They don't make them like this anymore. The Stuntman who spawned countless imitators and made the motorcycle stunt genre his own died yesterday aged 69.
Legendary daredevil Evel Knievel,also sponsored the entry driven by popular veteran Gary Bettenhausen in the 1977 Indianapolis 500.
Bettenhausen started 21st and finished 16th in the No. 98 Agajanian/Evel Knievel Dragon/Offy, dropping out with clutch problems after completing 138 laps.
Bettenhausen’s car was painted in the familiar red, white and blue, star-spangled paint scheme that Knievel used on his motorcycle during his daring jumps over such landmarks as the fountain at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Bettenhausen’s racing suit also resembled the famous leathers worn by Knievel during his stunts.
The colorful, outspoken Knievel captured the attention of the world during the 1970s through his death-defying motorcycle jumps. Perhaps his most outlandish stunt came in 1974 when he attempted to jump Snake River Canyon in Idaho in a rocket-powered “Skycycle.” The jump failed.
check one of his successful jumps - 11 Mack trucks! on youtube:
