Topic: It's Cars! It's Songs! It's a Cars 'n Songs Puzzle! Solved by the Big 3!

[Otto Puzzell]

Don't roll your eyes at me, buddy!  

Not Wisconsin.

Rather than continue mapping the interior of the US, let's take another angle:

Though he didn't write, engineer or perform on this record, the name of a well-known racer appears on this record's label. And, no, the song is not about him.

[Ray B.]

Though he didn't write, engineer or perform on this record, the name of a well-known racer appears on this record's label. And, no, the song is not about him.

You mean like Gurney Music or Clark Records but the song isn't about Dan Gurney or Jim Clark?  (I don't know if Clark is a good example since there's a Lotus here).

[Otto Puzzell]

You mean like Gurney Music or Clark Records but the song isn't about Dan Gurney or Jim Clark?  (I don't know if Clark is a good example since there's a Lotus here).

No, not a coincidental name. This record's label featured the first and last name of an actual racer - a well-know chap in the aforementioned heartland - and his connection with the puzzle artist or artists. 

See that? Two clues in one answer. 

[Ray B.]

John Fitch was born in Indiana, and there is a song called John Fitch Way (from his grandfather) but I guess I can rule this out.

[Otto Puzzell]

The racer in question here is not named in the song, nor its title.

[Ray B.]

Is it Bob Bondurant?

[Otto Puzzell]

No

[Ray B.]

But a Formula one driver?

[Otto Puzzell]

He did participate in F1, and other open-wheel races.

[Ray B.]

Mario Andretti?

[Otto Puzzell]

Not Mario

His first and last names have the same total syllables as Mario's first name alone.

However, like Mario, some of his best-known exploits took place at a track in the American heartland. 

[Ray B.]

So, let's go back to Jim Clark?

No, not a coincidental name. This record's label featured the first and last name of an actual racer - a well-know chap in the aforementioned heartland - and his connection with the puzzle artist or artists.  
See that? Two clues in one answer.  

I guess you mean that there is a Lotus pictured in the record cover, with his name on it (even if the song is not about him), like this one...

[Otto Puzzell]

There may well be such a picture on the sleeve. I've seen only the record and its label; not the sleeve. My clue refers to the label.
 

[Ray B.]

Dammit! I thought I had it. If it's on the label, I don't see where.
But you don't say: ist it Jim Clark or not?

[Otto Puzzell]

Not him.

No F1 world championships for this driver.

[Ray B.]

OK. Let's start all over: is the record label autographed by this racer?

[Otto Puzzell]

Nope, but that's closer to correct.

[Ray B.]

I think I need the help of fellow puzzlers here. Let me sum this up for you, guys:

- We are looking for a quite young looking rock band from the American Midwest, around 1965. Whether they are not very well known (the term "garage band" would fit them, or Otto intentionally tried to find a very bad and fuzzy  B&W picture of the band.
- They are to be linked with a song that Otto illustrated with a picture of Jim Clark's winning Lotus 38 at Indy in 1965 (I checked, it's his car, number 82).
- Also, on the record label for this song is written the name of a well-known racer (but not Jim Clark) who competed in Formula one (but with no wins), and  whose "some best-known exploits took place at a track in the American heartland" says Otto. I guess Indy.
- The mention of his name on the record label explains "his connection with the puzzle artist or artists", still according to Otto, "Though he didn't write, engineer or perform on this record".
- Last, Otto gives us this precision: "His first and last names have the same total syllables as Mario's ( Andretti) first name alone. I didn't understand if it means that each of his names has one or two syllables.

[Tom_I]

I took the last bit to mean that the racer's first and last names have a total of three syllables between them. So one name has one syllable, and the other has two.

Is that the right interpretation? I think of "Mario" as being three syllables.

[Otto Puzzell]

Correction - I said this driver had not won a F1 championship.

The combined syllables from the driver's first and last name total 3.

[pnegyesi]

I think the song is Lotus 23, the band is The Revells and the racer in question is Dan Gurney.

[Otto Puzzell]

I think the song is Lotus 23, the band is The Revells and the racer in question is Dan Gurney.

Not a bad guess, but wrong on both counts

[Ray B.]

If I read right, "The Revells" is just another name for "The Hondells", and they don't look much like the bunch of teenagers in Otto's picture.

[pnegyesi]

Still looking for this song. Is it related to a movie?

[Otto Puzzell]

No sir. A car, and what it's used for.