How Indy Went From 150 To Nearly 200 MPH!
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Term
turbocharged
A turbocharged engine uses a device that forces extra air into the engine. More air usually means more power, which is why turbos are common in high-speed racing.
Term
aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is how the shape of the car interacts with the air. In racing, it matters because it can either slow the car down (drag) or help it stick to the track (downforce).
Term
slick tires
Slick tires are race tires with no tread grooves. That lets them make more rubber contact with the track, which usually means better grip for faster driving.
Term
ground effects
“Ground effects” are design features under a race car that use the air under the car to push it down onto the track. More downforce means the car grips better, so it’s less likely to slide out at high speed.
Term
fuel tank behind the driver
Putting the fuel tank behind the driver is meant to keep fuel farther from the driver’s body during crashes. That can reduce the chances of a fire reaching the cockpit.
Term
carbon fiber
Carbon fiber is a strong but lightweight material made from fibers bonded together. Race cars use it to save weight and help protect the driver in crashes.
Term
safer barrier
A safer barrier is a crash wall built to absorb energy. The goal is to make impacts less violent than hitting a hard, unyielding wall.
Term
AWS
AWS is a name for a system where the car can steer with both the front and rear wheels. It’s designed to help the car turn and stay stable.
Term
drive-by-wire systems
Drive-by-wire means the car uses electronics instead of cables or rods to control things. For steering, your steering input becomes signals that tell the system how to move the wheels.
Term
rearsteering vehicles
Rearsteering vehicles steer using the back wheels only, while the front wheels stay fixed. It’s not the same as a normal car where the front and rear wheels work together.
Term
four-wheel steering
Four-wheel steering is when not just the front wheels turn— the rear wheels can turn too. That helps the car turn tighter and feel more agile, especially when it’s heavy.
Term
front wheel steering
Front wheel steering just means the front wheels are the ones doing the turning. In a four-wheel steering setup, the rear wheels coordinate with the front wheels to help the car turn better.
Term
rear wheels
Here, the rear wheels aren’t just pushing the car—they’re also involved in how the car turns. That coordination is what makes four-wheel steering feel more responsive.
Term
turning radius
Turning radius is how tight a car can turn. A smaller turning radius means it can make sharper turns, which is handy in parking lots and city driving.
Term
out of warranty
“Out of warranty” means the vehicle is no longer covered by the manufacturer’s warranty terms for repairs. That matters because complex systems like four-wheel steering can become expensive to fix when failures occur after coverage ends.
Term
malfunction
A malfunction means something in the car isn’t working correctly. With complex systems, one failure can sometimes cause other parts to stop working too.
Brand
Audi
Audi is a luxury car brand. The host is saying that some Audi models can be optioned with four-wheel steering.
Brand
BMW
BMW is a luxury car brand. The host is listing BMW among brands that offer four-wheel steering on some models.
Brand
Mercedes
Mercedes is a luxury car brand. The host says Mercedes offers four-wheel steering as an option on some models.
LIVE
AndapleasantSaturdaymorningtoyou,andwelcometotheInwheelTimeCarTalkShow.
Wearesogladtohaveyouwithusandwelcome.
Justahead,authorRickSchaeferandhisbook,AnIncredibleDecadeofSpeedatIndy.
It'sanewtrackrecord.
It'sagreatbook.
Wejusthadalittleconversationwithhimbeforewewentontheair,andgreatguy.
You'regoingtoreallyenjoythisinterview.
Jeffhasuhcarculture.
Hisfeaturethisweekisgoingtobeonfour-wheelsteering.
Yep.
Dotheyevenmakeitanymore?
Marshasoffthebeatenpath,cartingaroundtheHoustonarea.
That'sK-A-R-T-I-N-G,notcarding.
Howdy,alongwithMikeoutofthisworld,Mars.
WealwaysneedmoreJeffZeken.
I'mDonArmstrong.
SogladthatyoucouldjoinusforourliveversionoftheInRealTimeCarTalkShow.
Allright.
Jeffrey,howhaveyoubeen?
Good,good.
We'reliketheuhtheuhblackshirtgangthisweek.
UhIhadauhwardrobemalfunction.
Myblueshirtwasinterferingwiththeinternet,soweallwentblack.
Sothereyougo.
Butgood,it'sbeenagoodweek.
That'swhatIheard.
Yep.
Hey,wenttouhuhSpaceCenterHoustonthispastweek,anditwasawesome.
Ifyouifyou'reinHoustonorifyou'recomingtoHouston,youneedtogoseeit.
Itisincredible.
Yeah,itreallyis.
Mr.
Marnes,uhyousurvivedtherainsoverthere?
Yes,wedid.
We'restartingtodryoutalittlebit.
Well,that'sgonnachangeagainhere.
