I was honored to meet Andy at the 2011 Indy 500. I passed a pick-up truck and recognized him sitting alone in the truck. I turned around and walked up to the truck. He had his window rolled down and so I asked him if he was Andy Granatelli. He surprised me and jumped out of the pick-up truck and shook my hand. I was thrilled. I told him that I had seen his turbine cars raced at Indy when I was very young and that I thanked him for what he had done. I will never forget that day.
10:44: When the Granatelli turbine of Joe Leonard died while leading with 9 laps to go in 1968, the winner of the race was Bobby Unser who in 1963 ran for Granatelli in Unser's first Indy 500 ( 7:47:) 12:04: The STP sponsorship of Richard Petty's car was a groundbreaker in NASCAR history. It was the first major company to sponsor a NASCAR team year round. It put major dollars into an already leading team in the series and shortly after that other teams and companies followed suit. A few years later, NASCAR took off in the racing world.
I remember Andy Granatelli was owner of a chain of car repair shops out west in the 80's called Tune-up Masters. After your first visit, they would give you a decal with "TM" to post in your back window. The purpose of the decal was if your car was disabled along the road, and any Tune -up Master employee saw it, they were obligated to stop and assist you.
There's still a TM sign in my town in the Bay Area. The building has housed several shops since then, but left the sign, maybe out of respect? Remember my mom taking her '79 Malibu wagon down there back in the day 🙂
@@naughtiusmaximus1811 I remember that they used the pit-crew concept at Tune-up Masters. I was stationed at the Air Force base outside Las Vegas at the time.
I remember that chain, when I was in auto school they had ads looking for mechanics. They had a lot of grooming rules, like you needed an air force mustache.
In '83 thru '84 I was working as a Mr Goodwrench at Henna Chevy in Austin,Tx when Andy walked up to the service counter and wanted to see me!! After greeting the other 60 + techs he asked if I was the super tuner everyone said I was... he offered me a job working on a Nascar crew as the engine guy!!! I declined the offer and after explaining why Andy asked if I would be interested in working at Tune-up Masters. Declined again. It sure was a great honor to be asked by a legend like him despite the other techs booing me when I turned Andy's offer down. Truth is, it defined my career... I was that good at my work
I think you made the correct decision. Unless you wanted to never see your family hardly & that something your kids & wife never forgets!! I had chance too hit NASCAR circus yes Circus I help them sometimes in weekdays nights & I saw the hours & their wife & kids show up in the late evenings just to ask Dad important to them questions. I saw if I was single care less about a family then join that circus. Nope not for myself.
Never knew about Studebaker's connection to STP. What a shame Studebaker was such a small company. The Avanti was the first pony car, and I believe the most beautiful.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. These are all names and events from my youth…and I had STP stickers all over anything I could stick one on. What a nice trip down memory lane.
Yep. On the rear window of everyone of my cars - even snuck one on the back of my dad's Rambler wagon. The racer's edge, Hooker headers, Edelbrock - all wonderful memories of Wednesday night Grudge runs and Sundays at Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ. Good gosh the quarter mile was fun.
Wow. I used to know most of Granatelli's story, but I guess I just forgot, not having thought about it much in the past 40 years. And you're certainly right about those STP stickers--they were absolutely everywhere in the 60s and 70s...
I had a 1964 Studebaker Daytona Hardtop that had a rust hole in the right rocker panel. I put a STP sticker over the hole and it stayed there for over 15 years.
I was so lucky to get stationed in Southern California in the early 70s. I spent my money on beer, pretty ladies, and cars..the rest I just wasted. I got to meet Mr. Granatelli, Don Prudhomme, "Big Daddy" Don Garlits...Tom McEwen, and so many others..what a ride. I bet every weekend there was an auto race of some kind, somewhere in SoCal. I never got to meet Mario Andretti...drats...
To anyone going to the Indy 500 museum also make time to do the track tour. Truly fun experience … my son and I visited in 2015…we kissed the bricks. Great video (as always ) History Guy !
Everyone who has followed racing has heard Granatelli stories. My favorite took place at Bonniville when he invited three journalists to ride with him in his personal stock-appearing Chevrolet Caprice. They thought they were going to lunch, but Granatelli drove to the acceleration lane and picked up speed, eventually passing the timer at over 200 MPH with three passengers in the car and the air conditioning on.
I have been an indy 500 fan since 1963. I once begged to stay home from school because the race was rained out. I grew up on the front engine roadsters and a through the development of the rear engines and ground effects. We had to find the radio station because we only listened to it once a year. I have also read the book "They Call Me MISTER 500". Sorry to hear he passed away but he was always a showman.
In 1969 I was in the 8th grade. I had a red nylon windbreaker. With a cloth patch of the STP turbine Indy car sewn on the front. The jacket is long gone. But I still have that patch.
Another interesting figure in motorsports is/was Mickey Thompson. Many of us recall when he and his wife were gunned down while riding their bicycles around their neighborhood. He spent more time in drag racing, but became more known after getting into off-road racing, along with his still existant line of automotive tires. Great coverage - as usual - of Andy Granatelli! Thank you!
Mickey Thompson's story is worth telling - for a long time it was thought by many to be a mafia hit. He had created indoor drag racing where the car was slowed by a huge bungee cord. The seats at the end of the track were the prized ones. During one event the bungee broke and killed the spectators at the end. It was thought that they were mob related and brought on the murder. It later turned out that it was a disgruntle business parters. Mickey was truly a genius.
As a kid I always loved Andy Granatelli. Now you need to do an episode of his most famous driver. Mario Andretti. Possibly the greatest race car driver of all time.
That video brings back a lot of sweet memories. I don't watch Nascar anymore. It lost the charm of the old days and like most things became more about greed than the colorful people who built it before they were kicked out.
I was a freshman in HS in 1967. Memorial Day was still on May 30 - no school! But the race was red flagged for rain shortly after it started. So it was run on May 31 - a school day. I had a portable radio with an earbud. I listened to most of the race undetected, but got busted with about 10 laps to go. I didn't know who won until I got home from school.
Hey History Guy 👋, I had a dream about you. You invited me over for Thanksgiving dinner and you said that you were bringing back the Whig party 🥳!So I left and returned with an Eva Gabor wig .Her Lisa Douglas holiday wig . The gravy and stuffing was scrumptious!
I worked with his CFO, Al Vitale. He gave me so many STP things from those days. Cuff links, Indy 500 pit passes that are metal badges and the coolest thing he gave me was an STP transistor radio that's still mint, never been opened or used. It's still in a box, in a box. And of course, he gave me a ton of STP stickers.
This was a really great story, I never knew a 10th of the info you researched on the Granatellis. For a future subject, you might like Henry "Smokey" Yunick, a long-time car builder who was known for many extensive and clever ways he "bent" the rules and thus developed many advances in racing. A very neat guy indeed.
