During an era when the chief mechanic was a fabricator, engine builder, designer, race strategist and team manager, Clint Brawner stood above the rest. His big break came in 1953 when Al Dean formed a championship car team and recruited Brawner to run it. But another driver attracted Brawner’s eye for new talent — Jimmy Bryan. From 1954 to ’57, Bryan won 19 champ car races for Brawner, including three consecutive Hoosier Hundreds and three national championships. Sweikert won the 500 the year after leaving Brawner’s care, as did Bryan. Until his death, Brawner insisted the tires could’ve gone the distance. The other successes came, but Andretti evidently inherited Brawner’s 500 curse. Brawner claimed he’d retire if he won the 500, but he continued and wrenched Andretti to yet another national championship.

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