David Land; Please do a review of this "Golden Age" of the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" series that you have started April 3, 2020. I've been a fan of yours for many years!
Loved those KurtisCraft cars even though they were obvious death traps. No roll bars, no fire-proof suits. All the drivers looked like they were ready to fight. Listened on the radio as those Offy/Meyer & Drake engines roared by in the background. Never forgot the day Vuky died and I knew I wouldn't be hearing his engine any more.
This is absolutely beautiful! IMHO the most exciting and iconic race cars to ever turn a wheel at IMS. I love this post and Donald Davidson is the greatest historian of Indy 500 content. Great to see David Land comment on this video and I agree with him, that it would be tremendous to see much more of this topic shown and narrated by Mr. Davidson. Looks like I'm a little late to the party. However, I could watch 1950's and 60's Indy 500 videos for hours and still want to see more!!!
Its 40 years today since the greatest figure in motorsport died, Colin Chapman. Pioneer of the monocoque chassis, the engine as a stressed member, aerofoils, the wing car, wind tunnels for race car development, the ground effect car, the twin chassis car, the carbon fibre chassis and active suspension. Its hilarious that the European cars were mocked as silly little cars, and then they came ans slaughtered the American cars left right and centre. Brilliant. Clark and lotus would have won earlier if American biased officials had black flagged the lead car which was leaking oil onto the track. European motorsport dominates the world and somehow they were still looked down on by America racing the obsolete cars that should have been replaced almost a decade earlier. Lotus came to America to secure Fords money to build the Cosworth DFV for f1, hence why they soon buggered off back to Britain after winning it and getting the engine for f1. That's our American arrogance, screwing ourselves over and over. And wondering why the rest of the world doesn't want to be American. I've lived in Britain a long time now, America could learn a lot if it wanted to. But chooses to keep following its own advice. Introspection can be very productive. Rule Britannia.
Except for the weight shift to the back, providing better traction / grip, no real big change as all cars were rear wheel powered. Some nice corner drifting footage, a feature of rear wheel drive cars. For passenger cars front wheel drive is much safer and 4WD when things get slippery.
When I was a kid and went to the amusement park, the car rides were roadsters. Then my dad bought me a pedal car in the shape of… a roadster. I used to race that thing up and down the driveway. Maybe that’s why I’m a gear head and I used to race cars as a semi-pro and Amatuer.
Please notice the first car being rolled out in this video @ 001, it's a Quinn Epperly lay-down car. Although, it would be nice to see video of how these "Little Cars" successfully battled the Frank Kurtis and A.J. Watson roadsters of that era. It's my understanding that the Sam Hanks and Jimmy Bryan car was driven and qualified by several drivers from 1957 thru 1964 when Bill Cheesburg last drove the Apache Airlines Special. He started 33rd and went on a tear to 12th place in only 2 laps before the race was red flagged for the first time in history due to the "Black Noon" tragedy which took the lives of Eddie Sachs and Dave McDonald. Cheesburg's accomplishment is a record which still stands from 1964 and not 1961 which the venerable Robin Miller stated in his excellent review of Indy's "Tough Guys" series a few years ago. (I do truly respect Robin's knowledge of Indy 500 history.)
These cars were extremely safe. That’s definitely one thing they had going for them. Better than today’s for driver safety. When we have clams at my house. I eat the shells. Teeth all busted UP. I name am Billy.
Excellent video, I remember listening to the radio with my dad to the race.
Wish they were still roadsters! I loved that era!
MORE OF THIS PLEASE!
This is why Indianapolis 500 Evolution exists.
David Land agreed
David Land; Please do a review of this "Golden Age" of the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" series that you have started April 3, 2020. I've been a fan of yours for many years!
Loved those KurtisCraft cars even though they were obvious death traps. No roll bars, no fire-proof suits. All the drivers looked like they were ready to fight. Listened on the radio as those Offy/Meyer & Drake engines roared by in the background. Never forgot the day Vuky died and I knew I wouldn't be hearing his engine any more.
