I love motorsports but I'm glad I grew up in the 70s and 80s and got to see these legends race in Indycar/CART and also Nascar and F1. I watch today but something is just missing from today's grids compared to the ones back then.
What a fun broadcast. Bob Jenkins, Gary Lee and Derek Daly. ESPN was the channel to turn to for automobile racing in the 1980's. This, to me, was the end of Indy Car's "Golden Era" with the drivers and teams which were iconic in the sport of American Open Wheel Racing. Thank you very much for posting this tremendous race! Viva Mario!!!
It was such a simpler time back then: None of this switching of tire compounds; you don't hear the announcers doing constant name-dropping of brands; the running of the race without the pre and post race spectacles; the respect of space the drivers allowed between the cars. And acquaintances of mine wonder why my interest with motorsports has waned over the past decade.
Really nice moment between Mario and Kevin Cogan at the end of the race, their obvious mutual respect showing that hopefully the hatchet from that awful incident in the '82 Indy 500 was truly buried. Kevin was such a talented driver, some of the worst luck in Indy/Champ car history derailing what should have been a multiple race and even title winning career.
Man I loved these style of Indy cars. I used to have some hot wheels cars off these when I was a kid. I think I had the Pennzoil car and a red one with chrome rims. They we really cool.
Just gotta say, it's kinda wild seeing Roger Penske there looking at Al Unser's car at the beginning before the race started and just think of what's happened between then and now and he's STILL so involved with his IndyCar and Nascar teams!!
This is MORE than what was broadcast that day by ESPN because I remember that ESPN was airing a NASCAR race at Michigan that aired at the same time and later showed Pocono on delayed tape and only in a two hour time slot.
The car from The Wraith movie was a pacecar! Also it's amazing that there aren't any fences on the outside of the track except for a few areas. It seems like right after the grandstands there isn't fencing again until the turns.
Was that way until very recently. Along with the repaving and elimination of most of the grass, their installation was one of the things that made IndyCar's return possible. That said, I never understood why it was so important to IndyCar, such as along the Long Pond Straightaway. I would think an IndyCar driver would have a better chance of survival landing outside of the track in grass in the unpopulated sections along much of Pocono's length than they would getting into the steel catch fence. It's called a catch fence for a reason since it's meant to contain racecars and debris to the racing surface, protecting spectators and track/safety personnel. But in an open wheel racecar, it does terrible things when struck. It's a necessary evil such as along the front stretch with thousands of spectators a few feet away, but I can't help but think that several sections of Pocono would be safer without it for IndyCar.
I was there for the final IndyCar race there in 2004. Wound up meeting Dan Wheldon before the race, told him was going to win, and sure enough he won the Firestone Indy 225. Then I went up there in 2014 because when they returned it was only 400 miles, and in 2014 they returned to the traditional 500-mile distance, first time it was that distance since 1989. Shame it didn't return in 1990, but the drivers said the track wasn't suitable, and easily could have fixed that.
Does IndyCar happen to own the rights and master tapes to any IROC races? That's a fun part of IndyCar heritage (And other series like NASCAR, obviously) that I'd love to see along with all of these classic IndyCar races.
It would have to be a west coast feed as NBC left the air at 6 PM ET due to the time slot being over(there was a long rain delay which delayed the start that day)
Marcelo Melgaço Indycar was fine until Tony George got his hands in it and the CART owners were dumb to fall for his 25/8 split in 1996. They easily could have still been at Indy and Michigan in 1996.
What's wrong with soft walls? I'm all for driver safety. Would you be happy if you lost one of your favorite racing drivers due to an accident which he might have otherwise survived?
I love motorsports but I'm glad I grew up in the 70s and 80s and got to see these legends race in Indycar/CART and also Nascar and F1. I watch today but something is just missing from today's grids compared to the ones back then.
"something is just missing from today's grids compared to the ones back then." More American Drivers.
What a fun broadcast. Bob Jenkins, Gary Lee and Derek Daly. ESPN was the channel to turn to for automobile racing in the 1980's. This, to me, was the end of Indy Car's "Golden Era" with the drivers and teams which were iconic in the sport of American Open Wheel Racing. Thank you very much for posting this tremendous race! Viva Mario!!!
Super high-quality footage, it feels like I'm going back in time.
Look at the people in the stands. Sure miss that.
Great watching this. Went to this race when I was 16.
It was such a simpler time back then:
None of this switching of tire compounds; you don't hear the announcers doing constant name-dropping of brands; the running of the race without the pre and post race spectacles; the respect of space the drivers allowed between the cars.
And acquaintances of mine wonder why my interest with motorsports has waned over the past decade.
amazing quality, thanks Indycar YT channel, happy Thanksgiving! !!
