Indy 500 Pace Car Crash of 1971

Now that the Indy 500 is in the books, another moment of racing history has almost been forgotten. Back in 1971, a Dodge Challenger used as the Pace Car, crashed into the photographers’ stand at the end of pit lane. Driving the pace car that day was local Dodge dealer Eldon Palmer, who fielded the car himself that year because Chrysler, along with Ford and GM, sensed the demise of the muscle car era and chose not to supply an official pace car in 1971. Palmer got together with other local Dodge dealers to round up 50 Challengers for the Indy 500. Those who were there to tell the story share that Palmer had practiced braking in the pits before the race and positioned either a flag or a cone at the point where he should have started to brake. However, before the pace lap and the start of the race, somebody removed the marker, so Palmer driving with Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman, astronaut John Glenn and Chris Schenkel of ABC Sports in the car... took the car a bit too far, ended up braking late and careening out of control into the stand. Several photographers were injured, but none fatally. Palmer reportedly felt so awful about the incident that he kept the Challenger until five years ago did he restore it and sell it to Indiana collector Steven Cage, who currently has it in his RPM Collection museum in Fishers, Indiana, just outside of Indianapolis.