1968
AT INDIANAPOLIS
"PREVIEW FOR THE FUTURE”
Plus
“THE 52ND 500"
and
“RACING REVOLUTION”
“Preview
For The Future”, “The 52nd 500” and “Racing
Revolution” are three vintage films about the 1968 Indianapolis
500, and all three films are included in beautiful COLOR on
a new 76-minute DVD from Rare Sportsfilms!
“Preview For The Future” is a generic film that
has the best overall race coverage. “The 52nd 500”,
sponsored by PepsiCo-Frito Lay shows the race with emphasis
on the white #56 PepsiCo roadster driven by Jim Hurtubise. “Racing
Revolution” is sponsored by STP and shows the race totally
through the eyes of the STP turbine team! Even as they all show
the ’68 500-mile race, each shows completely different
footage of the race and the story of the month of May leading
up to the spectacular classic on Memorial Day!
The DVD begins with “Preview
For The Future”, which covers practice, qualifications
and the race itself. Jim Malloy spins #27 in practice and Sam
Sessions crashes his #94 Valvoline car. Shown qualifying are
some of the greatest names in racing - Lloyd Ruby, Bobby Unser,
A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney, Joe Leonard, Al Unser, Mario Andretti
Art Pollard and Jim Hurtubise. Because of rain delays, qualifying
is extended into the evening, with Bill Puterbaugh shown qualifying
at “night”! Other drivers shown are Gary Bettenhausen,
Billy Vukovich Jr., Parnelli Jones, Larry Dickson, Arnie Knepper
and Mike Mosley. Before the race, a commercial for Bowes Seal
Fast features Sid Collins interviewing chief mechanic George
Bignotti. During the race, incidents involving Jim McElreath,
Johnny Rutherford and Billy Vukovich are shown. The crashes
of Al Unser, and Carl Williams are included. During the 500,
cameras capture action in the pits, as Lloyd Ruby, Andretti,
Bubby Unser and Joe Leonard are all shown in for service.
"The
52nd 500" (produced by Dynamic Films) also tells the story
of the 1968 race from qualifications through raceday, with special
emphasis on the #56 PepsiCo Frito-Lay front engine roadster
driven by fan favorite Jim Hurtubise. Graham Hill in the #70
STP Turbine Wedge is first to qualify, and sets a new qualifying
record! Later, his STP Turbine teammate Joe Leonard in #60 wins
the pole position with a speed of 171.559 MPH. Many other drivers
are shown during, or just after, their qualification attempts,
such as Gurney, Ruby, Bobby Unser, Wally Dallenbach, Pollard,
Andretti, Denis Hulme and rookie Sam Sessions. Because of rain,
qualifications are extended by one day, and Jim Hurtubise is
shown qualifying the only front engine car in the race. During
this practice and qualifying segment, some spins (Jim Malloy
and Mel Kenyon) are shown, along with many nice closeups of
drivers, car owners and racing personalities, such as Roger
McCluskey, Bob Hurt, Bob Harkey, Jerry Grant, Bill Finley and
George Salih. At the drop of the green flag, Joe Leonard in
the #60 STP Turbine leaps into the lead, with Bobby Unser second
and Roger McCluskey up to third by the end of the first lap.
After only nine laps, Jim Hurtubise in the PepsiCo Frito-Lay
special has burned a piston and is out, finishing 30th! About
this time, Bobby Unser is now hard after Leonard, and at the
end of the main straightaway he passes to take the lead! On
lap 41, the caution flag flies for the first time when Al Unser
loses a wheel and hits the first turn wall, with Arnie Knepper
and Gary Bettenhausen also involved. Shown in the pits are Dan
Gurney, Lloyd Ruby, Joe Leonard, and Bobby Unser. Ruby is out
first and leads after this first round of pit stops. After 200
miles, A.J. Foyt is out with a blown engine and the defending
champion's bid for his 4th Indy win is over for this year. After
110 laps, Graham Hill loses a wheel and smashes into the turn
two wall, bringing out the second caution. On lap 127, Mel Kenyon
and rookie Billy Vukovich tangle in turn four. Both are able
to re-enter the race, but Johnny Rutherford, trying to slow
down, is rear-ended by Jim McElreath. Mike Mosley also loses
it in turn four trying to avoid the mess. When Bobby Unser makes
his last pit stop, his car is stuck in high gear. As he leaves
his pit, struggling to get up to speed, both Leonard and Ruby
pass him. With only 16 laps to go, Joe Leonard still has the
#60 Turbine in first place, but on the backstretch, Carl Williams
hits the wall, bringing out the final caution. After cleanup,
the green comes out with nine laps to go, and several cars between
leader Leonard and second place Unser. But the turbine is slowing
and coasting to a stop in turn one, with Bobby Unser now sweeping
into the lead! At this moment at the other end of the track,
the STP Turbine team suffers a double whammy as #20 Art Pollard
in the remaining turbine coasts to a stop with the same problem
as Leonard - a broken fuel pump drive! A poignant camera shot
catches a dejected Leonard walking past a waiting Victory Lane,
on his way up the pit lane to an also disappointed Andy Granatelli.
A happy Bobby Unser is shown in Victory Lane with beaming car
owner Bob Wilkie. Gurney Eagles finished first, second and fourth,
with drivers Gurney, Mel Kenyon, Denis Hulme and Lloyd Ruby
finishing in that order behind Unser. The Offy fans have indeed
enjoyed "The 52nd 500"!
The STP turbine team left the
track in an entirely different frame of mind, however. “Racing
Revolution” traces the two-year history of the STP turbine
cars at Indy and covers the preparation of the three cars for
drivers Joe Leonard, Graham Hill and Art Pollard in 1968 for
the second and final round of the “Turbine vs Offy”
battle at the speedway! The film is an effort to make the public
aware of the ongoing rules changes that constantly hindered
the progress of the turbine effort, not only for the 500, but
throughout the season. While also covering qualifications and
the 500, it explains why the turbines were able to post outstanding
qualifying times, but were not able to outrun the Offys during
the race. Interesting shots of both Offy drivers Mario Andretti
and Lloyd Ruby trying out the turbines in practice! Plans were
to run last year’s STP #40, but when Parnelli Jones declines
to drive what he called an “underpowered” car for
’68, Joe Leonard is chosen to replace him, with Jones
standing by as team advisor. After Joe wrecks the #40 in practice,
he becomes the driver of a new turbine “wedge” and
Leonard puts the #60 on the pole for the race with a new track
record! Graham Hill’s #70, also a wedge, qualifies second
and turbines start the race 1-2, with Bobby Unser’s Offy
on the outside front row! Pit stops, spins and incidents during
the race are all covered from a different perspective, including
the Hill, Unser and Carl Williams crashes. For the second year
in a row the controversial turbine effort comes to a heartbreaking
end within sight of victory. The film continues along the championship
trail to Milwaukee the following week where the tragic Ronnie
Duman wreck is shown. With more new legislation limiting a potential
turbine effort for 1969, the legendary but brief “Turbine
Era” at Indy comes to a close forever.
To get your own 76-minute DVD containing all
three of these vintage films, send only $29.95 plus $4.00 shipping.
(Illinois residents must add $2.00 state sales tax).
