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The public may not remember who won the 1967 Indianapolis 500 (A.J. Foyt), but there’s a good chance they know who lost it. Parnelli came in Sixth after leading for 171 laps. “In 1968 Granatelli wanted me to drive the Lotus wedge-shape turbine car (dubbed the Lotus 56). I’m a practical engineer and did all my own chassis setups; I just didn’t think that car was safe. After driving the Lotus that I had driven for Colin Chapman (founder of Lotus), pieces were breaking. I was concerned about his equipment. Anyway, it was pretty fragile.” (English driver Mike Spence hit the wall in practice for the 500 in the Lotus turbine car and was killed.) Later the USAC banned both the turbine engine and the use of a four-wheel-drive chassis. “Parnelli had retired from driving open wheel,” Granatelli states, “and told me he wouldn’t drive an open-cockpit car unless he had a lock on the Indy 500 race. When we tested the car, we never once had to change a spring rate or setting, the car handled perfectly. It went anywhere you View Related Article
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