Friday, May 17, 2024

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

 

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

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

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 competitor.

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, which led 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.



#ThisIsMay #Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar

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