89 Indianapolis 500

[ftime2012]

Paul Page probably the best racing announcer ever

[CruisinDaNap]

new weekly indianapolis bicycle adventure ---> watch?v=41GGNMAAtEg

[farleimelospfc]

And Teresa was there: "Vai querido, vai querido (Go baby, go baby, in Portuguese)".

[gazzrfc1]

@SmeurkeDeKat i kind of see where you're coming from, but i still think f1 is the best motorsport.

indycar racing just doesn't do it for me, it just runs on far too long, driving around the same two corners, at least nascar have the bigger more dangerous crashes, but for me, indy has nothing.

[VampireYoshi]

@gazzrfc1 Ultimately, this has always been a high speed endurance race. Which car, just as much as the driver and team, is the best, after going near as fast as it can, for 500 miles. Or at least...that's what it is when they aren't WWE'ifying it. If someone runs away with it, then all the cars get better, and we go again. Leave "looking for crashes," and forcing everyone to be equal, to the NASCRAP ilk.

[cap10moman]

@gazzrfc1, @SmeurkeDeKat, and @VampireYoshi......Yes, F1 is the best motorsport in the world (despite it's recent "castrating"). It has the best drivers, best cars, best technology, etc. However, the Indy 500 is BY FAR the best race the planet has ever known!! Sport-to-Sport, League-to-League, F1 is better...Hands down, not even worthy of an argument. Race-to-Race, the 500 is the be-all-end-all, and yes it is better than Monaco! Anyone who says differently has never actually been to the 500

[erasetoimprove]

@cap10moman All season up to this point, Vettel has the most overtakes... he has completed 56 overtakes this entire season in F1. Sad, isn't? After so many races the most times anyone has passed anyone in F1 is 56.... that's pathetic. I love the tracks F1 races on, but they have GOT to do something to increase the passing. It's not even worth watching.

[gazzrfc1]

@SmeurkeDeKat yeah, sure, formula 1 with its variety of tracks just doesn't compare with a bunch of guys who turn left for a living.

[SmeurkeDeKat]

@gazzrfc1 Oh yea, watching a fast car go by one at a time in a race where nothing happens.. I used to like F1, but they cut off its balls in the past decade or so. F1 nowadays is boring as hell (and the cars look like shit too). I don't necessarily wanna see the fastest racing, I wanna see PROPER racing, like this for example

[Bowzer1366]

This whole incident took place because Ludwig Heimrath, Jr. (The blue and grey Mackenzie car #71) got in the way of Al Unser. There was absolutely no need for him to go to the bottom of turn 2. He should have moved up the rece track for Al and Emmo when Emmo got to him. Instead it allowed Emmo to close so quick and get him alongside Al. With less than 2 laps to go, you have to look for the leaders and get out of their way.

[daugbret]

Awesome video. Thank you for posting. The sportsmanship is heartfelt!

[bigbartman1326]

Little Al showed so much class on losing that race. I will be his fan for life.

[pattheiceman]

Everytime I watch this I remember why i love Indy Car Racing so much. Al Unser Jr showed so much class.

[cgdale]

Best. Finish. Ever.

[SmeurkeDeKat]

F1 nowadays doesn't even come close to this.

[desatelite]

Boa Emerson, Você sim é fudido

[dsriggs]

Heimrath screwed up the race by not getting out of the way imo

[pattheiceman]

Great video. I was there. Al Junior was/is so classy in spite of his personal problems.

[insimonia1990]

i find it funny how they refer to f1 champions as world driving champions

[andy23822]

I love F1 and Indy car racing. Im from Indy and it just doesn't get muchbetter than this.......

[seikenflyer]

brazilians like more street and road circuits but we learnt to like the ovals too and indy as well specially in the 90's. Nowadays we still prefer a lot more F1 but most of us that like racing also like to see the IRL and Indianapolis.

[nuldebotn]

This is really boring, driving in "circles" all the time.

[Marg555]

@nuldebotn ridiculous statement. 

[nuldebotn]

@Marg555 Why is that rediculous?

