Big Oly forever changed the design principles and construction for off-road racers. Powered by a 351/390 HP Ford Windsor V-8 engine mated to a modified Ford C6 B&M hydro transmission and sporting two 22-gallon fuel cells, it was the stuff of dreams. Featuring a chrome moly space frame, fiberglass and aluminum bodywork with extreme shock absorber and suspension travel, a big wing on top, a split windshield to reduce dust in the cockpit, and a spool rear end for better traction, Big Oly was a sensation right from the beginning. The 154-inch-long, 72-inch-wide vehicle had a dry weight of merely 2,620 pounds, making it lighter than some small sports cars of the day. The entire build was meant to push boundaries. A roof was required, so why not make it a giant wing? It was an idea that Jones came up with that just happened to precede the common practice on today’s World of Outlaws Sprint Cars. The split windshield was something Jones had used in the past on dirt tracks and thought it would be particularly effective in an off-road setting. He was right. The lightweight and strong materials were derived from the expertise Jones had picked up during his days in Indy Car racing. Big Oly even had two integrated thermos jugs for storing water in order to keep Jones and Stroppe well-hydrated behind the wheel. By the time Big Oly was ready for its inaugural run at the Baja 1000 in 1970, Jones had become a very successful businessman. He had partnered with his longtime friend Vel Miletich in a Southern California Ford dealership, as well as in Firestone tire stores and distribution, and the two formed the all-conquering Vel’s Parnelli Jones Racing. The race team won the 1970 and 1971 Indianapolis 500s, captured three consecutive Indy Car championships and, in the next few years, would race at the front of the pack in categories as diverse as Formula 1, Formula 5000, NHRA drag racing, USAC Championship Dirt Cars and Sprint Cars. They were the gold standard of the motorsport world. Baja was clearly not something Jones needed to do, but his competitive spirit to win at everything drove him forward nonetheless. After breaking an axle in its first try in the 1970 Baja 1000—a race in which Jones admits he simply pushed too hard for the conditions of the course—Big Oly went on to ruthlessly dominate off-road racing for the next few years, winning the Baja 1000 in 1971 and 1972, and the Baja 500 and Mint 400 in 1973. The inaugural win for Big Oly at the Baja 1000 in 1971 was achieved with an amazing time of 14 hours 59 minutes, leaving even the fastest of motorcycles in the dust on the route from Enseda to La Paz in the Mexican peninsula of Baja California. Scoring an overall win in Big Oly was incredible and something that further burnished Jones’ reputation as a man who could win any race, on any course, in any vehicle. One year later, the race course was changed, as this time the Baja 1000 ran a different route of the Baja California peninsula from Mexicali to La Paz. Big Oly would duplicate its feat of a year ago, but not without some high drama near the finish. In the interest of efficiency, Stroppe had hired some local kids to help with refueling along the way. At the race’s final checkpoint, about 100 miles from the finish, one of the youngsters mistakenly poured gasoline in one of the thermos jugs. Take one look at the contraptions on the back of Big Oly, and it’s not hard to see why this mistake happened. Realizing what had happened almost immediately, Jones thought he might still make it to the end, but stalled about 15 miles from the finish line. He and Stroppe were stranded, and the situation looked dire.
