BEHIND THE CHECKERED FLAG

[Music] [Applause] it's the checkered flag of victory for bill Holland his first win in the 500-mile Memorial Day race at Indianapolis of course this kind of congratulations from Linda Darnell glamorous move car isn't too hard to take either it's a great day too for loom war master mechanic who owns and built the winning car but two more this great record-breaking race wasn't won just here today at Indianapolis it's winning began a year ago 2,000 miles away in North Hollywood California in the modest shop where Lou puts together his prize-winning cars and prepares them for the track inside there's nothing fancy or pretentious but two things about the place are obvious first it's completely equipped with everything needed for the work to be done and second it's kept clean and neat as a pin blue Moore has his own reasons for that maybe you'd like to hear them well I found out a long time of gold that having the right tools makes any job easier no matter what it might be after all a racing game is no different than any other the fellow who plans ahead and does the best job of preparation usually comes all on top what do you figure we have to shoot at for the next race I'd say about 122 miles an hour it takes quite an automobile to do that a lot different kind of automobile than the family car good as it may be to begin with it takes power plenty of power and here's an engine that really turns it out better than 350 horsepower at 5,500 revolutions a minute yet in piston displacement it's only a little larger than a Ford or Chevrolet don't let the shape fool you this isn't a V type engine it's only a four-cylinder job when you and I are driving we generally like more than four cylinders for quiet smooth operation especially when we're rolling along slowly through traffic but a racing driver like Bill Holland doesn't worry about smooth quiet low-speed performance after starting he's only interested in high-speed performance sustained high-speed performance for 500 miles in the case of the Indianapolis race that's one big reason why lumore uses four-cylinder engines in his cars the few of the cylinders the fewer moving parts there are that can cause trouble and cause failure to finish the full distance and four-cylinder engines have 115 out of 33 Indianapolis 500-mile races as with other high output racing cars in this engine the camshafts as well as the valves are of the overhead type as shown by this end view of the interior it provides a combustion chamber of extremely efficient shape one that is nearly semi-spherical offering less surface area for heat transfer which means more heat or energy put to work instead of being wasted the spark plug is centered directly over the combustion chamber this design also provides greater area for valves and makes possible high compression ratios without restricted breathing the cylinder can breathe in its fuel charge and breathe out its exhaust gases very quickly and efficiently which is essential to get a lot of power out of a small engine also essential is a high compression ratio in this case around 14 to 1 more than double that of the average car engine since the cylinder bore and the length of the stroke are almost this is called a square engine the tremendous pressure and wiping action between the cams and the valve cups creates an extremely severe lubrication problem compared to those of the average car the valves are far larger and there are two intake and two exhaust valves for each cylinder that's to get in a lot of fuel air mixture and to get out exhaust gases in a hurry to eliminate gasket trouble the cylinder head and block are cast in one piece a simple but expensive type of design as compared to a regular piston the skirts are very short to reduce weight and friction as much as possible also the piston must be recessed because of the unusual valve timing each piston is fitted with two compression rings and one oil control ring bearing pressures as on connecting rod bearings are extremely high four times those of regular cars in addition the fact that these bearings are copper led calls for an oil that provides maximum protection against corrosion the crankshaft like other parts is very compact and extremely rigid because of the conditions under which it operates it is supported by five main bearings the crank shaft must be removed through one end of the barrel type crankcase which has no bottom opening the crankshaft is balanced to an unusually fine degree which calls for machining to very close tolerances notice that with the engine mounted on the chassis there is no fan high road speed makes this unit unnecessary for steering there is a separate drag link for each wheel no tie rod between the wheels the steering action as on all racing cars is much faster - in a regular car usually there's plenty of time to take a curve we can the wheel quite a bit taking a corner steering is very easy it's a lot harder for a race driver when he takes the corner he has to take it fast there's no time for a long swing of the steering wheel in this car the engine is mounted backwards because again unlike the average car the engines power is linked to the front wheels instead of the rear this unit was designed by loom or while the gears are about the same size as a regular car they have to run at double the speed and transmit four times the horsepower one advantage of front drive is more room and comfort for the driver no space is taken up there's an a rear drive car with a gearbox and driveshaft which are also a lot hotter on the drivers legs and feet however the most important reason for front-wheel drive is that it gives better traction and directional stability so that on the curves a car is easier to