After the 1960 US GP jack Brabham tested his F1 cooper T53 at Indy to see how it would go. It went fast, despite having a 2.5 litre gasoline engine when the Roadsters used 4.2 litre alcohol burning Offys. John Cooper scored a sponsorship deal, and they came back for the 1961 Indy 500 with a modified T54 car, with a 2.75 litre Coventry Climax engine. Cooper being Cooper, it was a minimum expense job and they made money on it. On the race Jack was handicapped by long pit stops (F1 wheels rather than Indy quick change ones) and lack of power. Still he finished ninth and was the fastest on the turns. lotus and Ford were watching, in two years later they would change Indy for ever.
Now, what if Cooper had been willing to spend a bit more? Quick change wheels, a better pit stop strategy, and a more powerful engine?
Making the Climax bigger would be hard, since Coventry Climax felt at the time that 2.7 was the limit. The car was designed for a four cylinder, so maybe supercharging, or a return to a 1957 alcohol burning F1 engine. (A vanwall unit, for example?) would the worst fuel economy ruin the car by forcing bigger tanks and weight? Later they did fit a V8 on the Cooper Monaco sports car, so it might be possible to put one on the T54?
Lotus Ford winning in 65 was bad enough, but how would being beaten by Cooper in 61 on the first try hit the Indy world?
Now, what if Cooper had been willing to spend a bit more? Quick change wheels, a better pit stop strategy, and a more powerful engine?
Making the Climax bigger would be hard, since Coventry Climax felt at the time that 2.7 was the limit. The car was designed for a four cylinder, so maybe supercharging, or a return to a 1957 alcohol burning F1 engine. (A vanwall unit, for example?) would the worst fuel economy ruin the car by forcing bigger tanks and weight? Later they did fit a V8 on the Cooper Monaco sports car, so it might be possible to put one on the T54?
Lotus Ford winning in 65 was bad enough, but how would being beaten by Cooper in 61 on the first try hit the Indy world?