Available June 29: New Digitally-Restored Broadcasts of 1957, 1958 “Race of Two Worlds” at Monza

by Cyndi Paceley Share
Tweet
EmailIndianapolis, IN — Imagine American racing champions A.J. Foyt and Jimmy Bryan competing alongside European Grand Prix stars Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio — all on the same track at the same time. It sounds like a fantasy racing scenario, but it happened in 1958 at the “500 Miglia di Monza,” better known as the “Race of Two Worlds.”
Photo: GoodwoodFor the first time in history, the recorded radio broadcasts of that epic event 62 years ago — plus the broadcast of the 1957 “Race of Two Worlds” — will be available for digital download June 29 as part of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum’s ongoing archival restoration and preservation efforts. Each broadcast is $9.99.

The release date of June 29 coincides with the actual race date in both 1957 and 1958 at Autodromo Nazionale di Monza in Italy.

For many years it was believed these rare broadcasts were lost to history, but 1/4-inch audio recordings of the races were discovered in the IMS Museum vault. As part of the Museum’s ongoing audio preservation project, the recordings were sent to Memnon Archiving Services in Bloomington, Indiana for preservation and digitization.

The “Race of Two Worlds” was a special non-points event sanctioned by the United States Auto Club (USAC) and took place on Monza’s daunting 2.64-mile oval, which featured gradient banking in the corners up to 38 degrees at the top. The events were a total of 500 miles — but consisted of three 63-lap heat races and the winner was determined by the overall elapsed time.

Due to safety concerns, the European racing fraternity didn’t show up for the 1957 race except for the Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar team — which had won the 24 Hours of Le Mans the week before. For 1958, however, Europe was well represented by standouts including Moss, Fangio, Phil Hill, Mike Hawthorn and Luigi Musso.

USAC star and multi-time champion Bryan won the inaugural race in 1957, and Jim Rathmann took the 1958 event.

The original radio broadcasts were facilitated in a partnership between the Air Trails Network in Dayton, Ohio and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network. Beloved IMS radio Chief Announcer Sid Collins did not make the trip, so it was Jack Wymer, station manager of Dayton’s WING, fellow WING on-air personality Alex Buchan and Charlie Brockman, a veteran of the IMS Radio Network broadcasts, who called the races.

 

Logano draws Indy Cup pole

Image by John Harrelson/Motorsport Images
67 shares
share
tweet
emailBy Kelly Crandall | 10 hours ago

Joey Logano and Kurt Busch will lead the field to the green flag Sunday afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

A random draw gave the pole to Logano and the No. 22 Team Penske team. Busch will start second for his 700th NASCAR Cup Series start.

Alex Bowman will start third with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson lining up fourth. Johnson is a four-time winner at Indianapolis and could join Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon as the only NASCAR drivers with five wins at the speedway. Aric Almirola completes the starting top five.

More NASCAR!

Johnson tests positive for COVID-19

Johnson approaching IndyCar test with an eye on the future

Penske shows off IMS upgrades

The rest of the top 10 are Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski, and Chase Elliott. Defending Indianapolis winner Kevin Harvick will start 11th.

Further back in the starting line-up is Matt Kenseth in 21st, Clint Bowyer 22nd, and Erik Jones 23rd. Cole Custer will come from the 30th position while fellow rookie Christopher Bell lines up 35th.

There are 40 drivers entered in the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400.

STARTING LINE-UP

Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Joey Logano, Cup Series, NASCAR

 

Oval ace Ralph Liguori at 93

670 shares
share
tweet
emailBy Robin Miller | 11 hours ago

He held the track record at Langhorne, got one of the loudest ovations ever at the Hoosier Hundred, survived spectacular flips on ABC’s Wide World of Sports, raced 44 years over five decades and was one of the most-beloved drivers ever with open wheel fans.

But, sadly, Ralph Liguori will most likely be remembered for never making the Indianapolis 500.

Ralphie The Racer, was age 93, He came to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a ride 10 times and never made the big show. He didn’t drive the best cars — not even close — and got bumped in 1959 and 1963.

Related

VIDEO: Robin Miller's Tough Guys - Ralph Liguori

“I’ve got to admit that it does bother me that I’m known as the guy who never made Indianapolis,” said Liguori during an interview back in 1977. “I wanted to make that race so bad but it never happened so I kinda got stuck with the label as a loser.

“But I had some pretty good runs in my career.”

The most memorable came in 1970 at the Hoosier Hundred (pictured, top), which back then was the second highest-paying race in USAC and televised by ABC’s Wide World of Sports. “Lagooch” qualified 10th and steadily worked his way forward until he got right behind second-place A.J. Foyt.

