Lotus 34

Information

New for Dan Gurney to drive at the 1964 Indianapolis 500 as the #12 entry. Gurney qualified sixth and ran as high as third during the race but his car had to be withdrawn due to concerns about its tyres. Next outing for the car was at Milwaukee on 23 August but both Gurney and teammate Jim Clark were committed to the Austrian Grand Prix, so to drive Gurney's car Lotus recruited sports car racer Walt Hansgen, who had impressed in the Indy 500 driving one of the MG Liquid Suspension Huffaker Indy cars. He had an introductory test in Gurney's Lotus 34 at Trenton on the Monday before the Milwaukee race, but crashed the car. It was rebuilt in time for the start of practice on the Thursday, but Hansgen crashed again, this time hitting the wall after the throttle stuck and extensively damaging the Lotus. Hansgen was taken to hospital with concussion and burns to his right arm. The car was returned to Lotus at Cheshunt where it was decided it was too badly damaged to repair. It disappeared from the record when its salvageable parts were shipped to Ford at Dearborn.