At the Brickyard Invitational: Wail of the Novi returns

The SportsCar Vintage Racing Association's Brickyard Invitational at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway reawakens the raw power of some of the most iconic race cars in history. No mechanical icon looms larger at the Speedway than the famous Novi, renowned for the ear-splitting wail of its powerful engine.

Thanks to car collector and driver Tom Malloy and the SVRA's high-speed exhibition oval races the guttural sounds of the Novi are in full song once again. Malloy owns the 1941 Bowes Seal Fast racer that contains master builders Bud and Ed Winfield's first Novi engine. The Miller chassis that contains it originally appeared in 1935 at the Brickyard as part of a Ford racing effort but had little success.

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Lew Welch acquired the car and after switching to Offenhauser power it achieved a pair of top-six finishes in 1938 and 1939. Always looking for an edge Welch pulled together a collaborative effort with Fred Offenhauser, Leo Goossen and the Winfields to make a gasoline-blasting monster V8. Working from a design created by the Winfield brothers, the team took aim at the 1941 Indianapolis 500.

The result of their collaboration was a 181 cubic inch, 450 horsepower supercharged engine referred to as a "Winfield." The Novi moniker would be applied later. Welch's garage was in Novi, Michigan.

The car – especially the engine – was an immediate hit with fans amazed by its booming, cannon blast sound. Clearly the loudest engine in the Garage Area it demanded attention. Seasoned driver and former Harley-Davidson motorcycle racer Ralph Hepburn was hired to tame the beast. Hepburn's experience was essential as many accounts indicate the horsepower of the engine could overwhelm the grip of the tires, producing spin. Hepburn had a solid run to fourth place, which remains one of the Novi's best Indianapolis 500 results.

Along with its power and distinctive roar the Novi, unfortunately, is also legendary for never quite making it to the mountaintop. The last Novi appeared for competition at the Indianapolis 500 in 1966 but failed to make the race. Frequently at the top of the speed charts the famous machine typically fell victim to various mechanical gremlins throughout its history.

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Here's a quick look at the Brickyard Invitational, especially what is on tap for today:

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the SVRA are producing what is already one of American vintage racing's premier events. Today, June 12, all of the SVRA's 11 groups of race cars spanning over 100 years of vintage machines will step it up a notch with road course qualifying sessions running from 8 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. The exciting array of entries include exquisite examples of select pre-war machines, classic sports cars, Formula 1 and Le Mans prototypes as current as 2009.

The much-anticipated first on-track appearance of all 33 Indianapolis 500 veterans will take place at 12:40 p.m. today. They will run for 30 minutes. The Indy Legends spent a good portion of Thursday getting fitted for their cars and becoming acquainted with their owners and co-drivers.

Today also marks the first high-speed oval exhibition runs. Those sessions start with oval-only cars like Tom Malloy's Novi and a host of Indianapolis 500 "roadsters" as well as pre-war racers. Those will take place from 2:15 to 3:05 p.m. Most of the other SVRA groups will run between 3:40 and 6 p.m.

While the SVRA cars hit amazing speeds and demonstrate exciting displays of car control as they break traction in corners, the real treat for car buffs is the chance to roam the paddock capturing pictures. The drivers and owners continue to impress with approachability and knowledge. It is Instagram heaven. Race fans can enjoy every minute of the action by taking advantage of overnight camping inside the Speedway.

Another new feature of the weekend, the Motostalgia high-end collector car auction will take place in the Pagoda Plaza between 3 and 9 p.m. One hundred select cars will cross the block, including the Lotus 56 turbine racer two-time Formula 1 champion Graham Hill drove in the 1968 Indianapolis 500.