How The Turbine Era Ended

As the 1968 Indianapolis 500 approached, chatter concerning the construction of multiple turbine-powered cars dominated the pre-race narrative.

The year before Andy Granatelli had upended the sport with his four-wheel-drive, turbine-powered machine, dubbed “Silent Sam.” Parnelli Jones was nearly a full lap ahead of eventual winner A.J. Foyt when his turbine-powered car coasted to a stop four laps short of the checkered flag due to a failed transmission bearing.