30 Days in May: No. 29, Pancho Carter, 1987 Hardee's March

OK, so this year’s Indianapolis 500 won’t be run in the month of May. For many of us, however, May is more than just a month – it’s a state of mind. So let’s still celebrate great cars and drivers of the past anyway!

 

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway photo

Pancho Carter started 29th and finished 27th in the 

1987 Indianapolis 500.

30 Days in May: No. 29, Pancho Carter, 1987 Hardee’s March/Cosworth. Pancho Carter, the 1974 Rookie of the Year, was a steady presence in the 500 lineup through 1991, missing only the 1988 race. His big day came in 1985, when he won the pole with a Buick-powered machine. The “TT” indicates this car was a backup to a backup, which was the result of Carter taking a "header" in practice in his primary car, then withdrawing his backup car to qualify this one. 

During this time, the Hardee’s restaurants in the Indianapolis area gave out trading cards of IndyCar drivers if you made a certain purchase. It sure would nice to have a set of cards again.