handle and can maintain a higher rate of speed even so after hitting top speed on the straightaway a car may have to be slowed down considerably for a curve or in an emergency so good brakes are important those on the front end of this car are on the differential housing instead of the wheels which means less weight on the wheels or less unsprung weight less unsprung weight enables the wheels to follow the contour of the track more closely the extremely bumpy condition of parts of the track makes good spring action a must to maintain good traction to reduce vibration and road shock as much as possible otherwise a car traveling at high speed might tear itself apart there is no conventional coil or leaf spring on the front end of Moore's cars instead he uses a torsion bar in which spring is accomplished by the twisting action of this long metal bar the chassis loom or zone design is both light and strong rigidly braced for extra strength because of the roughness of the Indianapolis track as with all Indianapolis racers the tires used a large for a car that only weighs seventeen hundred and fifty pounds at that they only allow little more than five inches of clearance between car and road surface the bigger the tire the more ground covered per revolution fewer revolutions per mile mean less style wear but to turn such big tires fast enough takes the high power engine [Music] assembling that engine and call for Indianapolis calls for plenty of careful preparation nobody knows better than loom or the many things that can happen in the 500-mile race the track shipped in stars from the sickening crashes of many racers driving is more dangerous as the track becomes more and more slippery [Music] [Music] a veteran Indianapolis driver himself more goes over all the details with the man who will sit behind the wheel of car number seven months before race day bill Holland pays a visit to the shop so that Lou can get his ideas on what might be done for the next Indianapolis meet the work goes on for days weeks months careful accurate painstaking work gauging shafts for trueness and sized polishing ports and mana folding for smooth even flow of the fuel air mixture into the cylinders checking the fit of rods and bearings to be sure such parts matched perfectly checking all joints such as camshaft covers for absolute oil tightness time goes by and there's another visit by Holland another check up between car builder and driver to be sure no detail is overlooked then more work more checking and rechecking on both carburetors all adjustments come under Moore's critical eye bulls are not only tightened they're wired together to be sure they'll stay in place during the race wheel splines get special attention because speedy wheel changing is vital at Indianapolis whenever tires have to be replaced the spline is sprinkled liberally with graphite which acts as a lubricant so that a wheel can be slipped on or off in a hurry another time-saver is the use of a single hub nut which also serves as a cap there's never too much time for the job the way it's done here in a race that's noted for the fine workmanship on the cars entered for precision adjusting and tuning L'Amour's cars of always had an outstanding reputation this one was bound to be in tip-top shape before it was sent on its way to the one race it runs in all year the one race for which it was planned and built the 500 miles grind at Indianapolis here's a familiar sight to thousands of Americans the main entrance to the famous Indianapolis Speedway how would you like to take a trip around the track itself our chauffeur is one of the best a man who really knows his way around this oval he's Wilbur Shaw a three-time winner of the 500-mile race and now president of the Speedway our speed will be 75 miles an hour and sure is going to follow the same pattern they used when racing and which is still followed by today's drivers [Music] heading south past the main grandstand we shoot down toward the inside of the track as we come into the southwest turn [Music] along the short south stretch we climb back toward the outside on the way to the next corner the southeast turning at this point the race driver starts down to the inside again to pick up speed going north on the backstretch up ahead is a small footbridge from which traffic signals the flash to the drivers when necessary the white pole coming at you on the right is a warning to slow down for the dangerous northeastern the backstretch is where the fastest time is made during the race as high as a hundred and seventy five miles an hour in fact [Music] we're coming into the corner at 75 miles an hour imagine taking it at a hundred and thirty or more [Music] now for the Short North stretch before swinging into the last turn [Music] [Applause] [Music] here we are straightened away for the home stretch headed for the finish line [Music] right now it's still a long way to race day but mechanics already are at work and making every minute count originally this little service station served as a jail now for a short season it is fuel and lubricant headquarters for the country's finest racing cars - the owners of cars like these there's too much estate to take chances on the quality of petroleum products nothing but the very finest proven by actual tests in this great race is good enough the maximum number of cars permitted to start the race is only 33 usually there are at least twice that many cars brought to the track and as the qualification trials draw near tension begins to mount there's even a gamble with cars whose past performance stamps them assure contenders nothing can be taken for granted at Indianapolis and competition for qualification is if possible greater than during the