[Marg555]

In early 90-ies at first i was sceptic about Indycar racing (all this oval stuff). Later I saw short race reviews in 1995 with course layouts - I saw ovals, street courses, airport, etc. I was little bit intrigued. Since 1998 I watched CART races, and all I can say is that most amazing races were produced in ovals - Michigan is typical example. Multiple trajectories are possible. It`s natural racing.

And, at last, when you look at athletes, running 5000m in stadium, where they run? In oval!

[327yellow]

@nuldebotn The only consolation to high speed ovals is that there's very close racing constantly, its hard to tell but cornering is very difficult since every team uses as little downforce as possible to maximize speed and as a result each Indy car has tremendous oversteer and racing in slipstreams constantly complicates the handling. These karts only have 590bhp but reach 370km/h on straights which shows how little downforce they use compared to F1 vehicles

[Indyram]

the most famous words ever uttered in victory lane at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.....you just don't know what Indy means.....

[VampireYoshi]

Beginning: the crowd begins to realize, as Tom Carnegie calls it on the P.A. system: Unser, Jr. has just closes one second in one lap. Shades of the past...

0:45. The tension continues to build. He has caught Emmo, but does that equate to an overtake? Bobby asks that very question, at 0:56.

1:10. Page begins the allusions; the myths and legends of the 500: Mears, closing on Johncock, 1982. Different structure to the race; but same soul? The announcers, wise enough to "fall back"...

[VampireYoshi]

...to not be TALKING HEADS, while something amazing is happening. Carnegie, and those with the Radio Network in their blood, are alone worthy to "go on alone," and tell the story live, constantly, in the moment. Page calls the play-by-play for Wide World of Sports, and even then...often "merely" the periphery of the situation: 1:40; the atmosphere; Andretti, as lap traffic standing before them. 1:50; an emotional situation never seen in modern "parity" motorsports: a Duel, on Mt. Olympus.

[VampireYoshi]

2:00. FENDER-rubbing? Try hubcap-rubbing of uncovered wheels at 210 mph, in a turn, and not crashing. Eat your hearts out, junkfood-racing fans.

2:04. I THINK that's Derek Daly, close to ****ing himself as the two leaders pass him on the inside, -at the same time-.

2:08. An ATTEMPT!! UNSUCCESSFUL! Mario is next to be passed by two cars simultaneously!

2:27. He's got a HUGE run, EVERYONE can see it or hear about it, and the cameraman CANNOT HOLD THE CAMERA STEADY, the crowd is SO loud.

[BruteCommando]

LOL 6:31 look at the tire going airborne and following the car.

[ShortTrackNews]

It's a shame lapped traffic helped determine the outcome of the race.

[Willbutler]

just love that scream of the engines

[tonip420]

i remember this vividly sitting in front of my tv as a 9yr old kid....this solidified me as a race fan...i prefer nascar nowadays but still watch the 500 every year!!

[hernandezluisarturo]

Great memories! This was the very first Indy 500 race i watched live on TV, i was 13 years old and i watched the complete race since the start until the finish, the finish was awesome, one of the best finishes i ever seen.

[weallfollowmanutd]

Great to hear a true racer talk like that. Its idiotic to blame Emmo. They raced to win and that meant not lifting at that moment.

[f1diva]

The wives jeeze, anyone would think they are married to Kevin Harvick or something...

[albanypjm]

these guys are nuts. do they have no fear of dying? ballsy sob's.

[kerrywsmyth]

Check out 6:18 through 6:28 - Emerson was diagonal for the rest of the way through the turn. Its a miracle he didn't crash too.

[kjminnick001]

Al is a total sportsman in this interview!

[togalogs]

Technically that was Emmos fault 100%

[Souroush]

this stuff doesnt have shit on nascar

[Zenophage]

@Souroush and neither of them have shit on Formula 1. real racing on actual race tracks not a fucking oval

[domvi2]

Viva Emerson Fittipaldi

[drobpe1]

I was sitting in turn three where my family has always sat during this race and you could see them coming down the backstretch and jsut had that feeling something was going to happen. Man watching this feels like yesterday thanks for posting

[mauvetys]

Pauvre femmes! quel coup de théâtre! on ne voit plus ce genre de fin de course de nos jours

[H3Forge]

Damn Indy cars sounded so sexy back then

[jlonnon]

Its fascinating to watch these guys chase each other. The race coverage in those days was perfect....and the sound of those cars is noticeably different that those of today.

