In the world of motorsports marketing,
few names are as recognizable as Andy Granatelli, the ingenious
pitchman and racing promoter who funded numerous Indianapolis 500
efforts before capturing victory with Mario Andretti in the 1969
race. Also known as the driving force behind Richard Petty’s
long-term STP sponsorship, Granatelli died this past Sunday at age 90
of congestive heart failure in Santa Barbara, California. Born in
March 1923 in Dallas, Texas, Granatelli was raised in Chicago,
Illinois, by his widower father. He quit school at age 14 and, along
with his brothers, learned to repair automobiles. By age 20, he was
an investor in his brothers’ service station, and soon began
selling auto parts as a sideline business. Following World War II,
Granatelli began promoting automotive races that combined stunts with
competition, packing the stands with spectators eager to see a blend
of racing and orchestrated carnage. When Andy and his brothers
acquired a Navy airfield in Halfday, Illinois, then converted it to a
drag strip, the opening day crowd reached 26,000, more than four
times the number expected. His Indianapolis 500 ambitions began in
1946, when the Granatelli brothers fielded an 11-year-old race car
driven by Danny Kladis. Though Kladis started from the 33rd position,
last on the grid, he’d finish in 21st position after completing
just 46 of 200 laps. In 1948, Granatelli himself tried his hand at
driving, but a qualifying crash proved his talents were best used in
promoting races and fielding race teams, not in driving cars.
Granatelli’s business savvy was the stuff of legend. Not only did
he turn a struggling company named Chemical Compounds (with a single
product, known as Scientifically Treated Petroleum, or STP) into a
household name (growing sales fifty-fold, to $100 million annually),
but he also revived struggling supercharger manufacturer Paxton, sold
to automaker Studebaker in 1961. In 1976, Granatelli purchased Tuneup
Masters for $300,000; a decade later, he sold the now-profitable
low-cost specialty service provider to Cardis for the reported sum of
$53 million.
Granatelli’s rise to prominence at
the Indy 500 really began in 1961, when he purchased the rights to
use the dual overhead camshaft, supercharged Novi V-8 engine at the
Brickyard. Fans loved the engine’s distinctive howl, but harnessing
its excessive power proved troublesome for drivers Jim Hurtubise, Art
Malone and Bobby Unser. Reliability issues also impacted the Novi’s
performance, and Granatelli abandoned the engine after the 1966
running (where a crash in qualifying excluded it from the field). His
next innovation at Indianapolis came in 1967, when Granatelli fielded
a turbine-powered race car driven by Parnelli Jones. Jones qualified
sixth on the grid, but quickly passed the rest of the field on the
opening lap. Rain red-flagged the race, which resumed the following
day with Jones leading in the STP-liveried turbine car. With just
four laps remaining in the race, and a full lap ahead of second place
A.J. Foyt, Jones coasted to the inside of the track down the back
straight, barely managing to limp the car home to the pits. A certain
victory had been spoiled by a transmission bearing, which Granatelli
later referred to as a “$6.00 part.” Granatelli would also field
turbine cars for the 1968 running of the race, although rule changes
had made turbine cars far less competitive. Now using a more
sophisticated (and more aerodynamic) Lotus 56 chassis, the STP team
once again appeared to be in position to win the race, but a restart
on lap 191 left Granatelli driver and race leader Joe Leonard with a
snapped fuel shaft, a problem that also dropped Leonard’s teammate
Art Pollard from the race. With turbine power outlawed for 1969,
Granatelli managed his first Indy 500 victory in a conventional (and
year-old) race car, driven by Mario Andretti. Gordon Johncock would
deliver a second victory for the Granatelli team in 1973; despite
efforts that lasted until 1991, the victory would be the final one
for “Mister 500.” Aside from the two victories, Granatelli’s
Indianapolis 500 highlights include the infamous “STP pajama”
team uniforms, which likely brought STP more exposure than even a win
could have, as well as his in-the-moment kiss of Mario Andretti,
recognized as the first winner to be kissed by a team owner before
the trophy girl. Granatelli’s biggest victory in all of
motorsports, however, was likely his STP sponsorship deal with stock
car legend Richard Petty, a contract that was nearly shot down by
Petty’s refusal to switch from a “Petty Blue” to an “STP Red”
livery. In the end, both parties agreed to a compromise, and the net
result was one of the most familiar paint schemes (and one of the
longest lasting sponsorships) in NASCAR history.
Though today’s
Indianapolis rules and contract restrictions allow for none of the
flamboyance and innovation exhibited by Granatelli over his lengthy
presence at the Brickyard, his genius and his energy won’t soon be
forgotten.
photo credit: © 2014 Google
text credit: © 2014 Kurt Ernst/hemmings.com
video credit: © 2014 youtube.com
