The greatest starting field in Indy 500 history

The five-car crash in Turn 4 of the last lap billowed so much smoke that A.J. Foyt could hardly see. But with the yard of bricks in sight and his third Indianapolis 500 victory nearly in hand, Foyt made a startling decision.

"I dropped it down to second gear, and said to myself, 'I don't know who I'm gonna hit, but I'm gonna carry 'em past that finish line,' " Foyt said. "I about had a heart attack doing it. I can't believe I didn't hit nothing.

"As I crossed the finish line I said, 'I've won it, but I've lost it.' "

Foyt was stunned to have won. Not only did he make it through the wreckage, but he overcame Parnelli Jones' and Andy Granatelli's million-dollar "supercar." Jones' STP Turbine, better known as the "Whooshmobile," faltered when a $6 part failed with 3½ laps to go and cost Jones a sure victory. 

Only two of the final 16 laps were green, and only 11 drivers made it through 188 laps.

This wild finish was perhaps the greatest field in the Indy 500's 101-race history.

The entry of Formula One's Fernando Alonso into the 500-Mile Race this year has been an international story. But 50 years ago, drivers from around the world and all manner of racing disciplines flooded Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

The 1967 race featured Indy car champions and midget car champions, stock car champions and sports car champions, sprint car champions, dirt car champions and even a motorcycle champion.

There were nine 500 champions and six Formula One drivers who had a combined 10 world championships and 10 Monaco Grand Prix titles.

Five decades ago, the best drivers in the world often tested their mettle at the Brickyard. The greatness that filled out that field 50 years ago has never been matched: 

Row 1

1. Mario Andretti: He was the man who could drive anything and win. The fearsome young Italian had showed the world that months earlier with his victory in the Daytona 500 and later at the 12 Hours of Sebring. Then, he came to Indianapolis and won his second consecutive 500 pole with a track-record speed of 168.892 mph. He'd have to wait a couple more years before tasting victory, though, as he lost a wheel on his 59th lap and was out of the race.

"During practice (Jones and Granatelli) had a lot of attention, but they were not the fastest. I was," Andretti said. "But on the first lap, we were going down the back straightaway, and (Jones) went around me like I was parked. So I flipped him the bird."

2. Dan Gurney: By 1967, this motor sports innovator was well on his way to changing the way that the world raced open-wheel cars. Though the beloved driver’s focus had been on leading the American charge into Europe’s premier series, his Eagle was among the most-feared cars in Indianapolis ahead of the 1967 race. But he was knocked out of the race after 160 laps.

3. Gordon Johncock: Though overshadowed by a fellow rookie named Andretti in 1965, Johncock asserted himself that year with a fifth-place finish in the 500 and let the world know it was no fluke when he finished fourth the following year. This Motorsports Hall-of-Famer’s glory days were still ahead of him — he would one day emerge victorious from one of the most-thrilling Indy 500s of all time — but he finished 12th in 1967, spinning out in Turn 3 on Lap 189.

Row 2

4. A.J. Foyt: By 1967, the two-time 500 champion was already an icon, but he was only 32 years old. While much of his legacy would be steeped in his incredible versatility, he never stopped saying that the 500 made him. Without Foyt, the 500 wouldn’t be the race that it is today.

The turbine car of Jones was cruising to victory in '67, until a ball bearing failed on Lap 197, knocking Jones out of the race. Foyt took advantage, but only after avoiding a five-car pileup on the final lap, saying he had a premonition there would be a last-lap crash. "I thought I was out of it," he said after the race. Foyt was the only driver to cross the finish line; the race was flagged because of the accident.

5. Joe Leonard. He had proved to be among the best in the world on two wheels with three American Motorcycle Association national championships. In 1964, he decided to give four wheels a go. The next year, he entered the 500. In 1967, the future USAC national champion and 1968 pole-sitter finished third.

6. Parnelli Jones: He was known across the racing world as one of the toughest drivers to ever get behind a wheel. And one of the best of the era. He already had one 500 win and a pair of poles, so when he arrived in 1967 with Granatelli's car from the future, he seemed destined to strike gold again.