race itself all three of blue more scars number three number seven and number 22 are among the earliest arrivals at the track and all a favored to make the grain starter the speed trials to select the qualifying cars fills the pits with car owners mechanics and drivers every car that rolls onto the track for its trial run is ID closely and its chances to qualify expertly calculated Holland in number seven makes the fourth fastest time to were in one of the favored starting positions all along patrol stop watches are out and clicking off the speeds of different cars as each car starts its run uppermost in the minds of its owner driver and crew is the worry that its speed no matter how good may be exceeded by a later contestant time and again at Indianapolis a starting place that apparently has been clinched is lost by only a second or two to another car for more than half of all the cars brought to the track the qualification trial is the end of the road a heartbreaking climax to a whole year of planning working hoping sweating small wonder that in the world of racing just to qualify for the 500 stamps a car is something special then on race day - one comes the annual meeting when drivers car owners and pit crew members yet final instructions from race officials long before race day there's plenty of activity outside as well as inside the track days before the gates open West 16th Street which leads to the Speedway is lined with cars parked three abreast for a full mile south of the track race enthusiasts campout while waiting for the start of the great event sleep in their cars tents or just under blankets cook their meals out in the open to a carnival set up stretches for blocks in both directions across the street from the main Speedway entrance there's a land office business and soft drinks popcorn hot dogs peanuts sunglasses canes and other souvenirs finally the gates swing open and the people start pouring in the big day has arrived and sports loving America is on hand to witness four hours of thrill-packed action as if by magic stands that had been empty for a whole year suddenly a filled to overflowing as the crowds begin to enter the grounds motorists head into the free parking areas in the infield in no time at all it becomes a sea of parked cars for a better view of the race the number of spectators rakes special platforms that raise them high over the heads of less ingenious fans some of whom wonder about the strength of such contraptions the annual 500-mile race draws the biggest crowd of any event in the country better than a hundred and fifty thousand people up the straightaway past the main grandstands marches the band of Purdue University [Music] tension mounts higher and higher as the pit crews make last-minute adjustments and the murmur starts to move slowly through the stands the car is the role of the starting line each lined up according to the position it is won in the qualification trials the pace car rolls out onto the track and heads for the starting line to take its place top in the pagoda the race officials check the positions of all the cars ended in the event then the pace car moves off and the low-slung sleek racers follow slowly after there's no need for speed yes each car must stay in place [Music] past the main grandstands and on into the southwestern they roll a parade of America's finest fastest racing cars and drivers [Music] I still get a kick out of watching the voice if the South turn on the first level and I've either been in or seen the start of every race since 1928 this year the pace is mighty fast right from the start none of my cars I have three in the race number seven number three and number 22 is out in front yet but that doesn't bother me this is a 500-mile race and that's a long way to go okay now let's see how lose cars make out as the grind goes on 100 mile mark bill Holland in number seven is in third place for eros the number three is in fifth place and George Connor and number 22 is right behind Rose six of the 32 starters already have dropped out average speed so far as a little over 120 miles an hour [Music] [Music] miles Holland is in first place roses third and connor esporte more has his fingers crossed and wonders if there is anything about this rabbit's foot business [Music] [Music] at the halfway point number seven still holds the lead Rose the second and Connor is for the base sets the new record but it's also taking its toll by now the field is narrowed down to only 20 cars [Music] [Music] 148 lat Pollan pulls into the fifth floor starts doing a quick-change job on the front tires the boys get busy pumping in fuel while he's working Holland doesn't even climb out of the car he has about a minute lead on the car that's running second Danny doesn't wanna lose it it seems like forever getting those tires changed here's where many a race has been lost in the pits and Ward doesn't want it to happen now finally the job is finished in 52 seconds and Holland is off again before the second-place car appears in sight [Music] a little over 400 miles bloom or scars are really on top Holland's first row second and Connor third but the luck doesn't hold with less than 15 miles to go the magneto strap on number three let's go Andros is out of the race [Music] the winner yes it's a great day for bill Holland as he waves happily to the cheering crowds there's no greater thrill in driving into the winner's circle for the tremendous exciting ovation accorded to the victor of the 500-mile race and bloom or it's back to the shop in North Hollywood California the start of another year of planning in preparation of striving for a little more of that extra performance that stands behind the checkered flag of victory [Music]