Firestone

[roadcourse]

Collecting pieces for a Ray Nichels built test car- Monogram Kurtis roadster, Calvin's update kit, some spare parts from Lance.  Will eventually have a fuel-injected 331 Hemi.

[jimhamill]

I'm looking forward to watching this!

Jim

[indy]

A Hemi!? Sweet!

Jordan

[jamesharvey]

Ray Nichels had a factory connection with Chrysler during this time. He was a force in USCA stock cars with various drivers and, as this project demonstrates, figured in Indy cars as well. This test car ran so well and so fast that USAC made sure that was outside the rules by the time Indy rolled around. Walt and some of our historians can tell the story better than I. Good luck with this.
Jim

[roadcourse]

This particular car is part of the Speedway Museum collection- currently in the basement awaiting restoration. It has a funding sponsor, with the project dedicated to Nichels.

[jamesharvey]

That is great to hear. Jack Fox's book regarding the 1953 race entries has two photos of Chrysler powered cars, #17 Belanger Motors driven by Joe Sostillo and the #25 Roger Wolcott entry driven by George Connor which was the first alternate. Wolcott also entered the #66 Chrysler powered car for Johnnie Tolan. These were all KK500A chassis. I think the Monogram kit is actually a later Kurtis Kraft, probably a KK500C. Thanks for the update. Was Nichels associated with Belanger? I think they were from the Crown Point area in Indiana.
Jim

[roadcourse]

Yes. Both were from the same area of the state. One of our veterans may have knowledge of what their working relationship might have been. The blue #66 is in private hands and can be seen at historic races and reunions. That is an "A" series. The museum car is a later "C." A third car was built, later supercharged, with large, airplane-like wings added, and set a speed record at Daytona. It's currently in the Garlits museum.

[jamesharvey]

The third car, a KK500 SPL-3, was specially built in 1958 for Firestone. Gordon White's book, Indianapolis Racing Cars of Frank Kurtis, explains the history of this car (p. 109).
It will be interesting to follow this build to see which one emerges.
Jim

[roadcourse]

This version was built as a co-operative venture between Firestone and Chrysler. The original intent was to buy a Kurtis chassis and install the engine. Nichels was hired to do the work, and assembled the Kurtis from parts. It was somehow a quicker arrangement for the time frame Chrysler had established. The model may take a bit longer...

[oldphotos]

In Oct. 1952 the Wolcott Spl. a Kurtis 500A with drivers George Connor and Joe James ran a 500 mile tire test, The weather was cool and the speeds were fast for 500 miles. What made the speed fast for 500 miles was no other cars on the track and NO YELLOW FLAGS to slow the avg. speed down. But AAA decide to reduce the Cubic Inches to 270 to make the car equal with the other cars.
The Wolcott Spl. only ran The Chrysler in 1953, in 1954 it was the Ansted Rotary Spl. driven by Paul Russo with a Offy.
The Belanger Motors Spl. with a Chrysler missed the show in 1953 and as the Shouse Motors & Chet Herbert Spl. missed the show in 1954. the next time this car tried to make the race was in 1958 with a Desoto hemi V8 and also was a DNQ.
In 1955 Dean Van Lines try a Desoto V8 in the Kuzma dirt car at Indy along with the new Kuzma Roadster that Jimmy Bryan drove in the race. the Dirt car didn't make the Race
All the Kurtis 500A except the Fuel Injection Spl. had the cockpit opening on the left side of the just the opposite of Vukovich's winning car which also had the driveshaft offset to the left. All the other 500A had the driveshaft on the centerline of the chassis.

A side note 1953 the Agajanian Kuzma #97 Kuzma Dirt Car came to Indy with a Studebaker V8 under the hood. The team couldn't find the speed needed so the switched engines to a Offy and Chuck Stevenson made the Race. If you look at photos of this car the side engine cover are still not painted Red like the rest of the car.

Oldphotos
Walt

[jamesharvey]

Thanks, Walt. My memory of these things is always fuzzy. You, however, still have a clear light. I sure hope you are writing a book for the rest of us.
Jim

[roadcourse]

Mock up to see what  fits where






Dry-fitting some parts for the Firestone test car...