This is absolutely beautiful! IMHO the most exciting and iconic race cars to ever turn a wheel at IMS. I love this post and Donald Davidson is the greatest historian of Indy 500 content. Great to see David Land comment on this video and I agree with him, that it would be tremendous to see much more of this topic shown and narrated by Mr. Davidson. Looks like I'm a little late to the party. However, I could watch 1950's and 60's Indy 500 videos for hours and still want to see more!!!
Its 40 years today since the greatest figure in motorsport died, Colin Chapman.
Pioneer of the monocoque chassis, the engine as a stressed member, aerofoils, the wing car, wind tunnels for race car development, the ground effect car, the twin chassis car, the carbon fibre chassis and active suspension.
Its hilarious that the European cars were mocked as silly little cars, and then they came ans slaughtered the American cars left right and centre. Brilliant.
Clark and lotus would have won earlier if American biased officials had black flagged the lead car which was leaking oil onto the track.
European motorsport dominates the world and somehow they were still looked down on by America racing the obsolete cars that should have been replaced almost a decade earlier.
Lotus came to America to secure Fords money to build the Cosworth DFV for f1, hence why they soon buggered off back to Britain after winning it and getting the engine for f1.
That's our American arrogance, screwing ourselves over and over. And wondering why the rest of the world doesn't want to be American.
I've lived in Britain a long time now, America could learn a lot if it wanted to. But chooses to keep following its own advice.
Introspection can be very productive.
Rule Britannia.
Sweet! I've been watching classic 500's here on UA-cam.
Also, hi-def videos of restored vintage roadsters.
Simply beautiful!
Yeah! Keep showing the old front-engined races!
They owe a lot to the Cummins Spl. Of '52 chassis wise. Many thanx 👍👍
Those dentures really messed up Donald's speech.
Can we please get some more Amazing Donald Davidson information please.
Murray Walker:F1
Donald Davidson:Indianapolis 500
Sad day when the rear engine cars came along...
Except for the weight shift to the back, providing better traction / grip, no real big change as all cars were rear wheel powered.
Some nice corner drifting footage, a feature of rear wheel drive cars.
For passenger cars front wheel drive is much safer and 4WD when things get slippery.
@@janne-mans8295 Front wheel drive dominated Indy prior to the roadster era.
Fantastic! I just LOVE these racecars! Thanks for sharing, and greets from the Netherlands!
Long live the Age of Dinosaurs
When I was a kid and went to the amusement park, the car rides were roadsters. Then my dad bought me a pedal car in the shape of… a roadster. I used to race that thing up and down the driveway. Maybe that’s why I’m a gear head and I used to race cars as a semi-pro and Amatuer.
Thank you Donald😊👍🏁
You left out the laydowns.
No Epperly lay-downs? (They won in '57 and '58.)
Please notice the first car being rolled out in this video @ 001, it's a Quinn Epperly lay-down car. Although, it would be nice to see video of how these "Little Cars" successfully battled the Frank Kurtis and A.J. Watson roadsters of that era. It's my understanding that the Sam Hanks and Jimmy Bryan car was driven and qualified by several drivers from 1957 thru 1964 when Bill Cheesburg last drove the Apache Airlines Special. He started 33rd and went on a tear to 12th place in only 2 laps before the race was red flagged for the first time in history due to the "Black Noon" tragedy which took the lives of Eddie Sachs and Dave McDonald. Cheesburg's accomplishment is a record which still stands from 1964 and not 1961 which the venerable Robin Miller stated in his excellent review of Indy's "Tough Guys" series a few years ago. (I do truly respect Robin's knowledge of Indy 500 history.)
These cars were extremely safe. That’s definitely one thing they had going for them. Better than today’s for driver safety.
When we have clams at my house. I eat the shells. Teeth all busted UP. I name am Billy.
Bill Vukovich approves this message. Tony Bettenhausen and Jerry Unser do too.
Coffins on wheels
Sure miss the roadsters!!!