Penske's greatest 'Unfair Advantage' and Ferrari 250 TR heading for record ...
Ever keen to find his 'Unfair Advantage', Roger Penske always searched the regulations for loopholes. 'The Captain' recognised a very big one ahead of the 1994 Indy 500; the rules were more lenient towards push-rod engines but only for the race at Indy. In absolute secrecy he did the unthinkable and commissioned the design and development of a purpose-built push-rod engine just for one race. He also convinced Mercedes-Benz to pay the bill and return to Indy after an absence that had lasted many decades. The result was the Penske PC23 Mercedes, which qualified on pole, led 193 of the 200 laps and won the race in the hands of Al Unser Jr. Not surprisingly the rules were tightened for the next year and so the engine could only be used once. There was more to the 1994 Penske than just its engine as in the CART Championship, with a conventional Ilmor V8 fitted, the PC23 won 11 of the 15 races. Certainly one of the all time great racing cars, we have taken a close look at the PC23 and just how it came to be. The article is illustrated by a 12-shot gallery of the actual Indy winning example in action earlier this month at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Next up for us is the action-packed Monterey classic car week, which is filled with numerous events and auctions. Gooding & Co. look set to go after the record for the most expensive car sold at auction by offering this Ferrari 250 TR Prototipo. Coincidentally, that record is held by a production 250 TR, which changed hands for just over $12 million. What sets the 'Prototipo' apart from its sister cars is the fact that it was the very first 250 TR ever and that is the only 'pontoon fender' TR finished with right hand drive. Chassis 0666 was raced in period by the works team and subsequently by Luigi Chinetti's North American Racing Team (NART) at Le Mans. The current owner is an avid Ferrari collector and he had the car restored to its NART configuration a few years ago. He has since shown and raced the car numerous events, which can be seen in our 18-shot gallery of what may very well be the most breathtaking of all early 250 TRs.
Enjoy the links:
1957 Ferrari 250 TR Prototipo - Images, Specifications and Information
1994 Penske PC23 Mercedes - Images, Specifications and Information
If you should see a man walking down a crowded street talking aloud to himself, don't run in the opposite direction, but run towards him, because he's a poet. You have nothing to fear from the poet - but the truth.
(Ted Joans)
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