauser". My apologies to Mr. & Mrs. Offenhauser and al the little Offenhausers. -- Regards, Bruce Kennewell, Canberra, Australia. --------------------------- Bruce Kennewell <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > No, there were no turbine-engined cars after the 1968 race. > In 1969 all but three of the engines used were turbocharged (either Ford or > Effenhauser units), > The exceptions were Dan Gurney's Weslake and the two Repco-powered Brabhams. > > -- > Regards, > Bruce Kennewell, > Canberra, Australia. > --------------------------- > > bb <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:[email hidden]... > > On Sat, 27 May 2000 20:42:50 -0500, The Black Cat =^..^= > > <[email hidden]> wrote: > > > > >On Sat, 27 May 2000 17:59:48 GMT, "J. P. Hovercraft" > > ><[email hidden]> wrote: > > > > > >>Does anyone know what year was the last year that turbine cars ran in > > >>the Indy 500? > > > > > >The STP Turbines were 67, with Parnelli Jones and 68 with Art Pollard, > > >Joe Leonard and Graham Hill. Following that season, they reduced the > > >inlet area by about 25% which made the cars uncompetitive, which is > > >exactly what USAC wanted... I believe at least one turbine car was > > >entered for 69 but it was way off the pace and didn't attempt > > >qualification. > > > > > > and if memory serves the driver/entrant of the '69 attempt, was non > > other than Bruce McLaren! > >

On Sun, 28 May 2000 18:09:59 GMT, [email hidden] (bb) wrote: >it was a dark blue & silver. Correct. It was sponsored by Botany 500. Interestingly enough after doing very poorly in practice, it was never submitted for official tech inspection, leading many to think that it was illegal in one way or another... I don't remember that Bruce McLaren drove it, but that could be faulty memory on my part.

I may be off on this but it sounds like Carroll Shelbys Turbine car. Deny Hulme actually did some testing, but the car was not up to speed supposedly, and was never entered. Dave

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> >it was a dark blue & silver. > > Correct. It was sponsored by Botany 500. Interestingly enough after > doing very poorly in practice, it was never submitted for official > tech inspection, leading many to think that it was illegal in one way > or another... > > I don't remember that Bruce McLaren drove it, but that could be faulty > memory on my part. >

Ah-ha! Okay, gotcha, BB. Sorry about that! :-) -- Regards, Bruce Kennewell, Canberra, Australia. --------------------------- bb <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Bruce- > i didn't mean it madethe race, however it WAS there.. IN PRACTICE > ONLY, as was i to see it! > it never got up to a competitive speed and was withdrawn from further > embarrasment. > it was a dark blue & silver. > Bruce B > > On Sun, 28 May 2000 20:55:56 +1000, "Bruce Kennewell" > <[email hidden]> wrote: > > >No, there were no turbine-engined cars after the 1968 race. > >In 1969 all but three of the engines used were turbocharged (either Ford or > >Effenhauser units), > >The exceptions were Dan Gurney's Weslake and the two Repco-powered Brabhams. > > >> > >> and if memory serves the driver/entrant of the '69 attempt, was non > >> other than Bruce McLaren! > > > > >

Thanks to all who replied for the wealth of historical info. The purpose behind the question...?...trying to figure out which year it was that I attended the 500 with my parents. Going by the answers, it was '68. I remember the -HUGE- noise of all those engines on the first lap, I was shaking from the sensory overload. That passed after the first lap or two. I remember the difference between the piston cars and their roar and the -woosh- of the wedge-shaped, neon-colored turbine cars as they passed, just wind and tires on the track. Somewhere I've got a bunch of pictures I took with my Brownie...have to dig those up. J. P. Hovercraft "J. P. Hovercraft" wrote: > Does anyone know what year was the last year that turbine cars ran in > the Indy 500? > > Thanks, > > J. P. Hovercraft

On Tue, 30 May 2000 16:08:41 -0400, Support <[email hidden]> wrote: If they were wedge-shaped, that was, indeed, 1968. I shot some pictures of the race with my Polaroid Swinger which I still have. If you're interested, I'll post them over on alt.binaries.pictures.autos...

Yes! Please do! J. P. Hovercraft ----------------------- "The Black Cat =^..^=" wrote:

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> On Tue, 30 May 2000 16:08:41 -0400, Support <[email hidden]> > wrote: > > If they were wedge-shaped, that was, indeed, 1968. I shot some > pictures of the race with my Polaroid Swinger which I still have. If > you're interested, I'll post them over on > alt.binaries.pictures.autos...

Just the wedge-shaped turbines is sufficient to pin it down, J.P. Lucky you! -- Regards, Bruce Kennewell, Canberra, Australia. --------------------------- Support <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Thanks to all who replied for the wealth of historical info. The purpose > behind the question...?...trying to figure out which year it was that I > attended the 500 with my parents. Going by the answers, it was '68. I > remember the -HUGE- noise of all those engines on the first lap, I was > shaking from the sensory overload. That passed after the first lap or > two. I remember the difference between the piston cars and their roar and > the -woosh- of the wedge-shaped, neon-colored turbine cars as they > passed, just wind and tires on the track. Somewhere I've got a bunch of > pictures I took with my Brownie...have to dig those up. > > J. P. Hovercraft > > "J. P. Hovercraft" wrote: > > > Does anyone know what year was the last year that turbine cars ran in > > the Indy 500? > > > > Thanks, > > > > J. P. Hovercraft >