Back in 1996, Johnny Lightning came out with the Indianapolis 500 Champions Collection. These were two-car packs that featured the Indy 500 winning car and the pace car from the same year. I was never able to find the 1969 Mario Andretti version (a Brawner Hawk) with the Camaro pace car in the stores, but I eventually found this one on eBay.
Johnny Lightning | 1996 Indianapolis 500 Champions Collection 1969 Mario Andretti Brawner Hawk, 1969 Chevy Camaro pace car | 1:64
I became a pretty big fan of Indy racing when I lived in Phoenix in the late 80s. I worked for a company that did the concessions at Phoenix International Raceway and I was given infield passes for all the races. Those were pretty big days in Indy racing. I remember in 1985 when Al Unser cracked the 160 mph mark at PIR. And in 1987, Roberto Guerrero won the fastest Indy car race in track history by averaging over 138 mph over the course of the 200-mile contest. I would carry around my Minolta camera with a big zoom lens on it and people would assume I had a press pass to get into the pits as well. So I got some decent shots of some of the cars and drivers. One of my favorites is this shot of Michael and Mario Andretti talking to a reporter before the Circle K Fiesta Bowl 200 in 1986.
And here’s a shot I got of both of them on the track. Michael won the race and Mario took third.
The Race Case JL 