TAKE IT FROM A CHAMPION

or could be a Salesman or an engineer whatever his job we can see that he's the kind of neighbor dick likes to have and no dick and he may talk his neighbors do about the law and about plans for the evening or about his job especially about his job because his work is a little special what he has to say may someday save dicks life and maybe yours what does this man do his name is Johnny parson one of the country's champion race drivers aiming for a second win at the Indianapolis 500 this champion and others of the Speedway have something to tell us [Music] [Applause] [Music] not only Johnny Parsons but every man that drives well enough to race at Indianapolis is a champion those who carry three stripes on their cars are rookies on their first visit to the Speedway veterans of auto racing the world over these are the finest drivers the sport produces but before any man is allowed to qualify at Indianapolis he must first be tested one of the rookies tells why back in 1935 there was a great driver who is the eastern 3/8 champion and the best driver they had in the eastern part of the country and he decided it when he got the Indianapolis it was just like driving under the 1/2 mile dirt tracks and he only lived for one lap at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway because when he went down in the turn he pitched her in there sideways and stood on the throttle and he threw the car right over the wall so the officials decided then that possibly they should set up some kind of a familiarization arrangement then the professional Speedway drivers with two years experience in the race or more go out and take over the aid observer post and then they watch the man go through a hundred and twenty-five mile an hour test and the drivers vote should in or out their lives on the speedway as on the highway depend not only on their own ability but on the skill of every other driver they must be convinced that the man is qualified to handle a machine of deadly power long before a man hooks up his safety belt or buckles on a helmet designed for safety the speedway has taken special precautions first the track medical office gives him a thorough examination in competition as in driving everywhere he can't drive with blind spots he must be aware of cars on the edges of his vision his response to the changing traffic pattern must be reflex quick there is another reflex though that the doctors can't test the built-in respect for others that expresses itself as courtesy and as important as color perception is the ability to see the other fellows viewpoint to drive his car as well as your own physical fitness goes hand-in-hand with mental alertness in meeting the challenge of the Speedway veterans and rookies share their knowledge of the track secrets learn each other's methods develop shore safe counter strategy so that while the wall is an uncertain blur at 140 miles an hour the skill and experience of each driver will bring all safely back to race again at last they are ready for the test of champions the drivers have passed their tests with flying colors the cars have passed their test setting amazing new qualification record johnny parsons turned laps at a hundred and forty four miles an hour now a crowd gathered from 48 states and a dozen foreign countries pours in dick and his dad are no exception with Johnny Parsons of the next-door neighbor they have a special interest and real admiration for championship driving dick quickly picks him out as 33 of the best drivers in the world roll away from the starting line to begin the pace lap Pat Flaherty is in the pole position inside front row Jim Rassman next to it and Pat O'Connor on the outside close behind are some of the greatest names in racing listen to a veteran drivers thoughts on running the Indianapolis race I've got 500 miles to go today little under 4 hours I'll probably have more thrills going home from the race on the 1,800 miles of highway probably safer here today those 1,800 miles of highway so I don't think I've got anything to worry about another veteran what's it much the same way I know I have 500 miles to run out there and I know the fellas I'm running with are all real sharp and they wouldn't be there in the first place so you fellows are alert you know what you're doing I've done it before and I feel a lot safer with those guys I went out on the highway where these people are daydreaming I don't know what they're doing when the pace lap ends they'll be roaring toward the first turn at more than a hundred and thirty miles an hour yet courtesy not competition is the first rule of the first turn cars which are now moving in three lane traffic must crowd into a single lane groove lack of respect for the other drivers can mean disaster for the race the race is on into the first turn rattling roars into the lead as the drivers maneuver to find the groove the invisible lane that is the fastest and safest way around take me to the first turn and into the second the 40th consecutive year with a clean save start O'Conner in number seven passes Rothman to take the lead in the back stretch as the lap speed moves to a hundred and forty-two miles an hour with the cars maneuvering through the turns inches apart [Music] Pat clarity pole position winner slips into second behind O'Connor in number 29 Russo has come up into third place Pat clarity slips inside the groom as they head into the main straightaway O'Connor meets priorities challenge but Russo comes down the straightaway at a hundred and eighty miles an hour and passes both cars O'Conner gives way an incredible show of driving skill by both drivers Russo and number 29 stretches his lead smashing all existing records as he completes 50 miles in 21 minutes O'Connor and fire Dave try to stay with him 450 miles to go can Russo keep this pace [Music] [Applause] [Applause] wheel and tire fly in all directions unhooking a safety belt he's out of the car almost as soon as it stops moving but his car is a hazard of 32 other drivers hurtling into the corner there's the caution flag but two drivers spin out trying to avoid the wreckage ahead while others alert me thread their way past the danger a disabled vehicle on the bay as on the highway means trouble the peel cuts at speed in half as a track is clear then the green light and there they go clarity takes the lead in car number eight but on the backstretch O'Conner charges number seven right back into a first place O'Connor's mechanic wonders if the car can stand this pace how much of a margin of safety is left clarity wants to answer that question - he rolls to the pits four tires fuel and a mechanical checkup in 41 seconds clarity is out of his pit with three new tires and fuel hunting for the leader but O'Connor isn't taking any unnecessary risks 125 miles are behind him but there is a lot of racing still to be done and he wants his car right dick comes to his feet as Parsons makes his move there he goes into the lead Parsons get the position one side and a go signal from his car owner clarity charges in second marcin's is his target now but Johnny heads into the pits for fuel and tires he's giving up the lead to play it safe that's the mark of a champion and dick admires smooth careful driving gave him more laps before his pit stop than any other contender for the lead let Parsons tell how it does it one thing I have to bear in mind is to keep relaxed and not to tense because tension will cause an accident and you have to be relaxed to nor the full 500 miles here at Indianapolis smoothly and carefully Parsons rolls back onto the track blending the traffic slowly coming up to racing speed it costs precious seconds but can save lives Parsons is fourth after his pit stop clarity leaves Parsons keep the pressure on the frontrunners fire tees Irish luck is holding his pit crew count the fuel remaining laps no race is over until the checkered flag and there it is clarity Windsor the winning team to victory lane to meet George Francis Patrick clarity who just won ninety-three thousand dollars with his driving skill clarity drove a magnificent race staying up among the leaders all the way but keeping that extra margin of performance safely in reserve dick is a little disappointed that neighbor Parsons didn't win but he recognizes a champions performance when he seizes the year's racing calendar is packed with exciting events and when Dick's father is fortunate enough to earn a winter vacation there is no question where a week oughta be spent thus sunny south sandy beaches and sizzling speeds the half-mile wide surface of Daytona Beach has felt the pounding of auto speed runs for 50 years Barney Oldfield Ralph De Palma Campbell and many others have raced the clock on the sands of time those were the days of the famed special the cars that paced automotive progress and helped make the modern automobile fast and safe strictly stock production models are race now and modern drivers men like fireball Roberts Curtis Turner and herb Thomas will in time also be remembered for their skill behind the wheel these champions know all there is to know about driving and it's the mark of a real champion that he's glad to share his knowledge dick like all of us and learn the rules of safe driving from the expert quickly he picks up information that will make him a safer and better driver here at Daytona Beach the special know-how is know your road there isn't a trick of car control these men don't know including control spins [Music] Hera's herb thomas practicing in the south turn he comes off the asphalt onto dirt then onto sand while maintaining racing speed on the highway at slower speeds a driver has the same problems there are right and wrong ways to drive to occur slow down before entering a turn then as you begin the turn accelerate smoothly and the car won't sway or swerve out of line now same car coming too fast into the same turn the driver breaks in the middle of the turn and ends up in the wrong lane look at the right way again using power only at the right time it's not only a more comfortable ride it's actually faster if you find yourself on the shoulder put both front and rear wheels equally off the pavement you can regain control if you don't fight the pavement edge when attempting a left turn don't cut the wheel until you are ready to move someone could hit you from behind pushing you into a head-on collision with oncoming cars on the tracks a driver is signaled by his pit crew with all the information he