Ferrari Mailing List: Luke - About Green Racecars

[Les Thompson (les21]

Luke,

Caught your comment about watching the race live in a movie theater. 

Grew up listening to it on the radio, remember we were listening to it the 1955 race when Billy Vukovich crashed. I was 8 and still remember how the folks reacted. In the early 1950's Dad worked pits for a midget owner at races in Visalia and Tulare. Billy and Eli, both Fresno boys, were active then, he knew both of them.

Saw the 1968 race at a movie theater in Santa Ana, CA. Couple of months later was headed to Lackland for basic.

Les T.

-----Original Message----- 

From: Luke Graves 

Sent: Apr 28, 2020 9:28 AM 

To: Les Thompson 

Cc: 'The FerrariList' 

Subject: Re: [Ferrari] Luke - About Green Racecars 

Thanks Dick!

I actually saw that race live in a Movie Theater in San Francisco and of course it was in black and white back then, so, the color didn't sink in on me!

 

OK guys, I am older that most of you.  Who can beat this:  My first Indy experience was in 1947 when Mauri Rose won it in the Blue Crown Spark Plug Special!  I was 12 years old and listened to on the radio in it the Barber Shop and then at home.  It lasted more that 4 hours.  The car was/is very beautiful.  Six cyl Offie making 400 HP.  Check it out on Google!

From: Ferrari [mailto:ferrari-bounces+buyer1=airmail.net [at] ferrarilist.com] On Behalf Of Dick Petrick

Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2020 9:29 AM

To: Col Luke Graves

Cc: The FerrariList

Subject: [Ferrari] Luke - About Green Racecars

Luke,

I think that the banning of green cars at Indy had to do with a superstition related to a former Indy 500 champ who was killed in a green car, back in the 1920s.

Not sure. Obviously, that has changed, but I don’t know when. Jim Clark’s 500 winning Lotus back in the 60s was green.

 

Regards,

Dick Petrick

 

Virus-free. www.avast.com

Attachment: 1968 Indy 500_sm.jpg
Description: JPEG image