Soisitisitisitthewholecounty'sgoingdryorjustyourcity?
No,justthisthisblockareacounty.
Theworld'sgoingdryoverhere.
Well,let'sgettoourguest,shallwe?
He'sbeenuhsittingarounddoingnothing,waitingforustostarttheshow,andlet'sjustgetrighttoit.
HisnameisRickSchaefer,anduhthebookisit'sanewtrackrecord,decadeofspeed,indie62to72.
Whatagreatdecade.
Idon'tknowhowyoucameupwiththat,buttalkaboutadecadeofspeed.
Let'stalkaboutadecadeofchange.
Yougofromfrontenginetorearengine,anduhmyGod,everythingreallychangedinthatdecade,Rick.
Well,actually,there'sastorybehindhowIcameupwiththisidea.
Itisn'tmyidea.
UhtherewerewhenImyfirstbookcameoutin1999onthefirst20yearsoftheCARTIndyCarseries.
AndumafterIcameout,aphotographerfriendofminenamedSteveStonysaid,Hey,ifyouthinkyouwanttodoanotherbook,Igotagreatideaforyou.
AndIsaid,Well,what'sthat?
Andhesaid,Well,thinkoftheyears62to72andalltheinterestingcars,drivers,andteamsthatcamethroughduringthatera.
AndIthought,that'sagreatidea.
Well,unfortunately,Stevepassedawayin2009,butIthoughtifIgetthisbookuhwrittenandgetitpublished,I'mgonnadedicateittoSteve.
That'sexactlywhatI'vedone.
Well,youknowoneofthefirstthingthatcomestomymindwhenitcomestothatdecade,AndyGranatelli,theSTPteam.
Rememberthat?
Yeah.
Hewas,youknow,hewasactuallyin62,hebroughttheNovibackforthefirsttimesincethe50s.
Anduhtheydidn'tmaketheracethatyear,butuhthat'swhereyoustartoutwithnoeyes,andthenhebringstheyouknow,hehadthefirstsuccessfultournamentcars,anduhofcoursethatDaguaorangecolortheypaintedtheircars.
Thatwasyouknow,theystoodout.
Itwasjusthewasanincredibleshowman,anditwasitwasneatthatyouknowhewasamajorpartofthisera.
Sowell,I'llneverforgettheteam,theteamcolors,thosewhitekindofjumpsuitthingswithSTPstickersalloverthem.
Yeah,yeah,everybodyhadtheSPDSTPstickersonyourtoolboxandonyournotebooksandbinderseverywhere.
Theylookedlikethiswaswearable.
Theylooklikegasstationattendants.
Theybasedthemonactuallythatwasthekindofshort-sleevecoverallthattheEuropeanteamswerewearing,buttheyjustputtheirlogoalloverit.
Andyhimself,hehadaregularsuitmadewithentirelycoveredyes.
Suredid.
Soumwhatwhatsookay?
Soweunderstandhowhowyougottowritethebook,butthisisn'tyourfirstbookfromwhatIunderstand.
Right.
Thisismyfourthbookonracing.
SoIIafterthecurrentbook,Igottoco-authortheautocorsehistoryofthe500withDonaldDavidson,andthenmymostrecentbookwasuhIalwaysthoughtit'dbeneattodoastory,abookjustwithnothingbutnondescriptstoriesthatweren'twidelyknownbecausesomanyofthe500bookshadthesamestoriesoverandoveragain,samephotos.
SothenIIuhhadanoutfitcalleduhCoastal181,publisheduhuh500ontheIndy500.
Andthenuh,ofcourse,thisisthisnewbookisisfromthesepeoplefromEngland,wonderfulpeoplenamedEverrowPublishingLimited,anduhitwasmyfirstuheffortwiththem,soI'vebeenveryhappy.
Theyputoutabeautifulproduct.
TheyI'vehadsomeoftheirbooksbefore.
Ihavearacingbookcollectionofabout500copies.
Sowow.
500copies.
So,inotherwords,we'llallgetone.
Anduhwell,thisthere'sbeen500differenttitles,actually.
Sooh,Isee500differentbooks.
Yeah,Iguess.
That'smylibrary,that'smyresearchcenter.
Sowell,hey,we'realwayslookingforafreebie.
Hey,you'reamediaguy,youknowaboutthat.
Oh,yeah.
Asamatteroffact,alittlebitofbackgroundonRick.
Um,heusedtoworkforauhverywell-knownnewspaperthereinIndianapolis,andhewasalsopartofanindieteam.
Tellusaboutthat,Rick.
Well,uh,whenIdecideditwastimetoleavemynewspapercareer,IhadachancetobethepublicrelationsdirectorforuhteamcalledBettenhausenMotorsports,andthiswasrunbyTonyBentonhausen.
