The last time an engine manufacturer dominated all phases of the Indianapolis 500 like Honda did in 2020, Al Unser Jr, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Paul Tracy were driving Penske PC23s and toying with the field for The Captain and his Mercedes-badged missiles. Exploiting the allowance for pushrod-based engines, Penske and the Ilmor Engineering team created mythic 209 cubic-inch turbocharged V8 powerplant nicknamed ‘The Beast.’ Making obscene power that delivered top speeds in excess of 250mph in a straight line at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Beasts gave Penske his famed ‘unfair advantage’ as Fittipaldi ran away, and when problems struck, Unser Jr was there to finish the job,...
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