Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

    After the cars were qualified, I tore the engines down to freshen them up for the 500, and both needed new pistons, but I only had one set. This was quite a dilemma, I couldn’t find another set, so the decision was made to put the new ones in Krisiloff’s engine, and hope for the best regarding Dickson’s. I did something that I often did, and plugged off the oil pressure guages. Many times I had taped guages over, only to discover later that the driver had peeled the tape off during a race, to sneak a look. There was a rule that oil could not be added during a race, so there wasn’t anything that could be done if a car pulled in for an oil pressure problem anyway, and besides that by the time the driver noticed that he had lost oil pressure, it was too late, at 8 or 10 thousand RPM the engine was done for already. I had several drivers over the years that would pull in and say, “ they heard the engine going away, but they shut it off before it blew up”, and then upon looking it over, there would be connecting rods hanging out of holes in the oil pan. An old timer mechanic, Bill Findley, told me that before a race at Indy, he would tell his driver, “If you have an engine problem, don’t come in, because I can’t help you.” That was probably true in most cases.

    After the engines were put back in the cars, I had to catch an airplane back to Indy to finish freshening up the Chevy for the Dirt car, so I wasn’t there for the race. As the race went on, I would get phone calls telling me how the cars were doing pretty often, and during one call, I was told that Dickson had pulled in with no oil pressure, and I could not believe what I was hearing. He was sent back out, but had lost a few laps. Towards the end of the race I got a call saying that Krisiloff was running first, and that really got me fired up. Shortly, I got another call saying that Krisiloff had pulled in with a turbo failure, but Grant and the guys put another one on, and he was back running. Joe Leonard won the race followed by Art Pollard, and Krisiloff had finished 5th, despite the turbo change, only four laps down, and Dickson finished 13th, still with “no oil pressure”. All in all, not a bad day, and I was surprised that the pistons in Dickson’s car lasted through the day. Only 14 cars were running at the end of the race, out of 33 starters. Two of the three “Granitelli” STP cars finished, Andretti dropped out on lap one, so Andy’s decision to do the deal with Grant payed off.

    Next, we go to New Jersey, for the Trenton 300, on October 3rd.
    Larry

    Comment


    • Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

      Larry, you know us dial tappers have to have something to look at in the cockpit. You probably should have put that gauge on the block instead of with the driver.

      Comment


      • Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

        Hey bluffman....

        Can i pick your brain? cars that is

        a) I heard Bud Morley has passed away.... ?? (usrrc / F5000 / can am)

        b) Worked with Carol Smith... is he still around... ?? (Roy Woods shop in LA)

        c) The avs shadow can am "inventor".... Trevor Harris, what is going on with him?

        d) Surfers guys, Tom Jobe or Bob Skinner .... heard one of them is gone.

        e) Finally .... my best buddy of all time, (passed away a long time ago) Charlie "Chas" Prichard / motor man for the Bettenhousen (senior), indy guys... back in the offy days..... do you remember him?

        Geez... dont wanna get you deeee-pressed,,,,, but just bench racing and trying to see whos around.

        Bmarsh

        Comment


        • Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

          Mr. Bluffman.... one more Q and A

          Indy.... First STP turbine car..... (bailing out at the end of the race)

          did parnelli jones "just shut it down" and pull over or was the car (fuel pump really broke) "official statement"

          I takted to a few friends i had at the STP shop in Santa Monica and even they did not "Know" or "zipped" there lips on what really happened.

          thanks for the memories.......

          B Marsh

          Comment


          • Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

            Re: Bill Marsh questions. Regarding Parnelli Jones in STP turbine in 1967, he qualified 6th, and led the race for quite a few laps, but got tangled up with Leroy Yarborough on lap 176, Leroy’s car was wrecked, but Parnelli did a big 360 degree spin and continued on, but slowed on lap 196, and pulled into the pits. A bearing in the drive train was broken, probably due to the incident with Yarborough. He still was credited with finishing 6th because of other finishers being several laps down.

            The 1968 STP turbine car is much more dramatic. There were, I am sure five of these Lotus “Wedge” turbine cars. The drivers were to be: Joe Leonard, Graham Hill, Art Pollard, Mike Spence, and Greg Weld. There was a big deal with USAC that the front bulkhead where the suspension fastened to was not fabricated strong enough, and had to be changed or beefed up. Now, I am not sure if that was before, or after the incident I will describe now. During practice all of the cars were performing fine, except Greg Welds. He complained about his car feeling wormy, and wasn’t comfortable entering the corners at speed. Mike Spence volunteered to take it out and see if he could experience the same problem. Obviously there was in fact something not right, because he promptly hit the wall, and was killed. There were still four cars left, but only three qualified for the race, possibly there was a problem with the car Spence was supposed to drive, or Weld just chose not into get back in one. I guess only Andy Granitelli himself could explain that.