Driving the old Walt Flynn dirt car, the 43-year-old veteran passed Super Tex with a few laps to go as the packed grandstand erupted in cheers. When he pulled in, the runner-up got a bigger ovation than winner Al Unser.

“Probably my most satisfying moment in racing,” he recalled.

Starting in NASCAR stocks in 1951, the New York City native quickly adapted to Langhorne’s tricky and lethal D-shaped oil dirt oval that killed so many drivers. He set the track record of 104.107mph in scoring his first USAC sprint win at the Horne in 1957 and suddenly was on car owner’s radar.

His first visit to Indy was in 1959 and he was assigned to the Eldorado Maserati, a car that had been built for Stirling Moss. He qualified but got bumped. In 1961, he was taking his refresher test in Andy Granatelli’s Novi when the engine exploded and the car slid in its own oil, pounded the wall and caught fire. Ralph got burned but returned to the Speedway a couple days later only to find his ride had been turned over to Russ Congdon. Dick Rathmann and Paul Russo also practiced in the cantankerous car but nobody could go fast enough to qualify.

From 1962-68 Liguori showed up at Indy and drove 13 different cars but never made the show. He got bumped at 5 p.m. on the final day of time trials in 1959 and at 5:40 on Bump Day in 1963.

And the fitting swansong to his star-crossed Indy career came in 1976 when his loyal fans donated $11,000 to the cause but the 50-year-old veteran couldn’t find any takers for his services.

He tried making the Hoosier Hundred in 1983 and won a regional midget race at age 70 before finally hanging up his helmet in 2008.

Yet despite all his heartbreak at 16th & Georgetown, “Lagooch” always maintained a pleasant personality. Sure, not making Indy hurt, but he made a lot of fans with his plucky spirit.

“I’m very lucky,” he said back in 2002. “I’ve got a nice trailer park in Tampa that’s paid the bills and I was able to race in the golden era of sprints and Indy cars against some of the best guys. I had some good days and some bad ones, but no regrets. You know, except not making Indianapolis.”

Ralph Liguori, IndyCar

 

VIDEO: Robin Miller's Tough Guys - Ralph Liguori

share
tweet
emailBy Robin Miller | February 6, 2017 6:20 PM



Ralph Liguori is probably best known for his futility at Indianapolis or some of his spectacular sprint-car accidents. But in reality, he was a pretty damn good racecar driver.


After averaging a staggering 104mph in a USAC sprint win at Langhorne in 1957, Liguori was offered a ride for the 1959 Indianapolis 500 but missed the show because the Maserati wasn’t up to snuff. He was set for a good ride in 1960 but suffered a broken arm at Trenton a few weeks before IMS opened for practice and couldn’t run in May. He crashed Andy Granatelli’s Novi in 1961 after the engine exploded. He finally had a decent shot in 1963. He qualified at 147.6mph but was bumped by Dempsey Wilson at 147.8mph and wound up second alternate. He crashed outdated cars in 1965 and 1967, and his final fling in 1968 ended with a blown engine during his refresher test.

Shortly after that in a sprint show at Eldora, he charged from last to first before flipping violently in front of a live audience on ABC’s Wide World of Sports.

But in 1970, the 44-year-old veteran scored a win in a USAC sprint race at Williams Grove, beating Rollie Beale and Gary Bettenhausen, and then brought down the house at the Indiana State Fairgrounds when he passed A.J. Foyt for second place with three laps left in the Hoosier Hundred.

“Ralphie The Racer” never made the Indy 500, but he made a lot of fans during his five-decade career, and today he’s 90 and still telling stories.


IndyCar, Videos

 

The Week In IndyCar, July 29, Listener Q&A

Image via Indianapolis Motor Speedway
110 shares
share
tweet
emailBy Marshall Pruett | July 29, 2020 2:42 PM

Pictured above: Randy Lewis

It’s another packed episode of The Week In IndyCar Listener Q&A show, all driven by questions submitted via social media.

A sampling of the items posed this week (Q&A begins at the 22m00s mark in the episode):

• “Of the drivers you’ve seen throughout the years, (which one) made the best use of their sponsorship airtime for being slow? I use Jay Hill from the ’92 Detroit race as an example: While off pace, his Coke-sponsored car would appear in the background and foreground on TV cameras, finishing a serviceable 13th in his only career start.”
• “With Portland and Laguna cancelled, there will now be five races as well as Indy 500 qualifying and practice in 22 days in August. Given the likelihood of high temperatures at most races, is this asking too much of drivers and mechanics just to get a meaningful season done?”
• “Why, instead of doing doubleheaders of WWT and Mid-Ohio after the cancellation of the West Coast races, couldn’t IndyCar visit a couple ovals that NASCAR has, like Kansas or Kentucky, just for a change of pace? I do enjoy Mid-Ohio and WWT; I just feel like this would be a decent time to experiment.”

