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Book Review: The British At Indianapolis by Ian Wagstaff

April 16, 2024 by Leave a comment

Book Review: The British At Indianapolis by Ian Wagstaff

When you think of the British at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, what or who comes to mind? Perhaps Dan Wheldon, Jim Clark, or Graham Hill? Or the British invasion of racing cars including Lola, Lotus, McLaren or Penske? What about engine ...

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A Controversial Finish to the 1981 Indianapolis 500

April 9, 2024 by Leave a comment

Roger Penske commissioned Geoff Ferris to create a new car for the 1981 season, the Penske 9-B. It was a modification of the Penske PC-9 racer which effectively utilized ground effects. Ground effects increase the downforce on the car which helps to hold the car to the track.

All race ...

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Twin Cities Motor Speedway

April 1, 2024 by Leave a comment

The success of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway had many other groups wanting to build a speedway. Carl Fisher headed a group to convert the old Sheepshead Bay horse racing facility in Brooklyn, New York. Others were building speedways in Chicago, Detroit and Cincinnati.

Two groups wanted to build a racetrack ...

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The Miami 12 Engine

March 25, 2024 by Leave a comment

Carl Fisher, Jim Allison and Arthur Newby enjoyed racing their Purdy Boat Company cruisers on the Great Lakes and while wintering in Miami Beach. To get a competitive advantage, they wanted a very powerful engine. The solution was just down the street from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at Allison Engineering ...

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Book Review: Thunder at Sunrise, A History of the Vanderbilt Cup, the Grand Prize and the Indianapolis 500, 1904-1916 by John M. Burns

March 18, 2024 by Leave a comment

In the beginning of international auto racing, there was the Gordon Bennett Cup. Established by American ex-pat James Gordon Bennett, Jr., millionaire owner of the New York Herald, in 1900 it revealed in stark terms how uncompetitive American automobiles were. The races were between national automobile clubs or nations and ...

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