Savage Beast

Savage Beast

SWEDE SAVAGE’S
Gurney Eagle/
Offenhauser by
Replicarz
1:18 | $159.99

DCX_SPRING_13_SR20_3cc

David Earl “Swede” Savage took the racing world by storm. A natural athlete, he’d first gained recognition racing motorcycles, then found himself under the wing of Dan Gurney. On his sec- ond trip to the Indy 500 in 1973, he teamed with Indy veteran Gordon Johncock in an Eagle/Offy sponsored by STP and wrenched by Indy legend, George Bignotti. Savage set a qualifying track record and started the race in the fourth slot. During the race, he led for 12 laps but crashed hard when his rear wing came loose. Johncock ultimately won the race. Although he survived the crash, Swede passed away a little more than a month later, purportedly from the effects of contaminated plasma. Replicarz is building his 1973 Eagle/Offy in remembrance of his short but hugely promising career. Looking almost identical to the Johncock car previously done by Carousel1, this well-realized variant is painted in “dayglo” red/orange with bold STP livery. The top half of the car lifts off to expose the cockpit and front suspension. Sitting behind the driver, the little turbo-Offy is a wonder to behold; as a “stressed member” for the transaxle, rear suspension, and wing, it was a pivotal piece of engineering – and it’s a major focus on this beautifully done model. Swede would certainly approve. — Bill Bennett replicarz.com

 

 

Updated: July 23, 2014 — 9:05 AM
Air Age Media ©
WordPress Lightbox Plugin