Word: wallard
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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Speaking as a lay enthusiast, the "big, blue-and-gold racer owned by Murrell Belanger" [TIME, Oct. 29] was really one of the lightest cars in the U.S. "big car" season. It was referred to as "little" by Lee Wallard after he had won the Indianapolis race in it, and if a couple of men (larger than average) wished to crowd their forms into its single seat, they would have to shove, rather...
...Steered." Bettenhausen got off to a bad start this year at Indianapolis, where he finished ninth. But when Indianapolis Winner Lee Wallard was cracked up in a race-track smash, Tony took over the winning car, a big, blue-and-gold racer owned by Murrell Belanger, a Crown Point, Ind. car dealer. Tony, who has an auto agency of his own in Blue Island, ILL., gives due credit to Owner Belanger: "You've got to have a man with money, a good car the money's being spent on." Tony knows that a winning driver also needs...
Tires & Pistons. Wallard's victory, like most, was won before the race began. Owner Murrell Belanger, a wealthy Crown Point, Ind. auto dealer (Chrysler-Plymouth) and ex-racer who dabbles in the sport for the fun of it, knew that the new "beefed up" (i.e., fatter) tires would produce more speed, particularly on the turns. Belanger also figured that a light, rear-drive car, though it gives a rougher ride, would require fewer fuel stops, that a simple, four-cylinder power plant would require fewer pit stops. As a result, Belanger's aluminum-shelled special turned...
From there to the finish it was all Wallard and his Belanger Special, but not without some troubles. He drove the last 50 miles virtually without brakes, lost a shock absorber with twelve laps to go. But by the time he got the black & white mish flag, 40-year-old Lee Wallard, down to his last dollar four years ago, had won auto racing's biggest jackpot: $63,612 ($15,900 of it for leading in 159 of the 200 laps). His average speed: 126.244 m.p.h., nearly 5 m.p.h. faster than Bill Holland's 1949 record...
...build and race his car) paid off. Getting better than six miles a gallon out of the special fuel (40% alcohol, 40% gasoline, 20% benzol), Belanger's racer had to make only one pit stop (for a cracked exhaust pipe, fuel and two tires). Oil-smeared Driver Lee Wallard, grinning happily from ear to ear, had a modest explanation for his part of the winning gamble: "I just tried to keep moving and stay out of trouble...