needs to handle his car properly dick is reminded that highways have signals to signals which should be understood at a glance by their shape let's look at them again this octagon always means stop the round means railroad the diamond means decreased beef drive with caution rectangular means read it slow down for special instructions but just because you know the rules don't assume the other fellow does approaching this intersection you have the right of way the other fellow is disobeying that stop sign sure he was wrong but there is no advantage being dead right let's look at that near-miss again traveling 30 miles an hour you could stop in 88 feet that's just about three first downs but according to the National Safety Council if the car had been traveling 40 miles an hour stopping distance jumps to a hundred and forty nine feet half the length of a football field at 60 miles an hour 366 feet and both cars lose the ball game but speed alone doesn't matter you must also be alert a veteran race driver puts his finger on the average drivers trouble mm not concentrating on the job or they just don't know how long it takes to stop an automobile they're following bumper-to-bumper think they can stop with three feet and they can't high-speed you just can't stop them think that could there were more than 30,000 traffic fatalities last year you can't control 200 horsepower with a fingertip professional drivers know better they wear gloves to really grip the wheel and are in firm control every inch of the way this is only part of the story of knowing the road the car and yourself dig like all of us has a lot to learn but race time is near and it's time to watch the experts in action all Daytona roads lead to the beach but it's no day for sunbathing the stands are packed to see the climax of the two-week performance round up the cars are given a last check before the drivers take over windblown sand and rain cuts visibility although windshields are cleaned before every race today drivers cover the grass with plastic sheets to be peeled off as flying sand destroyed the topmost surface at the pole position Tim fois NASCAR champion he knows what it will take to win I won the championship but keeps my car in tip-top condition keeping my wheels land up with a good ignition and good spark plugs on a race track when you drive over you here that means you're gonna get in trouble no the role that you're actually driving on no your automobile and Kurtis it I think Curtis is one of the biggest things on the highway that there the asphalt backstretch is slick from an all-night drizzle the green flag weights they're off a slip now among the leaders might pile up the entire field through the turn safely with Tim clock out in front the field follows Tim down the beach at better than 110 miles an hour and maneuvers into the turn there's trouble as two of the boys lose control in soft sand a chain reaction is starting will these drivers keep their wits about them driver always drives ahead of himself keeping an eye on general traffic condition [Music] nobody is even scratched what a display of car control a safety patrol car holds the beat until all the cars are restarted and the turn is clear then Tim Clark shows the reason he's the national champion as he moves through the turn smoothly and easily overtaking the striker but or other drivers it's not as easy as it looks / he goes it's a good thing for Ralph moody in number 12 that the sand is soft Tim clock keeps moving along averaging almost a hundred miles an hour number 12 is back in the race but as Ralph moody gets back number 55 Junior Johnson gets into trouble Tim Clark continues to set the pace look out it's rust who loved flipping at top feed as he nears the end of a two mile straight away his trouble started when he drifted out of the groove onto the soft sand he's alright walking away without a scratch Tim clock setting new records as he go fastest way is always the smooth way and he competition how to do it jr. Johnson and number 55 still eager to catch him he's not giving up even though he's losing time not Guinea he's carrying power too far into the turn here he is again pushing hard Oh [Applause] he's out the back way but it's a long way home if you have to walk tim flock is flying he laps the entire field as he nailed down first place and just in time the tide is rising through the turn for the last time smooth sure fastest-ever a real champion and a champions reward a kiss from his wife a warm embrace for one of their five children and the victors trophy for a new Daytona Record racing on the beach is one kind of bracelet it's another brand of horsepower on the mile and three eighths track at Darlington South Carolina this is the World Series of stock car racing 500 punishing miles for men and machines here as on the highway a driver must be able to count on a cop his life depends on it every car is taken apart down to the last engine valve defective parts are replaced and the car reassembled piece by piece clean tuned ready to meet the demands for peak performance these cars are strictly stopped bingley modification allowed are those which protects the driver against injuries roll bars are required headlights are taped to keep glass off the track in