Close-up of the Cockpit of a 1957, Kurtis Offenhauser KK500G in the International Paddock at Silverstone
Kurtis Offenhauser KK500G (1957) Engine 4100cc. Also known as the Meguiar Mirror Glaze Special, raced primaraly on the US ovals, including Indianapolis by Ray Crawford and in the 1957 and 1958 Race of the Two Worlds on the banked circuit at Monza. Raced at Silverstone in the HGPCA pre 1961 Front Engined race. Technically this car does qualify as a Grand Prix car due to the Indianapolis 500 being a qualifying race for the GP World Championships at the time The four-cylinder 1957 Indianapolis 500 Kurtis Kraft 500G was bought from new by Ray Crawford, an Air Corps pilot who flew the P-38 Lightning in combat over North Africa in 1943. He was later awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal for his active service. Upon leaving the air force, Crawford was introduced to racing by a former high school classmate. His first win came in the stock-car class of the 1954 Carrera Panamericana – a nine-stage, five-day race across Mexico – in a Lincoln. The following year, Crawford drove a Lincoln-Kurtis Kraft 500B at the 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race, finishing in 13th position after running the entire length without a co-driver – to this day, the only driver to ever do so. Known by his nickname ‘The Flying Grocer’ due to his family’s successful California-based supermarket chain, Ray was one of the first owner-drivers of the post-war era at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He regularly competed in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1954–59 seasons including the Indianapolis 500 races in 1955, 1956, and 1959. The privateer raced his own self-funded cars during the course of his career, including the 1957 Kurtis Kraft 500G, recognised by its ‘Meguiar's Mirror Glaze/Crawford’ sponsorship, which he campaigned in the invitational ‘Race of Two Worlds’ events held at Monza Autodrome,Italy, in 1957 and 1958, finishing 7th and 4th continued to race without any notable success in events throughout Europe during 1957 and 1958
Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: Silverstone Circuit, Towcester, United Kingdom
Photo credit: © John Gaffen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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