30 Days in May Bonus: No. 44, Dick Simon, 1973 TraveLodge Eagle/Foyt.

Welcome to our monthlong countdown celebrating notable drivers and cars from the history of the Indianapolis 500! 

Majeske Photo Collection

Dick Simon started 27th and finished 14th in the 1973 Indianapolis 500.

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.

 

Dick Simon donned a toupee for this ad in the

1973 Indianapolis 500 program.

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