 

BorgWarner Indy 500 repeat winner jackpot climbs to $360,000

163 shares
share
tweet
emailBy RACER Staff | 13 hours ago

Simon Pagenaud has an extra incentive at Indy this year, with BorgWarner’s rolling jackpot for a repeat Indy 500 standing at $360,000 for the 2020 event.

Each year, the jackpot increases by $20,000, with the lump sum being up for grabs by the next driver who achieves back-to-back Indianapolis 500 wins. Established by BorgWarner in 1995 as a way to amplify its involvement with the classic event, the prize money has only been claimed once – by Helio Castroneves in 2002.

More IndyCar!

RACER's Indianapolis 500 Resource Guide

Compressed schedule ratchets up 2020 Indy 500 challenge

IndyCar introduces new cockpit cooling measures for Indy 500

“BorgWarner has a long history with this prestigious motorsport event; from awarding the Borg-Warner Trophy to being the official turbocharger supplier of the race, the Indianapolis 500 is deep-seated within our company,” said Frederic Lissalde, President and CEO, BorgWarner Inc. “The rolling jackpot that BorgWarner increases each year adds even more excitement to this legendary race.”

Back-to-back wins have been scarce in the history of the Indianapolis 500. In fact, since the inception of the race in 1911, only five lucky drivers have achieved this feat: Wilbur Shaw (1939-1940), Mauri Rose (1947-194, Bill Vukovich (1953-1954), Al Unser (1970-1971) and most recently, Castroneves (2001-2002). No driver has ever clinched three straight victories.

If Pagenaud does not end up in Victory Circle on August 23, the $360,000 will carry over to the 2021 race with an additional $20,000 added by BorgWarner. If Pagenaud is the victor, the rolling jackpot will start over at $20,000 next year.

Borg Warner, Indy 500, Simon Pagenaud, IndyCar

 

RETRO: A heroic near-miss at the Indy 500

1.3k shares
share
tweet
emailBy Robin Miller | August 12, 2020 9:01 PM

Before he was a three-time Indy winner and polesitter, national champion and one of the faces of USAC racing, Johnny Rutherford was an asterisk at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Fifty years ago he lost the pole position by three-and-a-half feet in a four-year-old car.

“Man that was such a thrill and also a disappointment all at the same time,” said Rutherford, recalling his run in the Patrick Petroleum Eagle-Offy. “We came out of nowhere because nobody was paying any attention to us, and we almost stole the pole from Big Al (Unser). So we were thrilled to be in the middle of Row 1, but we came so close so that hurt a little bit, too.”

Pat Patrick’s new team was lean and mean, led by chief mechanic Mike Devin, the many talents of Danny Jones and jack-of-all-trades John ‘Sarge’ Anderson. In seven previous starts, Rutherford had never started better than 11th, and had never finished the race he would go on to win three times. The car was a 1966 Dan Gurney Eagle, but it had a totally different look by the time May of 1970 rolled around.

“John was a pretty good artist so he sketched out a basic design on a bar napkin,” recalled Devin, a crew chief at Indy for 25 years who also served as tech director for USAC and the Indy Racing League. “The nose we used had been made the year before when I worked for Lindsey Hopkins with Jack Beckley.

“So Jones, myself and Eldon Rasmussen did all the sidepod and bodywork. We didn’t have a wind tunnel or anything – just a good eye, I guess.”

During practice nobody noticed the Patrick team because they were seven-eight mph off the pace of the fast guys.

“We were really struggling, so we changed everything but the paint job,” said Rutherford. “We went back to the basics, and that started turning things around. I ran real good on Friday, and then backed it up in practice on Pole Day morning, and I thought we might have something. Some of us were always able to find a little extra in qualifying, and I was pumped.”

Devin did what was necessary back then – he cranked in more boost, and prayed the engine held together for four laps.

After Unser’s four-lap average of 170.221 mph was posted and he was being interviewed on the IMS public address system, J.R.’s first lap was announced. Big Al quit talking and the 175,000 people in attendance started screaming. At the end of 10 miles, the difference was only 0.008s.

“I figured that had to get Al’s attention when they announced my first couple laps, but then I made a very slight bottle on Lap 3 and that’s what cost us,” said Rutherford, who would come back to win the pole in 1973, 1976 and 1980.

