The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 18

THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR- SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 1968 CAR OWNKOS WANT PISTON ENGINES ONLY PAGE 18 I I 4 1 Mew Turbine Fight By DAVE OVERPECK The turbines will never win the 500-Mile Race if 'i ir first to fifth. He was leading when the wire failed but wound up No. 5 after making a six-minute pit stop to replace it. The unofficial finish stood up after the scoring tapes were No protests were filed after the official standings were posted. The final rundown gave Unser the fastest leading lap.

in the race. He was clocked at :53.78 on the 11th circuit for 167.348. BUT THAT was not the fastest lap turned in the race. That honor when to Ruby who covered his 94th circuit in :53.36 for 168.666. That was a mile an hour faster than he had run in, practice or qualifying.

"We never got a chance to practice with the car," said Ruby in explaining the difference. "We were chang- ing engines practically all the time. We only got on the track for one day before, qualifications." difference at all. About the only guy that staked out the middle ground was Art Pollard, who was running sixth in a second turbine when it failed seconds after Leonard's leading machine. HE SAID he thought the current formula proved to just about equal itself out for everybody.

"We had advantages in some places" he said, "and the pistons had advantages in others. "The formula might cut the turbines a little too much but USAC isn't going to raise it any." Pollard said he wanted to run his turbine at Milwaukee if Granatelli decides to take the machine there. Granatelli said his current plans were to take the car to Suds City for the Rex Mays 150 June 9, but that they weren't final. MOST OF the piston people still maintained that Granatelli lost the race be heat up and expand. In this condition, they did not want to turn as fast as the shaft when Leonard and Pollard accelerated.

A fatigue situation developed and the part failed. Granatelli emphasized that the failure was not the drivers' fault. He also said that the piece envolved cost about $10 or $12. The shaft that failed has brass fittings on either end of a steel rod. Hill's machine was equipped with a pump that used a solid steel shaft.

Granatelli explained the difference, saying, "We were experimenting with Graham's car." IF GRANATELLI was taken down by a $10 part, the agony of Ruby and the Gene White crew had to be 100 times worse. It was a 10c wire in the coil that dropped Ruby from points be returned to the 500-Mile Race and that USAC consult the car owners on the schedule, purse, distance and date of each race before granting a sanction. USAC will hold an open meeting at 9 a.m. Monday and the turbine issue undoubtedly will come up in the closea meeting which follows at 10:30. In fact, opinion at the track yesterday was much same as it has been all month.

Those who like turbines i.e. Andy Granatelli maintained the 196S formula restricts the whisper boxes too much. Those who don't like turbines i.e. just about everybody else say they should be banned outright The titanic battle between Joe Leonard in Granatelli's turbine and Unser and Lloyd Ruby in turbocharged Offies didn't appear to make much cause he pulled a "boner" by switching from J-4 kerosene to gasoline for the race. Granatelli denied that, saying, "Gasoline had nothing, to do with it." Granatelli said that the cars had used gasoline in qualifying when Leonard and Graham Hill both ran more than 171 miles an hour.

But several people in his crew said the switch had been made. Andy dismissed this, saying, "The only person who knows what I put in my car is me." i The, root cause of the turbines failure was that a 1 shaft in the fuel pump sheared off. It happened on both Leonard's and Pollard's cars. The shafts were replaced yesterday and both engines fired right up. GRANATELLI said that the yellow flag laps caused by Carl Williams' crash on the 181st lap allowed the gears in the fuel pump to the National Champion-: ship Car Owners Association has its way.

The NCCOA board of directors yesterday unanimous-, ly approved a recommendation to the United States Auto Club that "powerplants (for championship cars) be restricted to reciprocating, piston operated engines only." BOB WILKE, the new president of the association and the owner of Bobby Unser's 500-winning Rislone Eagle, said it was the opinion of the NCCOA that there was no way to equate turbines with piston engines. Two other requests were passed along to USAC for discussion at Monday's Holiday Inn Northwest meeting. The car owners asked that FIA world" championship QV- l' 4 i I Vukovich Is Tabbed 500 Rookie Of Year BROKEN SHArT-rAndy Granatelli shows the broken fuel pump shaft, from Joe Leonard's Lotus Turbocar No. 60 which he says is the reason that the car quit running in Thursday's 500-Mile Race. When the shaft twisted into two pieces, the pump which is activated by Jhe turbine's compressor shaft ceased to function and no longer could deliver fuel to the engine.