Hewastheyoungestsonoftheuhsame-namedriverwhowasyouknowsuchastandoutinthelate40sand50s.
AnduhuhIIworkeduhsixyearswithhim,anduhfortheyearsmydriverwasuhanex401drivernamedStefanJohansson,who'snowgonetobethemanagerofuhpeoplelikeScottDixonandFelixRosenquist.
AnduhwehadayearwithaFrenchCanadiandrivernamedPatrickCarponte,andthenmylastyearwiththeteam,wehadthisuhwonderfulBrazilianrookienamedCastroMavis.
AndIalwaysaskpeopleyouheardofthisguy.
Butheweweformedanicefriendshipfromthat,andandwhenImypreviousbook,heactuallydidtheforward.
SosonaturallywhenIdidthisnextbook,Ihadtogiveanotherfull-timelawyer.
SoIIuhwasveryblessedtohaveAJFoytdothat.
Anduh,hispublicist,Isaid,youknow,he'stheonlydriverstillliving.
ItwasinallthoseracesthatIcoveredthatbook.
Sothatkindofputthedealoverthetop,Ithink.
Well,youknow,I'lltellyou,Ihadtheopportunitytoactuallyhavelunchwithhimonetimeseveralyearsago.
Anduh,youknow,onceyoutakeofftheangerandthecompetitivethingthathe'sgotgoingon,theauraaroundhim,he'sreallyaniceguy.
Yeah,Iyouknow,thethethingaboutMr.
Foytisishowyouapproachhim.
AnduhIbeingarathershyperson,uhIdecidedthebestwaywastogothroughthepubblesystem.
Thatseemstoalwayswork.
AnytimeI'vedealtwithhim,he'sjustbeenyouknowextremelyyouknowcordialandaccommodating.
AnduhactuallyI'lltellyoualittlestory.
UhIwasdoingaIusedtowriteforanowdefunctmagazinecalleduhVintageMotorsport.
AnduhIwasdoingastoryonthe64500,andsonaturallyIhadtotalktohimbecausehewontherace.
AnduhwewereattheHoustonIndyCarrace,andsouhhewasfinishingupbreakfast,soIgoontohiscoachandIsaid,sure,youyouhavecomeonback,andhesaid,DoIknowyou?
AndIsaid,Well,yeah,AJ.
IusedtoworkforthestarwithRobinMiller.
Hegoes,Well,we'vebeenfriendsfor30yearsinHamlet.
Thatjustbroketheice,hadawonderfulinterviewwithhim.
Sowell,uhIwasIwasquitesurprised,pleasantlysurprised.
Uhreallyaniceguy,andumIIthoroughlyenjoyedtheinterview.
Solet'stalktoyourtalktoyouaboutyourbook.
Umso62to72,10yearsattheND500.
Anduhwhatwhatreallysurprisedyouthatyouwouldpointouttoanybodythatreadsyourbook,hey,besureandcheckthissectionout.
Well,actually,overall,isifyoulookat1962,therewerestillskepticsthatthoughtitwasimpossibletogoto150mileanhouruntilPinelliJonesgoesoutandbreaksthetrackrecord.
Andtwoyearslater,BobbyMarsmanhadapracticelapat160,sotheyjumped10milesoverwhatwassupposedlyimpossible.
Bytheendofmyera72,they'renudgingthe200mile-an-hourmarket.
Imean,it'sjustthethingwasitwasjustuhinthose11races,youhadthetrackrecordbrokenninetimes.
So,TomCarney,ofcourse,thetrackannouncergottoutterthatfamousit'sanewtrackrecord.
Anduh,youknow,itwasjustreallyquiteanerafortechnology.
Uh,youwentfromallfrontenginetorearenginecarsuhby1969.
Uhby1970,everyenginewasturbocharged,andtherewerenolimits.
Uhtheyweregettingmorethanathousandhorsepower,youknow,bytheearly70s,andthenuhtheaerodynamicscameintoplay,andofcourse,withthat,wealsohadslicktiresforthefirsttime.
So,youknow,thingslikethat.
That'swhatreallymadethissospecialthedifferentthingsthathappenedanduhthepeoplewhoyouknowcameandwet.
Sotheititmakesmethinkofthequestionwhatdoyouthinkoftoday'scarsandtoday'stechnology?
Imeanuhuh240milesanhour?
Seriously,somebody'sgonnagetkilled.
Well,interestingly,they'vegottensaferasthey'vegottenfaster.
UhIknowitdoesn'tsoundlikethat'dberight,butuh,youknow,they'vethey'vecomeupwithalotofways.
Probablythemainthingthathelpedthemsafety-wisewaswhentheywenttothegroundeffects,theyputthefueltankbehindthedriver,sosuddenlyfire'snolongeranissuethatithadoncebeen.