Mr. Granatelli is simply LEGEND! What he was able to do and how he did the numerous things in his life are astounding. I love the 500 and loved to watch just to see Mr. Granatelli whooping it up in the infield or on Pit Row. He gave the 500 flash and flare and some much needed laughter at times. His impact on the 500 and racing in general is incalculable. RIP Andy Granatelli. A true GIANT of the racing world!
Greetings from Clay County, Missouri ! Being a fan of the " Greatest Spectacle of Racing", this is NOT forgotten history with me, but THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU ! I can remember when I got my first STP sticker ( WELL before I got my first car ) It went on my 3-ring binder in Grade School. TA, Lance ! 25 thumbs UP Super Tough Petroleum ! or Granatelli Goop SHOW ME the History, Guy ! PEACE Speaking of the 500 ... Floyd Clymer ???
Perhaps it is beyond the scope of this story, but many remember Andy Granatelli's Tuneup Masters, which according to Wikipedia, he bought for $300k and sold 10 years later for $60M. Who can forget those commercials? He did have an untouchable charisma. Nice to know his history beyond that. I was not aware of much of it. Thanks.
Excellent as usual. Most of what I knew about Granatelli was from his Studebaker connection. He set a bunch of records at Bonneville driving Studebakers, and if you ordered a Stude with the high performance (and rare) R3 or R4 engine the engine was shipped from Studebaker to Granatelli's shop where they built it. The Avanti pictured was not a Studebaker Avanti, it's an Avanti II, made by the Avanti Motor Corporation after Studebaker closed their South Bend plants. The Avanti has quite a story of its own, and is also history that deserves to be remembered.
I've had two Avantis. Had my '77 Avanti II since '82, and it was restored in 2015. It's fun to park it, walk away, and watch people react when they see it. Older folks get very animated, look inside, talk about it, explain it to friends. This generation has no clue. They tend to walk around it, looking very puzzled, not saying much, and move on.
I worked at a local speed shop and had the pleasure of making the exhaust systems for the fleet of Studebakers that set the Bonneville speed records, drove the twin Paxton blown Avanti on the streets of Santa Monica, and installed a small block Ford V8 in the small Mercedes Indy pit bus. Fun times, and Andy was a great tipper too!
What a GRABBER of a post. By leaps and bounds my most favorite segment of racing history. I am a firm believer that if USAC had failed to legislate away the turbine powerplant, that today's consumer automotive market would be a very, very different place. Granatelli was poised to change the world in big ways, but petty concerns and jealousies got in the way. After all, a Chinook APU turbine is the size of a bread-box. You could literally carry it under one arm, and it packs a whopping 300 horsepower. Imagine THAT under the hood of your Ford Pinto!
Turbines are impractical as automobile powerplants for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is cost. The Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6 engine that Granatelli used in his Indy cars is still made today, and if you want to buy one yourself, you’ll have to cough up around $350,000. For that price you’ll get an engine that responds slowly to demands for more power, is prone to overheating if mishandled, and burns twice as much fuel as a piston engine at equivalent power output. Granatelli’s genius was figuring out that all of those downsides were not that much of a problem for an Indy car that simply has to circle a track 200 times to win. That engine will put out 850 horsepower all day long without breaking a sweat as long as you keep feeding it. As I understand it, the bearing that failed and put the car out of the race was one of the parts added by the Granatelli race team to adapt the turbine to an automotive transmission, so it wasn’t the engine’s fault.
@@singleproppilot Interesting! The Chinook APU that I saw was powering a kit helicopter in San Carlos. And he had it detuned to about 150 HP so nothing would break.
@@grecco_buckliano Experimental homebuilt aircraft have a huge variety of powerplants, including Volkswagen, Subaru, and Corvair boxer engines, experimental diesels, Mazda Wankel engines, and repurposed turbine APUs. A lot of these are long on cool factor but short on practicality. But when it comes building a homemade aircraft, it’s a labor of love and it’s up to the builder to decide if making it cool and interesting is more important than making it reliable, efficient, and cost effective.
What's wrong with HOT WHEEL'S, I still have my original hot wheels from the 1960's along with a original case,and none of them are made in china.One of my true collection cars is the, SCHOOL BUS,THE RABBIT (from the show,Hot Wheels that would show every Saturday morning) DEXTER DEMONS, THE VW BUS with 2 SURF BOARDS AND MANY MORE.ALL OF THEM HAVE RED STRIP'S ON THE TIRE'S.
STP was a phenomenal oil additive back in the 1960s, as engine lubricants back then weren't at a quality level to be found today. I used it for many years with a 1967 VW Beetle I had, as those air-cooled flat-four engines ran hot, which had a tendency to thin-out the engine oil. Between the regular oil changes I made and using STP Oil Treatment, that engine ran fine, with no oil burning, for over 100K miles. Finally had to scrap the vehicle due to mounting issues with a rusted chassis.
I only attended the Indie 500 once. As a guest of one of the Scandia racing team it far exceeded “Memorable”! Andy was there and I shook his hand. My first experience with STP was at age 12, at the STP booth at the Western Stock Show. The STP guys were demonstrating the screw driver stunt. I watch everyone, including my father and uncle fail. They both had grips of steel one being a truck driver before power steering was popular in large diesel semis and the other a life-long farmer. I noticed the harder people squeezed, the quicker they failed. Also I noticed the additive was somewhat tacky. I picked up the screwdriver as gentler as possible and it held. Everyone one was amazed. As requested, I repeated the demo. I related this story to Andy. He immediately asked if I wanted to go to work for him. After a long conversation, we decided he couldn’t afford me, my being a successful computer salesperson. However, the offer was MIGHTY seductive!
I remember the race in 67 with the Turbine Car and it motivated me to go to the USN gas Turbine school. I thought it would be the car of the future since it would run on anything flammable you could put thru a fuel line. Gasoline to powdered coal to soybean oil. Unfortunately, the engine would be a tad expensive, and would outlast the body by 4-5 times. I figured they would just sell you another body. Those were great days!
Fantastic video regarding a much overlooked figure. I'd love to see you cover Jimmy Clark and Tazio Nuvolari's careers in one your videos. Those guys were immense.
Moved to Southwestern Michigan from Canton, Ohio in 1959. My father liked cars and driving them. He joined a Rally group that would give directions from point A to point B and set the timer... The rally would run over back roads and the directions were not "Turn left on Whatsit Lane" but rather, "Third lane west of the white roofed barn, turn away from the house..." I rode in the back seat looking at the scenery and listening to my parents discuss the directions. I don't remember that we ever got lost. As a kid I toured the Ford Factory in Detroit, visited the Ford Rotunda, Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum. I went to to stock car races in Detroit, on occasion. The name Andy Granatelli and other racers were common. Thanks for the memories. Ah. You want suggestions? Colleen Moore's Dollhouse at the Museum of Science and Industry. Was in the basement, not far from the submarine exhibit entrance (German U boat?) and the coal mine walk through entrance. I always walked by those displays. The Doll House always drew me like a magnet. It has a History, was taken on tour to raise money for charity during the depression.
