THE UNFORGETTABLE 500

all eyes are on the challenge of courage and endurance as time the Purdue University band entertains In traditional ceremonies on the main straightaway but behind the flags and excitement of race day there are many other stories there is the story of the men behind the driver in the car the mechanics who have sweated out the tests and time trials the race begins in the garages here is Automotive knowhow here is plain hard work applied with skill and experience here is precision tuned with cleanness and polish every part of every engine of every car has been checked and rechecked the 500 is the challenge in the automotive world and when you get to the morning of race day drivers must know that their cars are ready to meet this challenge let's talk to some of these dri here is Jim Bryan Jim Bryan the 3A national champion who one year ago today finished second in this 500 mile race Jim you then went on to become the 3A National Champion with the greatest performance seen on dirt in post war history right well that's what some of people said that's what the writers say and the writers are never wrong uh Jim you used a terrific little automobile last year and finish in second I understand it was a dirt track job is that right well yes for us it was a conventional dirt track machine built primarily for dirt track racing and I thought it was capable enough to drive it last here at the speedway and I still think it's a very fine automobile and it performed well against all the so-called roadsters and everything last year well uh the car itself gave you a little trouble in this race didn't it uh last year yes the later stages of the race in lap 130 the front spring broke it's a conventional front Springer with two tors and bars in the rear the front spring broke a little later all the shocks fell off of her the chassis itself actually broke up real bad the engine we had not one bit of engine trouble all through the race the engine run perfectly well Jim is that the same engine then that you used here that you used on the dirt to win your Championship yeah engine we run second here in all our dirt races last year which we won five and it's same engine in our new chassis what kind of rings you use in it well Perfect Circle naturally I mean they're the we've had no ring failure at all so I mean I think they're the best rings that can be actually put into an engine we've had no motor trouble whatsoever to speak of all year long and Clint Broner the mechanic did a wonderful job the rest of the year you know keeping the car going and I think we're real fortunate all through the year well good luck to you well thank you Russ and I think I'll go change and get ready now thank you very much big new number six with Bob schwier the driver and AJ Watson Chief mechanic moves out into the early morning light of Gasoline Alley now listen I want to get one thing straight when I give you the signal that I'm coming in you want me in on the next lap yes one lap come in okay how' the engine look last night I lifted the block last night and looked at the Rings and they were perfect put the same Rings right back in the same Perfect Circle Rings same Perfect Circle ring okay good deal now one other thing when we get the car jacked up and you've made the change Jack's going to give me the signal to take off and start pushing is that right that's right okay and you're going to give me the seconds back for the guy behind with the arrow the arrow for the seconds for the how far the guy is ahead of me huh right okay any other signals no that's about it just keep it simple all right good [Music] deal and now they are moving moving to the starting line these cars and their drivers who are legends of skill and daring the fans Wonder at these Sleek monsters and at The Men Who in a moment will hurl a ton of streamline metal down a straight away at 180 mph and then crowded into the groove with 32 other Thunderbolts each car as it is wheeled out carries the hopes and memories of months of work and Planet the mechanic's job is done and the drivers take over flying Jack McGrath in number three is his own Chief when it doesn't go he says he stand there's no one to blame but himself but he remembers when it did go like a [Music] bomb it's 2 weeks before the race McGrath ready to qualify vukovich has set the track of Blaze with new one laap and four laap records now with these records only 3 hours old McGrath cranked up and got away on a warmup FL the green flag pointed at McGrath screaming out of the North turn he was on it rocketing through the first turn faster than any man in Speedway history one lap completed on new record of 143.5 n mph watching his records crumble Bill vukovich coming up to the checkered flag and a new four-lap record 142.5 for the 10mile run driver mechanic the fastest of them all 500 mil to [Music] go to the line big number one a new machine for Jimmy Bryan National big car Champion Brian finished second here last year he drove a car with broken shock absorbers broken front spring but unbroken determination for 