1967

INDIANAPOLIS 500

"Second To None"

and:

"The Fastest Indy 500"

Two rare films on the 1967 Indianapolis 500, never before offered, are now available from "Rare Sportsfilms". "Second To None" by Sportlite Films and "The Fastest Indy 500", narrated by "Voice of the 500" Sid Collins are both included in beautiful COLOR on a new 58-minute DVD, which documents the month of May at the Speedway in 1967. "Second To None", produced for Thermo King and narrated by Frank Sweeney, has many interesting sound bites, lots of practice spins and incidents shown as well as plenty of pit stop coverage throughout the race. "The Fastest Indy 500" by Dick Wallen Productions for Goodyear, while also covering the aforementioned, gives totally different views of qualifying and the spins and crashes from Time Trials and the race. Even as they both cover the '67 500-mile race, each film shows completely different footage of the event and the month of May leading up to the spectacular classic on Memorial Day!

"Second To None" begins by emphasizing changes at the speedway for '67 - the rear-engine revolution is almost complete with the rear-engine Ford-powered Lola and Lotus cars now preferred by most teams. Nice scenes of Joe Leonard's #4 Sheraton-Thompson Spl, Jim McElreath's #2 Zink Trackburner, Dan Gurney's navy blue #74, the #15, #16 and #46 Thermo King entries plus the #20 Wagner Lockheed and #43 Bowes Seal Fast Specials (these two cars did not qualify). European and Gran Prix drivers Jackie Stewart, Chris Amon, Denis Hulme, Jochen Rindt, Pedro Rodriguez, Lucien Bianchi, are all trying to make the race, with Stewart, Amon and Rodriguez all being interviewed. Flamboyant Andy Granatelli is back - this year with Lotus-designer Colin Chapman and a "super team" of '65 winner Jim Clark, last year's winner Graham Hill and '63 winner Parnelli Jones all driving STP cars. Jones is driving the radical new "pregnant porpoise" #40 Turbine, which runs on kerosene! It's by far the most talked about car of the month! However all of these also have plenty of competition: Gordon Johncock, Art Pollard and Gurney (both also interviewed), the NASCAR boys Cale Yarborough and Lee Roy Yarbrough, Chuck Hulse, Jim Hurtubise, Al Miller, young Mario Andretti and two time winner A.J. Foyt. Overall, seven spins and two crashes are shown in this first film during practice/qualifying and the following drivers are also shown during qualification attempts: Ronnie Duman (first qualifier), Jackie Stewart, Joe Leonard, Jim Clark, Dan Gurney, Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt (both attempts), Gordon Johncock, Parnelli Jones, Pedro Rodriguez, Lucien Bianchi, Jochen Rindt, Jim Hurtubise, Chuck Hulse and Graham Hill. This film has the best coverage of A.J. Foyt in 1967 showing him working on the #14 Coyote between qualifying attempts, etc.

"The Fastest Indy 500" opens with the practice crashes of #88 Jochen Rindt, #28 Chris Amon and #52 Lee Roy Yarbrough. All are well-photographed and thoroughly discussed with some clean-up, towing, etc. Later during qualification coverage, Mike Mosely crashes #91. Also shown making qualifying attempts on this film are Ralph Liguori and Jerry Grant, Bob Christie, Norm Brown, Bob Harkey and Roger McCluskey.

Rain is predicted for race day and the usual festivities are conducted under cloudy skies. Mario Andretti's new record qualifying speed puts him on the pole for the race, with Dan Gurney and Gordon Johncock filling out the front row. At the drop of the green flag, Parnelli Jones in the Granatelli Turbine begins to move up from his 6^th starting spot and out of turn two powers around the inside of Andretti to take the lead. At the end of the first lap, the #40 turbine is already pulling away, with Gurney second and Andretti third. Lee Roy Yarbrough spins through turn four early in the race and Andretti is in the pits with clutch trouble. After only 18 laps are run the rains begin and wash out the remainder of the race for the day. This does give Clint Brawner a chance to work all afternoon to rebuild the clutch in Mario's #1 Dean Van Lines Spl. Next day the weather is perfect. The race is re-started in single file with the cars in the same order they were when rain stopped the race the day before. On the re-start Parnelli Jones once again quickly jumps out to a considerable lead. Last year's winner Graham Hill can run only 5 laps and exits with a burned piston. His teammate Jim Clark is sidelined 12 laps later with the same trouble. Just past the 130 mile mark, Andretti loses a wheel in turn 1-2 and the pole winner is now out for good. In turn four Lee Roy Yarbrough and leader Parnelli Jones tangle (Jones makes one complete revolution), but both cars are undamaged and both drivers continue racing. The four pit stops of Jones and A.J. Foyt are covered in both films. You'll also see stops by Bobby Unser, Jim McElreath, Clark, Gurney and Jackie Stewart all in for service. On track incidents shown in both films, although from different perspectives, include Carl Williams' spin in the north chute, also involving Bob Veith and causing spins by Art Pollard and Jerry Grant. On the 89^th lap, rookie Wally Dallenbach spins against the outside, then inside walls down the main straightaway coming to rest in the middle of the track. Wally jumps to safety as cars flash by. Just after 250 miles, a spin by Cale Yarborough in the north chute causes a crash of Lloyd Ruby and Lee Roy Yarbrough (Lee Roy's third incident of the day). Meanwhile Dan Gurney is out with fuel line problems, Jackie Stewart blows his engine and Gordon Johncock's blown rear tire causes him to crash. With 19 laps to go, the Cale Yarborough-Mel Kenyon accident is shown. But the ending of this race is what everyone remembers. Parnlli Jones, with nearly a full lap lead over second-place Foyt, appears to have the race won. But with four laps to go a transmission gear fails in the turbine and Parnelli is shown coasting out of the fourth turn! In half a minute, A.J. Foyt takes over the lead! Soon, A.J. gets the white flag, but as he's coming around the fourth turn on his last lap, all hell breaks loose on the main straightaway! Three cars smash together in a wild mess of flying wheels and car parts! Foyt quickly slows, cuts to the inside to get around one car, then steers back to the center of the track, crossing the finish line as both the checkered flag and red flags wave. The race is stopped and Foyt is the only driver to finish all 200 miles! A happy A.J. Foyt in Victory Lane has just won his third Indy 500!

To get your own 58-minute DVD containing both of these historic films, send only $29.95 plus $4.00 S. & H. (Illinois residents must add $2.00 state sales tax).