Posts Tagged ‘Parnelli Jones’

What a weekend.

Monday, January 28th, 2013

Wow, I had a great time last weekend at the 45th Annual Hoosier Auto Show & Swap Meet Automotive Literature & Small Collectible Exchange.

While many auto enthusiasts gather in balmy Arizona for the winter auto auctions, fellow Hoosier auto nuts gathered at the Brickyard Crossing Pavilion in Speedway for this popular event.


Dennis E. Horvath

Dennis E. Horvath at the

Hoosier Auto Show & Swap Meet

Copyright © 2013

In addition to my author signing event for our book Indiana cars: A History of the Automobile in Indiana, I had the chance to be photographed with Parnelli Jones’ baby Borg Warner trophy. Parnelli had recently passed through Indianapolis and left the trophy at the show for this photo opportunity.

This was a special treat for me because it reminded me of attending my first Indianapolis 500 in 1963 and seeing Parnelli, my favorite driver, win. I’ve previously shared the story of my first 500, and this was a great reminder.

I always find this to be a great event to peruse automotive literature. I usually find something to add to my collection. This year I found 1950’s copies of Speed Age Magazine that I plan to use for future articles and blogs.

It’s a great place to network with other auto enthusiasts. One person shared photos of the 1951 Studebaker convertible that he had found on ebay. Others talked about previous years’ auto events and some in the future.

I recommend the Hoosier Auto Show & Swap Meet Automotive Literature & Small Collectible Exchange as a great winter auto event. You know where I’ll be during the third weekend of next January.

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My First Indy 500

Friday, May 25th, 2012

This past week at my Toastmasters club, each member reminisced about his or her first Indy 500. I thought I would share my memories of the race along with some documentation from the Indianapolis Star.

As some of you might know, I attended Indianapolis 500 practice and qualifications with my dad and uncles starting in the early 1950’s. I really enjoyed watching the activities from many vantage points around the track. One of my favorites is in the grandstand outside of turn one. I especially liked watching the drivers work their roadsters through the curve. Every driver had his particular groove around the track.

My dad enjoyed listening to the race on the radio instead of being there in person, so I was left to my own devices to go to the race. Finally, on Thursday, May 30, 1963, my chance arrived. One of my neighborhood buddies, dad was an Indianapolis Motor Speedway patrolman and saved us a place along the fence inside of turn one. There I was with 275,000 other people watching all of the pre-race festivities from our prime spot on the fence.


Dennis E. Horvath at Indy 500

Dennis E. Horvath at Indy 500
Copyright ©1964 Indianapolis Star

We were unaware that Indianapolis Star photographer Tommy Wadelton was documenting the action from the other side of the fence. There we were in the middle of his photograph published in the Indianapolis Star on May 24, 1964. That skinny kid in sunglasses with a flat-top in the second row is me. Just to my right behind me was Jay Skoda and to my right in the front row was Larry Stroudman. I wasn’t wearing a hat to cover my head on that sunny day and that caused me to get a bad sun burn on my scalp. So that’s why you most always see me with a hat of some kind.

Oh well, back to the race. My favorite driver, Parnelli Jones, started the race in pole position. Jim Hurtubise started in the middle of the first row. Hurtubise led the first lap of the race, but Parnelli recaptured the lead on the second lap. About mid-way through the race, signs of oil started to show on the external oil tank of Parnelli’s car. Every lap we wondered if he would be black flagged for dropping oil. Finally, the concern about dropping oil went away. Yahoo! Parnell won the race with Jimmy Clark finishing second in a rear-engine Lotus Powered by Ford racer.

Memories of my first Indy 500 are fresh in my mind today, some 49 years later. That 1963 race was the first of many at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was probably one of the things that sparked my interest in automobiles. See you at the track.

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Ultimate Indianapolis 500 Winning Car Collection

Sunday, March 20th, 2011

If you’re going to be in Indianapolis between now and the end of May 2011, you have to visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Mall of Fame Museum to see the Ultimate Indianapolis 500 Winning Car Collection. This salute to the 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 is a once-in-a-lifetime gathering of 67 vehicles representing 71 victories.

IMS Entrance atrium with Borg-Warner Trophy and the 1960 Jim Rathman Ken-Paul Special
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Hall of Fame Museum
Entrance atrium with Borg-Warner Trophy
and the 1960 Jim Rathman Ken-Paul Special
Copyright © 2011 Dennis E. Horvath


The exhibit includes 31 winning cars owned by the IMS Hall of Fame Museum and 36 privately owned cars that have been loaned for this unique exhibit. Cars included in the exhibit range from the 1911 Marmon Wasp driven by Ray Harroun to the 2010 Dallara/Honda driven by Dario Franchitti.

The pre World War II era is represented by 10 cars. Every winning car from the 1950s, 1960s, 1980s, and 1990s is here. This group includes each car driven by the three four-time winners of the Indianapolis 500, A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears.

Indianapolis-built cars are represented by the 1911 Marmon Wasp, the 1912 National driven by Joe Dawson, and the 1922 Duesenberg/Miller driven by Jimmy Murphy. The 1922 Duesenberg was the same car that Murphy drove to win the 1921 French Grand Prix (an American first) with while powered by a straight-eight Duesenberg engine. The car as presented by IMS is the number 12 French GP livery of red wheels, white body with American flag on the tail, and dark blue frame.

I spent a lot of my time at the exhibit reminiscing about my first Indianapolis 500 in 1963. Parnelli Jones drove his J.C. Agajanian’s Willard Battery Special roadster and bested Jimmy Clark in a rear-engine Lotus/Ford at the dawn of the rear engine revolution. Exhibit cars are arranged in chronological order so you get an idea of the design progression from year to year. It seems that the cars didn’t take on their commercial billboard flair until the 1980s.

If you want to get an idea of Indianapolis 500 cars across the past century, this is a must see exhibit. The museum was packed during our visit with a 500 Winners autographing event. I am sure this will be a popular exhibit during its run thru the end of May.

So, stop in and reminisce about your Indianapolis 500 memories. We’d also like to know so share them here.

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