| There are only three sports, bull fighting, motor | | | | was the first trophy presented to winners of the |
| racing, and mountain climbing; everything else is just a | | | | Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, and the predecessor of |
| game. While historians may argue whether this | | | | the Borg Warner Trophy. |
| famous quote should be attributed to author, Earnest | | | | The farm they purchased, known by the locals as |
| Hemingway or his contemporary, Barnaby Conrad, it | | | | the Pressley Farm, sat near the corner of |
| is difficult to ignore the truth in its message. The | | | | Crawfordsville Pike (now known as 16th St.) and |
| truth is that competitors who gamble their lives to | | | | Georgetown Rd, five miles west of downtown |
| compete deserve some extra measure of respect. It | | | | Indianapolis. However, another farmer named Levi |
| is fitting that we acknowledge this very important | | | | Munter owned 80 acres, which sat directly on the |
| distinction in honor of those who ante up. | | | | corner of what is now 16th and Georgetown Road. |
| For more than 100 years drivers from around the | | | | The Fisher partners purchased an option on the 80 |
| world have come to Indianapolis to test themselves | | | | acres in December 1908 and exercised the option |
| and their machines. There is no place on earth that | | | | sometime shortly after filing their articles of |
| gives more in triumph and takes more in tragedy | | | | incorporation for the new Indianapolis Motor |
| than the two and a half mile oval at Indianapolis. The | | | | Speedway Company on March 20, 1909. |
| Indianapolis Motor Speedway turns dreams into | | | | In the spring of 1909, the land around the speedway |
| legends. None of that, however, would be possible | | | | was largely pasture land, but a few factories, |
| without the loyal and fanatical support of the | | | | situated just south of the site of the new |
| spectators who come each year to witness the | | | | Indianapolis Motor Speedway, had been in operation |
| greatest spectacle in racing. | | | | for several years prior. Those factories included the |
| The Indianapolis 500 mile race is the largest one day | | | | Prest-o-Lite company built and operated by Carl |
| sporting event in the world. Attendance, which has | | | | Fisher. James Allison's machine shop was also located |
| never been officially published, is currently estimated | | | | just south of the site of the new speedway. The |
| at nearly 400,000 thrill-seeking spectators. There are | | | | Allison machine shop that later became the Allison |
| no contenders for this throne. The Indy 500 is the | | | | transmission and engine company is still in operation |
| undisputed king of motor sport races. Fittingly, its | | | | at or near the same location today. The town of |
| history is equally astonishing. | | | | Speedway was founded in 1926 and the Indianapolis |
| THE FOUNDING FATHERS | | | | Motor Speedway now sits entirely within the city |
| The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the brain child | | | | limits of Speedway, Indiana. |
| of an energetic entrepreneur named Carl Fisher. Born | | | | Automobile racing was not popular at that time. |
| in Greensburg, Indiana in 1874, Carl grew up in a | | | | Building a race course for the sake of holding |
| broken home of modest means. After dropping out | | | | automobile races, was not Carl Fisher's plan. His plan |
| of school at the age of 12 to help support his mother | | | | was to build a testing ground for American |
| and two brothers, he held several menial jobs before | | | | automobile manufacturers to test their machines and |
| opening his own business at the age of 17. His | | | | make them faster and more reliable. The races he |
| entrepreneurship began with a bicycle shop he | | | | organized in 1909 were part of his plan to promote |
| opened in Indianapolis with his two brothers in 1891. | | | | the track and encourage automobile makers to take |
| The bicycle shop became highly successful due in | | | | up the challenge. Better cars meant happy buyers |
| large part to Carl's talent for outlandish promotion. He | | | | which in turn brought about enthusiastic sales. Carl |
| soon steered his partners into the automobile | | | | Fisher and his partners were perhaps better able to |
| business by turning the bicycle shop into what is | | | | benefit from the anticipated boom of automobile |
| believed to be the first automobile dealership in the | | | | sales than any other persons in the world. With the |
| United States. | | | | first automobile dealership and a manufacturing plant |
| When approached by an inventor of an acetylene | | | | that made running lights for virtually every automobile |
| lamp for use on automobiles, Carl Fisher seized the | | | | made in the United States at that time, Carl Fisher |
| opportunity to begin manufacturing head lights for | | | | was poised to make an enormous fortune. |
| the auto industry and through a series of plants | | | | Since 1911 when the first Indianapolis 500 mile race |