130 laps he went wheel tohe with bovich until vuki grabbed the winning margin as Brian was forced to pit for the third time pounded Black and Blue by his disabled car Jimmy collapsed after the race Brian takes his luck as it comes this year a new car can make the difference Bill vukovich the man to beat now came to the speedway as [ __ ] Champion to prove himself in the big cars he came with a first Roadster a new design built especially for Indianapolis racing he rolled to the line an unknown driver in an unknown car but steering failure sent vukovic against the wall nine laps from Victory he became the man to watch and watch they did as vuki raced A Thousand Miles without relief to win twice in a row only two other Speedway Immortals Wilbur Shaw and Mari Rose have accomplished the same feat bovic biggest money winter in Indianapolis history and holder of more records trying now for the record no one has three wins back to back other veterans here today have helmets full of Indianapolis memories former National Champion Tony betous knows what it means to take the wheel here on the bricks Tony in a qualifying Run 3 years ago he was on his way to break the record in number 99 and ran into real trouble another car another year out of the North turn into the home stretch tail [Music] first and another 500 this time with the temperature breaking records heat exhaustion forced him out of the race ready now for 200 more grueling laps number 39 moves up it's pilot rookie Johnny Boyd his freshman year at the speedway but He piled up some memories in a hurry during practice runs [Music] the uh spin wasn't too bad and it wasn't as long as some of them I've seen around here except that the wall looked like the side of a 10-story building that clity remembering the heat of 1953 he was cutting a wide path through the Blazing afternoon until no I never did realize what happened up there the only thing I can figure the heat might have got me a little Punchy I wasn't tired but uh when I woke up in the hospital I asked him uh what happened they said you crashed I said well fix the car let's get going again here is number 33 a new Streamliner with Jim wrathman the jockey Jim was driving relief for Sam Hanks last year crankshaft locked up and uh that automatically locks your rear wheels up and then uh Only the Good Lord can take care of you from then on the drivers climb into the cockpits tense rookies like shorty templeman season veterans like Johnny Parsons 1950 winner the driver with one leg Cal niday fourth fastest qualifier art cross Walt pulner rookie Al Herman Jimmy Davies fifth fastest in the field Bob schwier who makes his home in the shadow of the speedway the balloons drift away a breathless moment then gentlemen start your engines the waiting is over [Applause] [Music] 33 of the mightiest men and Machines of the racing world the fastest field ever to compete at Indianapolis move away behind the pace car they must go once around in parade formation the fury of their engines in check until they make a full circuit moving smoothly Jerry Hoy at the pole position inside front row bonen next to him and mcrath on the outside in the second row all eyes on bovic in the center Hanks next to him on the outside through the second turn heading for the long back backstretch under the bridge and the pace of the backstretch in the short straightaway between the third and the fourth [Music] turn and here they come the most beautiful site in all racing 12,000 horsep to Wheeling through the fourth turn and heading into the main straightaway and the green [Music] flag they're all a beautiful [Music] start McGrath cuts across from the outside and dives into the turn first bous Roars after him H drops to third agabian is fourth bovich is fifth safely through tornado turn and into the second listen to these engines [Music] sing McGrath streaking away lukovic is now fourth coming out of the backstretch vuki closes in on hoit at the end of La one [Music] and he passes hoit to take third place into lap two McGrath tries to fatten his lead as vukovich fights bous for second place the crowd comes to its feet watching vukovich make his move up the backstretch bovich passing moving into second place bous now third bovic racing to a showdown with mcra [Music] bonen loses ground as vuki barrels away the Bellen hows following vukovich [Music] a thin whsp of smoke trails from a gr's car as vovi keeps up the [Music] pressure through the first turn of lap three vukovich fights McGrath for the groove he's passing and vukovic is in first place McGrath second bous third Hanks fourth [Music] [Music] [Music] vukovich keeps right on charging McGrath is in some kind of [Music] trouble after 25 miles vuki opens up a 2 second [Music] lead Jimmy Reese pulls into the pits a broken connecting rod makes him the first out of the race vukovich begins to lap the tail of the field mcrat having Magneto trouble man what a battle bui's crew FL him his lap speed he's traveled 50 m in 22 minutes and McGrath hangs on Jack closes in and trouble or no trouble he's passing vukovich