Frank Lockhart - Indy 500 Racer, Innovator, American Hero

The remarkable story of Frank Lockhart - 1920s Indy 500 racer, inventor and world land speed challenger.
FURTHER READING
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Thrust: The Remarkable Story of One Man's Quest for Speed by Richard Noble
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Railton: Man Of Speed by Karl Ludvigsen
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Goldenrod: The Resurrection of America's Speed King by John Baechtel
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Speed Duel by Samuel Hawley
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The History Of Speed by Martin Roach
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Donald Campbell: The Man Behind The Mask by David Tremayne
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Bluebird and the Dead Lake: The Classic Account of how Donald Campbell broke the World Land Speed Record by John Pearson
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Leap into Legend: Donald Campbell and the Complete Story of the World Speed Records by Steve Holter
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Bluebird CN7: The Inside Story of Donald Campbell's Last Land Speed Record Car by Donald Stevens
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Parry Thomas: The First Driver to be Killed in Pursuit of the Land Speed Record by Hugh Tours
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Quest For Speed: The Epic Saga of Record-Breaking On Land by Barry John
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The Fast Set: Three Extraordinary Men and Their Race for the Land Speed Record by Charles Jennings
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Man Against the Salt by Harvey Shapiro
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Ultimate Speed: The Fast Life and Extreme Cars of Racing Legend Craig Breedlove by Samuel Hawley
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Infinity Over Zero: Meditations on Maximum Velocity by Cole Coonce
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Speedquest: Inside the Blue Flame by Richard Keller
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Crusader: John Cobb's ill-fated quest for speed on water by Steve Holter
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Archive: Pathe, Phil Sheedy, Shutterstock, FreeASEStudyGuides.com, Indianapolis MSM & Unknown Sources - used under Fair Deal / Fair Use. Copyright in all other material acknowledged.
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[@andyharman3022]

I've seen the Lockhart crash a few times before, but didn't know how much of an innovator he was. I always thought that the Blackhawk had a V16, so thanks for showing a picture of its angled U-16. And it's an interesting side story that the engine made it into an Indianapolis racer years later. It's fun to note the irony of an American constructing a small, light, low displacement car to contest the Land Speed Record while the English were constructing large, heavy, aero-engined behemoths. If Lockhart had lived, he might have been the inspiration to John Cooper and Colin Chapman. The amount of design integration in the Blackhawk, especially the intercooler forming the engine cover, was very advanced for the time.

[@caseysmith544]

I thought it was more of a Duel side by side slant 8 when it was told they were two 8 cylinder engines but U-16 seems to be even cooler if at the end the engines did meet up at a gear shaft after the two V8. Cool the engines did get reused for next years Indy 500. I had just assumed that somebody just used the exact engine model with design in tribute, no clue it was the exact engines.

[@cjs83172]

In fact, an engine derived from the engine in that ill-fated land speed record attempt made it to Indy as soon as 1930, because Louis Meyer, who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1928, drove a car with two straight-8 Millers mounted side-by-side, an engine that became known as the Sampson engine (named after Meyer's friend and car owner, Alden Sampson), in the Indianapolis 500 from 1930-'32, but except for a fourth place finish in 1930, didn't fare particularly well with it (he left Sampson in 1933, and returned to Indy's victory lane that year).

[@TomChame]

Outstanding, thanks.

[@iaincullen7646]

Out of all the creators on youtube I look forward to your uploads the most!

[@ScarfAndGoggles]

Awww, shucks. Thank you!

[@oaktadopbok665]

To have actual footage of the crash - that is astounding. Reminds me of when Craig Breedlove lost it at 600 mph on the Bonneville salt flats - but he walked away from that one.

[@theophilhist6455]

Well done. Lockhart was the type of men that thought through problems without computers and transponders. His short life and good looks remind me of a 1920s Dan Weldon. Both true racers. Both RIP

[@ross-carlson]

FANTASTIC CHANNEL - how you don't have 10x more subs is beyond me, the algorithm really does suck! Really enjoying your content, well edited, narrated and written. Supberb.

[@Graham-ce2yk]

Thank you for covering this challenger. Aside from the White Triplex, the non-British side of the Land Speed Record chase in the 1930s is rather thin. I remember reading of someone in the States, also connected with the car racing scene there claiming to have either built, or was building a 3000hp car to attempt the record. But of course nothing ever materialised before WWII other than a lot of talk. Aside from the German attempts which resulted in at least one death, there was a man in Australia who built a replica of the Golden Arrow and took it to New Zealand for his shot at the record, he failed, but at least survived.

[@andycroucheaux4568]

I've always have enjoyed your videos, thanks.

[@plunder1956]

What a remarkable man he was, but a powerful reminder to ALWAYS check the state of the car before a run.