Jerry Hoyt stole the pole in 1955 when he went out in the closing minutes in very windy conditions after most of the front-runners had parked their cars for the day. But 50 years ago, J.R., Devin and the car called Geraldine (comedian Flip Wilson’s character) gave the Speedway faithful a big thrill and an example of what homemade creativity, taking a chance and a brave racer could accomplish back then.

Indy 500, Johnny Rutherford, IndyCar

 

Don Edmunds 1930 – 2020By Robin Miller | 9 hours ago

He was a hell on wheels in jalopies, modifieds and midgets, rookie-of-the-year at Indianapolis, a builder, a fabricator, a designer, a thinker, a dreamer, a teacher, an innovator and a huge part of the fabric of American racing for five decades. He was also “Rotten Red.”

Don Edmunds, who passed away Wednesday at the age of 89, should be remembered as one of the most interesting and influential racers of the ’50s, ’60s. ’70s and ’80s, and is probably known more for his creative genius than his turn behind the wheel.

“He could do it all, and he could do better than most,” said Jim Luebbert, longtime IndyCar mechanic and former sprint driver who worked for Edmunds and raced against him back when Los Angeles was the hotbed of motorsports. “He came from California Metal Shapers and learned from Eddie Kuzma, and gave so many of us a home and an education in race cars.

“It’s hard to imagine all the things he accomplished.”

Growing up in Anaheim, Ca., Edmunds became enamored with cars, then the Bonneville Salt Flats, the California Roadster Association and United Racing Association. His ascension was quick – from jalopies to midgets to changing the right-front tire for Billy Garrett in the 1956 Indianapolis 500, to joining the starting field a year later.

“Indy was all we thought about back in L.A.,” said Edmunds during an interview with RACER back in 2013. “But you also knew there were a lot of good guys who never got a chance, so it was more of a dream than anything else.”

But Doug Caruthers, whose sons would team with Edmunds to win USAC midget championships, liked what he saw when Edmunds was wheeling a midget so he brought him to Indianapolis in 1957.

“We just didn’t have enough speed, so on the last day of qualifying at 3 o’clock I went looking for a ride,” recalled Edmunds, who hopped into a Kurtis/Offy owned by Roy McKay and made a few practice laps. “I think we ran 138 or 139, and that wasn’t fast enough, and other drivers were standing around waiting to grab the ride when I pulled in. So I came in and told them to give me two turns in the left rear, and I’ll put it in the show.

“I wasn’t sure what to do on an Indy car, but that’s what I always did in a midget to get better traction – and it worked.”

Edmunds qualified 27th and ran a steady pace until spinning out of lap 171, but was still awarded Rookie of the Year. In 1958, he returned to IMS and suffered a nasty crash in practice and missed the show. In 1959, his pal Bob Cortner was killed while practicing, and then Jerry Unser died from burns suffered in an earlier May crash.

“I decided if somebody as good as Jerry Unser could get killed, I didn’t need to be out there,” was Edmunds’ retirement speech.

What happened over the next 20 years was that Edmunds changed the face of midget racing with his sleek, lightweight and innovative creations. “Midgets were tubby-looking back then and kind of homely,” said Jerry Weeks, one of the last great metal men for the ages who worked with Edmunds in the ’60s before launching his own successful USAC career as a driver. “Don had a sense of design and good instincts about a lot of things, and his midgets were a product of that. They were fast cars, and I don’t think he ever made a homely car.”

Edmunds had early success with Parnelli Jones driving one of his midgets, and then the Caruthers’ boys and finally Steve Lewis, Stan Fox and the No. 9 armada of victories. He also found time to build sports cars, sprint cars, Super Fees, speedway bikes and add his touch to various Indy cars in the ’70s and ’80s.

He made friends all across the world of open wheel, short track and even helped Even Knievel with his sky cycle.

So why was he called “Rotten Red?”

“I think Slugger (Doug Caruthers) gave him that nickname because he had red hair and an unbelievable temper,” replied Luebbert. “When he threw a wobbly we all hid under our work benches because hammers would be flying across the shop and he would go berserk. Then, three or four minutes later, he was fine and we all went back to work. But he was a great guy and I’m glad we were friends.”

IndyCar

 

Tying some racing history together
See last post in thread:
See it before it goes away.