Me too. In 1962, I was a 'paper boy' for the Indianapolis Star. My manager said he would take us the the Indy 500 time trials. I had a ball! Paid 3 dollars to have my picture taken with Eddie Sachs. I came home bubbling with excitement and my dad took the family to the 1063 time trials. I walked into the pits and saw the BRG-British Racing Green and yellow Lotus 29 of Jim Clark and knew he had the right stuff or so a 13 year old kid knows. The day Jim Clark was killed in a Formula Two race @ the Hochenhiem Ring was one of the saddest days of my life.
Dear Uncle Lance, One million thank you's for this long awaited episode of one of my personal heroes, the GREAT Andy Granatelli ... Mr 500 & Mr STP. A 100% true American made hero, inventor, showman. Mr 500 made growing up in the 1960's marvelous ... I had a friend who's family owned AUTO supply emporiums, and that kept me supplied with all kinds of STP stickers and advertising memorabilia. I would like to recommend to everyone who is interested in the incredible US history in regards to auto racing read the book Mr 500, Holy Smokes what a life this self made man lived, simply fascinating. Thanks again for one more fantastic episode. Andy Granatelli life and incredible accomplishments is without a doubt, HISTORY that Deserves to be REMEMBERED ... Best wishes and kindest regards, C.D.
Andy Granatelli was one of my favorites Used STP in my VW Bugs. Both went to over 120,000 on the original engines. (except for #3cylinders. New Oilcooler towers helped..)
I live 5 miles west of the Indianapolis motor speedway. I have enjoyed attending races since I was a kid. Probably been to more than 20 races. Me and my wife now attend every year for the last 5. It's a magical place that gives me goose bumps during the opening ceremonies. I miss Jim Neighbors singing, back home again.
I had the sometime pleasure of working at a small weekly newspaper where the sportswriter, semi-retired from a life of full-time work at midsize dailies in the Carolinas, often regaled us with stories of covering NASCAR in its '70s and '80s heyday. He got to know a few of the drivers and still called a few once or twice a year to check on them. He was particularly close with Cale Yarborough. He once told us he overheard someone ask a Petty team member, "What does STP stand for, anyway?" The answer: "Shit, That's Profit." This story shared with my apologies. And laughs! 😄
My opinion for what it is worth is that NASCAR going to tube framed cars that all have identical bodywork is where they jumped the shark. I loved watching the pre-tube framed cars doing 190 MPH drifts on the high banks.
@@dukecraig2402 My father was a mechanic, he always joked that STP stood for "Stop That Pounding". He always added it to his own cars, and many customers cars too.
Another special item about the '69 Indy 500 race is that the right rear tire nut jammed and had to last the entire race in order for that car to win. In general, I've loved every THG video I've watched. If I may suggest another motor sports legend to cover, Daniel Sexton Gurney.
Agreed on Dan Gurney. A driver who won in: - Formula One - Indy Car - NASCAR - Sports Cars (He was AJ Foyt's teammate when they won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1967, the year after the race depicted in "Ford vs. Ferrari") - He got Ford Motor Company and Colin Chapman together to revolutionize Indy Car racing by building the first winning rear-engined Indy Cars - Founded All American Racers and built and raced his own cars in Indy Car and F1 - Won an F1 race in a car he helped design and build - As noted, tying two threads together, his first Indy 500 win was as a car builder. In 1968 Bobby Unser drove an AAR Eagle to victory over the STP Turbines - His second Indy 500 win was as a car builder. In 1973 Gordon Johncock won the race in an AAR Eagle sponsored by . . . . Andy Granatelli and STP - In 1973 his cars were so good 2/3rds of the Indy 500 starting field were AAR Eagles - His third Indy 500 win was his only as a car owner and builder. Bobby Unser was his driver in the rain shortened 1975 race - Built a stock-block Chevrolet V8 powered Eagle Indy Car that sat on the front row of the 1981 Indy 500, went last to first for AARs last IndyCar win at Milwaukee later that year, almost won at Watkins Glen, and was so good it was almost banned. - Brought Toyota into IMSA and IndyCar racing
Oh, HG, the memories kept flooding back...I was familiar with AG, but learned a ton more about him from your presentation. He was the PT Barnum of motor racing... thank you!!!
Awesome...fulfilling a childhood dream...at 55 I finally went to the 2016 Indy 500...it was great fun...Mario Andretti will always be my favorite driver of all time...his autographed photo hangs on my wall...Go Andy!
I read Granatelli's autobiography twice when I was young. I was going to mention the land speed record run at Bonneville in the 1980's, but History Guy got that into the video. I still have that issue of AutoWeek magazine.
Stickers on cars was a big thing in the late '60's and early '70's. STP was the king sticker. Some of the other popular ones were Isky, Edelbrock, Holley, Crane, Crower and, my personal favorite, the heart shaped "I love my HOOKER headers".
Hi, I would like to offer a topic for a future show. I grew up in the "Indiana Soldiers and Sailors Children's Home" in Knightstown, Indiana. I was there from age 6, 1966 to 1974. The children's home was started after the Civil War and lasted until after 2010. Over 100 years of operation. At the end of this great institution, the location owned many acres and somewhere close to a hundred buildings on its campus Today alumni keep in touch with social media. There is a long history of caring for the children of servicemen and servicewomen on this campus. Please consider telling this story because this is history that deserves to be remembered
Not sure how I missed this one when it released. I especially love when you do videos on cars or racing related things. Andy was the man. I had STP stickers on everything growing up, and his cars were the inspiration for my Pinewood Derby car.
I know that it's short notice but the music venue gambling house in Montreux Switzerland burned fifty years ago on December 4 1971 and was the subject of the huge Deep Purple song Smoke on the Water. Very interesting story to tell there...
I saw the STP turbines in '67 and '68. My dad and I used to go over for the time trials, and you could walk right through the garages up and down Gasoline Alley; Clark, Hill, Foyt, Ruby, Hurtubise, Andretti, Parnelli, Unsers...magic era!
