4 of 6

Write now Article Tools

Being a Hoosier, the prestige of the Indianapolis 500 has been a big deal for as long as I can remember. 'The Race' as most Indiana residents refer to this gala event, is a tradition of the kickoff of summer and great times ahead. The history of the 500 serves to prove the hard work and diligence held by mid westerners to conquer anything they set out to tackle.

Since the founding of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1906 by Carl Fisher, there have been tragedies, failures and depressions along the way. The first race, a five-mile dash, was held on August 19, 1909, killing two drivers, two mechanics and two spectators after the track surface broke up. Race after unsuccessful race, Fisher decided to try holding only a single race instead of multiple events, one that would entice and excite the public. Thus, on May 30, 1911, the Indianapolis 500 was born and it was a success.

In 1916, the race was interrupted because of WWI and was continued to be canceled until 1919. Fisher was becoming dis-hearted by now and finally in 1927, sold the 328 acre track and land to a group led by Eddie Rickenbacker for about $750,000. Unfortunately, changing hands did nothing to further the future of the Speedway. By 1945, the track had continued to claim lives, the Depression was still very real, forcing purses down and the grandstands and grounds were becoming dilapidated from lack of care.

It took a three time race winner, Wilbur Shaw, to convince Tony Hulman, a millionaire, to invest heavily in the future of the Indianapolis 500. In 1945, Hulman bought the Speedway for $750,000 and started pumping millions into the giant improvement project. Dubbed 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing' for promotional reasons, the Indy 500 has become a classic since 1946 with Hulman overseeing the race for over thirty years until his death in 1977.

There are still Speedway tragedies, just because of the nature of the game, but the event itself continues to produce remarkable results in the racing world. Besides the 500, NASCAR, the Brickyard 400 and the Grand Prix have been added and the Speedway will continue to exceed everyone's expectations.

Learn more about this author, Kate Eglan-Garton.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about The history of the Indianapolis 500?
We want to hear your view. Write now!