            Joe Leonard qualified on the pole, Graham Hill qualifyed in second place, and Bobby Unser filled out the front row, driving an Eagle Offy. Art Pollard qualified the third Lotus in eleventh place. The fact that there were both Offys and Fords within 3 or 4 miles an hour of the turbines caused Granitelli to make a huge error. He wanted to dominate the field, and had Art Pollard qualified in the front row with Leonard and Hill, he might not have chosen to alter his fuel. The way it was explained to me was that Andy had mixed some “white gas” to the jet fuel, hoping for more power, and speed. There was another name for this “white gas”, but I can’t recall what it was, but I had used it and benzine before in “jalopys” to hop up the gasoline, but it “burned dry”, and unless we added a little castor oil to the fuel the valves would stick in the valve guides. Now back to the turbine engine, the fuel pump drive quill was lubricated by the fuel, and by adding this “white gas” there was not sufficient lubrication to the drive quill, and they broke, putting Leonard and Pollard out of the race on nearly the same lap, around 189 to 190. Hill had crashed on lap 110, so the whole STP/ Lotus attempt to overwhelm the field failed. Granitelli abandoned the turbines and would win the 1969 Indy 500 with Mario Andretti driving an antique Brawner Hawk/ Ford after his primary car did not get up to speed. A lesson in, “when all else fails, go back to basics!”

            Now, Bill, I will try my best to respond to your other questions:
            * I think Bud Morley passed away
            * Carol Smith, I never had the pleasure of meeting him.
            *Trevor Harris, haven’t seen or heard anything about him for years.
            *”Chas” Pritchard, never knew him, way before my time.
            *Bob Skinner, I should know him, but I draw a blank.
            *Tom Jobe, He and my old buddy Jim Ward had a shooting gallery or shooting range years ago, and Ward passed away, but a couple of years ago, I heard something about Jobe, but I don’t know what it was, and I don’t know if he’s still kicking or not.

            Thanks for the questions, they don’t deeee- press me, I enjoy getting questions, and I will do my best to answer any that I get. Sometimes it takes some doing to get correct, accurate answers, but I will give it all I’ve got to respond.
            Larry

            Comment


            • Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

              I bench racing.

              Thanks Bluff man.

              BMarsh

              Comment


              • Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

                Blufffffff guy


                Bob Skinner is gone. Checked it out today.

                BUT!!!!! The surfers driver Sorokin's son Adam is like his dad, being the man to beat in the front motor (FA MO SO) fueler class .... doing in the mid-5's.

                GOD... how do you remember all this stuff.

                I want to take what YOUR taking (herbs, Rx or ???) to help my memory.

                BM

                Comment


                • Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

                  BM: My memory is pretty good for an old timer, but I have a lot of photos and newspaper articles dating back to the 60's, and also I have found web- sites with complete line ups, finishes, qualifying orders, reasons for dropping out, etc. Also have my brothers and old friends that I can call to get information. Sometimes just a little bit of information jogs my memory, and I just run with it. While I am writing about a certain subject other things pop into my head, and I keep notes on that for use later. Nope, no herbs, RX, booze, or anything, just a lot of good memories that I enjoy sharing.
                  Larry

                  Comment


                  • Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

                    You're a hell of a guy, Larry

                    Comment


                    • Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

                      The #20. And #40 cars went to Trenton, but I stayed at the shop in Indy, and was probably working on the Champ Dirt car and the midget that Grant had built and was driven by Billy Englehart, and was powered with a “Sesco”, a Chevy V-8 sawed in half lengthwise, making it a 4 cylinder inline engine that could use a V-8 cylinder head.

                      Krisiloff qualified 4th, and Denny Zimmerman qualified the #40 car 25th. They started 28 cars there, and Trenton was a one and a half mile track, so it was a 200 lap race. Krisiloff finished 7th, and crashed on the last lap, Zimmerman finished 13th. Only 15 cars finished the race.

