The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 36

r.u.E S8 1 li 1. IMHA.YVrU.iS M'AK KDAY, A 2, KKSI'OMIS TO IIB IS1 I Than $300,000 way Changes Speed III I second pace lap. "If they're not lined up properly, we will keep going around until 'they are." Binford also has had himself directly connected into the observers' communications circuit so that he will have first hand knowledge of ore into the pits something every driver said was a must. The wall inside the curve which has been a factor In many bad accidents in recent years, including Savage's last year has been moved well back from the track. DAVE OVERPECK by the field.

In other years drivers have saw! that past the first row or two they couldn't see Vidan at the start and went by what the cars in front of them did. Binford also has said that the start will by no means be automatic at the end of the have duvet contact with him. Before there was no link go-twecn track crews and USAC. The mast important change in the track itself was the remodeling of the inside of Turn 4. A large area of the inside apron has been paved to allow a widened entrance year with Indianapolis industrialist Tom Binford replacing heavily criticized Harlan Fenglor as chief steward.

Binford asked for and received a new control tower outside the track at the starting line. He will run the race from the top floor of that conditions mound the track at all times. Fengler gut his Information second hand from the observers stand at the start finish line. Binford also has moved emergency crew chief ('loon Reynolds into the control center with him so that he niav 113! till in TnrrinTrrrrr I mini lil ri 'Mi Early Pit Stop Good Time For Changing Tires Don't get excited if you see crew members race car tires during an early pit stop in the 500- two-story structure and will have a much better view than Fengler had while conducting the race from track level in the pits. CHIEF STARTER Pat Vi-dan will work from the first floor of the tower, up high here he can see and be seen PS1 depending on the type of chassis and position on the race car.

"Our tires are plain-tread as they have been the past three years," Clark explained. "Drivers prefer the plain tread over ones with tread design for a couple of reasons. There is no change in the car handling as the smooth tread wears down, and the smooth tread puts more rubber on the pavement. "Of course, these tires are built for competition on a dry surface only," Clark cautioned. The sanctioning United States Auto Club goes to great pains to ensure that cars begin the race on the same tires run in qualifying.

"iXso. -lis kP. IfC )) HEAVY LOAD Firestone tire man Steve Thompson has his hands and muscles full as he wheels a load of big race tires out of Gasoline Alley at the Speedway. The tire company's shop is just outside the garage area at the track, and cars stop there for service before going into the pits. If anything pood ran be said about the 1973 cunning of the 500-Mile Race and it's st retelling a point to the limit to say anything can it would be that those sorry three days resulted in many overdue changes at the Speedway.

Responding to waves of scathing criticism, the Speed wav spent more than on improvements to the track in preparations for the 58th "500." MOST NOTK ABLE are the raising of all retaining walls to a uniform 30 inches all around the track and in front of the pits. Previously the height had ranged from 18 inches at the north end of the front stretch to 30 inches in the turns. There still is no guarantee that a race car can't get above them as Salt Walter's did on the attempted first-day start last year. But at least they'll have to go from 10 to 12 inches higher. That will provide spectators with more protection.

Abandoning use of the boxes in front of the Paddock and Grandstand A will keep more further out of harm's way. When Walther's car went into the wall and the fence above it last year, flaming fuel and debris from it injured 12 people in those seats, three of them seriously. A year ago, a member of the STP crew, Californian Armando Teran, was killed when he was struck by a crash truck going the wrong way up the pit lane en route to the Swede Savage crash. That won't happen this year. Emergency vehicles won't be permitted to go against the flow of traffic on the race track or in the pits, THE PITS themselves have been lengthened and widened, affording a little more safety in that overpopulated area.

The pits were carried 856 feet northward, allowing for an increase in individual pit length from 30 to 40 feet. The road also was widened by five feet in anticipation of much heavier traffic required by this year's fuel limitations which are expected to require upwards of eight pit stops for cars running the full 500 miles. The area behind the pits themselves also has been increased by a foot to allow a little more space for people who must be in the area on race day. It still Isn't enough, but it is an improvement. The race management also will have a new look this Oldtimers Somebody There probably isn't another sporting event of any type in the world where former participants are so evident as they are at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway each May.

