The SAC Fire Boid, testing at Indianapolis in April of 1955. Photos courtesy Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Ironically, the first turbine-powered Indy Car wasn’t built to run in the Indianapolis 500, though it did test at the track and was used for exhibition laps during the 1955 race weekend. Instead, the SAC Fire Boid was a rolling billboard for the high-tech careers available in the Strategic Air Command, as well as a testament to the SAC’s “Hobby Shop” program established by Curtis LeMay.
Next month, the Fire Boid will appear at the third-annual Arizona Concours d’Elegance, which pays tribute to the 100th running of the classic Memorial Day race with a display of significant Indy Cars and a panel discussion featuring past winners.
The Fire Boid didn’t begin its on-track life with a gas turbine engine. Instead, the 1950 Kurtis-Kraft KK3000 chassis was equipped with a 270-cu.in. Offenhauser four-cylinder, the dominant racing engine of the day. In 1952, the car was driven to a second-place finish at the Indianapolis 500 by Jim Rathman, but later retired. Eventually, it found its way into Firestone’s stable, where it was used for tire testing purposes.
Jim Rathman, driving the Kurtis Kraft KK3000 that would later become the Fire Boid.
Looking for a way to retain experienced air crews in the postwar years, General Curtis LeMay looked to improve life on base. One way to do so was to establish “Hobby Shops,” where Strategic Air Command airmen could pursue passions like auto mechanics in their off-hours. It was the Hobby Shop at Omaha, Nebraska’s, Offutt Air Force Base that first asked the question, “What would a turbine-powered Indy Car be capable of?”
Firestone loaned the Offutt crew a retired Kurtis Kraft chassis, while Boeing loaned the base a gas turbine engine, presumably one no longer fit for active duty in aircraft. Offutt personnel married the two, creating a car that was billed as the Fire Boid, likely a spin-off of the “Firebird” name used by GM on its turbine-powered concept car of 1953. With an output estimated at 195 horsepower, the transmission-less turbine car was said to have a top speed of 140 MPH, roughly the same speed run by pole sitter Jerry Hoyt.
Henry Banks (L), with the Fire Boid at Indy.
The Fire Boid was tested at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in April of 1955, and driven for exhibition laps during Memorial Day weekend by Henry Banks, a retired racer with six Indy 500 starts and three Formula One starts on his resume. The car’s purpose wasn’t to highlight the possibilities of turbine-powered race cars (though it’s quite possible the Fire Boid planted the idea in Andy Granatelli’s mind), but instead to promote the jet-age training one could receive in the Strategic Air Command.
Though the Fire Boid was built from loaned components, it was never parted out after its 1955 Indy appearance and instead became part of the IMS Museum’s permanent collection. To help the Arizona Concours d’Elegance recognize the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 in May 2016, the IMS Museum will also provide three additional cars from its collection, including a 1914 Duesenberg once raced by Eddie Rickenbacker; a front-drive Miller; and a 1964 Lotus-Ford, the car that predicted the end of the front-engine roadster era.
Eddie Rickenbacker with his 1914 Duesenberg racing car.
Indy drivers, including 1983 winner Tom Sneva and two-time winner Arie Luyendyk (1990 and 1997), will also be on hand for a panel discussion about their experiences on Saturday, January 23. The session will be moderated by Lyn St. James, a seven-time starter who, in 1992, became the first female driver to capture Rookie of the Year honors at the Brickyard.
The 2016 Arizona Concours d’Elegance will take place January 24, 2016, at the Arizona Biltmore resort in Phoenix, Arizona. For more information, visit ArizonaConcours.com.
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