IndyCar / USAC : 1967-1968

Two classic Indy 500’s along with a rare USAC road race
from the 1967-1968 season. All films are in color.

1967 Indianapolis 500   (49 min)

The debut of the revolutionary STP Turbine Car, driven by Parnelli Jones and built by Andy Granetelli, was the talk of the
automotive racing world in 1967. As the Indy 500 began, Parnelli takes his STP Turbine Car into the lead before the end of
the first lap, with Gurney second and A.J. Foyt in third, and leads all 18 laps before rain halts the race. The next day is
sunny, and the race resumes with Jones leading most of the race. Along the way many of the favorites have problems:
defending champion Graham Hill (who almost didn’t make the race) is out after only five laps into the restart. Teammate Jim
Clark blows an engine five laps later. Leader Parnelli Jones has a scare on lap 70 in an altercation with Lee Roy
Yarbrough. Both cars spin, but are able to continue racing. During the incident, Dan Gurney briefly takes the lead. On lap
59, Mario Andretti loses a wheel. Wally Dallenbach crashes on the main straightway, and Cale Yarborough spins out
during the caution. Several cars get by Cale, but George Snider and Lee Roy Yarbrough both crash into the infield ditch
trying to avoid him. Jackie Stewart loses an engine and heads back to the pits on foot. Later, Cale Yarborough (who was
able to get back into the race) and Mel Kenyon crash, putting both out of the race for good. With 12 laps left, Gordon
Johncock spins out. At this point Parnelli Jones has the race wrapped up with almost a full lap lead over A.J. Foyt. But with
only 4 laps to go, a transmission bearing fails in the STP-Turbine Car, Parnelli Jones coasts to a stop, Andy Granatelli is
stunned, and A.J. Foyt takes over the lead. On the final lap, a 4-car crash at the north end of the straightaway forces Foyt
into some savvy driving to miss spinning cars as he takes the checkered flag for his third win at Indianapolis.

This is an original “ABC Wide World Of Sports” live broadcast (edited for time), a re-broadcast by ESPN
(watermark in corner of the screen). This was the first race telecast in color on ABC. Excellent footage!
ABC Sports Commentators are Jim McKay and Rodger Ward, with Pit reporter Chris Economacki.

1967 Rex May’s 300 – Riverside CA   (35 min)

Fantastic road race from Riverside, CA! This was the final race of the year for the USAC Series, and 3 drivers had a
chance of taking the Championship; A.J Foyt, Mario Andretti, and Gordon Johncock. Great action, and all the legends from
the Indy 500 were running, including Bobby Unser, Dan Gurney, Johnny Rutherford, and many others. The eventual winner
was Dan Gurney, followed by Unser, but A.J. Foyt would capture the USAC Championship. This is an original “ABC Wide
World Of Sports” live broadcast (edited for time).ABC Sports Commentators are Chris Economacki and Rodger Ward.

1968 Indianapolis 500   (26 min)

A beautiful film produced by Firestone. This is not live coverage of the 1968 Indy 500, but a very long highlight reel titled
“Preview Of The Future”, referring to the revolutionary Turbine Cars of Andy Granatelli. After the debut of the Turbine Car in
the 1967 Indy 500, with driver Parnelli Jones having a huge lead with only 4 laps to go before a sudden transmission failure
cost him the race, Granatelli brought two Turbine Cars to the 1968 Indy 500. Thinking his bad luck was behind him, one of
his two drivers (Joe Leonard) was in the lead late in the race when suddenly, with only 9 laps to go, both STP-Turbine Cars
quit on lap 191. Bobby Unser takes over the lead and goes on to win.

Also of note is that USAC imposed an air inlet restriction on the Turbine Cars to slow them down. There were actually 2
more Turbine Cars entered in this race by none other than Carroll Shelby, to be driven by Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme.
But the Shelby cars were disqualified when it was discovered they were using variable inlet doors on the air intakes.