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- Deep inside
- N1Spandel
It's been a while since I suggested a Diesel.
And what better way to come back than with the only Diesel ever to capture the pole at the Indianapolis 500?
Cummins had participated at the Indy 500 before, most notably in 1931 when a Duesenberg chassis fitted with a 4-cylinder Diesel ran the complete 500 miles nonstop on 1.40$ worth of furnace oil. For the 1952 race, they approached famous chassis builder Frank Kurtis to build the car. Kraft came up with a side-laying engine design and moving the driveline to the left of the car, allowing for improved aerodynamics, creating a lower center of gravity and a left-side weight bias.
The driver also sat very low in the car, further improving aerodynamics. The car was incredibly low, just 23 inches tall. The Indy 500 rules allowed for diesel engines to displace up to 401ci, whether supercharged or not, and Cummins engineers took full advantage of the rules, fitting the car with a 6.6L Type NHH engine with an aluminium block, head and magnesium crankcase. It was also turbocharged, then a novelty, and was reported to make around 380hp. The car however was incredibly heavy, weighing in at 3100lbs. The massive weight meant extensive tire wear in the corners. One can see the tires being shred to pieces in the historical footage.
Despite this drawback, the car was very fast indeed. It surprised all viewers when it, piloted by Fred
Agabashian, captured the pole position with a record shattering 138.010mph average speed over four laps, and a single lap at 139.104mph average speed.
The race however was less successful, the turbocharger inlet got clogged with rubber particles, so the car retired after just 70 laps. It was also later revealed that the crankshaft had a crack. The car was later restored to running condition and is now in exhibition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.
And what better way to come back than with the only Diesel ever to capture the pole at the Indianapolis 500?
Cummins had participated at the Indy 500 before, most notably in 1931 when a Duesenberg chassis fitted with a 4-cylinder Diesel ran the complete 500 miles nonstop on 1.40$ worth of furnace oil. For the 1952 race, they approached famous chassis builder Frank Kurtis to build the car. Kraft came up with a side-laying engine design and moving the driveline to the left of the car, allowing for improved aerodynamics, creating a lower center of gravity and a left-side weight bias.
The driver also sat very low in the car, further improving aerodynamics. The car was incredibly low, just 23 inches tall. The Indy 500 rules allowed for diesel engines to displace up to 401ci, whether supercharged or not, and Cummins engineers took full advantage of the rules, fitting the car with a 6.6L Type NHH engine with an aluminium block, head and magnesium crankcase. It was also turbocharged, then a novelty, and was reported to make around 380hp. The car however was incredibly heavy, weighing in at 3100lbs. The massive weight meant extensive tire wear in the corners. One can see the tires being shred to pieces in the historical footage.
Despite this drawback, the car was very fast indeed. It surprised all viewers when it, piloted by Fred
Agabashian, captured the pole position with a record shattering 138.010mph average speed over four laps, and a single lap at 139.104mph average speed.
The race however was less successful, the turbocharger inlet got clogged with rubber particles, so the car retired after just 70 laps. It was also later revealed that the crankshaft had a crack. The car was later restored to running condition and is now in exhibition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.