Being born and raised in Indianapolis, and of big fan of the "500" - especially the former years till around the mid 1980's, this episode was close to my heart. 1963 was my actual first year of becoming a true fan of Indy racing. The STP cars were unique with the NOVI V-8 engine. I personally liked the England built Lotus cars of designer- owner, Colin Chapman. His main driver became my all-time favorite: Jimmy Clark of Duns, Scotland. When Chapman's company (Lotus Cars, Ltd.) joined Grantelli's STP Corporation, I thought, the Grantelli boys were sooner or later going to get finally a winner in "Victory Cirle" at Indy and elsewhere. So it was, three times (1969 ,1973 & 1982: Mario and Gordon Johncock of Coldwater, Michigan) wins at Indy, alone. The STP boys almost did it again in the 1980's with talented Columbian race driver, Roberto Guerrero (which I was pulling for to win) Yes. Andy was a "one of a kind" in motorsport's history. And...I used his products many times. The "stuff" works.
I grew up in Indianapolis and now live 20 miles north. Andy Granatelli was a household word and many were so disappointed that the turbine car failed. Funny that the turbine engine dominated racing boats which originated from Madison, Indiana (Thunder on the Ohio)but never evolved into the four wheel rubber to the road racing. I recommend to everyone to visit the Indianapolis 500 race track anytime during the year and enjoy the wonderful museum which is extremely awesome.
I am from Indianapolis. One of my sisters still lives in Speedway. My Grandfather ran a radiator repair shop back when the Indy cars still used them and a few in the Speedway museum have been handled by him. Thank you for this story of a very important man my Grandfather never told me about. I continue to learn from you with each and every new video.
As soon as I saw this I immediately thought of my Grandfather. He swore by the positive benefits of STP in his cars and his Cattle Truck.In all fairness (and despite my Pop muttering that STP. Was useless)I noticed that his Vehicles seemed to run well.Thanks for a great memory!
I really enjoyed this piece. The irony of turbine engines and electric cars is deafening.Indy banned turbine engines out of fear that they would replace piston engines on the track as they had already replaced piston engines in the aviation world. Here we are again at the obvious change of times as the EV is replacing the piston engine powered car.
Good video! Dad was racing director for Valvoline 1960-70 and knew Andy. And as they did not compete, oil vs additive, they became friends. Dad even bought a Studebaker from Andy. The smartest move Andy made, IMHO, was the deal with Petty. WAY more exposure than his Indy ventures. Part of the Petty deal grew out of a 'friendly competition' Andy had with Dad and Valvoline. Thanks
Thank you, in England the Indy 500,was a legendary race track, and if it was ever broadcasting in England, the lounge was full. Such a great man. Give my love to history cat, and thank you for filling in the gaps to my knowledge ❤️❤️🇬🇧
Until now I wasnt familiar with the STP story or who ran it. My dad covered the Indy 500 races for a radio station in the late 1960's and interviewed most of the drivers of those races. I'll have to ask him if ever met this guy.
Thanks for this look at Andy Granatelli, History Guy, and wow, his promoting an auto race in a football stadium with nearly 90,000 fans in attendance was truly epic. And it is hard to see in my little thumbnail, but I am wearing red pants with STP Oil Treatment over a white stripe on either side. They were Petty team-issue pants from the '73 season, I think it was, and my Dad, who had been involved full-time in auto racing in '69 and '70, worked with the Pettys when they ran Riverside and Ontario in Southern California for a few seasons in the early '70s. And on a chilly winter day in Frankfurt, West Germany in early '75--we had just moved from California because of my father's construction work--my Dad snapped that photo as I was doing my Evel Knievel thing on my Sting-Ray. And those red pants were the closest I could get to something flashy like Evel. And it was STP so it was cool. And later that year, I won a bicycle road race in Frankfurt, sponsored by the USO and 7-Up for American teens. And for sure, I wore an STP T-shirt.
My Dad owned a garage in the 70's. Every mechanic had STP stickers on their tool-boxes... and cars. There was one on the front door, and the bathroom door, the cash register. Go to the drag races on the weekends and STP was there handing out boxes and boxes of stickers.
I was honored to meet Andy at the 2011 Indy 500. I passed a pick-up truck and recognized him sitting alone in the truck. I turned around and walked up to the truck. He had his window rolled down and so I asked him if he was Andy Granatelli. He surprised me and jumped out of the pick-up truck and shook my hand. I was thrilled. I told him that I had seen his turbine cars raced at Indy when I was very young and that I thanked him for what he had done. I will never forget that day.
As a kid of the 60s there was nothing better then getting an STP sticker at the gas station with dad and the putting it on my bike.
That, and a Union 76 antenna ball, made your bike a racer!😉🤣✌🏼
I remember them giving away packets of 10 or12 stickers at car shows, so there was one everywhere they would stick.
Hey..me to!!
Automatically made any Stingray 5mph faster.
My east coast family took a west coast vacation in 1966, and I fondly recall the Union 76 balls everywhere we went.
Oh man, I remember that commercial with Marciano trying to grip the STP coated screwdriver. Flashback Friday!!!
10:44: When the Granatelli turbine of Joe Leonard died while leading with 9 laps to go in 1968, the winner of the race was Bobby Unser who in 1963 ran for Granatelli in Unser's first Indy 500 ( 7:47:)
12:04: The STP sponsorship of Richard Petty's car was a groundbreaker in NASCAR history. It was the first major company to sponsor a NASCAR team year round. It put major dollars into an already leading team in the series and shortly after that other teams and companies followed suit. A few years later, NASCAR took off in the racing world.
I remember Andy Granatelli was owner of a chain of car repair shops out west in the 80's called Tune-up Masters. After your first visit, they would give you a decal with "TM" to post in your back window. The purpose of the decal was if your car was disabled along the road, and any Tune -up Master employee saw it, they were obligated to stop and assist you.
Tune em up, VROOM!!!
There's still a TM sign in my town in the Bay Area. The building has housed several shops since then, but left the sign, maybe out of respect?
Remember my mom taking her '79 Malibu wagon down there back in the day 🙂
@@naughtiusmaximus1811 I remember that they used the pit-crew concept at Tune-up Masters. I was stationed at the Air Force base outside Las Vegas at the time.
I remember that chain, when I was in auto school they had ads looking for mechanics. They had a lot of grooming rules, like you needed an air force mustache.
I remember his Tune-up Masters ads from when I was a kid. Now I know the rest of the story.
I used to work for Andy from 1987-91. Literally thee best boss I have ever had.
Putting STP stickers on our bicycles as kids was a big thing back in the 60s-70s! 'The racer's edge'!!!
In '83 thru '84 I was working as a Mr Goodwrench at Henna Chevy in Austin,Tx when Andy walked up to the service counter and wanted to see me!! After greeting the other 60 + techs he asked if I was the super tuner everyone said I was... he offered me a job working on a Nascar crew as the engine guy!!! I declined the offer and after explaining why Andy asked if I would be interested in working at Tune-up Masters. Declined again. It sure was a great honor to be asked by a legend like him despite the other techs booing me when I turned Andy's offer down. Truth is, it defined my career... I was that good at my work
What's your rate and when can I drop my car off?
@@jamespfitz Sorry Jim I retired in 95 at 42 yrs old. my hands are clean and all the calluses are gone...
I think you made the correct decision. Unless you wanted to never see your family hardly & that something your kids & wife never forgets!! I had chance too hit NASCAR circus yes Circus I help them sometimes in weekdays nights & I saw the hours & their wife & kids show up in the late evenings just to ask Dad important to them questions. I saw if I was single care less about a family then join that circus. Nope not for myself.
Never knew about Studebaker's connection to STP. What a shame Studebaker was such a small company. The Avanti was the first pony car, and I believe the most beautiful.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. These are all names and events from my youth…and I had STP stickers all over anything I could stick one on. What a nice trip down memory lane.
Yep. On the rear window of everyone of my cars - even snuck one on the back of my dad's Rambler wagon. The racer's edge, Hooker headers, Edelbrock - all wonderful memories of Wednesday night Grudge runs and Sundays at Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ. Good gosh the quarter mile was fun.
Can still hear the ad: "STP, is the racer's edge!".
“I was born super charged.”
This made me smile.
Wow. I used to know most of Granatelli's story, but I guess I just forgot, not having thought about it much in the past 40 years. And you're certainly right about those STP stickers--they were absolutely everywhere in the 60s and 70s...
They were everywhere. Even I had a few before I ever had a car.
I used one to patch a rip in my banana seat on my Schwinn Stingray.
Andy was a master marketer and he really pushed a new era in racing on the business side
I had a 1964 Studebaker Daytona Hardtop that had a rust hole in the right rocker panel. I put a STP sticker over the hole and it stayed there for over 15 years.
Yeah, I need to read his book again. I have been getting back into racing lately by watching Goodwood Revival videos.
I was so lucky to get stationed in Southern California in the early 70s. I spent my money on beer, pretty ladies, and cars..the rest I just wasted. I got to meet Mr. Granatelli, Don Prudhomme, "Big Daddy" Don Garlits...Tom McEwen, and so many others..what a ride. I bet every weekend there was an auto race of some kind, somewhere in SoCal. I never got to meet Mario Andretti...drats...
To anyone going to the Indy 500 museum also make time to do the track tour. Truly fun experience … my son and I visited in 2015…we kissed the bricks. Great video (as always ) History Guy !
Everyone who has followed racing has heard Granatelli stories. My favorite took place at Bonniville when he invited three journalists to ride with him in his personal stock-appearing Chevrolet Caprice. They thought they were going to lunch, but Granatelli drove to the acceleration lane and picked up speed, eventually passing the timer at over 200 MPH with three passengers in the car and the air conditioning on.
I have been an indy 500 fan since 1963. I once begged to stay home from school because the race was rained out. I grew up on the front engine roadsters and a through the development of the rear engines and ground effects. We had to find the radio station because we only listened to it once a year. I have also read the book "They Call Me MISTER 500". Sorry to hear he passed away but he was always a showman.
In 1969 I was in the 8th grade. I had a red nylon windbreaker. With a cloth patch of the STP turbine Indy car sewn on the front. The jacket is long gone. But I still have that patch.
Another interesting figure in motorsports is/was Mickey Thompson. Many of us recall when he and his wife were gunned down while riding their bicycles around their neighborhood. He spent more time in drag racing, but became more known after getting into off-road racing, along with his still existant line of automotive tires.
Great coverage - as usual - of Andy Granatelli! Thank you!
Mickey Thompson's story is worth telling - for a long time it was thought by many to be a mafia hit. He had created indoor drag racing where the car was slowed by a huge bungee cord. The seats at the end of the track were the prized ones. During one event the bungee broke and killed the spectators at the end. It was thought that they were mob related and brought on the murder. It later turned out that it was a disgruntle business parters. Mickey was truly a genius.
As a kid I always loved Andy Granatelli. Now you need to do an episode of his most famous driver. Mario Andretti. Possibly the greatest race car driver of all time.
That video brings back a lot of sweet memories. I don't watch Nascar anymore. It lost the charm of the old days and like most things became more about greed than the colorful people who built it before they were kicked out.
I had no idea that Granatelli had done so much for the sport of race car driving. The STP jingle was one of my favorites when I was a kid.🏎️🏎️🏎️🏎️
I was a freshman in HS in 1967. Memorial Day was still on May 30 - no school! But the race was red flagged for rain shortly after it started. So it was run on May 31 - a school day. I had a portable radio with an earbud. I listened to most of the race undetected, but got busted with about 10 laps to go. I didn't know who won until I got home from school.
Golden Age of racing. Legendary time in racing! Grew up knowing those names. THANK YOU! ❤
If you haven't read his book, you've missed a lot of laughs and insights. Even my wife loved it.
Hey History Guy 👋, I had a dream about you. You invited me over for Thanksgiving dinner and you said that you were bringing back the Whig party 🥳!So I left and returned with an Eva Gabor wig .Her Lisa Douglas holiday wig . The gravy and stuffing was scrumptious!
LOL
That's a great comment. The fact THG thinks so proves it. I do comments like that sometimes and they aren't that easy to create.
@@PlanetEarth3141 Because I really did have that dream! 🤞
@@constipatedinsincity4424 next time you dream about having diner with THG bring me along. I hear he makes a great cake and ice cream dessert. 🍪
I worked with his CFO, Al Vitale. He gave me so many STP things from those days. Cuff links, Indy 500 pit passes that are metal badges and the coolest thing he gave me was an STP transistor radio that's still mint, never been opened or used. It's still in a box, in a box. And of course, he gave me a ton of STP stickers.
This was a really great story, I never knew a 10th of the info you researched on the Granatellis. For a future subject, you might like Henry "Smokey" Yunick, a long-time car builder who was known for many extensive and clever ways he "bent" the rules and thus developed many advances in racing. A very neat guy indeed.
The STP sticker is the only thing that keeps my old '75 Chevy C-20 running.
Mr. Granatelli is simply LEGEND! What he was able to do and how he did the numerous things in his life are astounding. I love the 500 and loved to watch just to see Mr. Granatelli whooping it up in the infield or on Pit Row. He gave the 500 flash and flare and some much needed laughter at times. His impact on the 500 and racing in general is incalculable. RIP Andy Granatelli. A true GIANT of the racing world!
Greetings from Clay County, Missouri !
Being a fan of the " Greatest Spectacle of Racing", this is NOT forgotten history with me, but THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU !
I can remember when I got my first STP sticker ( WELL before I got my first car ) It went on my 3-ring binder in Grade School.
TA, Lance ! 25 thumbs UP Super Tough Petroleum ! or Granatelli Goop SHOW ME the History, Guy ! PEACE
Speaking of the 500 ... Floyd Clymer ???
He's Minecraft enchantment table
In Benton County, Mo my STP sticker also went on my 3-ring binder in the mid 60's.
