Indy Cars

35 Pages·2014·12.35 MB·English

by  Matt Scheff

INDY
SportsZone
Speed. Power. Precision. If those are qualities you look
for in a vehicle, then Speed Machines is the series for S
C CARS
you. Each book offers readers cool facts about their H
E
favorite speedy vehicles, including what they’re made F
F
of, what they can do, how they are used in recreation
and racing, and more. Hop in the driver’s seat and get
ready to learn about some amazing machines!
SERIES FEATURES I
N
D
Y
TITLES IN Fast Facts C
A
THIS SERIES Photo Diagram R
Glossary S
Additional Resources BY MATT SCHEFF
ATVs
Index
Dirt Bikes
Hovercraft
Indy Cars
Jets
Snowmobiles
Speedboats
Superbikes
ABDO PUBLISHING IS A DIVISION OF ABDO
WWW.ABDOPUBLISHING.COM
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INDY
CARS
BY MATT SCHEFF
SportsZone
An Imprint of Abdo Publishing
www.abdopublishing.com
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www.abdopublishing.com
Published by Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO, PO Box 398166,
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55439. Copyright © 2015 by Abdo Consulting Group,
Inc. International copyrights reserved in all countries. No part of this
book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the
publisher. SportsZone™ is a trademark and logo of Abdo Publishing.
Printed in the United States of America, North Mankato, Minnesota
082014
012015
Cover Photo: Action Sports Photography/Shutterstock Images
Interior Photos: Action Sports Photography/Shutterstock Images, 1; AJ Mast/AP Images,
4–5; Dave Parker/AP Images, 6–7, 28–29; Michael L. Levitt/AP Images, 7; AP Images,
8–9; Mark Duncan/AP Images, 10–11; Tom E. Puskar/AP Images, 12–13; Robert Baker/
AP Images, 14–15; Michael Conroy/AP Images, 14, 18–19, 31; Tom Strattman/AP Images,
16–17, 29; Mike Fair/AP Images, 20–21; Paul Sancya/AP Images, 21; David J. Phillip/AP
Images, 22–23; Darron Cummings/AP Images, 24–25; Bob Brodbeck/AP Images, 26–27
Editor: Chrös McDougall
Series Designer: Nikki Farinella
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014944188
Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Scheff, Matt.
Indy cars / Matt Scheff.
p. cm. -- (Speed machines)
ISBN 978-1-62403-611-8 (lib. bdg.)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Indy cars--Juvenile literature. I. Title.
629.228--dc23
2014944188
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CONTENTS
5
THE CHECKERED FLAG
THE HISTORY OF THE
9
INDY CAR
13
INDY CAR DESIGN
20
SAFETY
24
COMPETITION
Glossary 30
For More Information 31
Index 32
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FAST FACT
Indianapolis Motor Speedway has
more than 250,000 seats. No sports
facility in the world seats more fans.
Dario Franchitti leads the field
at the 2012 Indianapolis 500.
4
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THE CHECKERED FLAG
The crowd is on their feet as the checkered flag
waves in the air. It’s the final lap of the 2012
Indianapolis 500. Dario Franchitti leads the race in
his red No. 50 car. But Takuma Sato is close behind
in the white No. 15 car. Sato dives down to the
bottom of the track to try passing.
5
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The cars speed side by side
through the turn. Their big
rubber tires almost touch. Fans
roar as Sato starts to pull into
the lead. But he pushes the
car too hard. Sato’s tires begin
to slide. His car spins out of
control and slams into the wall.
Franchitti roars down the final
straightaway for the victory.
Dario Franchitti (50) edges out
two opponents at the finish line
of the 2012 Indianapolis 500.
6
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Dario Franchitti celebrates after
winning the 2012 Indianapolis 500.
7
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FAST FACT
Ray Harroun won the first
Indianapolis 500 with an average
speed of less than 75 miles per
hour (121 km/h).
Drivers race at the first
Indianapolis 500 in 1911.
8
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