The Roadster Era will be celebrated during Legends Day activities May 26 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Activities the day before the 102nd Indianapolis 500 will include a display of vintage vehicles and laps around the Brickyard by many of the front-engine roadsters.
“Few race cars of the Indianapolis 500 created more magical memories and nostalgia than the roadsters,” Speedway president Doug Boles was quoted in the track’s news release. “The race reached an even higher level of interest due to the epic races by these evocative machines and the legendary names that drove and built them.
“We can’t wait to celebrate this cherished era in May on Legends Day Honoring the Roadster Era with an incredible array of activities for fans of all ages. I know the camera on my phone will get a workout May 26.”
The event will be sponsored by Firestone tires, on which the winning roadsters reached the Winner’s Circle every year from 1953-64.
Chassis builders such as Quin Epperly, Frank Kurtis, Eddie Kuzma, Lujie Lesovsky and A.J. Watson became famous for their crafts, which were driven by the likes of A.J. Foyt, Parnelli Jones, Bill Vukovich and Rodger Ward.
Even before the Legends Day event, a group of the historic roadsters will be on display May 24-26 under large tents as part of the IMS Museum’s Historic Racing Exhibition.
Keep eye on the sky during Donington Historic Festival
Vintage racing cars won’t be the other attraction May 4-6 when Donington Park in England hosts its annual Historic Festival.
On May 5, a Spitfire and Hurricane from the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will do a flyover, and on May 6 there will be another, this time featuring the larger Dakota military aircraft.
Also May 5, the Simply Mustangs club of the UK will showcase more than 200 of the Ford sport coupes in a special infield display that will spill out for a lap around the track during the racers’ lunch break.
Also scheduled are exhibition runs by Group B rally cars and by the British Historic Kart Club. Those who want to do more than watch will be offered 10-mile rides in vintage and modern supercars on local roads as members of the Sporting Bears Motor Club raise money for the Jennifer Trust for Spinal Muscular Atrophy.
Meanwhile, vintage racers will be competing in everything from pre-war sports cars to more recent racing machines.
Silverstone offers free test session for vintage racers
In anticipation of the annual Silverstone Classic vintage races July 20-22, the historic British racing circuit will offer a free on-track test session on May 2.
The track claims its vintage racing Classic to be the largest of its kind in the world, attracting more than 1,000 vintage racing cars, which this year celebrates, among other things, the 60th anniversary of the British Touring Car Championship.
The free test day for those entered in the Classic will include morning and afternoon sessions segregated by racing classes. Several special events are planned during an extended lunch break, the track said.
Entries for the test day will be accepted on a first-come basis, the track added, and application forms are available at the track website.
Was at Indt when Foyt won in the last Roadster, could have driven Lotus Rear Engine Car, but trusted the Dinosaur, and it paid off..McDonald & Sachs died because of the crap car McDonald crashed.