1964 Lotus Type 34

The Lotus/Ford debut at the 1963 Indianapolis 500 resulted with Jim Clark scoring an impressive second-place finish. With additional time, testing, and experience, the 1964 Lotus-Ford entry was poised for even greater success.

The evolution of race cars that raced at the Brickyard Oval over the years included an early dominance by front-engined roadsters. Over the years, the archaic front-engined cars were relegated to the history books as the nimble, lightweight, rear-engines cars were given their day in the sun. One individual who immediately recognized the potential and the shifting tides was Dan Gurney, the talented American who had broken into Formula 1 racing in 1959. He was impressed by the ingenuity of Lotus and believed their success could do the same at Indianapolis. He invited Lotus' founder, Colin Chapman, to the 1962 event. For the 1963 event, Lotus driver Jimmy Clark finished second in a Type 29. The following year, the Type 34 driven by Clark was the first rear-engine car ever to qualify for the pole position on the starting grid. The following year, Clark achieved success the Lotus team was seeking, winning one of the most convincing victories in Indianapolis history in a Type 38, while his teammate, A.J. Foyt, set a new record qualifying time, and taking the pole.

In early 1960, Ford executive Donald Frey had also been contemplating a victory for the Blue Oval at Indy. Ford had not been an entrant at the event since 1935. Frey concluded that Ford needed to build a race engine. Thus, when approached by Chapman and Gurney, he was receptive to the idea of a Lotus and Ford assault on Indy. Lotus pitched the idea of a lightweight, monocoque, revolutionary rear-engine race car that could outcompete the front-engineed roadster. They reasoned that it would be easier on its tires and could go further on a gallon of fuel, thus reducing the time spent in the pits. Convinced, Ford agreed to pay nearly all the expenses of the project. Ford asked Gurney to drive one of the cars and Chapman secured the second for Clark.

The first model produced by the Ford and Lotus union was the Type 29. It was based on the design of the Lotus 25 rear-engine single-seater of 1962. The Type 25 had a fully stressed monocoque construction which made it both lighter and stronger than its Formula 1 competition. The Type 29 was similar in design, but was slightly larger in all dimensions, and used an asymmetrical suspension system that offset the body to the left, to help the car through the banked turns at Indy.

Ford built a lightweight, all-aluminum, 255 cubic-inch version of its recently introduced 260 cubic-inch 'small block' V8 engine. With the help of four Weber carburetors, the engine was rated at 376 horsepower on gasoline. In comparison, the turbocharged Offenhauser four-cylinder engines employed by most Indy competitors produced around 450 horsepower. However, the Lotus/Ford team was confident in the car's lightness and its superior performance.

Many believed that the underpowered Type 29 would be too fragile to challenge the Offys. Their beliefs were immediately silenced when Gurney set a qualifying time of 149.750 mph, putting him near the front of the grid. During the race, Gurney retired early due to tire problems, finishing seventh. Clark, however, chased eventual winner, Parnelli Jones, up to the last lap, finishing second. As the checkered flag fell, the controversies arose, as Jones should have been black-flagged by the officials for an oil leak.

Ford and Lotus returned in 1964 with the Type 34, an evolution of the previous year's car. Ford had improved their racing small-block, giving it more power and many improvements. It did away with less efficient pushrods in favor of four gear-driven overhead camshafts to operate the engine's 32 valves. The cast-iron cylinder liners were fitted with Pentroof pistons. A Hilborn fuel injection was installed in place of the Weber carburetors. In this guise, the engine produced nearly 500 horsepower, a significant increase over the Type 29's engine.

A total of three Type 34 cars were built. Clark drove chassis number 1 and Gurney piloted car chassis number 3. Chassis number 2 was used during practice only. Clark drove his car during qualifying to speeds of 158.828 mph, setting a new record and earning Lotus the pole position. This was the first for a rear-engine car at Indy. The Type 34 was certainly the car to beat, but victory would elude the team. The Dunlop tires Chapman had chosen for the team were inadequate. The rear tire separated on Clark's car, creating an imbalance that damaged the rear suspension. Gurney was pulled out of the race as a precaution on the 110th lap.

For the 1965 Indy 500 race, Foyt - who was driving 34/2 - captured the pole position with an average speed of 161.223 mph. Clark and Gurney joined him in the front row with the new Lotus 38s. Foyt and Clark battled for victory, with Clark crossing the finish line first at the drop of the checkered flag. Clark had become the first driver to win at Indianapolis in a rear-engine machine. Foyt's transmission had failed on lap 115, putting him out of contention.

A pair of DNF's at the Rex Mays Classic and the Langhorne 150 was followed by a victory at the Trenton 150. A week later, at Indianapolis Raceway Park, he held first place until the last lap, when the car ran out of fuel, dropping him back to a fourth-place finish. On August 8th, he placed second at the Langhorne 125. At the Atlanta Championship where Foyt captured his sixth pole position of the season but dropped out due to mechanical issues. At the Trenton 200, Foyt, again on the pole, scored another victory for the team. At the Bobby Ball Memorial 200 in Phoenix, another victory was earned by Foyt.

The Type 34 enjoyed a rather successful career, ultimately becoming the most successful of the Indy Lotuses, with a total of six victories. It would earn four USAC victories and two Indy 500 pole positions. Although close, an outright victory at the Indy 500 was never achieved.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2017