[pavanpavan]

Emmo rules!!

[ChambanaWags86]

Incredibly classy of Al Jr., his response satisfied the Indy gods who would reward him later. Twice. Hopefully there will be passing this year.

[hpitogordo]

Hear the engines!!! This is the true sound of an IndyCar, not those buzzing Honda engines ... Miss those good times!

[hpitogordo]

Hear the engine´s sounds... This is the true sound of an IndyCar, not those "buzzing" Honda engines ... Miss those good times!

[bricksterr]

And... if I new only one person, and his name was VampireYoshi, would enjoy this clip I would have still posted it. No Boogity, Boogitiys here folks.

Thank you all, both pro and con, for your comments.

[VampireYoshi]

Umm...did I offend you somehow? Not sure if that comment is pro or con, itself. Here's hoping for the former.

[bricksterr]

@VampireYoshi

It's Pro Yoshi. We are kindred spirits. Thanks for your interest in this post.

To see people appreciate these events as much as i do is gratifying. This clip still gives me goosebumps.

[VampireYoshi]

@bricksterr

Aha. Excellent. I can sometimes creep some people out with the...fervor...I have, for the Mt. Olympus of motorsports.

[VampireYoshi]

@bricksterr

I should invite you, then, if you're not already there, to the indyca r.co m forums, then. Just be warned, complaining about what you hate about current AOWR will probably get people annoyed and thinking you're a troll. Once that aside, since you seem to have your mental stuff together...you'd likely be very welcome there.

[bricksterr]

I'm glad this video is being enjoyed and sanctioned (kinda) by Indy itself. As for the issues some people have with it I'd like to remind you of the year (1989). I'd like you to appreciate the difference between what wasn't done before but has been done a million times since. Any kids want to give me a review of Citizen Kane? I'd like you to appreciate what wasn't said. I'd like you to appreciate that a great finish doesn't have to be a photo finish. I'd like you to appreciate a gracious loser.

[cap10moman]

@bricksterr I guess you could consider me a "kid" (23yrs), but I won't give you what you're looking for from a "kid"....Unser's statement at the end, "when you've got 2 drivers who wanted the 500 as bad as we did...two drivers are going into the corner and only one is coming out", is raw truth!!! Only the Unser's and Andretti's have this character built into their genes!! Just watch the 2006 Post-race interview of the young Marco. "At Indy, you're either 1st or you're nothing"! Great Video!!

[Scrivener86]

Why open-wheel racing coverage thinks we give half a shat about shots of nervous wives, I will never know. They did the same stuff with Dario's wife a few years ago. Yep. That's his wife, watching nervously. Yep. Still nervous. Yep, still watching. Oh, she can't look. Riveting. Can I watch the cars go 200 MPH now? Please?

Thanks.

[VampireYoshi]

I think when they say "race coverage," they mean the announcers. The video feed could've been better if they'd spliced to smaller windows for any of the "updates on the wives'," etc. But the on-board camera on Little Al, as they went into three on 199? Nothing wrong with that choice. If they hadn't touched wheels, and Emmo had gotten back past, THAT shot would've been mind-numbingly EPIC.

[GoFeri]

It was clearly Emmo's fault.

[ATDOINFERNO]

Ask Al...I guess he disagrees.

[octaviocgsa]

man, this final is epic

[StopyerBitchin]

I disagree that this was coverage at it's best. But it is better than what we have today. There would have been 10commercials in the last 10 laps.

I mean. they touch going into three but you don't see it because ABC is showing off the camera in Al's car.

Then when Fittipaldi comes around again and Little Al walks toward him...They cut to his wife.

ESPN had much better coverage during this time.  ABC was all about the wive's.

GREAT Race though!!

[AltoxKun]

Great victory for Fittipaldi, outstading performance!

[coolerindy]

I'm sure glad Tony George fixed the racing at Indy, thank's Tony.

[jbracer86]

I love how paul page, sam posey, and bobby unser, say very little. they let the drama unfold. If that had been today, you'd have marty reid and scott goodyear rambling on and on. you'd also have the camera man probably move away from this battle a couple of times and show danica. even the coverage back then was so much more dramatic.

