{"id":492234,"date":"2012-03-01T14:00:19","date_gmt":"2012-03-01T22:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportscardigest.com\/\/?p=29604"},"modified":"2024-12-27T12:47:21","modified_gmt":"2024-12-27T12:47:21","slug":"1963-willard-battery-spl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/1963-willard-battery-spl\/","title":{"rendered":"Favorite Racecar? 1963 Willard Battery Spl."},"content":{"rendered":"
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I\u2019ve been associated with many great racecars over the years, and for the most part Indycars. I\u2019m particularly proud of the 1970 and \u201971 Johnny Lightning cars that Al (Unser) Senior drove and won with. In 1971, Mark Donohue in the Penske McLaren was seen by many as the clear favorite, but he didn\u2019t get the pole and didn\u2019t win the race. Al drove a great race to become a member of that special group of \u201cback to back\u201d winners.<\/p>\n

Of course, my favorite car has to be my roadster, the Agajanian\u2019s Willard Battery Special\u2014this has to be my greatest racecar. It was a Watson chassis with an Offy engine, and we won the Indy 500. Looking back at that \u201963 win, I really had some unfinished business. I thought I should have won in 1962, I was the first driver to qualify at a speed over 150 mph, and was the clear leader for the first 300 miles\u2014I was very dominant, long gone, then I lost the brakes. The two pit stops cost me dearly. I finished in 7th with no brakes, or brains!! I should have won that race, it was such a simple thing that cost so much. So, for 1963 I was real fired up.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n