Really nice moment between Mario and Kevin Cogan at the end of the race, their obvious mutual respect showing that hopefully the hatchet from that awful incident in the '82 Indy 500 was truly buried. Kevin was such a talented driver, some of the worst luck in Indy/Champ car history derailing what should have been a multiple race and even title winning career.
Man I loved these style of Indy cars. I used to have some hot wheels cars off these when I was a kid. I think I had the Pennzoil car and a red one with chrome rims. They we really cool.
me too these are the cars I grew up watching as a kid.
2021 reliving all of those good old indycar races in 1980s.
I just like how the broadcast goes straight to the pace laps. No pre race fluff
I agree. Get on with the race as quickly as possible. This is much better than the Pocono edited highlights from earlier years.
Just gotta say, it's kinda wild seeing Roger Penske there looking at Al Unser's car at the beginning before the race started and just think of what's happened between then and now and he's STILL so involved with his IndyCar and Nascar teams!!
Greatest front row ever for a CART Pocono 500.
This is MORE than what was broadcast that day by ESPN because I remember that ESPN was airing a NASCAR race at Michigan that aired at the same time and later showed Pocono on delayed tape and only in a two hour time slot.
The car from The Wraith movie was a pacecar! Also it's amazing that there aren't any fences on the outside of the track except for a few areas. It seems like right after the grandstands there isn't fencing again until the turns.
Was that way until very recently. Along with the repaving and elimination of most of the grass, their installation was one of the things that made IndyCar's return possible. That said, I never understood why it was so important to IndyCar, such as along the Long Pond Straightaway.
I would think an IndyCar driver would have a better chance of survival landing outside of the track in grass in the unpopulated sections along much of Pocono's length than they would getting into the steel catch fence. It's called a catch fence for a reason since it's meant to contain racecars and debris to the racing surface, protecting spectators and track/safety personnel.
But in an open wheel racecar, it does terrible things when struck. It's a necessary evil such as along the front stretch with thousands of spectators a few feet away, but I can't help but think that several sections of Pocono would be safer without it for IndyCar.
Please God... Bring back this fabulous cars to actual races! Please!
EXCELLENT QUALITY!
At 34:35 you see early origins of the blown diffuser
Amazing quality thanks for uploading!
Drop Texas, bring back Michagan and Pocono and the triple crown!
Great upload. Thanks Indycar.
Keep these old school uploads coming please!!!
29 cars I miss that!!!
7:10 Green green green
Watching this race on my lunch break
Lol I was a rent a cop at that race
Awesome, can you post some races from Nazareth? We miss that track!
I was there for the final IndyCar race there in 2004. Wound up meeting Dan Wheldon before the race, told him was going to win, and sure enough he won the Firestone Indy 225. Then I went up there in 2014 because when they returned it was only 400 miles, and in 2014 they returned to the traditional 500-mile distance, first time it was that distance since 1989. Shame it didn't return in 1990, but the drivers said the track wasn't suitable, and easily could have fixed that.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
A first lap crash at Pocono? Guess that's not a new thing
Emerson Fittipaldi abandons the Pocono 500 due to a welded wheel on the right side of his march cosworth at 43:39
6000 balloons released for a race??? Whose bright idea was that?
That's a lot of pace cars
Does IndyCar happen to own the rights and master tapes to any IROC races? That's a fun part of IndyCar heritage (And other series like NASCAR, obviously) that I'd love to see along with all of these classic IndyCar races.
no, indycar doesn't own any iroc races. i don't know who does any more, but not indycar.
@@SwineBrothers pretty sure nascar owns that footage.
Any clue when you will post the 1983 Michgan 500?
It would have to be a west coast feed as NBC left the air at 6 PM ET due to the time slot being over(there was a long rain delay which delayed the start that day)
No catch fence in turn 1.
I'm pretty sure they didn't install catch fence to the back straight and turn1 until 2011 or so. They had some kind of bushes there before that.
Back when Indy and F1 were OUTSTANDING! Gorgeous cars, crazy speeds and drivers, no softwalls.
Now only MotoGP is left.
Marcelo Melgaço Indycar was fine until Tony George got his hands in it and the CART owners were dumb to fall for his 25/8 split in 1996. They easily could have still been at Indy and Michigan in 1996.
@@robminmonaca Oh you are right because cart is still going strong whoops.
Soft walls has kept a whole lot of drivers from being seriously injured, or even killed.
What's wrong with soft walls? I'm all for driver safety. Would you be happy if you lost one of your favorite racing drivers due to an accident which he might have otherwise survived?
2:31:05
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