Who is Carousel 1?
In 1996, model car collector Frank Dalton was frustrated at the limited selection of models of historic American racing cars. Experienced in architecture and furniture, Dalton became determined to start a model business. Searching for a name, he discovered that carousel originally meant chariot racing, and Carousel 1 was born. Dalton decided that the first project should be a 1:18 scale (about 9-1/2″ long) model of the Watson Roadsters that dominated the Indy 500 between 1956 and 1964. Dalton contacted the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The licensing director for IMS Properties encouraged Dalton to investigate the field, and subsequently the IMS Hall of Fame Museum and IMS Properites licensed Carousel 1 models. Indy 500 winning drivers A.J. Foyt, Jr., Rodger Ward, Parnelli Jones, Bobby Unser and Jim Rathmann have endorsed the models, along with car builder A.J. Watson, Jr. Carousel 1 introduced its first model, a replica of the car in which A.J. Foyt, Jr., won the 1961 Indy 500, to the t