[wpsracing108]

Like when they show the fuking wives instead of the racing? I count about 2 minutes of this video of them

[VampireYoshi]

And for the record, I have nothing at all against the IRL save for the limitations they place on innovation (ESPECIALLY in this day and age), and trying to force people into the exact same mold. Take away those stains, and with a 50/50 oval/road course balance, you basically have perfect auto racing once again.

[VampireYoshi]

One of the best things about this legendary race? The fact that third place Rual Boesel was six laps behind the top two...and yet everyone was standing, hair on edge, as the battle for the lead raged on. You don't need mass roving packs of high-speed Tetris to have incredible drama, in REAL motorsports. Oh for the days; may they return someday soon.

[jbracer86]

I completely agree, look at some great battles like indy of 82, indy of 92, look at Michigan of 1990, and 2000, u don't need the whole field to be there up at the front at the end of the race for it to be exciting. that was the whole reason why a race is 500 miles long. It's not meant for everyone to be there doing so well at the end. its exciting when two drivers fought hard all day and are now fighting at the end to claim that top spot.

[jbracer86]

There was so much more drama in battles like this compared to what we seem to have a lot of now which is someone who just gets up front during the final pitsop and leads a whole train of cars on the final restart for the win.

[jbracer86]

It seems like ppl think in order to have a great race and great finish the whole fiend needs to be in a pack like nascar at daytona or talladega but that is not the case. what makes it exciting is that these two drivers survived all the attrition and are fighting at the top. something that no one else in the field was able to achieve that day.

[belcherman]

whoi needs nascar .. the real stars are in fast car....

[jdmiller63]

Al Jr. was one of the Greatest drivers ever.... I set in turn one for this race and I remember seeing Emerson come out of turn 4 and no Al to be found...bad feeling!

[quasiphatpaul]

Me and my fathers names are both paul... I grew up being called "little Paul" born in 1980 i was 9 when this was on. And needless to say I LOVED LITTLE AL. I cried when this happened. But my dad made me watch his interview and his sportsmanship made me feel better.

[rockondon]

god hes lucky he survived

[coby1873]

i was there A stand, it took 2 hoists to lift those huge brass balls! sorry to rehash..... BUT ...those were the days! i am not a puss so i will say that TONY GEORGE yes TONY GEORGE himself RUINED open wheel in this country!!! would you like to hear who helped him? his ENTIRE FAMILY who allowed him to turn a WORLD WIDE "SPECTACLE" into a shit league!!! one of my biggest questions has always been, how did the city of Indy let this happen??

[VampireYoshi]

@coby1873

The owners should not run the sport. The AAA Contest Board ran on that maxim, that if it was to be run without corruption, the organization responsible for administering it had to be without a vested interest in the outcomes.

It is good thing that CART lost...just as it is good thing that the MORONS who were running IRL for years are gone.

[8188ify]

@coby1873 The indy is return for your honor place. In the out U.S. , the great series is the Indy. NASCAR not have fame in the world.

[VampireYoshi]

@coby1873

Indy has long mirrored American politics. This was basically the latter years of the Reagan administration. Look at the socialist, 'equalize everybody' agenda of the 1990s and 2000s. Was IndyCar so different, looking back? Go far enough, and you get NAStyCAR Barnum&Bailey communism, eh?

What we like is not what a lot of self-proclaimed American "auto racing" fans like. Nor do we throw trash on the course if we don't get our way.

[LightUptheSky000]

@coby1873  The track is privately owned and receives no public funds. What could the city do about it?

[bigal4100]

The sound of his brass balls clanking together heralds his every approach. lol

[nervm]

Great turbo sounds! I don't stop seeing this video.

[pokegodess4]

That race was my very first Indy 500 and my seats were in the inside of turn 3. That crash occured just in front of me

[ccksu91]

Little Al had a lot of class there. I wasn't a big fan of the Unsers at the time, but age has shone me that the are a classy family.

[greighreed]

Little Al showed true class in this situation, A REAL RACER

[AutoRockinRacing94]

Paul is doing Indy 500 Radio this year

[bduddy55555]

Right at 4:26, Al gets blocked... otherwise, he was faster then Emmo, and he would have had it for sure...

