Firsts and Lasts in Motorsports

[Stan Reid]

I think this is it-

Attachment 1086 Click to enlarge

These two cars were the slowest and third slowest qualifiers in this non-championship F1 event. The "fast" one (it finished in 10th place-8 laps down and the last car still running) did manage to out qualify a 7-year-old Maserati 4CLT/48. It actually doesn't look too bad.

The only other car I can find that ran under the 750 cc supercharged limit in F1 was a Giaur (Giannini-Urania) that competed in the 1954 Rome GP non-Championship Formula One race. Driven by Berardo Taraschi, it (#34) was listed in 11th place after dropping out on the 5th lap. It "finished" ahead of 4 cars; three that dropped out earlier and one that was a DNS. On paper, it seems to have much more potential than the (Deutsch-Bonnet) DB Panhard. There were one or two other 750 cc supercharged F1 cars built (Gleed-MG for instance) but I can't find that they ever ran in a Formula 1 race.

This is not the exact car (I don't believe) but I think this car and engine are basically it sans supercharger:

GiaurBase4F1.jpg

[Stan Reid]

This might be the Giaur F1-right number (34) at least:

giaurF1perhaps.jpg

[D28]

Re 1950 winning kurtis Kraft Offy:
OK I see the car listed as a 270 cu in about 4.4l just under the limit for 50-51. After the return to F1 in 1954, the limit was 2.5l.

There were very few other specifications in the original F1 formula, I gather. D-Type mentioned here previously that the Cooper-Jap Harry Schell raced for part of a lap at Monaco actually would qualify as a F1 car under these regulations. A bit more simpler then!
Thanks for the information.

[Stan Reid]

Here's the Giaur 750 cc F1 type engine with front mounted Roots-style supercharger.

Giaursupercharged.jpg Click to enlarge

[Stan Reid]

The first driver to complete the Indianapolis 500 without a pit stop: Dave Evans who came in 13th in 1931. Also in the car was riding mechanic Thane Houser.

The last driver to complete the Indianapolis 500 without a pit stop: Johnny Mantz who came in 7th in 1949. Jimmie Jackson also completed the race that year without a pit stop and finished one position ahead of Mantz.

Note: The only other driver to complete the Indianapolis 500 without a pit stop was Cliff Bergere who came in 5th in 1941.

[D-Type]

Dave Evans drove the first diesel to run at Indianapolis.

[Stan Reid]

Dave Evans drove the first diesel to run at Indianapolis.

And he ran the entire race on 30 gallons of fuel!

[Stan Reid]

Dave Evans drove the first diesel to run at Indianapolis.

Fred Agabashian drove the last diesel at Indy and in a WC event-the Cummins Diesel Special in 1952-it was also the first turbocharged racing car to compete anywhere. Here he is smoking the tires almost all the way round to win pole position for the 52 race.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYOnyLKE3WU

{corrections welcome}

[D-Type]

The largest capacity entrant in any WDC race. And, I think, the heaviest. Because of its weight and consequent heavy tyre consumption it was unable to do many laps at its qualifying pace.

[Stan Reid]

The last time front engined cars ran in a scheduled 500 mile Indy car race-Pocono 1981

Pocono1981.jpgClick to enlarge

That's George Snider in the foreground and Duke Cook in the dirt track car.

{corrections welcome}