[@zakelwe]

Can't be too many people who have had a car accident due to a seashell. Shame it did not end up better from that small mistake

[@henrychubbs2823]

I knew of Frank Lockhart but knew far too little about him. Thank you for taking on this subject.

[@C4rn1fex01]

Thank you for your amazing videos. Your channel is a rare gem.

[@michaelevans205]

I'm not even a motor car/sport/petrolhead fan sort of person. Aircraft are my thing. But this channel never fails to impress and educate. More videos please!

[@sleepers1034]

Thank you, Frank. I love my intercooler.

[@veryrare7647]

epic story. great telling

[@milosbrajkovic9855]

The greatest driver and the most original thinker in history of LSR. Not forgotten forevermore...

[@bryanpalmer9660]

Frank Lockhart was not only a talented driver,but also an innovater-his Stutz Blackhawk was a beautiful, technically advanced car thanks for posting this doc bio keep up the good work

[@allareasindex7984]

Your Frank Lockhart documentary is excellent! Factual, no hype, clear visual graphics and amazing film (of the final crash) sets the bar higher for all KZbin car channels. Thank you.

[@SirMeatMachine]

I love this channel

[@plantfeeder6677]

Thank you for the story of Frank Lockhart. Heard of him but never knew anything about him. Wish this had showed up in my que sooner.

[@a.j.carter8975]

❤😃🇬🇧. Clever bloke. Oh..i didnt know that happened. Proper sad. ☹

[@davonmulder8458]

This is pretty much the only channel i search for every now and then

[@patrickporter6536]

I knew Lockhart had been killed during a record attempt, but I knew nothing else about him or his cars. Thank you for a most informative video!

[@sanddragracer]

Just found this channel and I am loving it, cannot wait to hear a story on the likes of Mickey Thompson

[@kenjackson5685]

1st class... thanks for sharing

[@cjs83172]

Frank Lockhart was one of the most tragic "what might have been" stories ever told in any sport. Consider that when he first went to Indianapolis, intending just to be a relief driver before fate intervened, another man who was born just a year after Lockhart made his first trip to Indy as a mechanic. That man's name was Louis Meyer, who was fated to be the first 3-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. The first time Meyer drove in the race was in 1927, as a relief driver for Wilbur Shaw (who was born one year before Lockhart and two years before Meyer), the race's second 3-time winner. One of the great tragedies was that you didn't have Lockhart, Meyer, and Shaw battling on the track for that whole era, because that could have been one of the great rivalries in the history of the sport. But in addition to that, Lockhart may have had a real chance to become auto racing's version of Jack Dempsey, Babe Ruth, Red Grange, Bobby Jones, and Bill Tilden (if Tommy Milton wasn't already considered that). Sporting icons of the 1920s that towered over their sports to such a degree that they became larger than life. Lockhart's Indianapolis run in 1926 was Ruthian, in that he was 3.5 MPH faster than anyone else, which he proved by passing 14 cars on the fifth lap alone, and after the first rain delay, by which time he'd already grabbed the lead from the 20th starting position, proceeded to lap the field twice from the time the race restarted on lap 73 to the time it was ended by rain 87 laps later. It was an embarrassment for the rest of the drivers in the field that year, most of which were, like Lockhart, driving Millers. And his dominance extended to the championship trail, where he won a total of nine times in 24 starts, and I believe he remains, to this day, the youngest driver ever to win nine IndyCar races, though he did not capture the championship in either 1926 or '27.

[@paulthompson8613]

Another awesome story thanks

[@Robutube1]

You don't post often, but when you do the films are very well made and the stories so well told that your subscriber count should be so much higher than it is. Thanks for another little beauty.

[@ScarfAndGoggles]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@CullenCraft]

I could have sworn you had at least 100k subs. I've been following for a year or so and always love your videos.

[@ScarfAndGoggles]

Thanks very much for your support!

[@rocklover7437]

Fantastic video thanks

[@garyrhodes7089]

Bravo more please

[@timrayburn2461]

Great work !!

[@TheShrike616]

Excellent, thank you

[@lawrieflowers8314]

He achieved amazing speeds with just a 3-litre engine!

[@jhchg]

Great video. Thanks!

[@ScarfAndGoggles]

Glad you liked it!

[@Gois83]

Another great video. Congrats!!

[@ScarfAndGoggles]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@kevinbarrett9615]

Fascinating story, what a genius and innovator.

[@richardearth2848]

Fabulous story and what a guy. Proper boys own stuff. Ashamed to say all this was new to me so thank you and thank you to Frank for pushing the bounderies

[@ScarfAndGoggles]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@shelbykingnfs7216]

The Blackhawk Special is probably one of the sexiest cars ive ever seen

[@geoffburrill9850]

Wow. Legand.