The controversial STP Turbine could maintain higher speeds longer, and the four-wheel drive provided Jones better handling than the competition. Jones was sailing to victory when that $6 ball bearing in the gearbox failed on Lap 197.

"When we got back to the garage, Andy was crying like a baby," Jones said. "He was really hurt. I felt terrible. If I hadn't exited the pits like a dragster, there's no doubt in my mind the car would have been fine. But I have to live with that." 

Rules were changed after the race to curtail the car's advantages.

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Row 3

7. Lloyd Ruby: Ruby had competed in seven 500s and finished 1,350 of 1,400 laps. But his luck would change. In 10 of his his next 11 tries, his races would end early. In 1967, an issue with valves knocked him out after just three laps. Indianapolis Motor Speedway historian Donald Davison said some consider Ruby the greatest driver to never win the 500-Mile Race. 

8. Al Unser: He’d go on to become one of the greatest drivers at IMS. Durability and longevity became his hallmarks, but in 1967, he was taking on the 500 for just the third time. He finished as the runner-up, but he wouldn't have to settle for second for long. In years to come, he'd end up on the Borg-Warner Trophy more times than all but two other drivers.

9. Bobby Unser: He craved speed and he would find it on the IMS oval, where he set numerous track records. His finish in the previous year’s 500 had been his best yet (eighth), but far greater accomplishments were to come. While he finished ninth in 1967, he would snag the first of the Unser family's record nine victories in 1968. 

Row 4

10. George Snider: He is the driver with the most starts who never won. But few can boast a resume that includes so many different cars and team owners. He drove, among others, a Lotus, a Coyote, an Eagle, a Parnelli and a March — and raced in the engines of Chevrolet, Buick, Offy and Foyt. In 1967, he entered the third of what would be an eventual 22 Indianapolis 500s with a Ford Mongoose. A crash took him out of the race, leaving him to settle with a 26th-place finish. 

11. Jim McElreath: The Texan proved he needed to be taken seriously the first time he ran at IMS, finishing sixth ahead of legends such as Jones, Ruby, Gurney and Foyt to earn Rookie of the Year honors in 1962. The future sprint car Hall of Famer wasn't among the favorites in ‘67, but he proved to be a contender, finishing fifth.

12. Bobby Grim: The 500 had once been filled with Hoosiers, but by ‘67, the race included top drivers from across the globe. A Hoosier from Coal City, however, was likely living a dream. When he entered the ‘67 race, Grim had finished in the top half of the field only once. He posted one of the best performances of his 500 career — finishing 13th — but also instigated the final-lap crash when his suspension failed, sending him into the wall. Chuck Hulse and Carl Williams collided as they tried to avoid him, then Bud Tingelstad and Larry Dickson spun out trying to avoid the wreckage.

Row 5

13. Art Pollard: Formula One stars Jochen Rindt and Denis Hulme drew the headlines among drivers making their 500 debuts, but this rookie would earn a better starting spot and finish eighth. Hitting the IMS oval for the first time at the age of 40, he would go on to be a consistently excellent qualifier. He died in a crash during practice in 1973. 

14. Mel Kenyon: The1964 USAC midget champion — he was known as the "King of the Midgets" — decided to try his hand at "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing," beginning in 1966. A fifth-place finish proved him to be one of the more versatile drivers of his era. Returning to Indy, the future 10-time USAC midget champ and Motorsports Hall of Famer finished 16th, crashing after 177 laps.

15. Wally Dallenbach: The 31-year-old rookie would become one of the many drivers of the era who needed a handful of turns at the Speedway before learning how to make an impact. In the 1970s, once he had learned the ins and outs of the race, he’d become an annual contender. In 1967, a crash on Lap 74 ended his day.

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Row 6

16. Jim Clark: By 1967, he had done it all: two Formula One world championships, 1963 500 Rookie of the Year, 1965 500 champion, two podiums at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. World renowned for his smooth driving and finesse, when he returned to Indianapolis in ‘67, there was little reason to think Clark wouldn’t be a top contender. There also was little reason to think it would be his last appearance in the 500, but he finished 31st in the race, and was killed while racing less than a year later.

