1961 Epperly Bryant Heating

Quincy D. Epperly designed and built his first Indianapolis roadster in 1957 for Jim Rathmann, who drove the car to second place at that year's Indianapolis 500. Epperly's revolutionary 'laydown' engine layout, where the engine was canted over to enable lower bodywork to be fitted, bridged the traditional front-engined roadsters and the first rear-engined cars of the 1960s.

This car was constructed in early 1961 for Eph Hoover of Nashville, Tennessee. Entered in the 1961 Indianapolis 500 as the #3 Hoover Motor Express Special, the car qualified in the second starting position by Don Branson, but sadly the engine was damaged at the start and the car finished in the 33rd position. It was entered again in the 1962 Indy 500 as the Bryant Heating & Cooling Special driven by Bobby Marshman, it qualified in the third position, and it completed the 500 miles in fifth place. The car's final appearance at Indianapolis was in 1963 as the Hoover Inc., driven by Bud Tingelspadt, who finished 27th after a crash in turn 2 on the 46th lap.