Lotus 34

The Lotus 34 was a single-seater racing car, which was developed in 1964 at Lotus for the 500-mile race at Indianapolis and was used until 1965 in the USAC series.

History of development

1964 was the second year of the three-year contract between Lotus and Ford, who defined the cooperation between the British motorsport team and the U.S. automotive group. But it was also the second year of partially problematic collaboration between Colin Chapman and Len Terry. Terry had developed in the previous year, the Lotus 29, with Jim Clark in Indianapolis reached the second place, and often felt hampered in its work by Chapman. While Terry in the development of the Lotus 29 had a lot of time had to be quick work on the new Indy car. Terry therefore developed the 29 and further improved this in some places. But most significant change was the engine. Ford had developed an engine with four overhead camshafts, with a Hilborn - Travern - fuel injection and low weight. The 4.1 - liter V8 engine produced 410 horsepower.

Racing history

In the 500 - mile race racing alongside Jim Clark, Dan Gurney second 34 AJ Foyt Originally drive a third car; due to contractual problems - Foyt had a contract with the tire supplier Firestone, while Lotus was contractually bound to Dunlop - this did not materialize. Clark qualified its 34 from the pole position during Gurney of the second row went into the race.

Clark took the lead and kept it until the second round, when it came to one of the most fatal and most fatal accidents in the Indianapolis history on exit from the Nort- West -Turn. As a result, a mass collision the two American racing driver Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald died. The race was first off and then interrupted for 1 ½ hours. After restarting again led Clark, who turned out after 47 laps with a damage to the suspension. This break was caused by problems with the tires that wore out too quickly and caused strong vibrations. The car was taken from Gurney then for safety out of the race. The winner was just AJ Foyt, who drove a front engine -Thompson Offenhauser.

The only victory scored 1964 Parnelli Jones, who won the USAC race at Milwaukee. In Indianapolis 1965 Jones and Foyt drove the 34 Foyt led the race for a long time, but had to retire. Jones was second and the remaining victorious in the new Lotus 38 Jim Clark behind.