Roadandtrack.com and Indianapolismotorspeedway.com: The Alco Black Beast on Legends Day
Roadandtrack.com: Indianapolis 500 Celebration Race – Trackside at Indy 2012
May 26, 2012 by John Lamm Photos by the Author
They roared and smoked and howled to life, and then a century worth of Indy cars headed for the 2 1/2-mile track as part of the 2012 Indianapolis 500 Celebration.
The oldest car was a tall, black 1909 Alco-6. The Black Beast racer competed in the first Indy 500 and won the 1909 and 1910 Vanderbilt Cup races. A wonderful car owned by Howard Kroplick.
Indianapolismotorspeedway.com has posted a gallery of photos from Saturday's Legends Day. Here are some amazing images of the Alco Black Beast on this historic speedway.
More photos, thumbs ups and spectacular helmut cam video of the Black Beast laps will be posted next week.
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
Thousands were on hand at the Indy speedway on Legends Day to see 33 vintage racers race including the Alco Black Beast.
The Black Beast can be seen making a move on the far right.
Driver Howard Kroplick and mechanician Sam Greco.
Approaching the finish line and the "Yard of Bricks".
Sam gives the traditional mechanician salute to the crowd as the Black Beast finished its fourth lap while reaching a speed of 70 miles per hour. An amazing thrill!
Comments
From Robert R:
“70? Good grief, Howard, you are a man with serious cojones!
See you in Greenwich.”
70 mph, guess you ran out of track before you could get it into top gear!
Great day for Howard and the Alco. How many people will go home with happy memories of that day because you had the Alco there and let them see, sit in, and see it in motion.
Yea Howie & the Black Beast! See, I actually read your emails!
seriously Howard, you have all the fun…..enjoy!
Congratulations Howard! It is certainly a thrill imagining your ride at Indy.
Howard - 70 mph in the Beast!!!!! You are clearly ‘‘THE MAN”.....
Roz - 40 years and counting - Good luck…
From Bruce K:
“Hope you had a GREAT time @ Indy. Pictures look great and the race was terrific, although i wish Tony Kannan won.”