History Classic Indy roadsters: Most beautiful oval racers ever?

Nice photos Rick Finch.


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The Offy was a very rugged engine in its day.

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Jeez, what a great looking car! The background reminds me of Lakeland, FL site of the Lake Mirror Classic. Gary

 

At that time, there was no displacement break in the rules for stock block pushrod engines, so the SBC would have to run the displacement limit as the 255 Offy. Given the Offy's many years of development and four-valve layout, that's a difficult match.

Many claims have been made about the Offy's output, but when the Ford folks entered the game for 1962, they bought a top Offy for competitive analysis, which tested on the Ford dyno at 400 hp. The best Ford could do with its 260-based pushrod engine was 360 hp, and that was with the full weight of a factory program behind it.

In my view, one critical limiting factor for the pushrod 2V engine in the early '60s would be the primitive state of airflow development. When you look at those cylinder heads now, it's a wonder they ran as well as they did.

 

I'm thinking USAC allowed 305 cu. inches for pushrod motors in sprint cars in 1960, vs the Offy's 220. Wonder why not at the Speedway? FIA?

 

My thoughts would be that Indy/Champ cars were exclusive to USAC with a large base of Offy owners supporting it with no other series to race in. Whereas there were several other sprint car sanctions (imca, cra, urc etc.)that were already embracing stock block cars. I gotta believe that USAC was smart enough to figure attracting the cars and drivers (P.J., Herk etc.) racing in those series probably wasn't a bad idea.

 

That seems plausible, but now I'm wondering why not allow the 255's and 270's in the sprinters, like IMCA and others. Might be a good question for the sprint car thread. Thanks Rootie.

 

Hey thanks. Certainly makes sense and I'm not trying to knock Offy in any way. They certainly had their stuff together and made one heck of powerful engine; especially for a 4 banger.

 

I always find myself thinking, what took so long to think of a roll bar, when I look at these old cars, with the drivers head being the only thing above the body line.

 

There was a time when autoracing wasn't really expected to be a "safe" endeavor and safety equipment wasn't a high priority.

 

I realize that, it just seems so obvious though, and such a small thing.
Great looking cars though.

 

Opening day of gualifying 1961...(the day the roadsters died)

 

Black Jack Brabham #17 with the underpowered Cooper/ Climax engine. Jack Brabham ,the only man to win the F1 driving championship driving his own chassis, with Repco/brabham engine. The engine based on the f-85 Oldsmobile 215 cu.in. block. nice pics, Rick Finch



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Not trying to be a wanker, but they died because of the added roll bar or because of some rear engine cars? Curious.

 

^^^Rear engine...

 

Just a hint: If you click on the quote button on a post with pics jnbeded in it you can left click again and small squares will appear around the pics. Hit delete and the pics will disappear but the text will remain. No point in repostng the same pics over and over.

 

There was a time when race car drivers thought of themselves as gladiators.
The first guy to show up at the race track with a roll bar was laughed at mercilessly.

The only reason Garlits wasn't laughed out of town with his rear engined digger was that lots of people had been trying it unsuccessfully before him.
Change in motorsports is slow. Look at the HANS device. NASCAR had to require it before all the drivers would wear one.

 

Photos of the Novi taken recently at the Indy Museum. I love the V8 emblem on the nose.

 

^^^^ Still a smokin' hot car!!

 

The V8 emblem looks like it came from a Ford? The Lotus Ford to the right makes the Novi look obsolete. But so did the 68 STP turbine car compared to the rear engine cars at the time. None of the cars had real wings at the time. Could be the reason the roadsters look so good. They were pure simple race cars.


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The first gen Novis weren't actually roadsters, they were straight up w/fwd. The first Novi roadsters didn't come along until 56 and had offset driveline/driver w/rwd.

 

Pat O'Connor...

 

Novi Vespa Spl. 1956

 

Good stuff Rootie...

 

Paul Russo had himself a pretty good race going on in the Vespa until his rr let him down while leading.