                      The next, and last race for the season for the Indy cars will be at Phoenix, on October 23rd.
                      Larry

                      Comment


                      • Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

                        Only 24 cars started the Phoenix 150, although there were other cars there, only CART could explain that. George Snider was driving the #40 car, and qualified 6th. Krisiloff qualified the #20 car 13th. By lap 50, only 1/3 of the race, 9 cars fell out , and Krisiloff was one of these with gearbox failure. Snider pulled in with ignition problems on lap 65. A.J. Foyt was the winner, followed by Roger McCluskey, the only cars to finish the 150 laps. Since this was the last Indy car race of the season, not only were the cars, and engines worn out, the crews were also. I was not at this race, the same as Trenton. I was at Grants shop in Indianapolis, and all that I remember for sure is that I was getting the Sesco engine ready for the biggest midget race of the year, “Turkey Night” at Ascot Speedway, in Gardena, California. If a driver only won one midget race, this was the Prized event. Bill Englehart was pumped up and so was I. Thinking back, I can only remember Bill, Danny Jones and I being there, although there had to be more guys from the shop, but I’m pretty sure that Grant wasn’t there. I think Englehart had quick time, but he and Jimmy Carruthers were the “Top Guns”. They ran a trophy dash, or heat race or something, and Bill, and Jimmy put on a hell of a show, and finished first and second, but I’m not sure which one did what. The only trouble was that both cars started “shooting ducks” at the end. This was caused by the magneto ignition giving up, and there was a lot of popping out of the exhaust. This was common for the Sesco, because they used a Wico magneto, like I had seen on hay bailer Wisconson V- 4 engines in my young days working on a farm. These “mags” were meant to be run at probably around 3,000 RPM, and we were running the 6 to 7000 RPM plus. We were in deep trouble, we had no more spares, but Jimmy’s father, Doug Carruthers told me that he had two, and he was a cool dude, he put one in each hand, and held them behind his back, and told me to choose which one I wanted. This was unbelievable, but that’s the kind of guy Doug was. I put the one I had chosen on our car, and Doug put the other one on Jimmy’s car. Now it was race time, and “Turkey Night” was on!

                        Englehart and Carruthers were leading the pack, and passed each other several times, some great racing. With only a few laps to go, we heard an engine beginning to “Shoot Ducks”, but we couldn’t tell which one it was. Then, as they went blasting by, nose to tail, I spotted some flames popping out of the exhaust of Jimmy’s car, and he began to drop back. Bill’s Sesco was purring along, and he took the checkered flag. We had won “Turkey Night”! I had chosen the better magneto that Doug had graciously offered. Is that incredible, or what! Doug came over to “Victory Lane, and congratulated us for the win, with a smile on his face.

                        I am going to try to post a couple of photos. One is of course the midget, and the other is the only picture I have of a Sesco, with Bill, myself and a friend, Gus Sohm.

                        Larry
                        Attached Files

                        Comment


                        • Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

                          Mr.Marsh,Carroll Smith passed away,I think its been at least a couple of years now.His books,like Enginer to Win are great reads.

                          Comment


                          • Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

                            To bluffman and mre

                            Now i can sleep better at night .... my "bucket list" has been asked and answered ....


                            i now have peace in my own time..... great people and great times for me....

                            thanks people, Bmarsh

                            Comment


                            • Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

                              The1971 season was over, and I didn’t want to spend the winter in Indiana, so I went home to California, leaving Grant King’s employ on good terms. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do in 1972 anyway, his “Kingfish” cars were pretty much outdated. There was still some sprint car racing out west, and I got involved in some of that with my friend Bob East. We had some fun in the past, running his #56 sprint car in the “California Racing Association. (CRA) Bob had given “rides” to several racers who later became Indy 500 drivers, Lee Kunzman, and Jan Opperman come to mind at this moment, but I’m sure there were others. An ex- motorcycle racer named Don Hawley drove the car several times, and I have a great shot of him at Ascot on the half mile dirt track, all crossed up, and “standing on the gas”. He was quite a character, ornery as hell, and we had a lot of fun. Jim Bob Luebbert, also drove it, and became “my hero”, as I call him, when he ran the car at the infamous El Centro, California half mile dirt track. That was a place that if you didn’t draw a number for the first 5 or 6 cars to qualify, your chance of getting to start anywhere towards the front of the race was slim, and none, and the chance of setting on the pole was worse! We drew the pill to qualify last out of probably between 25 or 30 entrants. As the qualifying progressed, the track was drying out real bad, and we figured that we would be lucky just to make the show. Just before it was his turn to be pushed off to qualify, a sudden, light, rain shower shut the track down for a few minutes. Soon, they pushed Luebbert off, and he “lit the fuse” on ol’ #56, and he was flying when he came by, the old girl was hooked up, and Jim Bob was standing on the “Go” petal, and he set fast time and started on the pole. This was unbelievable, I doubt that this was ever done at El Centro again. I have more stories regarding the Bob East #56, but I am waiting for some documents, so that I can tell them accurately. If I can get the information, maybe I can slip it in a post later, but now I need to get into the 1972 Indy season. The first of April was coming up, and I was getting itchy feet again, and it was time to head east to the “Brickyard”.
                              Larry
                              Attached Files

                              Comment


                              • Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

                                ...Ol 56, Backin her into the corner, now THATS RACIN...rgr...

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X