Youknow,youseeafireinacar,it'susuallytheoilreservetanksuhignited.
Anduh,youknow,thethematerials,thecarbonfiberismuchbetterthanthealuminumorthanthehoneycombaluminumtheyuseforthetubs.
Uhyouknow,thehelmetsarebetter,thefiresuitsarebetter.
Andofcourse,uh,youknow,theytheSpeedwaywasthefirsttousethis,whattheycallthesaferbarrier,whichisareally,youknow,youwouldn'tthinkthatitwoulditwouldit'scushioningthetheeffectsoftheirwhenthey'rehittingthewall,aslongasthey'rehittingsolidconcrete,notyouknow,nogiveanyway.
Soum,butumthey'vehadaknockonwooduhsince1982,they'vehaduhthreefatalitiesofindiecardriversatthespeedway.
Sowe'regoingonlikea23-year-old.
Thelastguythatwaswasuhkilledwasuhinatest,uhuhpromisinglookingTonyRanahadfinishedsevenththepreviousMay.
Thiswasthefallof2003,andtheyhaven'thadafatalityforindicatordriverssinceinIndianapolisanyway.
Andthisisthistractor,youknow,totaledlike43driverslosttheirlivesthereovertheyears.
Sowhowasthegrumpiestdriverthatyoueverinterviewed?
Ohboy,that'sagoodquestion.
IIIthinkIwasprettylucky.
Ididn'treallyrunintoyouknowalotofyouknow,thequestionis,youknow,whenyoutalktothisperson,Imean,umuhmyfirstautographwasAlAncer.
Hewasarookieman.
Iwasalittle12-year-oldkid,andhetalkedtomybrotherandIlikewewerebored.
AnduhwhenIwenttothestarandreadytodomyfirstAlAncerfeature,Iwaswarningnow,listen,youknow,hedoesn'tseeyouasafanlikehedidwhenyouwereakid.
So,youknow,hehedoesn'thedidn'tlikereporters.
IIthinkhegotburnedbyacoupleofpeople,souh,youknow,itwasnotthefuninterviewIthoughtitwasgonnabe.
ButuhreallyI'vebeenreallyluckythatIhaven'thadany,youknow,tattooswithdrivers.
IIthinkItriedtobecarefulaboutwhentoapproachthem,anduh,youknow,inthecaseofAJFoyt,youknow,you'reyou'rebestservedonsomeofthemarebetterwhenyougothroughthepublicsystemintheirfaceanduhbotheringsoright.
Well,IIIfinditfascinating.
Welltellmeaboutuhthechangesatthespeedwayuhnowthatuhthebosshastakenoverthatspeedway,andanduhtherehavebeenquiteafewchanges.
Yeah,youknow,we'restillintheearlypartofthis.
Uhhewasreallykindofhamperedbecausewhenheboughtthetrack,thenCOVIDcameon.
SoI'mnotreallysureallthethingshe'sgonnado.
UhnowII'm73yearsold,andIIlastfiveyearsI'veI'vegonetotherace,notasajournalist,butasafanagain.
AndmybrotherandI,wesitonthetoprowofwhattheycalltheVISPAstandsandturnfour.
Sothat's44rowsup.
Andthisyeartheyputhandrailsontheaisles.
Andboy,forforus,thatwasayouknowawonderfullittlething.
Youwouldn'tthinkwouldbeabigdeal.
It'sabigdealtoyouraveragefan.
Butuh,youknow,RogerPenske,ofcourse,he'snotedforhisuhimmaculate-lookingcarsandanduhcrewguidesandtransporters.
Souh,youknow,thespeedwaywasn'treallydecrepitwhenheboughtit,butyouknow,youcanjustseehe'sreallymakingextrastridestomakeitevenmoreprofessional-lookingfacility.
AndI'mbiased,Ithinkit'sthegreatestracingtrackintheworld.
SoI'vebeenthereacoupleoftimes,andIhavetotellyouthatuhthoroughlyimpressed.
AndI'vebeentoalotofracetracksaround,butthere'ssomethingextraspecialaboutIndy,anduh,youknow,it'sagreatbighugelongtrack.
Andifyou'regonnagopickaseat,well,goodluckbecauseyou'renotgoingtoseetheentiretracklikesomanyaretoday,andthat'sthewaythatthey'rebuilt.
Butuhwhenthisthingwasbuilt,theydidn'thaveallofthein-fieldstuffgoingonliketheydotodaytoblocktheview.
Well,actuallytheyhadalotmoretreesintheability,youthink.
Oh,really?
