Parnelli Jones is interviewed in victory lane after winning the Yankee 300.
Indianapolis, Ind. (May 27, 1967) - Parnelli Jones, who will drive a controversial turbine car in Tuesday’s Memorial Day 500-mile race, used conventional equipment Saturday to win the fifth annual Yankee 300 stock car race at Indianapolis Raceway Park in record speed.
He averaged 98.144 m.p.h. against the year-old mark of 93.047 set by Norm Nelson, Racine, Wis.The Torrance, Calif., veteran beat Mario Andretti of Nazareth. Penn., one of his principal opponents in the 500 by about one mile over the 1.7-mile 7-turn road course. Both drove 1967 Fords.
The Ford was the same car with which Jones won the Riverside 500 race in California last January.
“It ran good then and ran just as well today,” he said.
Jones passed Don White of Keokuk, Iowa, who had set a qualifying record of 102.552 mph in the first lap. He gave up the lead only once, yielding briefly to Nelson in a pit stop.
Nelson, who had won the event two straight years, was stopped by engine failure.
Andretti might have made it close had he hadn’t spun into the grass apron early in the race and lost valuable time.
Paul Goldsmith of Munster, Ind., whose qualifying record of 100.476 mph was broken by White, was also sidelined with an ailing engine while running in second place for two-thirds of the contest.
Other 500 starters besides Jones and Andretti had indifferent success.
Former winner A.J. Foyt of Houston, Tex., charged from fifth to second position and then parked with a smoking engine. Al Unser of Albuquerque, N.M., tried stock car racing for the first time and spun out on the second lap, damaging his car.
The race was run in 90-degree temperatures and the hot flat turns combined with broke concrete on the course to force a parade to the pits for tire replacements.
White finished a solid third in a 1967 Dodge, followed by Jack Bowsher, Springfield, Ohio, ‘67 Ford; Gary Bettenhausen, Tinley Park, Ill., ’66 Ford; Eddie Meyer, Glenview, Ill., ’65 Dodge; Bay Darnell, Deerfield, Ill., ’65 Plymouth; Jack Martin, Kenosha, Wis., ’66 Ford; Rich Oertel, Palatine, Ill., ’66 Ford; and Dave Whitcomb, Valparaiso, Ind., ’65 Plymouth.
Results –
1. Parnelli Jones
2. Mario Andretti
3. Don White
4. Jack Bowsher
5. Gary Bettenhausen
6. Eddie Meyer
7. Bay Darnell
8. Jack Martin
9. Rich Oertel
10.Dave Whitcomb
11.Bob Coe
12.Paul Goldsmith
13.Bob Clemons
14.Terry Parker
15.Glen Bradley
16.Norm Nelson
17.Ross Smith
18.Andy Hampton
19.Roger Regeth
20.Benny Parsons
21.A.J. Foyt
22.Bill Shoulders
23.George Rondelli
24.Tom Jones
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