Much like everything else this year, the Holiday season will be different in many ways. The good people at Replicarz still want to spread some cheer, and are allowing us to do another diecast giveaway for one lucky race fan. This is the 15th giveaway that we have done together, and I simply can not thank them enough for their generosity and desire to please people. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the Replicarz website where you will find plenty of collectibles for the perfect Christmas gift for that special someone.
This particular giveaway surrounds the 1968 Indianapolis 500, which was won by Bobby Unser. This was the first of three Indy 500 wins for Uncle Bobby, who went on to win in 1975 and 1981. This was also the first Indy 500 won by a turbocharged engine, as Unser drove to victory lane in his Rislone Eagle. This was the third and final Indy 500 win for the legendary Leader Card Racers team.
The 1968 race was the 52nd running of the 500 and actually took place on a Thursday. Only 11 cars finished the race, as several contenders dropped out of the race with mechanical issues. That included pole sitter Joe Leonard, who had a fuel shaft issue with just nine laps to go while leading the race. Leonard led 31 laps and Unser led a race-high 127 laps. The only other driver to lead was Lloyd Ruby, who started 5th and finished 5th in his Mongoose Offenhauser.
On his final pit stop, Unser’s car was stuck in high gear. Both Leonard and Ruby passed him when he slowly left his pit box. The restart on Lap 191 was the deciding factor, as Leonard’s car let him down. Unser cruised the rest of the way, winning the race by nearly a full lap. The field was full of legendary names, including Dan Gurney, Art Pollard, Johnny Rutherford, Graham Hill, AJ Foyt, Al Unser, Gordon Johncock, Roger McCluskey, and Mario Andretti to name a handful. There were film crews on location during the month where several portions of the race were used in the 1969 film “Winning” which starred Paul Newman.
As you would expect, this 1:18 scale resin cast model is supreme in every detail. Replicarz is known for having immaculate detail in every one of their models, and this is no exception. From the Goodyear tires to the gauges in the cockpit, you will find this machine to be a carbon copy of the real car – albeit in a much smaller size! I especially love the names of the driver/chief mechanic/team (Unser/Jud Philips/Leader Card Racers) on both sides of the cockpit.
The rules for the giveaway are quite simple. Follow Replicarz and Chad on Twitter, then Retweet and Like the tweet linked to this post to be entered. One random winner will be chosen on Monday, November 30 at 5 PM ET. The winner will be contacted through direct message so that I can get the model shipped to their address. Should the winner not respond within 24 hours, another person will be selected.
1968 Rislone Eagle – Bobby Unser, Indianapolis 500 Winner
I have been fortunate to work with Mark, Brian, and the fantastic group of people at Replicarz for many years now. Mark wanted to do something fun and exciting during these difficult times to lift the spirits of race fans across the country. This is one of their latest releases in the exclusive 1:18 Indy Series, which became available last month. If you don’t win the contest, you can find the model here available for purchase.
If you are looking I encourage you to visit the Replicarz website, where you are sure to find something for a friend or family member for the holiday season. Better yet, create your own wish list and maybe one day you’ll find that prized package on your doorstep. There are always discounts and sales promotions going on, and you can also buy gift cards. Check out the complete New Arrivals section and visit the Coming Soon page to see what future models are on the way.
Replicarz also has a couple of other promotions you should be aware of. With today being Black Friday, you can use code BF1 for 17% off orders over $100, code BF2 for 18% off orders over $250, and BF3 for 20% off orders over $500 on the site. They are also giving away three $100 gift cards! No purchases necessary, you simply need to have a Replicarz account to qualify. Winners for those gift cards will be drawn and notified on Monday, November 30.
If you are itching for more IndyCar content during the offseason, be sure to check out the Indianapolis 500 Races page that has links to every Indy 500 race in chronological order. The Race Recaps page has all of IndyCar’s official Fast Forward recaps of every race from last season. You can also keep tabs on Silly Season and find Race Schedules for IndyCar, NASCAR, Formula One, and IMSA for the 2021 season.
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