[doctorindy]

Note Al Unser, Sr. in the pits at 5:04, he had literally just arrived in the Galles pits on his bicycle. He said he was too nervous to watch, so he stayed in the garage area til the very last minute. he had dropped out earlier with clutch problems in his final Indy start for Penske.

[doctorindy]

On a sidenote, we'll never know if Al had enough fuel. Galles gambled on the last yellow, and didn't bring Al in for fuel. Galles knew that they had enough fuel to get to at least lap 199..so they stayed out to gain track position. Even if Al had run out of fuel on the final lap, 3rd place was so far behind, they finish second anyway...they had to go for the win.

[walkingencyclopedia]

How old our future drivers were ?

Danica Patrick-7 years old

Helio Castroneves-Approximately 14 yrs old

Tony Kanaan -Same age ?

Dan Wheldon-10 or 12 years old.

That's my two cents !

[tonip420]

i remember watching this on tv when i was 9....awesome racing!!!

[cgdale]

This is the greatest Indy finish ever.

[bduddy55555]

If Fittipaldi's car had been disabled as well, longtime competitor Raul Boesel would have had the lead with 7 laps to go. Wouldn't that have been a sight!

[VampireYoshi]

Boesel had a troubled engine (they showed it earlier, when Al, Jr. was passing him at about thirteen to go) and many question if he'd have lasted seven more. If he'd dropped out, Mario would've been the leader. If Andretti Luck had happened...A.J. FOYT was next up.

What might have been?

[bduddy55555]

Also, Andretti and Foyt (as well as Scott Brayton) were all on the same lap... man, that would have been some finish if it had gone back to green! AJ Foyt was 54 at the time...

[f1diva]

got to take your hat off to lil al, he took it so well considering what could have been. emmo did deserve it though, great all round driver, one of racings true greats

[paulstephani]

These days of the 500 sure were awesome. The engines were Ilmor (British) with a Chevy badge.

[sjames500]

Man, Jr had some horsepower there didn't he? That drag race right before the crash, Al was pulling him, HARD

[AutoRacer5]

Al Jr. was running his fastest laps of the month chasing Emmo there. He had less fuel than Emmo had which helped, not to mention the draft he was also getting.

[v10mclaren]

what kind of engines did they run in 89? they sound like tie fighters from star wars lol

[AutoRacer5]

Fittipaldi and Unser both had Chevy engines.

[v10mclaren]

yeah but what was the spec on those engines? how much boost did they have back then. sounds like a TON

[philly1121]

I believe the engines were supercharged or had a turbo or "push to pass". They were spec in that they had a certain design parameter but there multiple manufacturers, not just Chevy.

[Tactical300]

by '94 They were running close to 45 PSI fully spooled.

[Duff4444]

2.65L V8, DOHC 32v, Single turbocharger, 45 inches (Hg) of pressure absolute (about 22.1 PSI absolute). There was no "push to pass", the boost was constant.

[captainlock]

indyfan22k you can still buy Stroh's beer at a small family owned liqour store i frequent in Morris, IL

[wyzsilvius]

Fittipaldi !!!

This batle it was the place where special people share !!!

[VampireYoshi]

The best part of this is that Page and company explain certain "side things" that people are meanwhile seeing (like Mario's position in the wider scheme with six to go), but mostly lets the action between the two leaders tell the whole story; by them keeping quieter, it becomes cinematic.

[jbracer86]

That is so true, if this had been an indy race now in 2008, Marty Reed and Scott Goodyear wouldnt shut up. and they would be rambling about useless things, and probably make about at least 5 references to danica patrick or something.

[LaserX5]

This was the best Indy 500 hands down!

I believe if Unser didn't crash, he would have passed him on the final lap before by just inches. this was just exhilirating!

[racermac1988]

You have the finish, but do you have the intro to the race? Its the only Indianapolis "Delta Force Intro" not uploaded and there are several of us that want to see it.

[cgdale]

I've always felt that this is the greatest Indy finish ever. Other finishes have been closer, but for sustained drama, this one gets my vote.

[jebaum]

Two great drivers, an exciting battle, an two gentlemen also! The comment of Little Al after the crash shows his good character as a racer. About Emmo I have no words to describe. The first brazilian to win a Formula-1 Race, a Formula-1 Championship, Indy 500 and F-Indy championship! A true pioneer racer!