Don't have sticker but from Davises county MO , visited the indy 500 speed way for FFA recently, and kissed the bricks....and the pool of rainwater.
Perhaps it is beyond the scope of this story, but many remember Andy Granatelli's Tuneup Masters, which according to Wikipedia, he bought for $300k and sold 10 years later for $60M. Who can forget those commercials? He did have an untouchable charisma. Nice to know his history beyond that. I was not aware of much of it. Thanks.
Excellent as usual. Most of what I knew about Granatelli was from his Studebaker connection. He set a bunch of records at Bonneville driving Studebakers, and if you ordered a Stude with the high performance (and rare) R3 or R4 engine the engine was shipped from Studebaker to Granatelli's shop where they built it.
The Avanti pictured was not a Studebaker Avanti, it's an Avanti II, made by the Avanti Motor Corporation after Studebaker closed their South Bend plants.
The Avanti has quite a story of its own, and is also history that deserves to be remembered.
I've had two Avantis. Had my '77 Avanti II since '82, and it was restored in 2015. It's fun to park it, walk away, and watch people react when they see it. Older folks get very animated, look inside, talk about it, explain it to friends. This generation has no clue. They tend to walk around it, looking very puzzled, not saying much, and move on.
I worked at a local speed shop and had the pleasure of making the exhaust systems for the fleet of Studebakers that set the Bonneville speed records, drove the twin Paxton blown Avanti on the streets of Santa Monica, and installed a small block Ford V8 in the small Mercedes Indy pit bus. Fun times, and Andy was a great tipper too!
What a GRABBER of a post. By leaps and bounds my most favorite segment of racing history. I am a firm believer that if USAC had failed to legislate away the turbine powerplant, that today's consumer automotive market would be a very, very different place. Granatelli was poised to change the world in big ways, but petty concerns and jealousies got in the way. After all, a Chinook APU turbine is the size of a bread-box. You could literally carry it under one arm, and it packs a whopping 300 horsepower. Imagine THAT under the hood of your Ford Pinto!
Turbines are impractical as automobile powerplants for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is cost. The Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6 engine that Granatelli used in his Indy cars is still made today, and if you want to buy one yourself, you’ll have to cough up around $350,000. For that price you’ll get an engine that responds slowly to demands for more power, is prone to overheating if mishandled, and burns twice as much fuel as a piston engine at equivalent power output. Granatelli’s genius was figuring out that all of those downsides were not that much of a problem for an Indy car that simply has to circle a track 200 times to win. That engine will put out 850 horsepower all day long without breaking a sweat as long as you keep feeding it. As I understand it, the bearing that failed and put the car out of the race was one of the parts added by the Granatelli race team to adapt the turbine to an automotive transmission, so it wasn’t the engine’s fault.
@@singleproppilot Interesting! The Chinook APU that I saw was powering a kit helicopter in San Carlos. And he had it detuned to about 150 HP so nothing would break.
@@grecco_buckliano Experimental homebuilt aircraft have a huge variety of powerplants, including Volkswagen, Subaru, and Corvair boxer engines, experimental diesels, Mazda Wankel engines, and repurposed turbine APUs. A lot of these are long on cool factor but short on practicality. But when it comes building a homemade aircraft, it’s a labor of love and it’s up to the builder to decide if making it cool and interesting is more important than making it reliable, efficient, and cost effective.
I've got a small STP sticker on my Matchbox carry case from 1968 on display, and I'm looking at it now. Thanks THG. And yes, Matchbox not Hot Wheels!
What's wrong with HOT WHEEL'S, I still have my original hot wheels from the 1960's along with a original case,and none of them are made in china.One of my true collection cars is the, SCHOOL BUS,THE RABBIT (from the show,Hot Wheels that would show every Saturday morning) DEXTER DEMONS, THE VW BUS with 2 SURF BOARDS AND MANY MORE.ALL OF THEM HAVE RED STRIP'S ON THE TIRE'S.
STP was a phenomenal oil additive back in the 1960s, as engine lubricants back then weren't at a quality level to be found today.
I used it for many years with a 1967 VW Beetle I had, as those air-cooled flat-four engines ran hot, which had a tendency to thin-out the engine oil.
Between the regular oil changes I made and using STP Oil Treatment, that engine ran fine, with no oil burning, for over 100K miles.
Finally had to scrap the vehicle due to mounting issues with a rusted chassis.
My mother and father used to say slow down Parnelli Jones! My Misspent Youth!
Soldier Field...NOT Soldiers Field. "Deserves to be remembered" .
Great story about a great man!
Thank you for beating me to this comment.
Fortunate enough to attend qualification weekends in early 1970’s. Got a Granatelli autograph and photo as treasured memory
He also held the world speed record for a production car in the 1963 Avanti R3 equipped with a Paxton supercharger
Racers today owe so much to pioneers like Andy Granatelli! RIP!
I only attended the Indie 500 once. As a guest of one of the Scandia racing team it far exceeded “Memorable”! Andy was there and I shook his hand. My first experience with STP was at age 12, at the STP booth at the Western Stock Show. The STP guys were demonstrating the screw driver stunt. I watch everyone, including my father and uncle fail. They both had grips of steel one being a truck driver before power steering was popular in large diesel semis and the other a life-long farmer. I noticed the harder people squeezed, the quicker they failed. Also I noticed the additive was somewhat tacky. I picked up the screwdriver as gentler as possible and it held. Everyone one was amazed. As requested, I repeated the demo. I related this story to Andy. He immediately asked if I wanted to go to work for him. After a long conversation, we decided he couldn’t afford me, my being a successful computer salesperson. However, the offer was MIGHTY seductive!
Thank You for showcasing Andy. He was a true hero to those of us who grew up with cars in our heads in the 60's and 70's
Good Morning and Happy Friday THG
I remember the race in 67 with the Turbine Car and it motivated me to go to the USN gas Turbine school. I thought it would be the car of the future since it would run on anything flammable you could put thru a fuel line. Gasoline to powdered coal to soybean oil. Unfortunately, the engine would be a tad expensive, and would outlast the body by 4-5 times. I figured they would just sell you another body. Those were great days!
luckily, I found, your great site.
Fantastic video regarding a much overlooked figure.
I'd love to see you cover Jimmy Clark and Tazio Nuvolari's careers in one your videos. Those guys were immense.
Yes, please.
Also Phill Hill.
Moved to Southwestern Michigan from Canton, Ohio in 1959. My father liked cars and driving them. He joined a Rally group that would give directions from point A to point B and set the timer... The rally would run over back roads and the directions were not "Turn left on Whatsit Lane" but rather, "Third lane west of the white roofed barn, turn away from the house..." I rode in the back seat looking at the scenery and listening to my parents discuss the directions. I don't remember that we ever got lost. As a kid I toured the Ford Factory in Detroit, visited the Ford Rotunda, Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum.
