The Bardahl Special, chassis #363

Here's a little history of the Kurtis 500B Bardahl Special driven in the 1955 Indianapolis 500 chassis number 363:

Commissioned by Andy Granatelli for driver Freddie Agabashian to run in the 1953 Indy 500 this car was a contender for the outright victory, and one of the fastest cars at the speedway that year.

Weighing in at only 1800 lb, sitting on a 96.5-inch wheelbase and powered by a 270 Offy made this a very potent package. Agabashian qualified in second position at a speed of 137.546 mph.

Bill Vukovich started on pole and dominated one of the hottest 500s in history. Agabashian ran strong dogging Vukovich until the 102nd lap - exhausted by the extreme heat - in a year when only five drivers went the distance - he was relieved by Paul Russo. They finished in 2nd place.

For 1954, Granatelli entered the Kurtis for driver Jim Rathmann. In practice the car was very fast, but a qualifying error erased their first attempt with what Granatelli insists would have been the speedways first 140 mph lap.

 Rathmann did not raise his hand to signal he was attempting to qualify and his run was not allowed. Granatelli protested the ruling. As the argument went on the engine was kept running and because Granatelli did not want competitors to see his new ram air induction system the hood was not opened which resulted in the engine overheating. The one of a kind 404-hp engine could not be repaired in time to qualify for the race.

Discouraged, Granateli sold the car to Racing Associates who entered the car in the last 500 in 1955. Driven by Cal Niday, the car qualified ninth at 140.302 mph but crashed out of the race on lap 170. 

The car was stripped of its mechanical parts and stored for the next 30 years in Southern California. In the mid '80s the car was discovered and a complete restoration began.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51567&page=391

the 2016 Indy 500, one for the record book

It sold out. Seriously, the Indy 500 has never sold out before, but since it sold out completely, they allowed the local black out on tv broadcasting to be lifted for the first time since 1950

The Andretti team took 1st and 2nd. However... the famous racing family hasn't won an Indy 500 since Mario Andretti's 1969 win. Between Mario, Michael, Jeff and Marco, the Andrettis have only one one Indy 500 in 59 tries.

By the way, trivia time, the 1st, 50th and 100th winner of the Indy 500 have all been rookies.

This was the first Penske free podium of the season

http://autoweek.com/article/indy-500/attendance-tv-numbers-down-100th-running-indianapolis-500

Firestone really went all out on Indy 500 advertising

https://www.facebook.com/FirestoneTires

Firestone has been on the winning Indy 500 car more than all other tire makers combined, 67 of the 100 races.

the right front tire of an Indy car, at 220 mph, is rotating faster than a turbo prop propeller

360 degree tour of the Indy 500 museum

http://sports.usatoday.com/2016/05/25/indycar-with-249-driver-autographs-sells-for-900000-at-auction/

the Stinger, a new homage to the Marmon Wasp Indy 500 winning race car, sold for $900,000 to an investment group

In May 2011, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway celebrated its 100th anniversary, marking a full century since the 1911 Marmon Wasp won the inaugural Indianapolis 500. To pay homage to that legendary machine, the Window World company commissioned the construction of The Stinger, in an effort to commemorate the centennial era of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500, they made a modern-day interpretation of the history-making Marmon Wasp.

The car was built for the centennial and since then, Indy racer John Andretti has been taking the car around the country to get it autographed by every living Indy veteran.

The aerodynamics of The Stinger are state-of-the-art, packaged with a Honda-donated, race-winning engine. The Stinger’s yellow and black color scheme honors its namesake, as a tribute to history. And with the support of Indianapolis 500 legends, The Stinger is now a part of that history.

Though the centennial of that race was held five years ago, the race this year will be the 100th running of the event, which was not held during war years.

With a collection of signatures from nearly 250 of the 273 total Indianapolis 500 Veterans as of 2011, The Stinger has become a priceless salute to a century of excellence.

John Andretti not only had to hunt down the drivers, he had to take the car to nursing homes for some to sign, to one ailing driver’s driveway. Another was in jail and signed while wearing shackles. “It’s been a real adventure,” Andretti said.

Andretti, a nephew of Mario Andretti and cousin of Michael Andretti and Marco Andretti, traveled tens of thousands of miles with the Stinger to find autographs. Most of the missing signatures belong to retired racers who live overseas, and Andretti wasn’t willing to send parts of the car abroad for signatures.

In addition to its Indycar body and chassis, the Stinger carries a race-winning Honda engine and wears Firestone tires embedded with the names of every driver who has the 500 on that brand of tires. The seat in the car came out of a car raced by four-time IndyCar series champion Scott Dixon.

All of the proceeds from the auction went to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.

http://www.windowworldcares.com/the-stinger/
https://news.classiccars.com/barrett-jackson-help-celebrate-indy-500-centennial-special-auction/