If you want to see the full race broadcast, as it was shown on ESPN Classic earlier this year, OldSchoolNascar has the 1975 Indianapolis 500 broadcast. Aside from Keith Jackson and Jackie Stewart, who were doing the lap-by-lap call of the race, Chris Economaki and Sam Posey (who was the lead analyst in 1974 and '76) were the pit reporters, and legendary broadcaster Chris Schenkel served as the host, as he did every year from 1971-'80, co-hosting in 1980 with Dave Diles.
In fact, by being sprung back on to the track and being able to finish the last lap, Billy Vukovich actually moved from eighth place, where he was running when the rain hit, up to sixth, matching the number of his car. Just prior to when this part of the race is picked up, Keith Jackson was talking about well Pancho Carter was doing in a car that had to be completely repaired, when the rain hit, but Jackson was prepared for the rain, because he knew the rain was coming.
You are so correct on that. Today, if that happened, people would of freaked, but then, that was the risk they had to take. You had to keep running until an area was wet.
The Billy Vukovich refered to at 1:39 is the son of the 1953 and '54 winner who died in the '55 race. There was a Bill Vukovich III who raced at Indy as well. He died in a Supermodified racing accident. I don't remember the year.
Today, with real-time doppler radar available on the Internet, everyone could have seen this coming and red-flagged the race a minute or two earlier, before any car spun-out.
I thought that during the fifteen years (1971-85) that ABC carried the Indy 500 on same-day tape, the announcers did the commentary of the first few laps and the last few laps as they took place, and voiced-over a play-by-play description of the middle of the race as the edited tape was being broadcast.
But since the 1975 race ended early, it's likely Jackson and Stewart's call of the finish was recorded as the tape was being broadcast.
Yes, Keith & Jackie had to "join the race in progress" so to speak. It wasn't time for them to do a live call yet. At 0:37 Keith says "hmm who's leading" as if it was in question. That's probably because they weren't paying attention, and were thrown into the call unprepared.
The scoring shows there was no question about who was leading. Bobby and JR had just pit when the yellow light came on for moisture, and Bobby came out way ahead. A few minutes later the drizzle turned to a cloudburst.
Keith Jackson was a last-minute replacement for Jim McKay at the 1975 Indianapolis "500" after the latter fell "under the weather".
If my memory serves me correct, the race was never resumed.
This was part of a stretch (1973 through 1976) when the Indy 500 would end early due to rain three years out of four. Of those four races, only the 1974 running went the full 500 miles.
I thought that I read somewhere that Jim McKay didn't do this race because he was still emotionally upset over the 1973 race (which wouldn't make any sense considering he called the 1974 race).
I wonder what this would have been like if Mr. Jackson and Mr. Stewart had called this live and not later in a trailer, which according to an old Sports Illustrated article is what ABC did for years during their tape-delay coverage.
It seems the story was that when McKay came back for the 1974 race, all anyone wanted to ask him about was the crashes from '73. They ruined the month for him (and '74 was a clean year). he was afraid '75 would be the same, so he took it off.
Ahhh...my first year at Indy. Sat three rows from the track in turn one. Could not look down the front straight since the chain link made a solid blind at that angle. The only thing worse that those seats? Ending in a downpour! Still, a fond recollection of memories.
Jackie almost sounding like a parody of himself. And people wonder why NASCAR doesn't run in the rain.
flooflox 1 week ago
0:12 "and not a single fuck was given that day"
PAXTONF1ob 1 month ago
If you want to see the full race broadcast, as it was shown on ESPN Classic earlier this year, OldSchoolNascar has the 1975 Indianapolis 500 broadcast. Aside from Keith Jackson and Jackie Stewart, who were doing the lap-by-lap call of the race, Chris Economaki and Sam Posey (who was the lead analyst in 1974 and '76) were the pit reporters, and legendary broadcaster Chris Schenkel served as the host, as he did every year from 1971-'80, co-hosting in 1980 with Dave Diles.
cjs3872 4 months ago
The other cars that spun besides Billy Vukovich include Pancho Carter, Bill Puterbaugh, Jimmy Caruthers, and Bentley Warren.
TheSubstituteGnome 9 months ago
@TheSubstituteGnome
In fact, by being sprung back on to the track and being able to finish the last lap, Billy Vukovich actually moved from eighth place, where he was running when the rain hit, up to sixth, matching the number of his car. Just prior to when this part of the race is picked up, Keith Jackson was talking about well Pancho Carter was doing in a car that had to be completely repaired, when the rain hit, but Jackson was prepared for the rain, because he knew the rain was coming.
cjs3872 4 months ago
@altfactor
You are so correct on that. Today, if that happened, people would of freaked, but then, that was the risk they had to take. You had to keep running until an area was wet.
