Montecito Resident and Race Car Mogul was 90 Years Old. Driving with one hand and talking on a mobile telephone, Andy Granatelli set a world-speed record in a four-passenger production car in 1982 at almost 200 mph. Andy Granatelli, a flamboyant race car driver turned businessman who became a household name with TV commercials for his STP fuel and oil additives, died Sunday at a Santa Barbara hospital. | Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Granatelli, a Dallas native, is survived by his wife, two sons, and three grandchildren. Ships from Reno, NV. He was 90. His sponsorships via the STP oil additive company changed the way automotive product companies used motorsports and vice versa. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Like anyone of his stature, he also had his detractors. "The thing that gave him the most gratification in his life was what he did at the Indianapolis 500," Vince Granatelli said.Andy Granatelli was born in Dallas. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. A up telephoto. cemeteries found in will be saved to your photo volunteer list. On the final lap of the session, Guerrero's suspension failed and he hit the turn 2 wall. When he died in late 2013 at age 90, he had been inducted into more than 20 halls of fame for his accomplishments in racing, automotive technology and business. For all of the team's existence, the cars were painted in a dayglow red livery meant to be a tribute to Andy Granatelli's STP-sponsored Indy cars. The radical Avanti sports coupe was about to be launched, taking on Chevys Corvette and Jaguars E Type. When the team closed its doors after the 1991 season, Luyendyk was left on the sidelines for most of the 1992 season, except for Indianapolis and Michigan driving for Chip Ganassi. Ronnie Schreiber edits Cars In Depth, a realistic perspective on cars & car culture and the original 3D car site. [27] Following the season, he left the team for Morales Motorsports. Montecito resident and well-known race car mogul Andy Granatelli died Sunday at age 90 from congestive heart failure, the Los Angeles Times reported. 1948 Grancor Ford Flathead V8. Parnelli Jones drove it in the 1967 event. His Caprice was still a plush boulevard cruiser fully equipped with air-conditioning, automatic gearbox, power windows and seats, opera lights, vinyl roofs, crushed velvet upholstery, and such. [60] In the race, he led 52 of 250 laps, but received a stop-and-go-penalty for passing under caution. Andy Granatelli dreamed of conquering the Indianapolis 500. My work is at ken berg academia.edu My stuff can be seen at Synopsis starting with Louie Meyer. Guerrero struggled as the season went on, as he only finished in the top 10 twice. Joe passed away in 2003, Andy this past December 29th, leaving Vincent as the sole brother still with us. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. In 1968 Granatelli made a deal with Colin Chapman to build a trio of turbine-powered STP Lotus Indycars. Richard Pettys race team still carries the STP logo and Mario Andrettis only Indy 500 win was at the wheel of one of Granatellis cars. IndyCar and the Indianapolis 500 have lost another link to the past that I grew up with. [39], Theys would finish 21st in points with nine points (he also drove for Arciero Racing and Hemelgarn Racing earlier in the year[36]), Sneva would finish 28th with three points and Andretti 31st with one point. [17], Guerrero would return with the team in 1988 and would drive the #2 STP Lola T88/00-Cosworth DFX. Andy attempted to qualify for the race as a driver in 1948 and nearly succeeded, but a horrendous crash during qualifying ended his driving career. Joe Granatelli, Andy Granatelli s older brother who helped fabricate the famed turbine race car that nearly won the 1967 Indianapolis 500, died Sept. . It was after his success promoting the Avanti that Studebaker put Granatelli in charge of a subsidiary chemical company that made an oil additive that was named Scientifically Treated Petroleum, STP. Oops, something didn't work. Guerrero would then qualify on the pole position for three of the next four races. In 1973, Gordon Johncock gave Granatelli another Indy 500 victory. Copyright 2023. Customers appreciated the experience, often waiting in line for this unique treatment, and the station was soon prosperous. Now that is another link that is gone for good. Though Paxton had already had some success getting Kaiser, Studebaker and then Ford to offer superchargers as either factory or dealer installed options, by 1958 the company was losing money. - 29 December 2013) ( his death) ( 2 children) Andy Granatelli Net Worth His net worth has been growing significantly in 2020-2021. The company had only one product; STP Oil Treatment. Posted By: Mary Lendzion Mar 01, 2023 2023 [54], Following Indianapolis, the team struggled for sponsorship, with Luyendyk failing to receive his share of the prize money for Indianapolis from Tezak (Luyendyk successfully sued Tezak for the money). Granatellis final IndyCar season was in 1991, when Arie Luyendyk drove a car that carried blank sidepods for most of the season (except for the 1991 Indianapolis 500, when it carried RCA sponsorship). He then tested the car extensively and noticed a 90 mile an hour cruising speed. While its true that most forced induction engines these days use exhaust gas driven turbochargers as opposed to mechanically driven superchargers, blowers have become more popular and it should be noted that the most powerful Corvette ever sold, the ZR1, has a supercharger, as do Jaguars most powerful engines. [13] Guerrero would miss the remainder of the season. > ISBN-10 : 0809296357. REVISED AND UPDATED Built by the legendary Joaquin Arnett and modified by Andy Granatelli, this hot rod first burned rubber over 60 years ago. "They're not going to be building battery factories and mega-casting machines any time soon. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. J. Douglas Boles, the president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, released a statement on Granatelis passing. Check here for latest versions. Andy Granatelli appropriately known to many of us as Mister 500 understood better than anyone the spirit and challenge of the Indianapolis 500 and had a remarkable ability to combine innovative technologies with talented race car drivers to make his cars a threat to win at Indianapolis every year, Boles said. Anthony "Andy" Granatelli was an American businessman, most prominent as the CEO of STP as well as a major figure in automobile racing events. The car driven by Roberto Guerrero in the 1987 Indianapolis 500, that could have won had fate not stepped in was a Vince Granatelli car. Despite this, Luyendyk finished 2nd. