He is embarrassed by the flash burns on his cheeks, and while it does appear to be him in the traditional "front row" photographs, it is actually his twin brother, Aldo. Mario and A.J. Foyt trade the lead in the early stages, but after Foyt is delayed by a faulty turbocharger, perennial "hard-luck" driver Lloyd Ruby comes into the mix. Poor Ruby is eliminated just past the halfway mark when, due to a misunderstanding during a pit stop, he tries to leave before the refuelling mechanism has been disconnected.
Mario cruises to the chequered flag but has been alarmed for quite some time by skyrocketing water temperature. After the car has been rolled back to the garage and Mario has "recovered" from the famous "kiss" by car owner/sponsor Andy Granatelli, the crew is curious as to just how much oil and lubricant is left in the transmission. They dismantle it, and out flutters a bunch of dried-up brown flakes.
1971: REVSON'S UPSET
Although bolt-on rear wings are not permitted, and, according to the official wording, "any aerodynamic device must be an integral part of the body," Team McLaren has cleverly found a way to mould a rear wing into the engine cover. Phenomenal downforce is achieved, and during practice, Mark Donohue, driving a Roger Penske owned
McLaren, reaches almost 181 mph, approximately 10 mph faster than the official record.
Naturally, he is considered a "shoe-in" for the pole, but while his four lap qualifying average of 177.087 mph (fastest lap at 178.607 mph) breaks the old record by a considerable margin, it is far below what was anticipated. Car after car fails to knock Donohue from the pole until Peter Revson, driving for the McLaren team, goes out and records 178.696 mph for four laps and 179.354 mph for one. Donohue is knocked from the pole, and the huge crowd realizes it has witnessed a major upset.
1972: IN COME THE WINGS, UP GO THE SPEEDS
Bolt-on rear wings are allowed for the first time, and qualifying records skyrocket by an incredible 26 mph. Peter Revson's 1971 marks of 178.696 mph for four laps and 179.354 mph for one are broken several times, Bobby Unser finally stunning everybody with 195.940 mph for four laps and 196.678 mph for one.
1973: CLOSER THAN EVER TO 200
Team McLaren's Johnny Rutherford has the crowd on its feet, on a cold and rain-threatening first day of time trials, when one of his laps is turned at 199.071 mph. Noting the wild gesturing of people standing outside the brand-new Turn 2 VIP suites, he later reveals, "I'm thinking to myself, 'Either something is falling off the car or else I'm going very, very quickly.'" The "magic" 200 can't be too far away.
1977: SNEVA BREAKS 200
Tom Sneva is the first driver to officially lap in excess of 200 mph. Gordon Johncock, A.J. Foyt,
Mario Andretti and Johnny Rutherford all have managed it unofficially on the recently repaved track, but none can achieve it in qualifications. Sneva's opening lap is 200.401 mph. Lap 2 is even faster at 200.535 mph. On Laps 3 and 4, the speed drops below 200, but Sneva has given the sun-baked crowd what it came for.
1977: JANET MAKES HISTORY
Janet Guthrie becomes the first female driver to qualify for the "500." Mechanical trouble eliminates her after only 27 laps on Race Day, but her four-lap speed of 188.403 mph on the final qualifying day is the fastest turned by any driver on the entire second weekend of time trials.
1977: MORE HISTORY: FOYT WINS HIS FOURTH
When Gordon Johncock breaks a crankshaft with only 16 laps remaining, into the lead sweeps A.J. Foyt, who goes on to become the first driver ever to win the "500" for a fourth time. Once the Victory Circle celebrations have concluded and Foyt prepares to be driven around the track on a lap of honour in the Pace Car, he invites Speedway owner Tony Hulman to ride with him.