I went to to stock car races in Detroit, on occasion. The name Andy Granatelli and other racers were common.
Thanks for the memories.
Ah. You want suggestions? Colleen Moore's Dollhouse at the Museum of Science and Industry. Was in the basement, not far from the submarine exhibit entrance (German U boat?) and the coal mine walk through entrance. I always walked by those displays. The Doll House always drew me like a magnet. It has a History, was taken on tour to raise money for charity during the depression.
I have to go to that Speedway museum at some point. That would be cool to see some of the old cars and components.
It is a fantastic museum run by legit good people. We have loved working with IMS.
I do not remember seeing this in the 2 tears since, just want to say thanks for showing it, awesome racing history.
Thanks so much, Mr. Granatelli sponsored my hero, Jim Clark's last ride at Indy in 1967. Jim Clark was the reason I wanted to drive a racing car.
Me too. In 1962, I was a 'paper boy' for the Indianapolis Star. My manager said he would take us the the Indy 500 time trials. I had a ball! Paid 3 dollars to have my picture taken with Eddie Sachs. I came home bubbling with excitement and my dad took the family to the 1063 time trials. I walked into the pits and saw the BRG-British Racing Green and yellow Lotus 29 of Jim Clark and knew he had the right stuff or so a 13 year old kid knows. The day Jim Clark was killed in a Formula Two race @ the Hochenhiem Ring was one of the saddest days of my life.
Thank You Mr. Granatelli for your efforts in racing. Rest in Peace Sir.
Dear Uncle Lance, One million thank you's for this long awaited episode of one of my personal heroes, the GREAT Andy Granatelli ... Mr 500 & Mr STP. A 100% true American made hero, inventor, showman.
Mr 500 made growing up in the 1960's marvelous ... I had a friend who's family owned AUTO supply emporiums, and that kept me supplied with all kinds of STP stickers and advertising memorabilia.
I would like to recommend to everyone who is interested in the incredible US history in regards to auto racing read the book Mr 500, Holy Smokes what a life this self made man lived, simply fascinating.
Thanks again for one more fantastic episode. Andy Granatelli life and incredible accomplishments is without a doubt, HISTORY that Deserves to be REMEMBERED ...
Best wishes and kindest regards, C.D.
As a kid in the 70's, myself and all my friends had STP stickers on our bikes, skateboards, etc.
When I was in elementary school, having a STP sticker on your notebook and bike was almost required....
My Dad worked for Copolymer Rubber and Chemical Corporation in Addis, Louisiana. They made the base product for STP. I miss my Dad.
Andy Granatelli was one of my favorites Used STP in my VW Bugs. Both went to over 120,000 on the original engines.
(except for #3cylinders. New Oilcooler towers helped..)
I live 5 miles west of the Indianapolis motor speedway. I have enjoyed attending races since I was a kid. Probably been to more than 20 races. Me and my wife now attend every year for the last 5. It's a magical place that gives me goose bumps during the opening ceremonies. I miss Jim Neighbors singing, back home again.
I had the sometime pleasure of working at a small weekly newspaper where the sportswriter, semi-retired from a life of full-time work at midsize dailies in the Carolinas, often regaled us with stories of covering NASCAR in its '70s and '80s heyday.
He got to know a few of the drivers and still called a few once or twice a year to check on them. He was particularly close with Cale Yarborough.
He once told us he overheard someone ask a Petty team member, "What does STP stand for, anyway?"
The answer: "Shit, That's Profit."
This story shared with my apologies. And laughs! 😄
My opinion for what it is worth is that NASCAR going to tube framed cars that all have identical bodywork is where they jumped the shark. I loved watching the pre-tube framed cars doing 190 MPH drifts on the high banks.
When I was a kid in the 70's the joke was that STP stood for "Shitty Toilet Paper.
@@dukecraig2402 My father was a mechanic, he always joked that STP stood for "Stop That Pounding". He always added it to his own cars, and many customers cars too.
@@Turbodog1000
That's great, I'm gonna have to remember that one.
Another special item about the '69 Indy 500 race is that the right rear tire nut jammed and had to last the entire race in order for that car to win. In general, I've loved every THG video I've watched. If I may suggest another motor sports legend to cover, Daniel Sexton Gurney.
Agreed on Dan Gurney. A driver who won in:
- Formula One
- Indy Car
- NASCAR
- Sports Cars (He was AJ Foyt's teammate when they won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1967, the year after the race depicted in "Ford vs. Ferrari")
- He got Ford Motor Company and Colin Chapman together to revolutionize Indy Car racing by building the first winning rear-engined Indy Cars
- Founded All American Racers and built and raced his own cars in Indy Car and F1
- Won an F1 race in a car he helped design and build
- As noted, tying two threads together, his first Indy 500 win was as a car builder. In 1968 Bobby Unser drove an AAR Eagle to victory over the STP Turbines
- His second Indy 500 win was as a car builder. In 1973 Gordon Johncock won the race in an AAR Eagle sponsored by . . . . Andy Granatelli and STP
- In 1973 his cars were so good 2/3rds of the Indy 500 starting field were AAR Eagles
- His third Indy 500 win was his only as a car owner and builder. Bobby Unser was his driver in the rain shortened 1975 race
- Built a stock-block Chevrolet V8 powered Eagle Indy Car that sat on the front row of the 1981 Indy 500, went last to first for AARs last IndyCar win at Milwaukee later that year, almost won at Watkins Glen, and was so good it was almost banned.
- Brought Toyota into IMSA and IndyCar racing
Well done. A very nice tribute to "Mr. 500".
Oh, HG, the memories kept flooding back...I was familiar with AG, but learned a ton more about him from your presentation. He was the PT Barnum of motor racing... thank you!!!
This is a good companion piece to your previous items on the Indianapolis Speedway.
His book was a good read from my early days. Thank you.
Awesome...fulfilling a childhood dream...at 55 I finally went to the 2016 Indy 500...it was great fun...Mario Andretti will always be my favorite driver of all time...his autographed photo hangs on my wall...Go Andy!
Mario was an excellent spokesman for motorsports. I think he could appeal to almost anyone.
I read Granatelli's autobiography twice when I was young.
I was going to mention the land speed record run at Bonneville in the 1980's, but History Guy got that into the video. I still have that issue of AutoWeek magazine.
Stickers on cars was a big thing in the late '60's and early '70's. STP was the king sticker. Some of the other popular ones were Isky, Edelbrock, Holley, Crane, Crower and, my personal favorite, the heart shaped "I love my HOOKER headers".
