The first several places are Chevy powered, so it's no longer an exclusive Honda race. They're averaging 226 mph, and keep it full throttle at near 12,000 rpm through the turns.
That's a long way from the 85 mph of the Model T Fronty racers in 1923.
Never really got into watching cars racing to the next left turn.
Apparently I haven't watched in a couple of years....the cars look a lot different now.
I went to the Indy 500 several times over the past 15 years. About as interesting as watching paint dry.
Just missed the end. Who won??????
Our family has been going to the 500 for over 50 years. You'd think we'd get tired of it, but even the per-race events draw big crowds. I've driven Henry around the track several times usually with a load go kids having a ball. The museum is interesting as well.
Hard to follow that one Royce. If the first one you went to was "about as interesting as watching paint dry, why would you have gone again? Musta' got free tickets, huh?
This seems fitting. In 1913 Henry Ford attempts to enter the 410 cubic inch Ford "Special" in the Indy 500. The Ford "Special" has been winning races against bigger cars since 1910, usually with Ford Driver Frank Kulick at the wheel.
Ford is told he must add 1,000 lbs to the car, and replies "we're building race cars, not trucks.
This is the end of Ford Motor Company racing under Henry Ford. And it happened 100 years ago.
Frank Kulick driving the Ford Special
That picture is of a Model T racer with Frank Kulick driving. I don't think it is 410 cubic inches!!!!!
Rob - this is REALLY "OT", but your comment above reminds me of what Enzo Ferrari said about Bentley many years ago,....he said that Bently built "the fastest trucks in the world!"
There were only four or five DNF. Nobody injured; lead changed 69 times. First five cars were Chevy power. A Brazilian veteran of the 500 (Kataan?) won for his first time. Second was Munoz, a rookie from Colombia.
I too am a road racing fan and am looking forward to watching Monaco tonight on the DVR but I must say this 2013 Indy 500 was one of the best motor racers of any kind I have ever seen. I'm glad as Indy deserves an exciting modern race to match its storied past.
I even suspended Model T work to watch this one.
Vintage Paul
It was actually Ettore Bugatti who said that Bentley built the fastest "Lorries" in the world long before Enzo became a force in world motor sport but Enzo also did made several comments about the Ford Le Mans challenge and remember that the GT 40 can trace its heritage right back to the Sweepstakes racer in 1902 not many can claim such a heritage as Ford Racing
I lived 65 miles from the track, went to qualifications a few times, just for outings with friends and what not, but never attended the actual race. Been to the track for a few NASCAR races and Indy fall swap, when it was there.
Massive traffic jams because of its location.
My late mother listened on the radio to just two races every year: the Kentucky Derby, and the Indy 500. I never asked why. A Model T was they only car she learned to drive; Dad made sure of that.
She hauled her younger brothers and sisters to school in 1923 in an '18 Touring with a tattered top. I learned from her about cranking by pulling up with the right hand, thumb tucked, and about the low pedal and the high pedal. By the time I brought the Speedster to her in 1998, she was too frail to get aboard.
I crank left-handed.
rdr
Royce,
Look at the "chunk" of bottom end pan/motor sticking out of the Ford "Special" racer. It is the "special", and is labeled as such at THF. I'm not sure why there seems to be a "need" to disagree about things regardless of the facts?
Rob
Another photo of Frank Kulick with the "Special". Notice the under frame truss rods. This was Henry Ford's answer for heavy engine, light frame racers from 999 to the Model K racer and to the Model T racer with a huge engine.
Rob,
I believe the racer you have pictured is a Model T based six cylinder engine.
It is less than 400 cubic inches.
It's the same basic car as this one:
Here's the engine from another similar Ford experiment, possibly the same one Edsel is driving. Notice the four exhaust ports?
I had a client years.ago who was 75 years old. He had been to the Kentuky Derby, the Rose Bowl and the 500. he said he planned on doing all three every 75 years..
John
No, the "Edsel six" and Ford special have nothing to do with each other.
The Ford "Special" won numerous events throughout 1911 and 1912. As a result, Ford finished 5th in one national poll of race finishes in 1911. The Ford "Special" had a 410 cubic inch four cylinder engine, and is "alive and well" at The Henry Ford, but not on display (same as one of the Model K six cylinder racers).
The Ford Special beat many of the biggest and fastest racers of the day, including Bob Buhrman in head to head competition in his Blitzen Benz in 1911. That same year Buhrman and the Benz set Indy records, some of which stood beyond 1920.
Specs on the Ford Special from the Algonquin Hill Climb, that the Ford S won in both 1911 and 1912.
The Ford Special was even listed as competing in the 1911 French Grand Prix, and in the news clip is reported to be "on site" in France waiting for the race. However, for some reason it was listed as "disqualified" on race day.
A Ford T did race in the 1912 Grand Prix, but it was a stock T and went out after 7 laps.
The above "American in Paris" (actually, Ford in France) is worthy of a story in and of itself. The Ford Special is nominated and accepted into the 1911 Grand Prix (not the same sponsoring group, so some purists do not acknowledge the 1911 event as a "Grand Prix").
This article (above) states the Ford is in France, and another news clip taken from news wire says the Ford is ready to go the night before the race. However, the Ford is listed as "disqualified" in the official race results.
What happened? Was this the "Ford Special" or another stock T as in 1912?
These are mysteries I'd like to find the answer to if anyone has more info.....
Rob.
An older link to info about the Ford "Special"
"The Ford "Special" Racers.pdf" in my Dropbox:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/w8srclrk6amalyi/The%20Ford%20%22Special%22%20Racers.pd f
Looks like I found my answer:
Good find on Depasse, Rob. Clears up one more mystery.
Ralph,
He was the Ford agent in France. He ran a T in the 1912 Grand Prix too. Looks like he recovered from the 1911 accident and showed well with his Model T in a French Hill Climb in August of 1911:
Ralph,
Sorry for taking your Indy 2013 thread to 1911 France
This is much better, Rob. I was just pleased that the 2013 race was not all Hondas.
Thanks Ralph. You have to love it when a "T" beats a Bugatti and Lancia on the same day.
Two of the drivers and cars the Ford Special beat in 1911 competitions listed above included 1911 Indy finishers Bob Burhman (Benz) and Gil Anderson (Stutz). See, I brought us back to the "500".
Rob