Vukovich, 24, of Fresno was the overwhelming choice of voting sportswriters, Bill Vukovich, whose father twice won the Indianapolis 500 mile race and was killed in a bid for a third consecutive victory, was named Rookie of the Year after his seventh place in Thursday's classic. sports broadcasters and track Speaking Of Speed George officials. He was selected from among six first-time drivers at the "1 Moore Indianapolis Motor Speedway and won $1,000 and a trophy. His father, Bill, won the Indianapolis 500 in 1953 and 1954 and was killed in an accident while leading the 1955 event. The younger Vukovich began driving stock cars in 1963 and raced both midgets and championship autos in 1965.

Vukovich had completed 198 laps in his Shrike turbo-charged Offenhauser when all remaining cars were flagged from Thursday's race after Bobby Unser and four other drivers had crossed the finish line. Vukovich said "Naturally, I nese Race Japa Is Off: Banks Banks, director of competition for the United States Auto Club, announced yesterday that the championship race tentatively scheduled in Japan for No vember has been called off. Nancy Harvard of Thomasville, Ga. (second from right) and Beth Turner (right), daughter of Stark Wetzel president Gene Turner. Joyce Vukovich (left) shared the pedestal of honor with her husband.

(Star Photo by Bud Berry) ROOKIE OF YEAR Billy Vukovich made his 500-Mile Race debut an outstanding success by placing seventh and winning the Stark Wetzel Rookie Of The Year trophy. Presenting a plaque to Billy, along with a $1,000 check, are am very happy to receive the award. To be quite honest, I thought I would be among the top point-getters because of my finish. A NTHONY (ANDY) GRANATELLI, president of STP and head of the STP racing efforts at the Speedway, deserves to have his "day in court" and this column, intends to give it to him. Yesterday Granateilf said at the track, "Dead wrong," as to the 1 concept that a change of fuel was instrumental in causing Joe Leonard's STP Lotus Turbocar No.

60 to fail on the 192d lap of the 500-Mile Race while holding the lead Thursday. Granatelli pulled out a "broken fuel pump drive shaft from his pocket and said, "That's what caused the car (No, 60) to quit, not the change of fuel to gasoline." FOLLOWING THURSDAY'S RACE THIS columnist wrote that Leonard's machrnev quit becattse the use of gasoline had caused condition some sort of an inbalanceof lubricatibril It should be rather obvious we didn't pick this concept out of a hat. It was told to us by "more than one" of the individuals Banks said the only problem was getting permission from the Japanese government to allow promoters to send an $80,000 purse to the United States ahead of the race. IS too much red tape involved in getting permission from the Japanese government for such a large amount of money to be trans it out, but we're extremely hopeful that the race can be run in Japan next year." Promoters for the race at the Mt. Fuji International Speedway were here to watch the 500-mile race and expressed great interest in bringing the American drivers back to Japan.

Jackie Stewart won the race in Japan two years ago the only USAC race ever held in the Far East. New Carburetor Rule Passed "This is a great honor and I do appreciate it. It's a great way to start my 500-Mile Race competition." Billy was an overwhelming winner with 65 points in the voting. Mike Mosley placed second with 38 and Jim Malloy third with 16. Malloy had the best time among rookies prior rTI .....1,,..,.,...

1,1. fQn, i irrnn'Hi ferred to the United States," he declared. "There simply isn't time remaining to work Stock cars racing on the NAS-CAR and USAC circuits in 1 969 and 1970 will be limited to a single four-barrel, to this week's race. PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE Eastern Division GB 72 16 24 19 20 17 23 23 1 11 Oklahoma City San DiC90 Tulsa Phoenix Pet. .579 .558 .541 .500 .475 .278 I'J 3 4 11 carburetor.

