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From Little shaking our industry up. I think it creates
new interest and I'm very enthused."
He still wasn't sure the front-engine
Acorns, a heavyweights weren't best for the big,
2.5-mile Indianapolis layout, so he had
Checkered Flag Frank Kurtis and Pouelson re-do Old
98 (hiding the oil tank inside), but he
also had Culver City sports car designers
Has Grown Dick Troutman and Tom Barnes create
a new rear-engine lightweight for Jones.
Jones never gave it a real try While
many drivers, including Ward and Bobby
qualifying day and sped 136.013 mph for high. Always a symbol of sportsmanship Marshman, went to the new rear-engine
one lap and 134.343 for four laps to in the face of adversity, Aggie later had racers, Jones and Foyt stubbornly stuck
break records held by the Novi and end the inch-long piece of bent metal fash- to front-engine machines.
the reign of front-drive cars. Johnny ioned into a key-chain ornament and he
Parsons went on to win a rain-shortened displays it proudly "This few cents HE ENTIRE FRONT row and seven of
345-mile event with Faulkner seventh. worth of metal cost me $100,000," he Tthe first 10 cars turned out to be rear-
The next year, Duke Nalon recaptured grins. engined with Clark taking the pole and
the pole and speed records for the Novi Ironically, an auxiliary braking system speed records from Jones at 159.377 and
team, but, after Faulkner and a new car had been discarded. to save 14 lbs. 158.828. Jones blew his new engine the
reached the track late, they regained the Pouelson now installs a system that morning of qualifying and had to use his
speed marks on the third qualifying day retains braking power even after any winning engine of the year before to get
with 138.122 and 136.872 clockings. As faulty braking area has been eliminated. in the race. He ran fourth fastest in the
he wheeled into the pits, Faulkner found Controversy over the wild ride Jones car he called " old Calhoun," his 6-year-
a grinning Agajanian waving his 10-gal. was permitted to complete has led to a old antique, at 155, far faster than ever
hat from atop a grinning Nalon's shoul- rule barring cars without brakes. before, but not fast enough. Foyt landed
ders. Lee Wallard won that race, while Parnelli had brakes last year but beside him in a second-year " dinosaur "
Faulkner settled for 15th. didn't use them much. He retained the Although Jones warned that, " The
pole, upping his records to 155.847 for boys ahead of me better stand on it,"
GGIE HAD HIsfirst winner the follow- one lap and 151.541 for four, led 167 and Foyt was snarling, it was clear before
A ing year when Bill Vukovich, seem- laps and won by a wide margin at a the race that they and their sponsors now
ingly a certain victor, was eliminated 25 record average of 143.137. However, a knew they couldn't keep up with the
miles from home by a broken steering cracked and leaking oil tank almost new cars, felt they had made a mistake,
pivot-pin. Ruttman rolled by at 128.922 caused him to be black-flagged off in the and were discouraged and pessimistic.
to become, at 22, the youngest winner late stages. And, in the early running of the race,
ever Chief Steward Harlan Fengler held they were outdistanced. However, as we
Then came some lean years for the the black flag hesitantly in his hand while now know, it was not for long.
various cars that carried the familiar No. Colin Chapman, head of the revolu- Clark's soft tires shredded, straining
98. Johnny Parsons brought one home tionary Lotus-Ford team, protested and rear suspension components. Marshman
fourth in 1956, but demolished his car Agajanian pleaded. It was a wild track- was cut off into the infield where his oil
in practice the next year. Troy Ruttman side scene. Fengler finally put the flag plug was knocked off. And Ward had
and Chuck Daigh failed to qualify a new away, as the level of oil in Jones' tank fuel problems. Suddenly, the rear-en-
car the next two years, making it three soon dropped below the crack and gine challenge had been thwarted for
straight times Aggie failed to make the stopped spilling out. another year Jones passed Foyt and
show Then came Jones. Like Faulkner, Later, driver Sachs and Roger Mc- was rolling in front until his disastrous
Jones is good and fast, but not lucky Clusky blamed spin-outs on the slippery pit stop. After that, it was all Foyt.
Faulkner never won. Jones has now led track and insisted that had Agajanian "It was our good racing luck that
the race each of his four years in it, but not been such a powerful and influential gave us the lead and our bad racing luck
barely won once. person his car would not have been per- that cost us the race," Agajanian says.
As a sensational rookie in 1961, Jones mitted to finish. Sachs carried his com- "It's just one of those things. I thought
qualified a car prepared by Pouelson plaints into a restaurant, where Jones we had it won, but we didn't. That's the
sixth fastest at 146 mph and led for 75 decked him. Later, they made up. way it goes."
miles until a bolt was sucked off the Agajanian insisted Fengler's actions Although the Bowes Seal Fast-Aga-
track, cut him above the eye and nearly were not prejudiced. "I have to obey the janian Special has been completely re-
blinded him with blood. He refused re- rules just like everyone else," he said. built from the frame up each year, Aggie
lief. However, as he was unable to adjust ''But a lot of cars were dropping oil, doubts that it can or should be worked
his fuel mixture properly, his engine was not just ours. It would have been like on again. A historic car, one of the
flooded until a piston gave way Trailing having the heavyweight boxing champion greatest in 500 history, it will probably
smoke, he dropped back to finish 12th. ahead for 14 rounds, then having the be donated to the Speedway Museum.
The next year, Jones broke the 150 title taken away from him because of a "Maybe Jones can have it made into a
mph barrier with a 150. 729 fast lap and cut in the last round." key-chain," a wise-guy cracked.
150.370 average, taking the pole, and Others, including 2-time winner Rodg- Jones and Foyt may now have sup-
led for 123 of the first 125 laps until an er Ward agreed. "Parnelli deserved the port in their tentative feeling that the
inch-long piece of brake line bent and victory and it would have been a shame front-engine roadsters have won a re-
wore out, permitting the fluid to escape. to have had it taken from him," he said. prieve, but Aggie does not agree· " I
Jones drove the rest of the way without After the race, there was strong specu- think they'll change their minds after
brakes, making two hair-raising pit-stops lation that the rear-engine bantams were thinking it over," he says. " They know
and placing seventh. taking over. Some Indianapolis veterans now that the rear-engine lightweights
" Well, we really gave them a show for regretted the probability, but not J. C., are faster, the only question is, are they
awhile, anyway, didn't we?" Aggie said who said, " We've been in a rut, fast as durable? Clark and Gurney did go
later, grinning wistfully, holding his head asleep. We should thank Chapman for the distance last year and Ward did this
36 CAR LIFE