1952 Kurtis 4000

Frank Kurtis was the son of a Croatian blacksmith who emigrated to America. Frank's engineering skills soon led him to build dragsters, race boats, land speed racers, sports cars, and midget racers. Shortly before World War II, his interest turned to Indianapolis. He helped to build the Novi cars in 1946 and 1947, before entering his own cars in 1948. Two years later, driver Johnnie Parsons gave Kurtis his first Indy 500 win, at the wheel of a Kurtis 1000. It would be the first of five Kurtis victories at the Brickyard. At one point, the Indy 500 would include as many as 23 cars of his manufacture. Eventually, his cars would earn 54 National Championship races, tying Kurtis for seventh place among Champ Car builders.

The Kurtis Kraft 4000 was first produced in 1951 with as many as 12 (and possibly as many as 15) examples built. It was a versatile vehicle that could be raced on the dirt tracks of the AAA championship circuits as well as on the bricks at Indianapolis.

The 4000 replaced the 3000 series and in comparison, the 4000 was lighter. It offered predictable handling and durability but fell short on comfort. The KK4000 had a truss-tubular construction, with beam front axles and live rear axles. Using the latest in technology, Kurtis outfitted his single-seater with four-wheel disc brakes. Power was from a 270 cubic-inch dual-overhead-cam Offenhauser four-cylinder unit. The cylinder head was incorporated into the block casting, which aided in its durability.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2018