Yeah,andandtheotherthingwasthegrandstandswerejustsinglelevel,soitwasn'tuntilafterthewartheyputthetheyouknowthedoublelevelgrandstandsonuhthefrontstraightaway,andthenofcoursethebusinessstandIreferredto,they'reinalltheturnsnow.
They'reverythey'realothigherthantheotheroneseverhadbeen.
Souh,youknow,mytoprowis44,andthentheysomeofthemhaveanoverhangwithtwomorerowsofseats.
Yeah,sothetrackhadtogrowaroundthetrack,ifyouwill,becausethethetrack,theracesurface,isprettymuchlikeitwas,otherthanyouknow,beingfixedupandmaintained.
Butitsoundslikethetrackitselfgrewaroundthat.
Well,whathappenedactuallywaswhentheywereplanningthetrack,uhtheywantedtobuildafive-mile-longcircle.
Andsothepropertytheyboughtaftertheytheytheyhiredtheengineeraftertheyboughtthepropertyandandtheygetintogetherandtheyshowhimamapthat'sgottheirproperty,anditwas328acresofuhfarmland,soitwasflat.
Anduhuhtheywentin,theytoldhimthisiswhattheywant.
Well,theproblemwasthetheconfigurationofthepropertywasamilelonggoingnorthtosouth,halfmilewide,easttowest.
Soit'slikeyoudothemath,canyouputafive-milecircleinsideahalfmilerectangle?
Ofcourseyoucan't.
Sothisengineerseizedthemomentbecausehecanseetheseguysarereadytosellthispropertyandstartlookingelsewhere.
Anduhhelaidoutathree-milerectangle.
That'sthething,it'snotanoval,it'sarectangleofnine-degreeroundedcorners.
Anduhitwasathree-miletrackthattookupalltheroom,butthenherealizedhehadnotleftanyroomforuhuhuhgrandstands.
Andhesaid,Youdidsayyou'regonnahaveraces,right?
Andtheysaid,Yeah,hesaid,Okay,Ineedtoshortenthetrackbyahalfamilebecauseweneedtoputthegrandstandsontheoutsideofwhatwouldbethefrontstraightaway,andthathalfmilewillgivemeenoughroomtodothat,anduhsothat'swhythetrackisshapedlikeitis,andofcourse,youknow,thegrandstandsthatIdon'tthinktheyenvisionedhavingthemallalmostallthewayaroundtheentiretracknow.
Nowthegolfcoursecamearoundinthelate20s,anduhwhatwasfunnywastheyoriginallyweregoingtobuildaninfillroadcourse,butCarlFisher,thethemaindrivingforceamongthefounders,decidedlet'smakethisanaviationautomotivefacility.
Soforawhile,youactuallyhadarunninguhrunwaythatwentdiagonalbetweenturnsoneandthree,andalargebuildinginsideofturntwo,whichwecallahangartoday,theycallitanaerodrome,it'sthebiggestintheworldatthetime.
So,andallthatgotdemolished,andthegreataviatorRickEddieRickenbackerboughtthetrackandputsitinagolfcourse.
Sowell,afascinatingstory.
Andlisten,wecouldwecouldsitandtalktoyouforatleastadayandpickinyourbrainaboutIndyanduhtheIndy500anduhthecars,thedrivers,allofthat.
Butthenewbook,it'sit'sanewtrackrecord,1962to72,anincredibledecadeofspeedattheIndianapolisMotorSpeedway.
Theauthor,RickSchaefer,uh,andwecertainlyappreciatethetimethatyou'vespentwithustoday,Rick.
Andandwewishyouthebestofluck.
Andhey,uh,callusanytime,becausewewecantalktoyouaboutthebookallwewant,butyouknow,wewealsolikeafellowjournalist,anduhanduhIknowthatyou'vegottonsofstoriestotell.
WecouldmeethimatIndynextyear.
Yeah,that'sright.
Sowe'llmeetyouthere.
Youcanbuyusahotbook.
Okay,we'llwe'llwe'llwe'lllookforwardtothat.
Rick,thankssomuchagain.
Beforeyouleave,Ididwanttomentiontoyou,thisisatabletopbook.
Father'sDayiscomingup,andasyoumentionedofftheair,Rick,thatuhgotouhanyjustGoogleuhthethebookorRick'sname,anduhI'msurethatthereareprobablyadozendifferentplacesthatyoucangetthebook,anditwouldbeagreatonetohaveuhtogiveawaytodad.
Well,thankyouforthekindwords.
AndandcanIsayonequickthingbeforeweleave?
Please,pleasedo,yes.
Okay,uh,youwerementioningafour-wheelsteeringcar.
Yes.
Well,MickeyThompsonbroughtonetothespeedwayin1967,andthere'sapictureofitonpage153ofthebook.
Sowell,there'smysegment.
Thanks.
Allright,Rick.