case of accident and seatbelts must be firmly anchored to the car frame and in good condition the margin of safety the extra burst of acceleration and passing power often lies in the ignition dirty or worn spark plugs are replaced the car must be certified safe and stopped before it's allowed on the track then race day down the straightaway to the starting line come the Parris Island Marine Band as the stands overflow with the largest crowd in stock car racing history the cars are waiting behind the funny names is real performance careful preparation every which can be done to improve automotive performance has been done fireball Roberts in car number m1 moves into the pole position inside front row the pace car rolls away and 75 cars begin to move they go once around in a parade left to salute the grandstands and line up smoothly ready for a flying start 51 cars have qualified faster than 100 miles an hour but top speed alone won't win this race buck Baker a former winner puts it this way that Carl run fast as you can hold it on this track every guys trying to win but he's got to give that other guy brake too because everybody's subject to making a mistake and you can't kill him disabilities in the wrong you've got to be a safe driver to make a good driver [Music] fireball Roberts grabs a lead Tim pluck a number 16 comes off the high bank as they move up the backstretch walk is challenging for the lead as they head into the third turn fireball hugs the rail as Tim puck tries to go inside inches from the guardrail fireball roars through the fourth turn but Tim Clark's car has that extra performance coming into the front straightaway the leaders overtake the tail of the field Tim Clark slips by in the first place and number 36 brother potty block takes second they're moving past but are still masters of their cars risks are carefully calculated as they travel over a hundred miles an hour up the backstretch Tim Clark eases his pace to save his car for the long grind ahead following a pre-race plan Pawnee block takes the lead as fireball Roberts tries to match his pace buck bakery number 89 shows tremendous driving skill [Music] robertson stands on his brakes and skids there's another spin no no he regains control on the track or on the highway wherever a driver pushes the car beyond its limits of mechanical endurance result is troubled the track is cleared and high speeds are resumed Herb Thomas makes his move two-time winner of the southern 500 he sets a pace that keeps him within striking distance of the leaders with a minimum of strain on motor and tire there's trouble ahead Thomas's car responds magnificently as he slipped through interest in the rail with the way is blocked for a total of seven other cars herb Thomas uses the caution period for a fast pit stop fueling up and having his car checked for the last hundred miles Joel Weatherly has the lead there's the green flag and Thomas is on his way so Weatherly the leader is lapping the field he stands on the accelerator opening up his lead in an all-out run for the checkered flag Canon car and drivers stand the strain Thomas's number 92 is three before driving smoothly and steadily he maintains relentless pressure on the front runner the competing pit crews watched the public champions Weatherly keeps his foot all the way down but Thomas won't budge from the smooth steady pattern that has given him two southern 500 Tim box spins to a point already as Weatherly's car gives way less than 60 miles from victory he gambled and lost the news is relayed to Weatherly's mechanics who labored a month getting that car ready for the race whether Lee's all right but Thomas driving a smooth well planned race is even better moving now into first place the Thomas crew is jubilant smokey eunuch chief mechanic watches as thomas comes around for the last time [Applause] Thomas comes up to the checkered flag for his third victory in the southern 500 it's a victory - for the men who service the car the men who's talked to it that Thomas had full measure of dependable performance with the right kind of motor tune-up and ignition system Thomas rolled toward the winner's circle to celebrate a champion performance he was never lower than 8th position but paced himself within the margin of safety for a full 500 mile run Thomas's speed was ninety two point two eight one miles an hour but victory and track records alone do not make Kemp Thomas puts it this way I mean it when I say I'm much safer in an auto race than driving on the highway we're professionals and we know how to handle speed if you want speed go to an auto race get yourself a car and we'll help you get started in ten laps you will either be a race driver or have all the speed you want for a lifetime Thomas talks from experience but better than the Hard Knocks of experience is education driver education the same good sense about safe driving that dick learned from veteran drivers is being offered in driver clinics all over the country by the champion sparkplug company safety team just as Johnny Parsons always told his neighbor dick a good driver is a safe driver know your role know your car and know yourself this is good advice from champion drivers who live by driving take it from a champion [Music]