1915 Indy Pace Car returns to track 101 years later

[apacap]

A couple of years ago The AACA magazine did a feature about the 1915 Indy 500 Pace car owned and driven by Carl Graham Fisher, the builder and owner of the Indy 500 Speedway. This car was Carl's personal car which he used to pace several races. He was the person who solved the problem of pushing through the impenetrable smoke of 33 race cars at the starting line by doing a "rolling start" by using a pace car to bring cars up to speed, then pulling off to allow the race to begin.  He was also the father and founder of the Lincoln Highway, America's first coast to coast rock highway. He also used this car to survey portions of this highway. This car had been hidden away and not run in at least 80 years by our reckoning. This past February we set about the project of awakening the car from it's long rest to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Indy 500. We were able to accomplish this and take it to Indy for the Pace Car Reunion on May 21st. This link is to the video to chronicle the event,https://youtu.be/JR2GLSpQxhA

[1937hd45]

Thank you for posting that. INDY sure isn't what it used to be, 100th year and NO PRE RACE info on TV or radio. I used to be wonderful American tradition. Bob 

 

[smithbrother]

I don't understand your comment that NO 500 race info was on TV or RADIO.

 

I don't know where you live, but  WONDER how thousands of folks from all over the world heard of this HUGE event?

 

350,000 plus fans didn't come from just INDY or the state of Indiana.  Crowds have been smaller the past several years, as has been the case for lots of sports.  Folks have more choices these days.  It still is the largest race in the world.

 

Dale in Indy 

[dei]

Thanks for posting this historic car!

 

I was at the track when I was a kid with my family in Dad's 1920 Overland touring and we all made two laps around it. 

It was the Willys Overland Knight Registry National Meet that year and this video brought back great memories of that ride and the Museum.

 

Fantastic work on the Packard! The wheel wobble looks familiar as the Overland has a rear wheel doing it too.

[Amphicar BUYER]

11 hours ago, smithbrother said:

I don't understand your comment that NO 500 race info was on TV or RADIO. (snip)

 

What he said was "NO PRE RACE info on TV or radio"

                                     ^^^^

[JACK M]

I am a bit confused, If this Packard paced the first Indy 500 in 1915 how does that make the 2016 race the 100th anniversary?

Did they skip a year sometime in the past?

I watched the race this year and was delighted to see a rooky win.

[keiser31]

24 minutes ago, JACK M said:

I am a bit confused, If this Packard paced the first Indy 500 in 1915 how does that make the 2016 race the 100th anniversary?

Did they skip a year sometime in the past?

I watched the race this year and was delighted to see a rooky win.

I believe they skipped a couple of years during the world wars.

Edited June 1, 2016 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[mike6024]

1917, 1918 and 1942, 43,44,45 were missed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indianapolis_500_winners

first race 1911 (?) so this was the 106th year minus 6 missed years gives you the 100th.

Edited June 1, 2016 by mike6024 (see edit history)

[Walt G]

This is what old cars are all about, how cool is this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alan Strong is one of the nicest people in the old car hobby, a real gentleman and enthusiast.

[mike6024]

The best part on the video was pressurizing the fuel tank with the pump on the steering column. 3.5 psi. Like a Coleman camp stove.

[Restorer32]

2 hours ago, Walt G said:

This is what old cars are all about, how cool is this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alan Strong is one of the nicest people in the old car hobby, a real gentleman and enthusiast.

Indeed he is. 

[CarlLaFong]

A lot of semantics and twisting of the facts and meanings of words. This year was the 100th race, but it was not the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500. The 100th anniversary took place 100 years after the inaugural race. If you don't take Wifey out for dinner on your anniversary, it still counts.............if you survive.

[JACK M]

17 hours ago, CarlLaFong said:

A lot of semantics and twisting of the facts and meanings of words. This year was the 100th race, but it was not the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500. The 100th anniversary took place 100 years after the inaugural race. If you don't take Wifey out for dinner on your anniversary, it still counts.............if you survive.

 

Probably why I don't keep a wifey

[JACK M]

21 hours ago, mike6024 said:

1917, 1918 and 1942, 43,44,45 were missed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indianapolis_500_winners

first race 1911 (?) so this was the 106th year minus 6 missed years gives you the 100th.

 

Thanks for that, I kinda figured something like this.

[JWLawrence]

This year's 500 race was called the "100th Running".

 

(o{}o)