Word: gurney
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...lightest Offy. Their power plants were Ford Fairlane V-8s-souped up to 376 h.p., but with carburetors, yet-and they got their nourishment from the good old Esso pump. Their drivers: Scotland's Jimmy Clark, 27, and the U.S.'s Dan Gurney, 32, veterans of the European Grand Prix circuit, greenhorns at the Brickyard. Their chances? "It's nice to see them in the race," said two-time winner Rodger Ward nearsightedly...
...qualifying trials! Jimmy Clark blazed around the 2½-mile Indy oval at 149.7 m.p.h., announced "I'll take it," and scooted back to Europe for some real racing. Trying to crack 150 m.p.h., Dan Gurney plowed into the Speedway wall and demolished his Lotus. Climbing out unhurt, he borrowed a spare and clocked 149 m.p.h. That was enough for Britain's race driver turned reporter, Stirling Moss: he picked the Lotuses to win, began taking bets around the pit area...
...California garbage man ("Call me a used-food collector"). Driven by Parnelli Jones, 29, the Agajanian Willard Battery Special screamed around the 2½-mile oval at 151.1 m.p.h.-a record, and more than enough to win him the coveted pole position at the start. Obviously, Clark and Gurney could not hope to match Jones for pure speed. But they hoped to keep within striking distance by boring through the turns at 140 m.p.h., pick up precious seconds by making only one pit stop for gas and tires. Jones's heavier Offy, they figured, would burn fuel and rubber...
...pits, picked up three new tires (the left front tire was still unworn) and a tank of methanol-all in 25.1 sec. But whish! whish!, there went the Lotuses. Short as it was, Jones's pit stop had cost him the lead. After 75 laps, Clark and Gurney were one-two; Parnelli Jones was third, 18 sec. behind. Now, all the Lotuses had to do was hold on. Could they...
With the leaders so tightly bunched, a break could win the race, any mistake would surely lose it. On the 93rd lap, Gurney pulled into the Lotus pit for a routine tire change-and lost all chance of victory. A nervous mechanic misplaced his hammer; Colin Chapman finally found it and kicked it over to him. The delay cost Gurney an insurmountable 42.2 sec. Clark fared only slightly better: his one pit stop, on the 95th lap, took 32.3 sec.-and Jones shot back into the lead. Blocked by heavy traffic, Clark was unable to capitalize on Jones...