{"id":489681,"date":"2007-08-01T15:00:47","date_gmt":"2007-08-01T15:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportscardigest.com\/\/?p=62912"},"modified":"2024-05-12T02:01:36","modified_gmt":"2024-05-12T02:01:36","slug":"the-roadster-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/the-roadster-years\/","title":{"rendered":"The Roadster Years"},"content":{"rendered":"
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My first experience with a front-engine roadster was when I first went back east to race. I wound up driving a lay-down roadster that was built by Quin Epperly. Actually, in my rookie year\u2014my first year there was 1960\u2014I almost won the race at Milwaukee. I was leading in the Epperly, with about 13 laps to go, when the torque arm broke.<\/p>\n

\"Parnelli<\/a>
Parnelli Jones
Photo: Jim Hatfield<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For me, really the only difference between racing a sprint car and a front-engine roadster was that the roadster was a little bigger. At that point in time, I think sprint cars definitely took more talent to drive than the bigger roadsters. However, the big advantage that the roadsters had, obviously, was handling. But I also think the driver had a big part in that. I mean I used to do all my own chassis setups in my sprint cars going back to my jalopy, modified and stock car days. I always did my own setups and, therefore, I think that helped me when I went to the Speedway. It\u2019s not like today, where you have engineers and everything else. Of course, it\u2019s such an aerodynamic thing today but, actually, we had a lot of good drivers who were very mechanical and knowledgeable and did a lot of their own stuff\u2014guys like Foyt. Foyt was big at that\u2014in fact, he still is, in a sense\u2014as well as Hurtubise and some of the other guys.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n