No other race in the world is as elevated and informed by its history and heritage as the Indianapolis 500. Born in 1911, and with the 107th running set for May 28, its 200 laps, 800 turns and 500 miles are a stage that creates heroes and legends, with 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway as important a character in the drama as the generations of drivers whose faces come to adorn the Borg-Warner Trophy.
In the April/May issue of Vintage Motorsport, we salute the legend that is Parnelli Jones, a one-time winner of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in 1963, but whose competitiveness in just seven “500” starts could have seen him a five-time victor, if not for the fickle fate that plays such a part in Brickyard lore.
We also revisit the achievements of Michigan’s Gordon Johncock, a two-time face on the Borg-Warner who might not be as revered as Parnelli, or A.J., or Mario, but is just as worthy an Indy 500 winner (or “Indy 332.5” in the case of his 1973 victory) as any of them.
For every driver who gets to drink the milk, there’s the guy who rues what could have been. Two-time runner-up Scott Goodyear talks about the fine margins between winning and finishing second and finally coming to terms with being on the wrong end of history by just 0.043s.
Learn more details of the issue and how to get your copy at VintageMotorsport.com.