[@muddybeestenboel6746]

thanks

[@steveburn8125]

I love these videos. They just don’t seem to make guys like this anymore, and he looked like James Dean way before. I’d never heard of him before. No safety gear for these chaps

[@blazer8049]

Frank Lockhart was a genius

[@evalonious]

It's amazing how the thrill of racing/speed is so alluring despite the carnage. Thankfully so much safer now. Speaking of AAA Automotive Association. Can you do the history? I grew up thinking they were just who one would call when suffering from tire deflation or dead battery. 🤔 ✌

[@ScarfAndGoggles]

Thanks for your comment! I might look at AAA - thought it would be interesting to understand how they time the records...

[@davidbaldwin1591]

Look how close the officials were, too.

[@JohnW1711stock]

There should be only one word on this guy's tombstone, "BADASS"! A roll cage, and harness would have saved him.

[@marcstlaurent3719]

Great video but I’m curious how did they know the tire exploded from a cut from a sea shell weakening the tire , did they notice it before and said run it anyway?

[@ScarfAndGoggles]

I think when they were trying to establish a cause for the accident, a number of theories were put forward. The seashell cut was the one that became accepted at the time, I believe. Not sure how much evidence there was to support it or if the media simply seized on it as a sensational detail to print.

[@caseysmith544]

I think the shell or just enough of a shell was discovered after the run that stopped the car deep in the tire, from what I remember reading about his attempts on the record. I think though from the pictures I saw, the shell is more abalone or mollusk then a clam style one.

[@bajabell]

Amazing man .........

[@psychlops924]

A U16 engine? That’s a new one for me

[@milosbrajkovic9855]

U 16 engine were also used by Maserati, Alfa Romeo and Bugatti Grand Prix cars. Too heavy and unrialable for racing.

[@93Beefcake]

all i can think of 0:20 is i wish i had his hairline lmao

[@5c0tt3wart]

It's been a while eh

[@ScarfAndGoggles]

It certainly has! Hope it was worth the wait - will try and post more regularly in future…

[@5c0tt3wart]

@@ScarfAndGoggles always worth the wait my friend ;)

[@keithstudly6071]

I've always been hurt that so few people knew of the genius that was Frank Lockhart. I guess that the brevity of his career could help explain that. Two things that I felt let down by this video. IT was too short, because there was much more to be said! Also someone should have coached the presenter how to pronounce Stutz! (St-utz not Stu-tz) About Lockhartz's legacy. He was a master of car preparation and his two Miller racing cars raced on without him. Louie Meyer won the national championship while driving most of the seasons races in one of the Lockhart cars. the other Lockhart car won the 1929 Indianapolis race with Ray Keech driving. As for Stutz, they were involved in Le Mans the same year Lockhart was lost and were in a winning position until late in the race when the cars innovative 4 speed gear box began to fail. The Stutz Model BB Blackhawk came home in second place, 8 miles behind the winning Bentley which was reduced to running at 50 KPH by a failed cooling system and a cracked frame. After this date the investors in Stutz were discouraged and the company faded from the market.

[@dr2stroke611]

Not often for an American to teach a Brit how to pronounce words...

[@cartmanrlsusall]

If only someone had talked him into changing his tires?

[@jallenw.67]

My heroes have always been the men that invented Mechanical things like the engines used to power them. Great people then . Not like the numb nuts of today with a with a App.

[@K-Effect]

It amazes me that it wasn’t till 1964 that the first roll bar was used in a serious rollover accident. All the great minds that unnecessarily perished because safety wasn’t a major priority/concern or looked down upon in one way or another. I wonder what we’re doing in pedestrian & race cars right now that will look completely insane in 100 years? I think every new car sold should have a roll cage. It’s crazy that in 2022 people still die or even get a broken bone in a 65 mile an hour accident. Maybe I’m looking at this from the wrong perspective, possibly more drivers education and a higher standard of driving is to be implemented before a license can be attained? If you can’t pass such high driving standards you do not get a license and you are only allowed public transportation or a automated car. Almost all accidents are caused by human error, either by judgment or lack of maintenance. It’s very very late and I am rambling in the comment section good night

[@psychlops924]

They raced on WOODEN race tracks???? They were an entirely different breed of crazy back then, that’s for sure.

[@owensmith7530]

That's what I thought. Land speed record runs, OK we know about that and the dangers. But banked wooden race tracks? What happens to the wood in an accident hardly bears thinking about, splintered planks being thrust through the cars in the direction of the driver. Shudder!

[@joealderson3688]

@@owensmith7530 checkout boardtrack motorcycle racing!!

[@andyharman3022]

Some of those tracks had banking angles of 45 degrees. {Dayum!}