Bill Krause

Harvey Aluminum was located in Torrace California and was one of the largest producers of the metal in the U.S.

Famed automotive raconteur Mickey Thompson ran the Indianapolis 500 for three years, the first two of them sponsored by Harvey Aluminum.  Of all the cars he prepared, this was an unlikely one to model.

Thompson came to Indy in 1962 with three cars and but only qualified one of them. The driver was Dan Gurney in his first race there. The car that qualified was white with a dark blue nose but Thompson reversed that scheme for the race. Is it just coincidence that would become the livery for Gurney's Formula One cars?

For 1963, Thompson again brought three cars with Harvey Aluminum on the side.  That year's livery was red with white stripes.  Duane 'Pancho' Carter qualified the #83, his last race at the brickyard.  Rookie Al Miller drove the #84 and gave Mickey the best finish of all his attempts, a 9th place.

Rookie Bill Krause was in the #82 but he didn't run fast enough to qualify so Masten Gregory gave it a try.  He also failed to qualify and the #82 did not run the race.  So it's odd that was the number chosen for this toy.

But it could have been worse...

In 1964 Mickey Thompson again brought three cars to Indianapolis, this time sponsored by Sears-Allstate.  Again the #83 and #84 made the race with veteran Eddie Johnson and sports car racer Dave MacDonald.  Again Masten Gregory failed to get the #82 in the field.  MacDonald's fiery crash on the 2nd lap became one of the track's most infamous.  In following years, Thompson made other attempts to put a car in the 500 but he never succeeded.

BBR Models - BBR Built Maserati 450 S - Meadowdale- Stirling Moss, Juan Manuel Fangio

• # 53 on the Hood and Doors
• Aluminium & Steel Lace Wire Wheels