Most memorable Indy of all time

This year year is the 60th anniversary of arguably the most memorable Indy 500 of all time.

Officiated by the United States Auto Club, USAC, the Indy 500 was the American race so many wanted to win and sponsors wanted to be associated with.

The new For Mustang was the official Pace Car. 

Ford built 225 of them (35 were convertibles) for use by Speedway officials during the lead up weeks to the big race. 

After the event they were given to selected dealers to sell to the public.

For devotees of the big front engine roadsters, 1964 is the last year one took the chequered flag.

The winning car, the Sheraton Thompson Special, is the only Indy winner not to be restored. 

It still carries the tell take marks of 500 miles of hard racing. 

Qualifying saw famed race car owner and auto mechanic, Smokey Yunnick, debut his outrageous outrigger car.

Always one to look for loopholes in the rule book, and to ensure as much left weight bias as possible old Smokey hung the driver outside of the chassis in a pod.

Very few volunteered to drive it, and with good reason.

It looked and probably was a lethal design.

British driver Jim Clark exited the race on lap 47 while leading with a collapsed rear suspension.

It was his second attempt in one of Colin Chapman’s Lotus cars.

Jack Brabham (#52) entered a car of his own design.

He was out on lap 77 because of fuel tank damage.

Bobby Veith, drove a rear engine car that had BMC’s hydrolastic suspension. 

It was called the MG Liquid Suspension. 

The idea was to test the suspension under racing conditions and advertise the release of the MG 1100 in the USA.

Veith finished 19th exiting on lap 88 with a burnt piston.

Eddie Sachs (#25) and Dave MacDonald (#83), in two rear engine cars, died in a turn four crash. 

MacDonald spun his car into the inner crash wall and then it speared up the track, taking Sachs and others with it. 

Fuel ignited. 

An inferno resulted. 

The race was stopped for the first time in its history. 

Sachs died in his car. 

MacDonald died a few hours later in hospital. 

The race restarted.

Foyt won.

And the USAC caravan moved on.

David Burrell is the editor of retroautos

 

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