"The way I look at it, in all of the years I ran against Formula One guys, I think in my lifetime the best driver was Jimmy Clark," Foyt said, citing Clark's versatility. "I watched him run a stock car at Rockingham (Speedway). ... His car wasn't too good, but he ran a hell of a race. Half these Formula One drivers would be so lost on tracks like that."

17. Ronnie Duman: While his 500 legacy would be forever tied to the tragedy of 1964 — the race that claimed the lives of Dave McDonald and Eddie Sachs and left Duman with second- and third-degree burns — he should also be remembered for courageously returning to the track two months later and to IMS for the 500. He finished 23rd in the '67 race.

18. Arnie Knepper: Though he was probably not a serious threat to win the race — he finished 22nd because of engine issues — he would eventually leave his mark on it. In 1969, Knepper crashed during Lap 87, but instead of getting off the track, he stood up in his car and waved his arms frantically to warn oncoming drivers of the danger. A legendary story in the 500 chronicles.

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Row 7

19. Johnny Rutherford: After missing the 1966 500 because of a devastating crash at Eldora, he was more than ready to get back into the race. He was still a few years away from pairing up with McLaren and fulfilling his destiny as one of the greatest drivers IMS has ever seen, finishing 25th after a crash on Lap 104.

20. Cale Yarborough: In 1967, the soon-to-be three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion became the first man to run at Charlotte, N.C., and the 500 in the same season. Though he never seriously threatened to win the 500 (a crash left him 17th in '67), his four Daytona victories are second only to the great Richard Petty. 

21. Larry Dickson: The 500 was never his forte, though he’d make a respectable 15th-place finish in his Lotus Ford in this race. He more than found his footing in sprint cars, winning three USAC series championships and a then-record 43 races.

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Row 8

22. Roger McCluskey: Put him in a USAC car and he’d win a championship. He had won sprint car titles in 1963 and 1966, and would go on to win a pair of stock car titles and a USAC national championship. In his five previous tries in the 500, he had yet to find his footing, and ‘67 would be no different as he finished 19th. In the 1970s, though, he would become a constant thorn in the side for the Unsers, Foyt, Johncock and others.

23. Carl Williams: The ‘67 race was filled with wrecks and mechanical problems, but Williams can proudly boast a 10th-place finish as he was among the 11 drivers to complete more than 188 laps.

24. Denny Hulme: Imagine a grander entrance than coming to Indianapolis three weeks after winning the Monaco Grand Prix. That’s precisely what this 500 rookie did, as he joined a fearsome group of Formula One drivers crossing the Atlantic to try to conquer the 500. Despite his poor starting spot, he'd finish fourth after colliding with Williams in an effort to avoid Grim on the final lap.

Row 9

25. Bud Tingelstad: Not regarded as a driver who would factor in the race, he spun out trying to avoid Hulse and Williams, nearly taking Foyt out of the race with them. He finished 14th. 

26. Lee Roy Yarbrough: A relative unknown heading into the race, he would not stay that way. Though he never left much of a footprint on the 500 (he finished 27th in '67), Yarbrough would win NASCAR’s triple crown (Daytona, Darlington and the World 600) in 1969 and was later selected by NASCAR as one of the one 50 best drivers in its history.

27. Chuck Hulse: Not every driver in this field is a legend, but Hulse could later tell his grandchildren that he was better than Bobby Unser, Johncock, Gurney and Rutherford, among others. And, as noted above, he was involved in this race’s famous last-lap crash before finishing seventh.

Row 10

28. Bob Veith: For some, there’s nothing like the first time. The can be said of Veith, who finished seventh in 1956 — winning rookie of the year — and never topped the performance. That said, he would post two more top-10 finishes and took 11th in 1967. 