Well,thankyou.
Thanksagain.
Wereallyappreciateyou,andbestuhbestoflucktoyouinthefuture,andwe'lltalktoyoutalktoyoudowntheroad.
Thankyou.
Thanks,sir.
Thankyou.
Hey,justahead,Jeff'scarculture,four-wheelsteering,aswejustmentioned.
Marshasgo-karttracksaroundHoustonandhisdrivingdestinationsfeature.
AllthatmorecominguprightafterthisbreakontheIn-WheelTimeCarTalkShow.
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I'mgettinganewsuitcaseforallofmyhaircareproducts,specificallyforthat.
Allright.
TimenowforJeff'sCarCulture.
Four-wheelsteering.
Yeah,uhwewe'veheardofit,we'veseenitsomewheredemonstrated,butuhitwasfirstpopularizedinthe80s.
Uhfour-wheelsteeringorfourWSisall-wheelsteering,uhAWSisall-wheelsteering,relativelycommon,butall-wheelsteeringuhdoeshaveuhcertainbenefitsandalsohascertainthingsthatyoureallydon'twanttogetinvolvedin.
Sorear-wheelsteeringvehiclesutilizeasystemwhererearwheelscanturninconjunctionorwithoppositetothefrontwheels,enhancingmaneuverabilityandstability.
Thesystemallowstherearwheelstoturnineitherdirectionorinthesamedirectionasthewheelscalledparallelforstabilityathighspeeds.
Whyfour-wheelsteeringyoumightask?
Mikewasaskingthis,uhcarmanufacturersfitfour-wheelsteeringinvariousreasons.
Highspeeds,rearsteering,uhrearwheelsnormaltoturninthesamedirectionasthefrontwheels,aswhereasatlowspeedstheywouldturninanoppositedirection.
Thesedrive-by-wiresystemsusuallyhavenophysicallinkagebetweenthesteeringwheelandtherearwheels,unlikeearliermechanical.
That'scomfortingtoknow.
Yeah.
Uhisitthesame?
Well,sinceallcarsfrontwheelsaresteeredinthefrontwheel,uhandsomearereferredtoasrearsteeringvehicles,thatwouldbelikeaforkliftorarearskidturninguhdevice,uh,butnotstrictlycorrect.
Itreferstoavehiclethathasfixedfrontwheelsandsteeredbytherearwheelsonly,suchasaforklifttruck,asjuststated.
Now,four-wheelsteeringisusedmostpopularuhtohandleonthebestsportscarsandmaneuverabilityofsomeofthebiggestSUVsandtruckmodels.
It'sagreatwaytoaidthehandlingofalargeheavy-dutytruckoralargeheavy-dutySUV,andappearstobemorenimbleandagileastheywouldotherwisebe.
It'susuallyfoundinmoreexpensivevehiclesandnotregardedtobeworththecomplexity,weight,andextracostoftheyear.
YoureverydaysmallvehicleslikeyourHondas,yourToyotas,andthings.
Well,howdoesitwork?
Well,wejusttalkedalittlebitaboutthat,butmainlythefrontwheelsteeringuhsteersitwhiletherearwheelsprovidethemotivativeforceinthatdirection.
Souhyou'resaying,well,uhwhatkindofcarsdoweusuallygetthemon?
Well,theengineandthedrivetraindomatteronthis.
Uhit'sareportthattheuhdifferentspeedsanddifferentuhturningradiuses,whichuhareverylimitedonsomeoftheseaswell.
Someofthedisadvantagesyou'relookingatthecost.
Now,ifyouhavethesystem,ifyouweretobuyitonacarnowadays,you'relookingataboutafivegrandoptionforthis.
Ifitwastogooutofwarrantyanditbreaks,you'relookinganywherebetweena$1,800minimumrepairpercornerorjustareplacementof$3,500percorner.
Whenthemechanicseesonecominginthedoor,thisdoeshegoeshowdoesthatwork?
Yeah.
Andofcourse,uhoneoftheotherpartsisthemalfunction.
Ifonepartofitgoesdown,thenthentheyallgodown.
Soit'sit'sprettymuchuhit'sait'sariskythingtodo.
VariousAudis,variousBMWs,Ferraris,Lamborghinis,Porschemodels,andyoucanstillgetittotoday.
YoucangetalotofthemthroughMercedes.
Mercedesdoofferitasanoptionwhenyougointhereandlookatthosecars.
AndMikejustclickedonit.
Myfavorite,whichistheuhbonuspick.
There'sarear-wheeldrivevehiclerightthere.
Thatwasactuallyuhafour-wheeldrivevehicle.
Arear-wheeldrive,still-wheelsteering.