The change was the one adopted yesterday by the Car Classification Committee of the Automobile Competi- tion Committee of the United States. A spokesman said the- Indianapolit Denver NN 10 26 Western Division Snokane 26 14 Seattle 22 20 Vancouver 20 20 Hawaii 22 22 change, reducing the two four-barrel carbs allowed this Pet. .667 .524 .500 .500 .459 .385 GB 6 7 7 8Vi ll'j year, was made in an at- Tacoma 17 20 Portland 15 24 NATIONAL LEAGUE I San Francisco It, 91 Yesterday's Results PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE Seattle 3. Denver 2. INDIANAPOLIS at Portland, rain.

Phoenix 3, San Diego 1. Hawaii at Tacoma, postponed, rain. Tulsa 9, Spokane 1. Vancouver at Oklahoma City, rain. NATIONAL LEAGUE St.

Louis 2, New York 0. Cincinnati 5, Philadelphia 4. Atlanta 5, Pittsburgh 2. Houston 3, Chicago 1. Los Angeles 3, San Francisco 0.

AMERICAN LEAGUE California 3, Oakland 0 (12 innings). Chicago 3, WWnnesota 1 (14 innings). Detroit 1, New York 0. Cleveland 8, Washington 3. Boston 3, Baltimore 0.

Today's Schedule PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE Seattle at Denver. Vancouver at Oklahoma City, 2. INDIANAPOLIS at Portland, rain. Phoenix at San Diego. Hawaii at Tacoma.

Spokane at Tulsa, 2. NATIONAL LEAGUE SI. Louis (Washburn 3-3) at New York (Ryan 4-4). San Francisco (Perry 6-2) at Los Angeles (Sutton 2-4). Cincinnati (Pappas 2-4) at Philadelphia (Fryman 6-4), night.

Atlanta (Kelley 2-3) at Pittsburgh (Sisk 2- 1), night. Chicago (Hands 5-2) at Houston (Wilson 3- 5), night. Atlanta 25 21 St. Louis 24 21 Philadelphia 21 20 Chicago 23 23 Cincinnati 22 99 tempt to make it easier for newcomers to enter racing. f.

The change applies to all races that have full international listing. It is effective Sports Car Club of America and the National Hot Rod As-from Jan. 1, 1969, through Dec. 31, 1970. Pet.

.553 .543 .533 .512 .500 .500 .490 .47 .439 GB 1 2 21, 2Va 3 4 5 Los Angeles 54 IS Houston 21 94 New York 20 94 Pittsburgh 18 23 AMERICAN LEAGUE netioit 28 1 Baltimore it, 10 tb Cleveland ,..26 20 .5 Minnesota 24 91 511 Boston 99 1 iaa GB "i 3 4 connected with the STP Lotus Turbocar operation. When we appraised Granatelli of this fact yesterday, he said, "These people don't know what I put into my cars. I fold you I was using gasoline." We naturally are not able to ascertain what relations Granatelli has between his associates and himself. As a consequence, whether or not the people in the STP racing organization have any knowledge as to what is transpiring in the operation of the cars this column has no way of determining. It would seem a bit strange to us, however, there would be only one member of a three car racing team who would know how the affairs of the team were being conducted, and our information was not provided by individuals who swept the floor, at least at the last report.

There also is 'an interesting discrepancy between the official report of, the United States Auto Club technical committee and the broken fuel pump drive shaft. The USAC. report says the engine experienced an overspeed condition when the driver suddenly applied too much throttle to accelerate from a slow speed and the safety governors took over and shut off the fuel. There is no mention of a broken fuel pump drive shaft. We would have to say we personally do not buy the over-speed proposition for two major reasons.

First, Leonard is an experienced race driver and is fully cognizant of what and what not to do with the. automobile. SECOND, THE CREW ATTEMPTED TO restart the engine and could not do so. If; the governors had shut the fuel off it is possible to reset them, so as to permit fuel to flow to the engine. To date, there still is no official report on Art Pollard's STP Lotus Turbocar No.

