The Conquistador's Picture Of The Day

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Today would normally be “Race Day” in Indianapolis. Due to coronavirus, they have decided to move the “500” to August. NASCAR is still able to run however, albeit without spectators. The “Coca Cola 600” will be broadcast later tonight.

The following is part of Indy lore. The most famous pace car passenger in 1971 was US astronaut John Glenn. Poor guy, he survived space travel only to nearly be killed… I know a little about this incident but not a lot. This is what Wikipedia had to say:

As the field came down the main stretch for the start, Eldon Palmer (a local Dodge dealer) pulled into the pits and accelerated down the pit lane. Palmer continued to accelerate, under the impression he was required to cross the start/finish line in the pit area prior to the race cars doing so out on the track. His reference flag had been removed and he missed his planned braking spot. Moving upwards of perhaps 125 mph (over 200 km/h), Palmer realized he was going too fast, and rather than perilously veering back on to the racing surface, he stood on the brakes (the car was equipped with drum brakes) and lost control. The car swerved and skidded to the end of the pit lane and crashed into a photographers' stand. The stand toppled and collapsed, injuring 29 people, but no one was killed. Dr. Vicente Alvarez, a freelance photographer from Argentina, was one of two on the stand who were seriously injured. Alvarez survived, and died in the late 1990s. Tony Hulman suffered a sprained ankle, and a shaken Schenkel sat out the remainder of the ABC broadcast.

Palmer maintained possession of the car, and eventually it was repaired and restored. Indiana businessman Steven Cage purchased the vehicle in 2006, and it currently is displayed at his RPM Collection in Fishers, Indiana. Reactions of the accident were very critical afterwards, and for the next several years, the pace car drivers selected were either former Indy drivers or people with racing experience.