The man who called himself “Mister 500” in honor of the quest that dominated his life, has passed away at the age of 90 due to congestive heart failure. A member of multiple Halls of Fame for his exploits as both racer and businessman, Andy Granatelli’s greatest fame came from his chase of victory in the Indianapolis 500 with cars that often revolutionized the sport.
Perhaps the greatest of these was the Pratt & Whitney turbine-powered “Silent Sam” machine that in 1967 nearly carried Parnelli Jones to his second Indy win. The next year Granatelli engaged in a partnership with Colin Chapman that brought a trio of turbine-powered Lotus wedges to the Speedway, where another of his STP-sponsored cars was denied victory by the late failure of a minor part while leading.
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