[PastorBooks]

“Later in the race...”

So men died and they kept racing? I see we haven’t progressed since the Roman colosseums.

Shameful!

[kvanbrunt2]

most were household names. wow

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

I was seven and watching at home with my Dad. I remember it well .

[prisoner6]

Thanks and yes, I remember. While in a drum line in a Memorial Day parade I was listening on a "pocket" radio. Those were the days of great radio reporting from turn 1, turn 2, turn 3, and turn 4.

It was totally different.

Was not a Lotus, Jim Clark fan...didn't like those newfangled mid-engine European machines.

I was a big Parnelli as well as AJ fan.

And then there was The Biggest Spectacle In Racing. Kinda wish the turbo cars had won a couple of years later...

[Ken H]

Dad, brother and I were sitting on the outside of the 4th turn, about 15-20 rows up. Huge fireball. I thought at the time we were going to get burned by it.

[tophat9000]

Yea knew it well my uncle use to race with Parnell out at old Ascot in So Cal. when they we’re first staring out..they were tight friends.

[hoosiermama]

Was there that day. In our school bus changing out of band uniform to street clothes iirc. Not a pleasant memory. We left for home early. Didn’t see end of the race

[Arlis]

I was there. Didn’t see the crash as I was in Turn 3, but will never forget the bloodthirstiness of the crowd, feeding on every word of every detail of the accident.

Swore I’d never return to the race, but I went back on my word to myself in ‘66 as a good friend’s dad was a top USAC official and we had special escort getting in, pit passes, and tickets to the awards banquet afterwards where AJ Foyt was at the table next to ours.

Went to 6 or 7 Indy 500 races, but this one left a big hole in my gut.....

[Migraine]

My favorite driver from back then was Jim Rathmann. I also favored Jim Hurtubise. Those guys were old school even back then.

[dr_lew]

I remember the 1973 race, which lasted 3 days and 330 miles, and encompassed the horrific Swede Savage crash. I think this really rocked the racing world and led to a bunch of improvements. I remembered the incident where a pit crewman was killed by a firetruck racing the wrong way up pit road, but I had forgotten that this was part of the aftermath of that crash.

This was all very big news, and what I'm saying is, that I remember the time and place where I was, and all that.

[MtnClimber]

I went to Indy for the 500 in 1981. It was amazing how fast the cars were compared to how it looks on television. Danny Ongias had a huge crash coming out of turn 3. I was in the infield on the fence at turn 4 and could feel the force of the crash in my chest.