Throughout the pits and garage area on any day in the month you are likely to spot numbers of men proudly wearing bright red hats which bear circular i i i a of blue, black and gold. This readily identifies the wearers as members of the Indianapolis 500 Oldtimers Club. They have met the requirements of that organization by being "somebody" at the track 20 years ago or more. They may be a former driver, a crew chief, riding mechanic, car owner, official, press mem ber, product representative or a contributor to the event in some other capacity. AS THEIR MODERN counterparts busily engage themselves in the practice and preparation for the coming race, the elder statesmen tend to gather around in small groups and generally agree that auto racing doesn't seem to be as much fun as it was in their day.

Even in the very early days of the Indianapolis classic, the newspapers and journals would occasionally make the observation that the Speedway Wore Slirl Helmet Eddie Rickcnbacker, pioneer racing driver and one-time owner of the Speedway, introduced the forerunner of today's crash helmet back in his Maxwell driving days. Rickenbackcr wore a steel helmet instead of the then accepted cloth helmet. i 'W i i s5jj Mile Race. "We're recommending that right side tires be changed on the second or third stop," said Al Clark, manager of Firestone's race tire engineering department. "This will be a precautionary change," he continued.

"We will examine the removed tires, then forecast how long all of the tires will last." The engineer pointed out crewmen can change tires quicker than the car can Le fueled, thus no extra time is required for changing tires. ALSO, IT IS highly possible some of the 33 cars may run the 500 miles on the original set of tires. Jimmy Caruthers drove his Cobre Firestone Eagle to a third-place finish in the California 500 without changing a tire. Firestone brought approxi-mately 1,000 tires to the Speedway for the 58th running of the event. In the past 57 races, 47 of them were won on Firestone tires.

Engineer Clark said the Firestone 1974 Indy tires were developed following more than 5,000 miles of testing by such professionals as Mario Andret-ti, Al Unser, Lloyd Ruby, Mike Mosley Caruthers and others at Indianapolis and On tario. Firestone is offering size 10.5-24.0-15 for use on front positions and size 14.0-27.0-15 for rears. lark explained the meaning of each set of numerals in the size marking. The first digits (14.0 on the rear tire) indicate the tread width is 14 inches. The second digits (27.0 on the rear) are the outside di ameter of the rear tire, and the last numbers (15) are the rim diameter.

Firestone Indy tires have four plies of nylon fabric with the cords in each ply running at high bias angles. Air pres sures for the tubeless tires will vary between 25 and 30 Still Are A I Track had become the annual gath ering place for all of the old participants. During the var ious reunions, the possibility of an official club would be discussed from time to time It wasn't until April 4, 1961, that the Indianapolis 500 Old timers Club finally came into being. It grew quickly and now carries a roster of almost 400 bonafide members. Some of the greatest living names in American racing history are members and former Indianapolis winners in the club include Rene Thomas, Peter DePaolo, George Souders, Louis Meyer, Billy Arnold, Floyd Davis, Mauri Rose, Bill Holland, Johnnie Parsons, Sam Hanks, Rodger Ward and Jim a a n.

Winners Ray Harroun, Jules Goux and Tommy Milton were also members at the time of their death. OTHER MEMBERS who were not fortuante enough to win a 500 but led a race at one point or another include Harry Hartz, Babe Stapp, Jimmy Jackson, Art Cross, Duke Nalon, Paul Russo, Freddie Agabashian, Cliff Bcrgere, Ira Hall, Paul Bost, Tony Gulotta and Frank Bris-ko. Deceased members of the club who were race leaders include Ralph Mulford, Earl Cooper, Eddie Kickenbacker, Deacon Litz, Phil Shafer and Buss Snowbergcr. Each May the members gather at the track for a bar becue, normally held during the week following the final qualifying weekend. One can aimosi smell me nwrmw ru her and castor oi and hear the roar of long extinct racing engines as the members meet and relive the grand old racing days of bygone eras.

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