[rollei_list] Re: OT - The 1967 Indy 500 and the turbine-powered car in it
- From: David Seifert <dseifert@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 09:32:12 -0800
Ardeshir Mehta wrote:
>On Sunday, January 30, 2005, at 11:15 PM, David Seifert wrote:
>
>
>
>>>On Saturday, January 29, 2005, at 01:35 AM, Frank Dernie wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>There was much interest generated by the turbine car at Indy but as
>>>>you say it is only mildly suitable for oval racing and even then not
>>>>convincingly.
>>>>
>>>>Frank
>>>>
>>>>
>>>This does not sound correct given what has been said about this race.
>>>The turbine powered car driven by Parnelli Jones at Indy was almost a
>>>whole LAP ahead of AJ Foyt, the next driver, till almost the end of
>>>the race, when a bearing in the gear casing failed - nothing to do
>>>with the turbine, please note. I don't know how much more convincing
>>>it can get, than to be almost a lap ahead.
>>>
>>>
>>Ardeshir,
>>
>>In response to this post and your other recent one concerning movable
>>aerodynamic devices [...] let me point out that rules in sports exist
>>largely to keep the sport competitive. [...]
>>
>>
>
>David,
>
>I was only referring to Frank's statement that turbines were not
>convincingly suitable for oval racing, which, as I wrote, didn't sound
>correct given the known history of that race. If Frank had said instead
>that turbines were banned from the Indy 500 because they had a huge
>competitive advantage over ICEs, ... (I'll leave you to finish the
>sentence)!
>
>Cheers.
>
>
>
Ardeshir,
One more time I will bite. What did the turbine car in at Indy in '67
was the same thing that does in most of the cars that don't finish
without accident, reliability. While it ran, it ran great but as an
overall automotive system that particular car failed. An interesting
historical tidbit is tha the car only qualified 6th. Quite respectable
but not stellar. In the end, Indianapolis is about endurance as much as
speed. The fastest laps just don't matter if you can't go the distance.
David
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