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IndyCar
MILLER: Granatelli And The Boys
Andy Granatelli was at the head of the table presiding over a buffet of BBQ and BS.
Legendary Indy 500 entrant, engineer and mechanic Andy Granatelli, middle, holds court with fellow Speedway legends Bobby Unser, left, and Parnelli Jones, right. (Photo: Steve Shunck)
Andy Granatelli was at the head of the table, as it should be, presiding over a buffet of BBQ and BS. Parnelli Jones, Bobby Unser and Vince Granatelli were in close proximity and Randy Bernard was instructed to sit next to Andy so he could have immediate access to INDYCAR’s CEO.
It was the first night of Andy’s annual assault on Indianapolis restaurants and while the Squealer’s ribs were tasty, they were secondary to the smorgasbord of bench racing from these icons of the 1960s.
Granatelli, the flamboyant and innovative character who embraced the Novi, unleashed the turbine and made STP a household name, had a profound effect on Indy car racing as a car owner, innovator and marketing maven.
He also launched Unser’s career at Indianapolis and gave Jones one of the best rides ever at 16th & Georgetown.
“It’s great to see my boys,’’ boomed the big man from Chicago, still amazingly sharp and engaging at age 89. “They were two of the best drivers and people in an era we’ll never see again.’’
In 1963, Granatelli brought a trio of the brute force Novis to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with fearless Jim Hurtubise and drag racer Art Malone. An engine that produced 700 horsepower compared to the Offenhauser’s 450, it was as intimidating to drive as it was unreliable.
The third Novi, sponsored by the Hotel Tropicana, had no driver when the track opened for practice.
“I’d walk by the yellow Novi every day and it would just be sitting there,’’ recalls Unser. “My dad wanted me to try it but I didn’t know Andy and I was hesitant to ask him. So Parnelli finally introduced us and I asked if I could take a few laps.
“Andy gave me one of those `What in the hell makes you think you can drive my car’ looks but then he finally said yes. I practically ran to Gasoline Alley to put on my suit and when I got back he warned me not to wreck it.
“A lot of drivers were scared to death of that car but in only threeeeeeee laps I was running 146 mph and that was plenty fast enough to qualify. I loved it and Andy wanted to marry me.’’
Then it was time to negotiate.
It was the first night of Andy’s annual assault on Indianapolis restaurants and while the Squealer’s ribs were tasty, they were secondary to the smorgasbord of bench racing from these icons of the 1960s.
Granatelli, the flamboyant and innovative character who embraced the Novi, unleashed the turbine and made STP a household name, had a profound effect on Indy car racing as a car owner, innovator and marketing maven.
He also launched Unser’s career at Indianapolis and gave Jones one of the best rides ever at 16th & Georgetown.
“It’s great to see my boys,’’ boomed the big man from Chicago, still amazingly sharp and engaging at age 89. “They were two of the best drivers and people in an era we’ll never see again.’’
In 1963, Granatelli brought a trio of the brute force Novis to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with fearless Jim Hurtubise and drag racer Art Malone. An engine that produced 700 horsepower compared to the Offenhauser’s 450, it was as intimidating to drive as it was unreliable.
The third Novi, sponsored by the Hotel Tropicana, had no driver when the track opened for practice.
“I’d walk by the yellow Novi every day and it would just be sitting there,’’ recalls Unser. “My dad wanted me to try it but I didn’t know Andy and I was hesitant to ask him. So Parnelli finally introduced us and I asked if I could take a few laps.
“Andy gave me one of those `What in the hell makes you think you can drive my car’ looks but then he finally said yes. I practically ran to Gasoline Alley to put on my suit and when I got back he warned me not to wreck it.
“A lot of drivers were scared to death of that car but in only threeeeeeee laps I was running 146 mph and that was plenty fast enough to qualify. I loved it and Andy wanted to marry me.’’
Then it was time to negotiate.
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