In the March 2009 VRJ I wrote about Don Blenderman’s Kurtis obsession and his wonderful Sutton-bodied 500KK. What I failed to mention was his lengthy quest to capture an example of Frank’s most prolific sports racer, the legendary 500S.
The Kurtis 500S is a masterpiece in function and design. Introduced in 1953, it was built on a ladder frame constructed from two 0.093-inch channel sections. These members were 7 inches deep and 1.5 inches wide, and Kurtis stiffened the assembly using tubular crossmembers front and rear. Further rigidity was provided by a 1.1-inch flange positioned at the top and bottom of each rail. The frame was extended at both ends using 1.5-inch tubes, and was substantially lightened by holes drilled in the crossmembers. The basic platform was inspired by the Kurtis 500A that carried Bill Vukovich to within nine laps of victory in the 1952 Indy 500 before a steering pin broke, sending car and driver into the wall.
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