Good to know interest continues in this amazing, but ill-fated engine. My father worked on the car's drivetrain as a young man back in the early fifties. He told me that no one knew exactly how much horsepower the engine was really producing because it exceeded the capability of dyno available. Literally ran on the end of the charts...
Sat inside #3 turn in 1953 and saw the Iron Duke qualify the Novi putting it in the race for the last time. Earlier that day, arriving for qualifications, we entered one of the grandstands on the west side of the main stretched and came out looking down at pit row. I was age 15. It was my first time being at the Indy 500. The first thing I saw coming out of the entry ramp and looking down at the pits was the cream colored #9 Novi with red wire wheels sitting in front of the pit wall (this was before the pits had their own pit road behind a protective wall). It was without a doubt one of the biggest thrills I ever experienced in life!
Hey, Donald! Good to see you in this special video dealing with the famous NOVI powered cars of the 1940's. You, and many others wished that one of the NOVI powered cars had won the Indy 500, let alone any of the races that powerplant had run. You have been the number one source of triva Indy history ever since I was a few months from turning 14 (1964, if I am correct) I very briefly met you at the Speedway Museum back in 2003 when I was on vacation in Indianapolis. That day, I was going up to the photo room to purchase several of my all-time favorites: Jimmy Clark, A.J. Foyt and Bobby Unser. Clark still is my all-time favorite of all drivers in all fields of motor racing. I'm sure he has a high place in your rankings of "the greatest." I hope this year of chaotic events has been fair to you. Stay healthy. I look forward to some more of your Indy history notes to watch on UA-cam.
Winfield's late 1930s, Miller-like straight 8 made a ton of power -- but not as much as possible -- because of the torque-induced twisting of the long cam shafts at high RPM. So they hired Leo Goosen (the designer / draftsman of the Miller 91 and the Offys) to turn the straight eight into a V-8... with shorter cam shafts atop what was basically a pair of Offy 91s with a common crankshaft. With 30%-increases in both HP and torque over the earlier engine of identical displacement, the beast was too much for the suspensions of its day... and too heavy by the time suspensions caught up with it.
Love the Novi's.
Good to know interest continues in this amazing, but ill-fated engine. My father worked on the car's drivetrain as a young man back in the early fifties. He told me that no one knew exactly how much horsepower the engine was really producing because it exceeded the capability of dyno available. Literally ran on the end of the charts...
Sat inside #3 turn in 1953 and saw the Iron Duke qualify the Novi putting it in the race for the last time. Earlier that day, arriving for qualifications, we entered one of the grandstands on the west side of the main stretched and came out looking down at pit row. I was age 15. It was my first time being at the Indy 500. The first thing I saw coming out of the entry ramp and looking down at the pits was the cream colored #9 Novi with red wire wheels sitting in front of the pit wall (this was before the pits had their own pit road behind a protective wall). It was without a doubt one of the biggest thrills I ever experienced in life!
What a Great looking car...Thanks....
Nice! RWB ❤
Hey, Donald! Good to see you in this special video dealing with the famous NOVI powered cars of the 1940's. You, and many others wished that one of the NOVI powered cars had won the Indy 500, let alone any of the races that powerplant had run.
You have been the number one source of triva Indy history ever since I was a few months from turning 14 (1964, if I am correct) I very briefly met you at the Speedway Museum back in 2003 when I was on vacation in Indianapolis. That day, I was going up to the photo room to purchase several of my all-time favorites: Jimmy Clark, A.J. Foyt and Bobby Unser. Clark still is my all-time favorite of all drivers in all fields of motor racing. I'm sure he has a high place in your rankings of "the greatest."
I hope this year of chaotic events has been fair to you. Stay healthy. I look forward to some more of your Indy history notes to watch on UA-cam.
@Tom Foster Nice choices for your top 3 drivers. My top 3 are: A.J. Foyt, Jimmy Clark and Rick Mears.
Thank you for these videos.
Winfield's late 1930s, Miller-like straight 8 made a ton of power -- but not as much as possible -- because of the torque-induced twisting of the long cam shafts at high RPM. So they hired Leo Goosen (the designer / draftsman of the Miller 91 and the Offys) to turn the straight eight into a V-8... with shorter cam shafts atop what was basically a pair of Offy 91s with a common crankshaft. With 30%-increases in both HP and torque over the earlier engine of identical displacement, the beast was too much for the suspensions of its day... and too heavy by the time suspensions caught up with it.
There's a reason there's a "Novi" in my channel name...
Troy ruttman