Hi, I would like to offer a topic for a future show. I grew up in the "Indiana Soldiers and Sailors Children's Home" in Knightstown, Indiana. I was there from age 6, 1966 to 1974. The children's home was started after the Civil War and lasted until after 2010. Over 100 years of operation. At the end of this great institution, the location owned many acres and somewhere close to a hundred buildings on its campus Today alumni keep in touch with social media. There is a long history of caring for the children of servicemen and servicewomen on this campus. Please consider telling this story because this is history that deserves to be remembered
I would like to hear such a glorious history.
Andy was a good man. He was tough, but he was fair. Thank You.
Not sure how I missed this one when it released. I especially love when you do videos on cars or racing related things. Andy was the man. I had STP stickers on everything growing up, and his cars were the inspiration for my Pinewood Derby car.
I have lived near the Speedway for 40 years. There are so many interesting personalities associated with the race.
He would visit his shops across the country! It had to be 1977 when watching 👀 his commercial and noticing him walk in!
Thank you for this. Hearing the names of these once giants of racing kept a smile on my face. He lived an amazing life and never settled.
ford 289!! a significant contribution to my life!
Born (67) and raised in Indy. It was impossible not to know of the Andy Granatelli.
Andy Granatelli was a giant in the racing world I remember him well on tv
You did a wonderful tribute to Andy!👍
Andy Granatelli was famous for STP (Stay Together Please).
All those dudes standing on the track with race cars flying past. What a time in history!
He was, and is, an amazing man!
I know that it's short notice but the music venue gambling house in Montreux Switzerland burned fifty years ago on December 4 1971 and was the subject of the huge Deep Purple song Smoke on the Water. Very interesting story to tell there...
Thanks for this, what a brilliant and personable man he was. I am smiling ear-to-ear.
Another Indy 500 story! Thanks very much. I too had an STP sticker on my grade school binders! I still have a few in my racing momentos. Great Story!
I've never heard this name. I love racing, love to learn about everything. Thank you History Guy and Wife 🙏.
I was a Studebaker owner as a kid, and a Novi and Avanti fan until forever.Andy wS THE GREATEST.
I saw the STP turbines in '67 and '68. My dad and I used to go over for the time trials, and you could walk right through the garages up and down Gasoline Alley; Clark, Hill, Foyt, Ruby, Hurtubise, Andretti, Parnelli, Unsers...magic era!
Being born and raised in Indianapolis, and of big fan of the "500" - especially the former years till around the mid 1980's, this episode was close to my heart. 1963 was my actual first year of becoming a true fan of Indy racing. The STP cars were unique with the NOVI V-8 engine. I personally liked the England built Lotus cars of designer- owner, Colin Chapman. His main driver became my all-time favorite: Jimmy Clark of Duns, Scotland. When Chapman's company (Lotus Cars, Ltd.) joined Grantelli's STP Corporation, I thought, the Grantelli boys were sooner or later going to get finally a winner in "Victory Cirle" at Indy and elsewhere. So it was, three times (1969 ,1973 & 1982: Mario and Gordon Johncock of Coldwater, Michigan) wins at Indy, alone. The STP boys almost did it again in the 1980's with talented Columbian race driver, Roberto Guerrero (which I was pulling for to win)
Yes. Andy was a "one of a kind" in motorsport's history. And...I used his products many times. The "stuff" works.
I grew up in Indianapolis and now live 20 miles north. Andy Granatelli was a household word and many were so disappointed that the turbine car failed. Funny that the turbine engine dominated racing boats which originated from Madison, Indiana (Thunder on the Ohio)but never evolved into the four wheel rubber to the road racing. I recommend to everyone to visit the Indianapolis 500 race track anytime during the year and enjoy the wonderful museum which is extremely awesome.
Really a fantastic report about the Granatelli empire. Well done
The speedway museum ran a special Granatelli exhibit last fall to this spring showcasing many of his cars and memorabilia. It was great!
I am from Indianapolis. One of my sisters still lives in Speedway. My Grandfather ran a radiator repair shop back when the Indy cars still used them and a few in the Speedway museum have been handled by him. Thank you for this story of a very important man my Grandfather never told me about. I continue to learn from you with each and every new video.
Indy cars still use radiators, they're just not out front, but in the side pods.
As soon as I saw this I immediately thought of my Grandfather. He swore by the positive benefits of STP in his cars and his Cattle Truck.In all fairness (and despite my Pop muttering that STP. Was useless)I noticed that his Vehicles seemed to run well.Thanks for a great memory!
I really enjoyed this piece. The irony of turbine engines and electric cars is deafening.Indy banned turbine engines out of fear that they would replace piston engines on the track as they had already replaced piston engines in the aviation world. Here we are again at the obvious change of times as the EV is replacing the piston engine powered car.
Good video! Dad was racing director for Valvoline 1960-70 and knew Andy. And as they did not compete, oil vs additive, they became friends. Dad even bought a Studebaker from Andy. The smartest move Andy made, IMHO, was the deal with Petty. WAY more exposure than his Indy ventures. Part of the Petty deal grew out of a 'friendly competition' Andy had with Dad and Valvoline. Thanks
Thank you, in England the Indy 500,was a legendary race track, and if it was ever broadcasting in England, the lounge was full. Such a great man. Give my love to history cat, and thank you for filling in the gaps to my knowledge ❤️❤️🇬🇧
Until now I wasnt familiar with the STP story or who ran it. My dad covered the Indy 500 races for a radio station in the late 1960's and interviewed most of the drivers of those races. I'll have to ask him if ever met this guy.
Thanks for this look at Andy Granatelli, History Guy, and wow, his promoting an auto race in a football stadium with nearly 90,000 fans in attendance was truly epic. And it is hard to see in my little thumbnail, but I am wearing red pants with STP Oil Treatment over a white stripe on either side. They were Petty team-issue pants from the '73 season, I think it was, and my Dad, who had been involved full-time in auto racing in '69 and '70, worked with the Pettys when they ran Riverside and Ontario in Southern California for a few seasons in the early '70s. And on a chilly winter day in Frankfurt, West Germany in early '75--we had just moved from California because of my father's construction work--my Dad snapped that photo as I was doing my Evel Knievel thing on my Sting-Ray. And those red pants were the closest I could get to something flashy like Evel. And it was STP so it was cool. And later that year, I won a bicycle road race in Frankfurt, sponsored by the USO and 7-Up for American teens. And for sure, I wore an STP T-shirt.
I remember Andy Granatelli from when I was a kid but I did not know half of what you shared here, Thank You !!!
So much history, and even with these thrice-weekly installments, we're still ignorant of so much!
I missed Wednesday this week- as you might notice in this episode, my voice has been hit by a head cold.
My Dad owned a garage in the 70's. Every mechanic had STP stickers on their tool-boxes... and cars. There was one on the front door, and the bathroom door, the cash register.
Go to the drag races on the weekends and STP was there handing out boxes and boxes of stickers.