AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A RACE CAR DRIVER RODGER WARD 1950s-1960s AUTO RACING 89334

[@Josey_Wales]

Love old Indy history and drivers' history from then. Really cool video on Roger Ward. This was really awesome!

[@timford3599]

All of Periscope Films Videos are an unvarnished look into the past. They are always a real treat to watch. Rodger Ward vs. AJ Foyt during the early 1960's, especially on the USAC Big Car, Mile Dirt Track 100 Milers were the stuff of legends. Both Rodger Ward and the Great Parnelli Jones are tied for fourth on my "All Time Favorite Driver's List." Thank you for this terrific look into Open Wheel Racing's true "Golden Era." If there was a time period that I could be transported back to, it would have unquestionably been The 1950's, 60's and 70's. Rodger Ward and Leader Card's Mechanically Brilliant AJ Watson (plus owner Bob Wilke, The 3 WWW's) were the Penske style team of that era! IMO, AJ Watson and the equally brilliant George Bignotti were the greatest mechanical minds in American Open Wheel Racing History!

[@MrChristopherHaas]

I love anything with Roger Ward in it. I loved his commentary for ABC races back in the day. None better.

[@allanrussack2844]

Very good informative video. What a fascinating character!

[@PeriscopeFilm]

Glad you enjoyed it! Love our channel? Help us save and post more orphaned films! Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Even a really tiny contribution can make a difference.

[@MrRobster1234]

Great video. Thank you for posting. Duke Nalon lived to the ripe, old age of 87.

[@MrChristopherHaas]

This is GREAT! The big one in color. Oh the sound of that Ford engine! Somewhere in this world there is more footage from the footage of Wards early days. Someone PLEASE PoST

[@garylewis6495]

I saw the 1960 Indy 500. What a great duel between Ward and Rathman! Rodger would have won in 1960 if he hadn't stalled his car in the pits and in 1964 if he had metered his fuel consumption properly. That's how close he was to being a four-time winner.

[@tsf5-productions]

I am amazed by this story on race driver, Rodger Ward. I have admired the man's racing in wins and placing well in all the events he entered. There are several things in detailed about Rodger I didn't know that now make me admire him even more. One thing for sure...he, and a lot of other race drivers, haven't a great "showmanship" if you will, on narration, let alone a "color man" in auto racing events that are on TV. I remember him being on ABC's "Wide World of Sports" in the late 60's & somewhat well into the 1970's. Sir Jackie Stewart had a better finesse in style. So did Bobby Unser. Now-a-days, I enjoy the helps in auto racing on TV by Eddie Cheever, Scott Goodyear, Paul Tracy, and the "good ol' boys" of NASCAR: D.W. & Jeff Gordon. Benny Parsons was another real good one in NASCAR TV. Anyway...as before, Rodger Ward. What a driver! That 1964 Indy 500 NOW I know...it was a "mechanical problem" that caused him the possible win. That next year was a bad one for Ward. I remember that one that could have been a good one had not the car design screwed him up in '65. Then, 1966...I was there for that race and it was his last. He lost "his strong drive" to be a winner. And, at his age of 46 (?), he called it quits. This was a good movie.

[@MrChristopherHaas]

Thanks for the post. Mooore

[@OpenTrailerMafia]

The message of the first few minutes is "Don't drop out of school because you might end up a party loving Indy 500 winner who takes home a different girl every night!" Somehow I think that might not have had the intended effect on teen boys at the time. 😂 Great video.

[@timford3599]

Really! What's not to aspire to with that in mind?!?

[@henrychubbs2823]

We talk about product placement now but this is a very aggressive ad for Autolite spark plugs.

[@MrRobster1234]

$25,000 dynometer. Golly !

[@MrChristopherHaas]

It's funny that Foyts big old roadster ended up being much better on fuel.

[@philipfarley4163]

I never realized that Rodger Ward had controlling interest in IRP!

[@timford3599]

Rodger also played a critical part in the design of Pocono Speedway in the Pennsylvania "Honeymoon Forest" aka "The Tricky Triangle."

[@dsriggs]

0:26 that house is still there goo.gl/maps/y1NgxEjqe4Q2