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Try again later. About Granatelli's lifelong passion for motor racing was unquestioned. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Anthony Vincent Granatelli (1923-2013) was born in Dallas, Texas, to Italian immigrant, Vincenzo Granatelli (1894-1977?) However, Granatelli received an injunction to compete. Granatelli began to turn the company around by making the STP logo become one of the best recognized in motorsports by placing it in virtually every venue of speed. Red Paxton supercharger on R3 Studebaker V8 in 1963 Studebaker Hawk GT. He was 90. In addition to his son Vince, he leaves his wife, Dolly, and another son, Anthony. In the race, Luyendyk finished in 3rd place, one lap down. (LogOut/ Granatelli, engineer, businessman and promotional genius, was a racer, one of the greatest. This is a carousel with slides. Racing needs these folks as much as it needs drivers and crew members and fans, and I am always sad when the sport loses someone like Mr. Granatelli, whether they are presently retired or not. If you know of a verifiable copyright holder for this item or if you have any question regarding the publication rights, please contact the Nova Southeastern University Archives. Andy Granatelli, 90, passed away two days before the end of 2013. He was a much better promoter than race car driver, having some success putting on stock car and hot rod races in the 1950s. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. At the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on the Streets of Long Beach, he suffered an engine failure after 41 laps and finished 19th.[20]. Equipped with a screaming centrifugal supercharger, the exotic 183 CID mill was said to be good for 450 hp at 8000 rpma good 50 percent more power than a standard Offy four-banger in those days. December 31st, 2013 3:02 AM Share Andy Granatelli died this past Sunday at the age of 90. His quest for the Indy 500 would finally begin in 1943 at age 20, when he and his brother pooled their money to purchase a gas station on the north side of Chicago which they named Andys Super Service. Granatelli knew he needed a gimmick to set himself apart from other stations, leading him to create the pit stop service, which utilized a team of mechanics to work on the one car all at once. "When everyone is super [charging], no one will be. Syndrome. In wrapping up, Granatelli won the Indy 500 again in 1973 with Gordon Johncock and his successes and failures are covered in detail in his autobiography book, "They Call Me Mister 500." Parnelli says it was his fault for driving the car too hard from the pits after each stop but, win or lose, Parnelli and the turbine made a big mark on popular American culture that year and helped sell more cans of STP. The brothers cast their own heads and manifolds to . As a result, they wanted Guerrero and his family to undergo a Scientology ritual to remove this issue. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. U.S. and international copyright laws may protect this item. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Granatelli lived in Santa Barbara, California, and is survived by wife Dolly and two sons, Vince and Anthony. Granatelli lived in Santa Barbara, California, and is survived by wife Dolly and two sons, Vince and Anthony. After leading for much of the race, a transmission failure with only eight miles left ended the run. In 1946, Andy and his brothers pooled their money and entered one of the 1935 front-drive Miller-Fords at Indianapolis. With that age difference, Vince could be either. At 90 years old, Andy Granatelli height not available right now. Racing legend ANDY GRANATELLI, who gained fame as head of STP Corp. when the oil additive company sponsored Indianapolis 500 winners Mario Andretti and Gordon Johncock, is planning to sell his 12 . Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Try again. During practice for the following race, the Miller High Life 200 at Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway, Guerrero crashed in a practice and the team withdrew. Seated in the photograph (on the left) is Theresa Castro, President of the Royal Dames. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. [55] During the weekend of the Budweiser/G.I. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. There is a problem with your email/password. He sponsored cars that won the Indy 500, and his career also included a time spent serving as the vice chairman of NASCAR. [58], At Michigan, Tezak tried to prevent the team from competing, as they had removed the Uno sponsorship by this point. Granatelli was known as "Mr. 500" for his prominence as a team boss at Indianapolis, including a win in 1969. Somewhere in automotive heaven, Andy Granatelli is driving a supercharged Avanti, smiling at the thought of his former competitors embracing forced induction and supercharging. In 1963, almost every production car had a naturally aspirated induction system feeding fuel and air to the engine. and Carmela "Minnie" Cardinale (1902-1936). He was 90. He made STP a household name in the 1960s and '70s, spurred largely by his efforts promoting the brand through motor racing as 'The Racer's Edge'. Add to Favorites Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. I actually got to drive the souped up Caprice albeit in a parking lot with direct orders not to step on the gas. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Andy Granatelli, 1923-2013: A supercharged life L. Spencer Riggs 07 January 2014 On Sunday, Dec. 29, 2013, perhaps the most versatile car owner to ever file an entry at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Anthony "Andy" Granatelli, died at age 90. Vincent Joseph Granatelli, son of charismatic STP promoter Andy Granatelli, started at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1961 as a mechanic on the Novi-powered machines his father brought to the . Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. In 1965 he outfitted all Novi crewmembers with STP "pajamas". Keep in mind that it wasn't the *only* viscosity improver of the day (something called "Motor Honey" comes to mind), but it was NEVER adopted by the auto manufacturers for use in new cars because it made the oil so thick that it would starve flow during low-temperature conditions, leading to excessive wear. Thanks for reading RJS. [3], Vince Granatelli would start competing in racing as a car owner after Team Cotter from Dan Cotter, then owner of True Value hardware stores. | So, how much is Andy Granatelli worth at the age of 90 years old? I forgot to mention another item in Autoweek article. 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