20, because USAC tech men say they can't get into the Lotus garage to see, it. Following Thursday's race, a technical observer said he had been informed the car experienced gearbox trouble. Inasmuch as this information was from one of the USAC technical committee people we felt obligated to report it. At the same time, we raised the question as to how would the car experience gearbox trouble when, it doesn't have a gearbox. The drive system utilizes a chain drive in a transfer case.

We thus are of the personal opinion that Pollard went out. of the race with the very same trouble which eliminated Leonard. In view of the information provided by individuals associated with the STP organization, it doesn't seem to be an unreasonable personal assumption that the change to gasoline caused in some way the removal of lubrication from inside the pump, caused the shaft to seize, and thereby caused it to twist into two pieces. Granatelli does not agree with this. WHEEL BRAKE RMI California 22 55 Npw York 91 Oakland 91 9J Chicago .18 .419 wasnington 17 28 .378 Bonded lining Adjust Brakes AMERICAN LEAGUE Written Guarantee California (Brunei 5-4) at Oakland MECHANIC HONORED Jud Phillips (left), crew chief on Bobby Unser's Rislone car in Thursday's 500-Mile Race, accepts the Rockwell Mechanics Award from E.

L. Tabat of the Rockwell Manu-' facturing Co. Jud also received $2,500 and a complete portable power tool workshop. luoom 3-4). twilllght.

All U.S. Can I jJL Include Linings I nr and Labor Minnesota (Chance 4-5) at Chicago (Carlos 2-5). New York (Monbouquette 5-3) at Detroit (Cain 1-0). Washington (Bertain 3-3) at Cleveland (Williams 3-2). PCL Linescores ion iwi 000 i 6 0 Tulsa Ml 500 Olx 9 9 1 Brubaker, Deffie (4) and Campanis; Torri and Breeden.

W-Torrei (10). L-Brubaker (3-2). Home runs-Tulsa: Hicks (8), Hutlo (3). little nno 003 000-3 9 1 Denver 000 000 110-2 5 2 Englehardt, Sherry (8) and Egan; Fwler (9) and Mltter-wald. W-Englehardt (1-1.

L-Keller (1-4) HR-Denver: Oliver (5). Attendance 1,264. Phoenix 100 100 010-3 8 0 Sap Diego 000 001 000-1 7 0 Sparks and Bryant; Wegener and Sullivan W-Sprks (3-4); L-Wegener (2-3). Attendance 5,341. 4-1) at Boston Baltimore (Brabender (Waslewskl I -HOUR SERVICE ALL BANK CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED DRIVER MUFFLERS and 13 CAR LAPS TIME Rislone No.

3 200 3:16:13.76 Olsonite No. 48 200 3:17:07.57 City of Lebanon No. 15 200 3:21.02.43 Olsonite No. 42 200 3:21:08.71 .1 SPEED 152.882 152.187 149.224 149.146 148.529 SHOCKS ALSO INSTALLED Softball Notes POS, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Gene White No.25 200 3:21:58.83 Cleaver-Brooks No. 59 199 3:21:12.09 148.224 Asphalt Driveways Parking Lots Concrtte-Seol Coatings Schafer Construction (o.

a 6-9708; FL 6-6119; Fl 7-8718 Established 14 Em-Roe Twilight League Colbert's Jets Duoouf At Metropolitan Stadium K. of K. of C. 437, K. of C.

3640. 5, Jav-cees 1. Today 2. Tab vs. Budget; 3.

Zuckles vs. Continentals; 4, Brownsburg vs. West Lake; 5:30, Rosemont vs. Brca 207; 7, St. Louis vs.