*****************************
Inside the NASCAR Hall of Fame*********************

You Tube

NASCAR Hall of Fame Tour 2013************************

You Tube

NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum Tour... Charlotte, NC



*************************************

Abandoned tracks in Florida area and other places (updated)
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/ge...s-fl-area.html

Bonneville History
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/ge...e-history.html

Daytona History
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/ge...a-history.html

Drag Racing History
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/dr...ml#post9366328

This link has some historic drag racing pics.

https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/dr...pics-ever.html


Local historic drag racing track Twin City Oldsmar

https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/ge...florida-4.html


Indianapolis History

https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/ge...ml#post9373490

24 Hours of Lemans history

https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/ge...s-history.html


Lime Rock Park history

https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/au...rock-park.html


Pikes Peak racing history
Is Pikes Peak a road Race?


https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/ge...ml#post9362624


History of Race Cars

https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/ge...ml#post9370578

Road Racing History
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/g...g-history.html

Sebring history

The way to part 2 "A brief History of Sebring Raceway" is here:
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/g...-40-posts.html
-------------------------------------------------
This was the original brief history of Sebring part 1
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/general-car-chat/816701-sebring-raceway-brief-history-part-1-has-now-exceeded-40-posts-115-posts.html
---------------------------------------------------

A bit of stock car racing history

https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/ge...ml#post9362625


Tying some Tampa Racing history together with links: Tampa International Raceway (Fair Grounds)

https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/ge...l-raceway.html

 

Andretti outduels Dixon for Indy 500 pole

Phillip Abbott/Motorsport Images
755 shares
share
tweet
emailBy Robin Miller | August 16, 2020 12:14 PM

It came down to the last driver and last lap. Scott Dixon couldn’t watch and Marco Andretti couldn’t lift.

As it turned out, Andretti executed perfectly to snatch the pole position from Dixon for the 104th Indianapolis 500 in one of the more dramatic endings to qualifying.

The third generation driver’s four-lap average of 231.068mph in his US Concrete No. 98 Honda just pipped Dixon’s 231.051mph run in the PNC Bank No. 9 Honda and that was the third closest margin in IMS history — 0.017 of a second for 10 miles.

The five closest Indy 500 poles (data courtesy of Russ Thompson):
YEAR POLE SPEED 2ND DIFF. POLE WINNER 2ND QUALIFIER 2012 226.484 226.481 0.003 Ryan Briscoe James Hinchcliffe 1970 170.221 170.213 0.008 Al Unser Johnny Rutherford 2020 231.068 231.051 0.017 Marco Andretti Scott Dixon 1958 145.974 145.926 0.048 Dick Rathmann Ed Elisian 1955 140.045 139.985 0.060 Jerry Hoyt Tony Bettenhausen“It feels great and what a job by this team and Honda,” said Andretti, who had been quickest in Saturday’s first round of time trials and was the ninth and final driver to make his run Sunday afternoon. “It got a little sketchy on Laps 3-4 with the wind and I knew it was going to be close.

“But now I’ve got the best seat in the house on race day. Clean air and speed are always good here.”

More IndyCar!

INSIGHT: 2020 to end 20-year streak of female Indy 500 drivers

The Week in IndyCar, August 17, Listener Q&A

After Andretti Autosport posted the four fastest speeds on Saturday, it was looking like a potential front row sweep. But when James Hinchcliffe, Alexander Rossi and Ryan Hunter-Reay struggled on their runs Sunday, it was looking like Michael Andretti’s squad might get shut out.

“After our first three guys I figured we got no shot but Marco saved the day for us,” said Michael Andretti. “The car was loose and he drove the hell out of it.”

It was the first pole at Indy for the 33-year-old grandson of Mario and denied Dixon his fourth fast time at IMS.

“It’s crazy — just a gust of wind can change things but Marco did a great job,” said the five-time IndyCar champion. “I know what this place means to his family and I’m happy for him.”
Sato’s early run held up for third. Phillip Abbott/Motorsport Images

The first run of the day turned out to be third fastest as Takuma Sato did a masterful job of laying down all four laps at 230mph in his Panasonic Honda.

“It was very consistent — not necessarily fast, but consistent,” said the 2017 Indy 500 winner who along with teammate Graham Rahal was the only driver to practice Sunday morning as the winds picked up to 15-18mph gusts.

Rookie Rinus VeeKay impressed everyone in the paddock by winding up fourth overall at 230.704mph in Ed Carpenter’s SONAX No. 21 — the lone Chevrolet in the Fast Nine.

“We went for it,” said the 19-year-old native of the Netherlands who is also being coached by two-time Indy winner Arie Luyendyk. “I’ve got a great car and team and this has been an amazing experience so far.”

Hunter-Reay wound up fifth in the DHL Honda and Hinch sixth in his Genesys Honda, while the third row line-up is rookie Alex Palou, Rahal and Rossi.

FULL QUALIFYING RESULTS

Fast Nine, Indy 500, Marco Andretti, Qualifying, IndyCar