| around the country supplied the headlights for most | | | | was run, many stories turned to legend and helped |
| every automobile and truck made in America. | | | | insure that the history of the Indianapolis Motor |
| Carl Fisher's dealership sold, Oldsmobile, Packard, | | | | Speedway would be recorded for posterity. |
| Stutz, and the Stoddard-Dayton automobiles. On a | | | | Flamboyant drivers, owners and mechanics came to |
| trip to Europe in 1909 or shortly prior thereto, Carl | | | | Indianapolis to compete for the prize of fortune and |
| discovered the European automobile manufacturers | | | | fame. Some have faded into the pages of history |
| were building superior automobiles. He took a special | | | | despite risking their life, fortunes and reputations and |
| interest in a large automobile test track he visited in | | | | are these days nothing more than a footnote in |
| Surrey England and came back home with plans to | | | | history. Others, however, made their mark though |
| build one himself. | | | | success or tragedy and are memorialized on the |
| Carl was well on his way to becoming a wealthy man | | | | pages of historical books, photographs and film. |
| by this time. He had several successful ventures | | | | There is perhaps no race driver in history who did |
| including a company which manufactured the | | | | more to capture the attention and admiration of the |
| Prest-o-Lite lamps installed on virtually every truck | | | | world, than Barney Oldfield. Born Berna Eli Oldfield, in |
| and car built in the United States. He forged | | | | 1878 near Waseon, Ohio, Barney started his racing |
| friendships with other local entrepreneurs and | | | | career by competing in bicycle races across the |
| recruited three of them to be his partners in thisnew | | | | country. He transitioned to automobile racing by |
| venture. James Allison, Arthur Newby, and Frank | | | | joining a friend and fellow racer Tom Cooper in a |
| Wheeler signed on, invested their money with Carl | | | | racing venture, which sprang from a short interlude |
| and soon formed the Indianapolis Motor Speedway | | | | with future automobile titan, Henry Ford. Ford, who's |
| Company. They purchased a 240 acre farm a few | | | | two prototype cars were difficult to start, sold both |
| miles northwest of Indianapolis and later expanded it | | | | of his cars to Cooper for $800.00. Cooper put |
| to include the 530 acre property it is today. | | | | Oldfield behind the wheel and entered the car in the |
| James Allison, the inventor of the Allison Perfection | | | | 1902 Manufacturer's Challenge Cup. When Oldfield |
| Fountain Pen, met Carl Fisher through their mutual | | | | beat Alexander Winton, the defending champ and |
| interest in the bicycle craze. Together they formed | | | | odds on favorite by more than a half mile in a car |
| the ZigZag bicycle club. Later they joined as partners | | | | built by Henry Ford, both men were catapulted into |
| in the Prest-o-Lite venture. James Allison then formed | | | | automobile history. Oldfield became synonymous with |
| the Indianapolis Speedway Team Company, which | | | | speed and Ford got the financial backing he needed |
| evolved into the Allison Engine Company that is now | | | | to start his automobile manufacturing company. |
| the Allison Transmission Company of General Motors. | | | | Barney Oldfield was the first man to break the 60 |
| Rolls Royce acquired the engine building division of | | | | mile per hour barrier in a mile run at the Indianapolis |
| Allisons in 1995. | | | | State Fair Grounds a few years later. He raced in the |
| Arthur Newby was the president of National Motor | | | | Indianapolis 500 in 1914 and 1916, finishing 5th in both |
| Vehicle Company, located in Indianapolis. His company | | | | races. He never won the Indy 500, but he became a |
| began its venture by manufacturing electric | | | | close friend and business associate of Carl Fisher. |
| automobiles. Though the Company faltered in 1924, it | | | | For many years, motorcycle cops around the |
| managed to produce the winning entry for the 1912 | | | | country, were fond of asking "who in the hell do you |
| Indianapolis Motor Speedway, before closing its doors | | | | think you are, Barney Oldfield?", when stopping |
| forever. | | | | motorists for exceeding the speed limit. Oldfield, with |
| Frank Wheeler, the fourth founding member of the | | | | his trademark cigar and thick black mustache, was |
| Indianapolis Motor Speedway, was a partner in the | | | | one of the most celebrated drivers in the early years |
| Wheeler-Schebler Carburetor Company, which | | | | at the Indianapolis 500. His barnstorming thrill shows |
| manufactured carburetors for automobile | | | | and record setting speed exploits also helped give |
| manufactures throughout the United States. Frank | | | | international prominence to the Indianapolis 500 Mile |
| Wheeler and his partner George Schebler | | | | Race. |
| commissioned the Wheeler-Schebler Trophy, which | | | | |