Anchorettes (two games). LinBaEi- Psssssst 147.028 146.786 146.440 145.686 145.570 152.565 148.583 140.065 140.636 138.021 135.367 146.705 157.634 157.093 151.561 149.851 140.829 Bobby Unser Dan Curney Mel Kenyon Hulme Lloyd Ruby; Ronnie Duman Bill Vukovich Mike Mosley -Sam Sessions Bobby Grim Bob Veith Joe Leonard Art Pollard Jim McElreath Carl Williams Bud Tingelstad Wally Dallenbach Johnny Rutherford Graham Hill A. J. Foyt Ronnie Bucknum Jim Malloy Jerry Grant Gary Bettenhausen Amis Knepper Al Unser Gordon Johncock Larry Dickson Roiier McCIuskey Jim Hurtubise George Snider Jochen Rindt Mario Andretti Tribe-Portland Rained Out Twin Bill On Tap Tonight CHUCK CALLAHAN FORD HAS OVER 15 1968 LTD COUNTRY SQUIRE STATION WAGONS IN STOCK FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY. Wagner-Lockheed No.

98 Zecol-Lubaid No. 90 Valvoline No. 94 Gene White No. 6 Thermo King No. 16 STP Oil Treatment No.

60 STP Oil Treatment No. 20 Jim Greer No. 82 Sheraton-Thompson No. 84 Federal Engineering No. 10 Valvoline No.

54 City of Seattle No. 18 STP Oil Treatment No. 70 Sheraton-Thompson No. 1 Weinberger Homes No. 45 Jim Robbins No.

27 Bardhal No. 78 Thermo King No. 1 1 Bryant Heat Cool No. 21 Retzloff Chemical No. 24 Gilmore Broadcasting No.

4 Overseas Natl. Airways No. 64 G. Murphy No. 8 PepsiFrito-Lay No.

56 Vel's-Parnelli Jones No. 29 198 3:22:00.12 197 3:21:18.84 197 3:21:47.34 196 3:21:48.25 196 3:21:57.88 191 3:07:47.33 188 3:09:47.58 179 3:11:41:78 163 2:53:51.15 158 2:51:42.76 146 2:41:46.96 125 2:07:48.46 110 1:44:40.39 86 1:22:07.03 76 1:15:13.02 64 1:04:03.81 50 53:15.36 43 40:59.11 42 41:21.76 40 39:47.22 37 34:25.10 24 24:42.62 16 15:07.80 9 9:34.00 9 19:24.69 5 15:52.76 2 9:08.75 STAR SPECIAL REPORT 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Ore. Rain caused postponement of the scheduled 10 PASS. CRUISEOMATIC, VIS GROUP, WSW, POWER STEERING, POWER DISC BRAKES, AIR CONDITIONER, RADIO, TINTED GLASS, DELUXE SEAT BELTS, STOCK NO. 822.

Pacific Coast League game between the Indianapolis Indians and Portland last night games and 14 of the last 18 starts. They now are running last in the Western Division. Tickets On Sale For Tribe Stand The box office at Bush Stadium will be open from 9 to 5 o'clock today and from 1 to 4 p.m. tomorrow. A doubleheader is booked for tonight starting at 6:30 00 157.374 152.311 150.803 161.251 145.688 158.625 141.115 69.546 47.231 32.802 3139 p.m." (9:30 Indianapolis time).

PLUS YOUR CLEAN 1964 FORD. PLYMOUTH OR CHEVROLET STATION WAGON Repco-Brabham No. 35 Overseas Natl. Airways No. 2 Andretti in relief oa lap 19.

Jim Duffalo and Jose Pena likely will get starting calls on the mound for the Tribe. Portland is expected to counter with George and Steve Bailey. Portland has lost its last five CHUCK CALLAHAN FORD Reservations will be handled for the Indianapolis Indians' home stand starting Monday. Vancouver and Spokane will be met during that Bush Stadium stay. Lap leaders: 1-7 Leonard; 8-56 B.

Unser; 57-89 Ruby; 90-112 Unser; 113-11 Leonard; 120-165 Unser; 166-174 Ruby; 175-191 Leonard; 192-200 Unser. Fast lap in race: Ruby, Lap 94, :53.36, 1 68.666 mph. Fastest leading lap: TJ. Unser, Lap 11, :33.78, 167.348 mph..