1967 Indianapolis 500
The 51st International 500 Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, over two days, Tuesday May 30 and Wednesday May 31, 1967. The race was dominated by Parnelli Jones in the radically new, four-wheel drive STP-Paxton Turbocar gas turbine entered by prolific car owner Andy Granatelli. With three laps to go, however, Jones coasted to a stop when a $6 transmission bearing failed. A. J. Foyt assumed the lead, and weaved his way through a pileup on the final lap, to win his third Indy 500 victory.
| Indianapolis Motor Speedway | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis 500 | |||||
| Sanctioning body | USAC | ||||
| Season | 1967 USAC season | ||||
| Date | May 30–31, 1967 | ||||
| Winner | A. J. Foyt | ||||
| Average speed | 151.207 mph (243 km/h) | ||||
| Pole position | Mario Andretti | ||||
| Pole speed | 168.982 mph (272 km/h) | ||||
| Fastest qualifier | Mario Andretti | ||||
| Rookie of the Year | Denny Hulme | ||||
| Most laps led | Parnelli Jones (171) | ||||
| Pre-race ceremonies | |||||
| National anthem | Purdue band | ||||
| "Back Home Again in Indiana" | Russell J. Wunderlich | ||||
| Starting command | Tony Hulman | ||||
| Pace car | Chevrolet Camaro | ||||
| Pace car driver | Mauri Rose | ||||
| Starter | Pat Vidan | ||||
| Estimated attendance | 250,000 (Wed.) 175,000 (Thu.) | ||||
| TV in the United States | |||||
| Network | ABC's Wide World of Sports | ||||
| Announcers | Jim McKay, Rodger Ward, Chris Economaki | ||||
| Chronology | |||||
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Foyt's victory was the first Indy 500 win for Goodyear tires since 1919. After leaving the sport in 1922, Goodyear returned to the sport in 1964, and in 1967, snapped Firestone's record of 43 consecutive Indy 500 wins.
The race was scheduled for Tuesday May 30. The race started on time at 11:00 a.m. EST, but after only 18 laps, rain began to fall. The race was red-flagged, and the resumption was held at 10:00 a.m. the following day. Though temperatures on Wednesday were cool, skies were sunny, and the race was run to completion.