PYLrulz1984 9 months ago
It's spooky @1:57 to see that car alone on the track with the rain
jennifersman 10 months ago
The Billy Vukovich refered to at 1:39 is the son of the 1953 and '54 winner who died in the '55 race. There was a Bill Vukovich III who raced at Indy as well. He died in a Supermodified racing accident. I don't remember the year.
racenutdon 1 year ago
@racenutdon 1990, the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
MDCSWildcats86 11 months ago
bill vukovich? i thougt he died in 1955 :D
TimWan93 1 year ago
Few TV stations had weather radar back in 1975.
Today, with real-time doppler radar available on the Internet, everyone could have seen this coming and red-flagged the race a minute or two earlier, before any car spun-out.
altfactor 1 year ago
Shows how things change:
1975: Not one person at the track knew a storm was coming (unless the could read the clouds)
2010: EVERYONE at the track would know, coud have live Doppler radar on the phones, and the commentators would have time of arrival down to the sec.
Zoomer30 1 year ago
Wow, this is from the days when the Indy 500 was an event, even in tape-delay format
jennifersman 1 year ago
Wow, one of the few times a car has made a wake.
Zoomer30 1 year ago
At 1:41, I've always wondered why that photographer is on THIS side of the fence.
doctorindy 2 years ago
I thought that during the fifteen years (1971-85) that ABC carried the Indy 500 on same-day tape, the announcers did the commentary of the first few laps and the last few laps as they took place, and voiced-over a play-by-play description of the middle of the race as the edited tape was being broadcast.
But since the 1975 race ended early, it's likely Jackson and Stewart's call of the finish was recorded as the tape was being broadcast.
altfactor 3 years ago
Yes, Keith & Jackie had to "join the race in progress" so to speak. It wasn't time for them to do a live call yet. At 0:37 Keith says "hmm who's leading" as if it was in question. That's probably because they weren't paying attention, and were thrown into the call unprepared.
The scoring shows there was no question about who was leading. Bobby and JR had just pit when the yellow light came on for moisture, and Bobby came out way ahead. A few minutes later the drizzle turned to a cloudburst.
doctorindy 2 years ago
Keith Jackson was a last-minute replacement for Jim McKay at the 1975 Indianapolis "500" after the latter fell "under the weather".
If my memory serves me correct, the race was never resumed.
This was part of a stretch (1973 through 1976) when the Indy 500 would end early due to rain three years out of four. Of those four races, only the 1974 running went the full 500 miles.
altfactor 3 years ago
I thought that I read somewhere that Jim McKay didn't do this race because he was still emotionally upset over the 1973 race (which wouldn't make any sense considering he called the 1974 race).
I wonder what this would have been like if Mr. Jackson and Mr. Stewart had called this live and not later in a trailer, which according to an old Sports Illustrated article is what ABC did for years during their tape-delay coverage.
penske369 3 years ago
It seems the story was that when McKay came back for the 1974 race, all anyone wanted to ask him about was the crashes from '73. They ruined the month for him (and '74 was a clean year). he was afraid '75 would be the same, so he took it off.
doctorindy 2 years ago
No,it wasn't.What a race!
vince065us 3 years ago
Ahhh...my first year at Indy. Sat three rows from the track in turn one. Could not look down the front straight since the chain link made a solid blind at that angle. The only thing worse that those seats? Ending in a downpour! Still, a fond recollection of memories.
1more4theroad 3 years ago
do anybody have this live? like when its was originally shown live? not re aired through a rain delay live?
e521soediv 3 years ago
They show this clip every time there is a rain delay during race day.
racermac1988 3 years ago
this was during the rain delay of the 07 indy 500
e521soediv 3 years ago
Keith Jackson and Jackie Stewart are truly some of the best sportscasters this country has ever seen.
TheMarioBros 3 years ago
Yes,they were.Keith was from the era when sports journalists were a jack of all trades.
vince065us 3 years ago
"it's like walking on..on..grease!"
sinbaadi 4 years ago 2
@sinbaadi "He's gonna take that victory lap even if he needs an oar"
jennifersman 10 months ago
Hey lets see if we can get struck by lightning..this was back before new fangled things like....radar...and...forcasting....
Zoomer30 4 years ago