I've read Smokey's autobiography and it's fascinating. He dispels some of the "legends" in that book. Yes, he was a genius at interpreting a rulebook. The '66 Chevelle was not 7/8 scale, but that rumor kept people looking at the car's size instead of noticing the real modifications (front bumper, roof, engine location, etc.) The rule book specified the fuel cell volume but didn't specify the fuel line size - Smokey's was 3 inches in diameter! That's just one example of rule interpretation.

The reverse rotation engine was something he tried in an Indy race car. Apparently it worked, but not enough to make it common practice. I don't think he ever did it again. It's been quite a while since I read the book and I don't remember. There are too many stories and anecdotes in the book to remember them all and tell them here, but it's a book worth reading if you had any interest in Smokey.