One of the Indy 500's most thrilling battles

Last Sunday, some five million people watched the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500.

- KRIS CULMER

Not many of them were European - the concept of an oval track is just too baffling for most racing fans raised over here - yet we won't take issue with organisers billing 'the big one' as 'the greatest spectacle in racing'.

Oval racing necessitates entirely different techniques and tactics to what we Europeans are used to, adding to the intrigue. And thrilling 500s are frequent: last year, there were 48 lead changes in the three hours of racing. Formula 1 grands prix never get nearly that amount of action - and, incredibly, 48 isn’t even close to the record for an Indy 500: that stands at 68, set in 2014.

Perhaps the finest two-man battle at The Brickyard, though, was seen back in 1960. At a time when Jack Brabham and Bruce McLaren were fighting for the F1 title in delicate little Coopers and Ferrari's V12-engined 250 Testa Rossa barchetta was dominating sports car racing, American race fans were fixated on Rodger Ward and Jim Rathmann in what were called roadsters. Looking rather like more muscular F1 cars, these were low and wide single-seaters with offset drivelines. The first such car had been made in 1952, the driveline offset and the engine canted over because it was a giant diesel that else wouldn't fit.