29. Sir Jackie Stewart: The prefix says it all. The knight hadn’t yet earned the Queen’s attention, as the first of his three Formula One world championships didn’t come until 1969, but the future safety advocate already had proved formidable at Indy. In his first try in 1966, he led the race until a broken pump shelved him and forced him to settle for rookie of the year honors. He returned in ‘67 to try to right the wrong of the year before, but finished 18th with engine trouble. 

30. Jerry Grant: He is another driver who will not be remembered as a 500 legend, but instead as a man with legendary 500 story. Stopping in the wrong pit late in the 1972 race cost him a runner-up finish and what would have been the only top five of his career. He finished 20th in 1967.

Row 11

31. Graham Hill: The reigning champion. Not only did the Englishman and 1962 world champion conquer America’s biggest open-wheel race on his first try in 1966, but with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Monaco later in his career, he’d accomplish something no other driver before or since has done. (Though one is now famously in pursuit.) He would last just 23 laps in '67, finishing 32nd. 

32. Jochen Rindt: He arrived in Indy as a rookie, but with a resume of one of the world’s most versatile drivers, highlighted by a 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans victory and a third-place finish in the Formula One championship in 1966.  He'd finish 24th in the race.

33. Al Miller: Though starting last might not seem like much of an accomplishment, he beat out more than three dozen other drivers, including some full-time Formula One drivers and Le Mans champions, to qualify for this illustrious field. Miller would finish 28th.

Together, they made up the greatest Indianapolis 500 field of all time.

Greatness sidelined

But part of what makes the 1967 field so exceptional is the drivers who weren’t in it. According to Sports Illustrated’s Bob Ottum, more than 80 competitors practiced during the weeks leading up to the 500.

"All these different chassis and overseas drivers, God, I don’t even know how many qualifying attempts there were," Speedway historian Davidson said. " All the way from people who were thrashing every day and never made it, to people who just got out and ran a few laps or had problems or got in late. It was a huge amount of activity. There was just all kinds of stuff to talk about."

Some of those who didn’t make the cut boasted exemplary resumes.

Headlining the group were Le Mans 24 Hours winners and Formula One drivers Chris Amon, Masten Gregory — who won Le Mans with Rindt — and Pedro Rodriguez. Rodriguez would also become a two-time Grand Prix winner and Amon, Davidson said, is considered by some to be among the best drivers to never win a grand prix.

Those three were joined by American Formula One drivers Richie Ginther and Bill Cheesbourg, along with 1965’s seventh-place 500 finisher and NASCAR driver Bobby Johns. Fellow NASCAR driver Jim Hurtubise also missed the cut just four years after qualifying second for the 500.

“It’s not like it is today,” said Foyt. “A lot of great race drivers had to go home because they missed it.”

Looking back

For a future legend, a spot in that field meant that he had made it.

“These were the iconic names of the period,” Andretti said. “To be able to be part of that mix, and sit in the drivers’ meetings rubbing elbows with Jackie Stewart, Jim Clark and all of these guys, you’re damn right. That meant to me, I can’t go no further. I’m right where I wanted to be. … I guarantee you I felt good about it. I had every reason to.”

It truly was the greatest collection of drivers in the history of the 500, Davidson said. Foyt, Andretti, Jones, Rutherford, Leonard, Stewart, Johncock, Clark, Hill, Gurney, Yarborough, the Unsers. They were all there. All of the best drivers from all over the world.

It's enough to make you wonder, might Alonso's historic attempt this year spur other greats from around the world to return to the "Racing Capital of the World" to test their mettle? 

Might we once again see a field spilling over with modern day superstars and future legends who would make Indianapolis the envy of the racing world? 

“Wouldn’t that be great?” Davidson said. “Wouldn't that be great if the Indianapolis 500 was all of the best drivers in the world who wanted to be here? Wouldn’t that be nice? That’s what 1967 was. When you look down that list. All the names. ... God, what a phenomenal lineup.”

IndyStar correspondents Mike Williams and Joe Spears contributed to this story. 

Follow IndyStar Motor Sports Insider Jim Ayello on Twitter and Instagram: @jimayello.