Uhsothetiresonthislunarroverwereuhawiremeshuhcompositeuhfordurabilitytoaddtothetemperaturessothattheydidn'tsinkinthesandandtheandthemoondustandallthatgoodstuff.
ButthatvehiclewasonApollo15,16,and17,andthey'restillupthere.
SoIthink,Mike,whatweneedtodoissendyouuptheretobringthembackonaflatbedandwe'llcheckthemout.
Ohyeah.
Thatwouldbefun.
Okay,good.
Well,thatwhatagreatthat'sagreatfeature.
ItookthatuhatuhJohnsonSpaceCenter.
Thatwasadisplay.
Oh,really?
Yeah,that'sagoodlastpicture.
Sothat'swhyI'vesentittoMikeLake.
Let'sgetovertodrivingdestinations.
Mr.
Marshasthat.
We'retalkingaboutgo-karting.
Yeah,sowe'regonnastayalongthesamelinesofsomethingthat'sfuntodrive.
Soifyou'relookingforsomethingthatgoesbeyondthebigindooruhchains,youknow,likearoundHouston,there'sacoupleofplaces,bigmulti-storybuildingsthatuhtakeupseveralblocks.
Andit'ssoifyou'relookingforsomethingthatgetsalittlemorepersonality,alittlebitmorehostorhistory,orsomeoldschoolTexasvibes,thenwe'vegotafewofthosethatwecanlookat.
Sowe'regonnastartwithuhthego-kartraceway,greatnameoffofWestMountHoustonRoadinHouston.
Butfordecades,it'sbeenkindofaquiet,butit'sbeenoneofHouston'sbestoldschooloutdoorcarttracks.
Survivedafterallthesimilarfamilyentertainmentcentershavealldisappeared.
Nowthey'veallgotsomesortofarcadesystemandeverythingbuiltinwithit,butit'sallpartoftryingtomakethatfamilyexperiencetogoalongwithit.
Butnowthisfacilityincludesthearcadegames,lasertag,andthe1960svibe,justanoldschoolvibethatuhfamiliescangoto,particularlytheyoungerriders,becausethey'vegotfourdifferentlevelsofcarts.
Yougotregularcarts,yougottwoseaterssothatyoucantakeandridewiththekids.
They'vealsogotwhattheycallthesupercarts,whichyou'vegottobe15,atleast15yearsoldtodrive,orthey'vegotanF1cartthatyou'vegottobe16withadriver'slicensetobeabletodrive.
Sothey'vegotalotofvarietythereoutthereontheirtracks.
ThenuhthesecondonewouldbeSpeedy'sFastTrackupoffHempsteadRoad.
Now,it'sreallybeenaneighborhoodtypeentertainmentcenterbecausethat'swhatthey'vebuiltandthat'swhatthey'vekept.
Nowit'salongsideHempsteadRoad,sothere'salotofattractionstherewithgo-karts,minigolf,lasertag,andsomearcadegames.
It'skindofacompactplace,butit'salluhsomethingyoucangetto,andit'salittlemorepersonalthanyoufindwithanationalpolishchangewithalotoftheneonlightsandflashingindoorracingtypethings.
It'snotabigtrack,butit'sgotalotoftightturnsthatmightthinkyouabouttheoldschoolwhenyouwereakidandusedtogoanddriveonthem.
Andbecauseitallkeepsalltheracingclose.
It'slivelyandit'sverycompetitivebecauseit'sallsuchlikeashorttrack.
Now,youcanmakeitforagreatcasualdatenightdestinationbecauseitbalancesfun.
Yougotalittlebitofatmosphere,you'vegotlotsofdifferentthingsyoucandoatSpeedy'stogetbecauseofthequirkypersonalitythatkeepspeoplecomingbackyearafteryear.
Thismadethisareallygreatplacetogodo.
Now,theotheronesalittlemoreupscaleisSpeedSportsRacingPark.
We'vetalkedtothesespiesbefore.
AndIbroughttheminbecausetheyareoutoftheway.
They'reupinNewCaney,sothey'reupinSoutheastTexas,ifyouwill,andthey'vegotalotofarcades,ofcourse.
Andyouknow,theydoalotofbirthdaypartiesandtheygotabigvenuethere.
Butit'sallintomotorsportculture.
Theoutdoortrackisfast,it'sverytechnical,andit'sdesignedfordriverswhowanttoimprovelaptimesbecausetheydohaveleagueracingherethatyoucangetinvolvedwith.
Theyalsohavedrivercoachingthatyoucangetinvolvedwith.
Sowhetheryou'reabeginneroryougetintothecompetitivecartracing,uh,youcanseedifferentlevelsofdrivingonthistrackthat'llreachthateverybodycanparticipateon.
Anduhtheyalsoactuallydohavearacingacademythatyoucansignupforifyoureallywanttogetintoitandgetserious.
