1952 Kurtis 4000 Roadster

Frank Kurtis was a very successful and diverse American race car builder that produced midgets, sprint cars, sports cars, quarter midgets, and even aircraft-starter carts. During the 1950s, his Kurtis Kraft cars won the Indianapolis on four occasions, and at one point, the Indy 500 lineup included as many as 23 cars of his manufacture.

In 1951, the Kurtis Kraft 4000 was first produced, and it is believed that as many as 15 examples were built. They were traditional upright cars that were designed to race at Indianapolis or the dirt tracks of the AAA championship circuit. They were proven so effective that many were still being actively run on the dirt champ circuit throughout the early 1960s.

This particular example made its debut at the Indianapolis 500 race in May of 1952 as the Bowes Seal Fast Special where it was driven by Art Cross. It qualified in 20th place at a speed of 135.288 mph, and finished the race in 5th place, earning Art Cross the Speedway's very first Rookie of the Year honors.

This Bowes Seal Fast Special continued to compete for nearly ten years, being sponsored for a long time by owner Ray Brady and campaigned by several drivers including Joey James, Mike Nazaruk, Len Duncan, Johnny Parsons, and Don Branson.

In the early 1990s, the car was in the care of Bill Champion. The current caretaker acquired the car in 1992 and treated the car to a restoration. At that time, it was returned to its original 1952 Indianapolis livery.

In 1996, the car earned a First in Class at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it also won the Tony Hulman Memorial Cup. The car has also participated in the Goodwood Festival of Speed, as well as the vintage pre-race heat at the modern Indianapolis 500.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2015