Cuts dangerously low to pull even but flying jack won't give way hookie lead footing it all the way turns the fastest race lap of Speedway history 141.5 mph and takes the lead again after 100 miles vukovic moves smoothly as ever showing his tailpipe to the field McGrath 10 and 1 half seconds behind his car fouled with exhaust fumes Jerry hoit heads for the pit oil pump failure and he's out of the race his uniform is spattered with oil but none left in the engine tough luck for this 26-year-old pole position winner he tells his sad story to Jimmy Reese the first man out of the race there's nothing left of Jerry's Victory hopes but an oily spot on the apron McGrath's engine is still giving him trouble Bob scher's crew signaled the end of 125 miles a quarter of the race swier in fourth position leads Brian by a split second McGrath comes into the pits after 135 miles vukovich has moved away to a 17-second lead before McGrath pit in schwier and Brian flash by as McGrath's crew chains Wheels McGrath is leaving his car jack is his own Chief mechanic the only only driver mechanic in the race and he's calling for a wrench they say in the pits if you raise the hood you might as well give it up but sometimes you keep trying with McGrath in the pits Brian charges into second place McGrath is through Magneto failure sends him to the garage lap 56 vukovich is flying he's laed some cars five times and is running through the field with magnificent skill Roger Ward spins on the backstretch the way [Music] clear from a point directly opposite risks his life crossing the track to go to vuki Z Keller rushes to boy trapped under his car still in the path of the other drivers bui's car a blazing and battered wreck Keller and Speedway guards roll Boyd's Car upright miraculously Boyd has only friction burns from skitting on his back with his car on top of him a mile away in the pits McGrath senses something all cars are slowed down by the caution light Tony bous heads for the pits bui's crew on the pit wall search anxiously for their man Cal n day pits as vuki crew Waits Jim Bryan pits he was running second behind vukovich vukovic is now long overdue Paul Russo takes over in bonus's car these two men had a relief driver agreement to share the ride white-faced Tony betous passes the news of what he has seen on the backstretch then the announcement vukovic two-time winner of the 500 has suffered fatal injuries in the fourar crash Jimmy Brian now in first place rolls onto the track under caution signal the track is clear after 16 caution laps the green flag flies again Brian in the lead Bob swi only 5 seconds behind Brian suddenly begins to lose power and the field moves in on him Brian is passed in the First turns by a straggler and Brian's Chief mechanic Clint Broner asks what's wrong Brian is trailing smoke out of the North turn Jimmy Davis in car number 15 Bears down and pass passes schwier right behind down the stretch and now swier takes the lead on the next lap swier is alone where's Brian Jimmy slows down to pit his exhaust ports covered with smoke it looks like the national champion is through fuel pump trouble and a broken Magneto drive gear Brian is definitely out and is he mad scher's crew watch as he pounds out the last laps H naid day moving through the fourth turn his front axle snaps he slams into the wall then rolls across the track to the infield naid is hurt and his car which was fifth at 425 mil is washed out on the green signal they're moving again but Don Freeland in number 12 heads for the pits Freeland is scher's last major threat and he's out of the race leaving only 14 of the 33 starters still racing 50 Mi to go and siker's crew isn't through worrying with a lead of less than a minute and a half they don't want another pit stop but schwier is running low on fuel is he using his reserve tank yet the bar doll crew check the time of their car now running [Applause] third scher's timer sweats it out Bob has eased off the throttle to save fuel dinosur leads the trophy to Victory Lane but scher's worries aren't over he's down to the last few gallons and Jimmy Davies in the bar doll special is ready to move if sriker fails [Music] where is he does he have fuel to make [Applause] it the crowd comes to its [Applause] feet two more laps [Applause] out of the fourth turn and one lap to go there's the White [Music] Flag Tony bous in second place gets the White Flag the last lap The Checkered Flag for Bob schwier The Waiting hoping sweating is over for the mechanics the fellow in the dark coat going wild is car owner John zinc a big pat on the back goes to his chief mechanic on to the winner circle the mechanical masterminds who prepared scher's car including his car owner a man who paid $30,000 for a roadster just to have the privilege of changing a tire here he is 500 m in 3 hours 53 minutes swier LED for 85 laps or a total of 2125 miles and he wins $76,000 for his skill a share of the record-breaking purse of $270,000 schwier gets a victory kiss from dinosur and from his wife wife dores to end an unforgettable 500 [Applause]