Indy 500 1973: Bobby Unser

The month of May in Indiana is the Indianapolis 500.
Checked flags are every where and downtown Indy is a buzz with the upcoming race.

The month starts with a mini marathon and end with the race at the two and a half mile oval on 16th Street..

It is a fun atmosphere now but it is not the same as it was in the 70's.

Back then we knew all the drivers.
The same ones returned year after year, same sponsors on the same teams.
The drivers all had personalities and we got to know them because they were at the track for a whole month.
Practices, qualifying. and carburetion day.
The whole month was an event and everything buzzed around the track.

Now it is just a shortend monthin and out before he race and they wonder why they don't have the following that they used to.
•••••••••••

Here was the driver I always rooted for, Bobby Unser.
He is one of the elite seven who have won the 500 three times.


I doubt you find any things as big as the 1/4 inch jack on a race car today.
Looks like you could plug his helmet into my amp and jam.
It is probably wireless or bluetooth now.

Bobby (Were on a first name basis) is the the one facing us on the left.


The team strapping him in the car.

Look at some other technology in this picture.

State of the art stop watch to measure his lap times and calculate his speed.
They probably used slide rules to figure the hard math.