Watch "The Big Wheel" For Free

Another great YouTube find - you can watch the entire Indianapolis 500 movie, "The Big Wheel" free of charge and with only one commercial on the front end. You can also watch it below from this embedded link from Internet Movie Database.

This movie, starring Mickey Rooney, is an enjoyable farce and has some terrific racing scenes taken from newsreels. "The Big Wheel" is just under 1:30.00 and if you slide to about 1:18.30 you will find spectacular footage of Floyd Roberts' fatal accident from the 1939 Indianapolis 500. Driver Bob Swanson was also involved in the accident, and he is the one seen thrown from the car and onto the track. Slide to about 1:21.25 to see Lou Meyer's spectacular spin and fence-busting accident, also from the 1939 race. Meyer's wreck is amazing because he was thrown from the car and onto the track, but jumped up almost immediately and ran into the infield with only minor abrasions and bruises. Another great clip is Duke Nalon's famous flaming crash in turn three at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1949. Slide to 1:25.20 to catch that incredible footage. There are numerous cameo appearances by drivers of the era throughout the film, including 1949 Indianapolis 500 winner Bill Holland.