Monday, May 13, 2019

Troy Ruttman and Clay Smith in a used car lot Mercury. La Carrera Panamericana 1951 for 4th place... over Ferraris, Porsches and Mercedes.


Clay Smith (Aka Mr Horsepower) won the 1950 Mobilgas Economy Run with a stock Mercury, which got the notice of Ford, who had Smith and Stroppe prepare Lincolns for the PanAmerican Road race across Mexico. The big Lincolns dominated until the race was discontinued in 1954.

His crowning achievement was tuning Troy Ruttman to victory at the 1952 Indy 500.

Ruttman won the Indianapolis 500 at the age of 22 years and 80 days making him the youngest winner of the race for the next 66 years, maybe more

Ruttman was the first Indianapolis 500 winner to participate in a Formula One event beyond Indy and his 1952 Indy 500 win earned him the distinction of being the youngest driver to win a round of the World Championship, an honor he held until Fernando Alonso won the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Ruttman also competed in 7 races in the NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup) series from 1962–1964, finishing in the top ten 5 times. His best finish was third at the 1963 race at Riverside International Raceway behind Dan Gurney and A. J. Foyt

Ruttman entered his family car in a roadster race in San Bernardino, California in 1945 at age 15, and won

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrera_Panamericana
https://www.facebook.com/124553620999695/photos/a.811449238976793/1676925975762444/?type=1&theater

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