Famed California builder of Indianapolis roadsters, Quin Epperly passed away on January 11; he was 87.
Epperly got his start at Indianapolis helping build early roadsters with Frank Kurtis and Lujie Lesovsky. By the mid-’50s Epperly started building his own racecars for the 500. In the hands of drivers like Jim Rathman, Bobby Marshman and Jim Hurtubise, Epperlys frequently qualified on the front row and finished as high as second. Though his own cars never won the 500, Epperly contributed significantly to the famed Salih “layover” roadster that won in ’57.
In addition to building and working on Indy cars, Epperly also worked on, and was the crew chief for, Craig Breedlove’s record-breaking Spirit of America, which was the first car to exceed 500 mph.