[VampireYoshi]

The Speedway would do well to allow the innovation again. I have nothing wrong with their running things themselves: I have a problem with someone not being able to bring their own, just right from their own home garage, if they could afford such.

[AcDcLover09]

He'd be a three time winner of the race. But, NO WAY!!!

[DieKolkrabe]

Paul Page, Bobby Unser and Sam Posey. The voices of the 500 to me

Bring 'em back

Great finish, how many times have you seen the driver that was taken out lose it? Little Al was gracious in defeat.

DK

[bduddy55555]

Sam Posey, sadly, isn't in a condition to commentate a whole race.

[zuel660]

I always cringed when he was introduced at the start of a race. I always liked Bobby Unser, though he spent a lot of time on broadcasts trying to set Posey straight.

[DPFan15]

The Indy 500 is a mere shell of what it used to be. Just look at all those people!

[ajworthington84]

i love the way those turbos sounded in the 80's, they sound like gocarts on tv now

[Sunoco]

I wonder what would have happened it little al hadn't crashed?

[LouisianaGamer]

He'd be a three time winner of the race.

[PeterMayer]

Too bad TG ruined everything!!

[eviltman]

here we go....

[nervm]

Iiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee­eeeeeummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm­MM! Love this song.

[JoeytheHDK]

Yeah, the sound of those Turbo engines in the late 80s were REALLY cool.

[gussaldanha]

really good point. plus, i really miss the sound of those turbo powered engines... FFFFEEEEEUUUUUUUMMMMMM

[poorjf]

Does anyone know why all but the top two cars were so many laps down in this race? Mario is definitely slower than the leaders in that shot, but not seven laps slower & he was running 4th! The third place driver, Raul Boesel, finished six laps down. I know that cars with Chevy engines had a big advantage during that era, but Mario was running a Chevy & I'm assuming that there were others in the field as well. Why the big spread?

[VampireYoshi]

Mario had suffered mechanical trouble earlier, and had actually made his way back up through the slower cars. The Chevys of the day were roughly 10-15 mph faster than the Cosworths; Fittipaldi and Unser, in fact, were running laps 220 mph+ when a 210 lap had never been seen in-race before. F-1 Emmo raised the bar?

[bricksterr]

Not only were the Chevy Ilmors better than there Cosworth counterparts but back then Chevy use to issue newer spec engines to the bigger teams so there was even a disparity between the Chevys.

[DrBIeed]

Ironically the Buick V6'es during the time period trumped both of those engines.

[bricksterr]

True, brother. Unfortunately they only trumped them until they blowed up.

[zendcs]

However, the Buick V6's were unreliable - not even lasting a full 500 miles.

[racermac1988]

John Menard had that problem for years. It had awesome power, but never lived.

[zendcs]

Kinda like what you see in NASCAR today - The big teams (like Hendrick) get newer spec engines and that puts them @ a big advantage over....the other Chevy teams.

[Coogmaster2000]

another reason was the pure attrition that took place in this race. Of course Michael blew his engine while leading, all three Penske cars (Mears, Big Al, Sullivan) dropped out, along with fast cars like Rahal, Crawford in the Buick, and Luyendyk. Had some of these guys finished, Boesel probably would have ended up 7th or 8th, but the same amount of laps down.

[oklabo]

Junior was robbed. Emmo flat ran out of room and put Unser into wall.

[OWfan]

It wasn't intentional, though. Emmo drove deep in the turn full throttle and the tires couldn't hold enough to stay low so the car drifted up. Also, check out the dark blue and gray car of Heimrath, Jr. who didn't give Little Al enough room which allowed Emmo to make a run.

[indyfan2]

I don't think that was intentional. Emmo is just as hungry as LittleAl trying to win the biggest race in the world.

[rabbit17m]

Al Jr handled that with a lot of class. What a great finish.

[eriklima]

One of great moments on Emmerson Fittipaldy carrer. Awesome video! :)

[OWfan]

I love how the announcers let the pictures tell the story as much as need be. I bet if that occured today, they would be yapping it up with no dead time.