Thenthenextone,Iwassurprisedtofindthisone,MSRinHouston.
WetalkaboutMSRinHoustonalotbecauseoftheroadcourseonit,uh,butdidnotknowaboutthecarting.
Wow.
Theyactuallyhavecarting.
Now,thisisdowninAngleton.
Uhthey'vegotuhwheretheyalongwithalltheirtrackfortheirroadtrackfortheircarsandstuff,itisatrackthat'ssetupforgolfcarts.
Nowit'spartofthatlikelargercomplex,it'sashortertrack.
Uhit'sathree-quartermilepartofthetrack,andyou'vegottobeatleastthirteenyearsoldtogetonthiscourseandgetonthistrackbecauseitisalittleskillful.
Imean,ittakessomeskillandyou'vegottobeabletodriveit.
Andbecausethetrackitselfislong,it'ssmooth,andit'squickenoughthatyou'regonnagetsomespeedup,andIthinktheycangetuptolike45milesanhourinthiscourse,andsoyou'vegotwiththeturnsandstuff,you'vegotconcretewalls.
It'saracetrackforcarsthatyou'regonnagetintoinagolfinago-kart.
SoyougottabeuhIgottahavesomeskills,yougottapayalittlebitofattention.
ThethelastoneIfoundthatuhIthoughtwasreallyinteresting.
Now,thisisdowninGalveston.
Soit'sstill,IconsiderthatstillpartoftheHoustonarea,butit'sdownonSeawallBoulevardinGalveston.
It'stheGalvestonGo-KartandFunCenter.
Now,thisisBeachtown.
We'retalkingresort,BeachtownEnergy.
It'sgotalotofuhcharmtoitbecauseoftheretrofamilyamusementparksettingit'sin.
Alongtheseawall,it'sveryeasytobepartofthatbeachatmosphere.
Alotofpeopleonvacationsgoingdownhere,butthey'vealsogottheoutdoorcarttrack,andit'snotreallyultracompetitive,butit'sgreatforgoingoutjusttogoforaridethatyouwanttogetquickonandmaybehavealittlefamilyracingsetuporjustsomethingtodoonvacation,likealotoftownsacrossthecountry.
Theydohavearcadegamesandthey'vegotuhalotofotherthingslikepooltables.
Uh,theydohavesomeaxethrowingthatDonfoundrealpopularonetime.
Weweretalkingaboutthat.
ThenwealsohaveauhvirtualrealityrollercoasterthatIthoughtwasratherIwastryingtounderstand.
Don'teventalktomeaboutrollercoasters,okay?
Butit'savirtualone.
Youjustputontheheadsetandgo,man.
Okay.
Well,thankyouverymuch.
Yeah,weappreciatethat.
Drivingdestinationsgo-kartingaroundtheHoustonarea.
Thankyou,Mr.
Mars.
Inrealtimecartalkshowcontinuesrightafterthisquickbreak.
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About this episode
Rick Schaefer joins the hosts to walk through Indy speed history, framing a “decade of speed” from 1962 to 1972 and the shift from front-engine to rear-engine. The conversation hits key milestones—skeptics doubted 150 mph until Pinelli Jones broke the track record, then Bobby Marsman’s 160 mph practice lap moved the “impossible” barrier. They also connect the rise toward 200+ mph to tech and safety changes like ground effects, slick tires, and the safer barrier, plus a detour into four-wheel steering.
Original notes
Indy didn’t just get faster in the 1960s, it transformed. We’re joined by racing author and veteran journalist Rick Saffer to unpack the Indianapolis 500 era from 1962 to 1972, when track records fell at a shocking pace and the Speedway became a live laboratory for IndyCar engineering. We talk about the people who shaped it, the cars that redefined it, and why that decade still explains so much about modern American open-wheel racing.
Rick takes us through the biggest technology shifts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: the move from front-engine roadsters to rear-engine machines, the turbocharged horsepower surge, the growing influence of aerodynamics, and the arrival of slick tires. We also dig into the human side of racing history, from unforgettable team identities like STP to what it’s really like interviewing icons such as A J Foyt, and why a well-timed approach matters when drivers are under pressure.
Then we pivot to today’s road cars with a clear, practical breakdown of four-wheel steering (all-wheel steering): how rear wheels can steer opposite the fronts for tight maneuvers, then steer in parallel for high-speed stability, plus the real-world downsides like complexity and repair cost. To round it out, we share go-karting driving destinations around Houston, from old-school outdoor tracks to more advanced facilities with league racing, coaching, and serious lap-time focus.
If you love Indy 500 history, IndyCar technology, car culture, and hands-on driving fun, hit subscribe, share this with a racing friend, and leave us a review so more people can find the show.
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