Welcome to our monthlong countdown celebrating notable drivers and cars from the history of the Indianapolis 500!
 |
Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Did you know this was a record-setting car? In 1973, Dick Simon set a record for eight-cylinder engines when he qualified at 191.276 mph. |
30 Days in May Bonus: No. 44, Dick Simon, 1973 TraveLodge Eagle/Foyt. I miss guys like Dick Simon around the Speedway. Energetic and enthusiastic, Simon was an outstanding ski jumper and parachutist before he pursued a career in Indy cars. Had the X Games been around in the 1960s, he probably would’ve been a star.
As for Indianapolis, Simon usually was saddled with marginal equipment that he had to hustle into the show. His 1973 mount was pretty decent though, and Simon ran up front before piston failure sent him to the sidelines for a 14th-place finish.
Toward the end of his career, Simon
obtained better cars, leading to better results – he was sixth and ninth in his
last two races in 1987 and 1988, respectively. Simon is bald, but he donned a
toupee for this ad in the 1973 Indianapolis 500 program.
No comments:
Post a Comment