| THE RICKENBACKER YEARS | | | | speedway operations and he depended heavily on |
| In June of 1923, Carl Fisher, relinquished the reins of | | | | the well seasoned staff back home in Indy to |
| the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and handed them | | | | manage the operations for him. Pop Meyer and Dolly |
| to his fellow stock holder, James Allison and retired | | | | Dallenbach, hold overs from the founders' |
| from the management team. He announced that the | | | | management team, ran the track in Rickenbacker's |
| speedway had outlived its purpose, which was to | | | | absence. |
| serve as an automobile proving ground. The race was | | | | When the country entered the second World War, |
| simply a byproduct of that enterprise. Carl would go | | | | Rickenbacker and his investors decided to suspend |
| on to develop Miami Beach and build the prototype | | | | operations at the speedway. From 1941 to 1945 no |
| to the modern interstate highway with his promotion | | | | races were held at Indianapolis. This was the second |
| and development of the Lincoln Highway, which | | | | time since the 1917 and 1918 track closings that the |
| survives to this day to some extent in its | | | | famous Indy oval was silent in the month of May. |
| reconstituted form. It is otherwise known as | | | | THE HULMAN YEARS |
| Highway 80. | | | | In 1945 a wealthy Terre Haute business man made a |
| By 1926 the founders let it be known that the | | | | bid for the purchase of the Indianapolis Motor |
| speedway was up for sale, and it wasn't long before | | | | Speedway after being approached by former three |
| an undisclosed investment group from Detroit, | | | | time Indy 500 winner, Wilbur Shaw. Shaw knew the |
| Michigan, represented by former Indy 500 driver and | | | | Speedway needed a new owner who would be |
| World War I Ace, Eddie Rickenbacker, purchased the | | | | more concerned about the preservation of the |
| speedway and took control. Under the direction of | | | | legacy than the bottom line. Tony Hulman, who's |
| Rickenbacker, the speedway enjoyed one of its | | | | family owned the famous Clabber Girl baking powder |
| more flamboyant capital improvements. The now | | | | company and a number of other successful |
| famous golf course, which has been host to a | | | | businesses, purchased the track from the |
| number of PGA Senior Golf events in recent years, | | | | Rickernbacker group in 1945. |
| was built half in and half outside the famous oval. | | | | During the 33 years Tony Hulman presided as |
| After a number of course redesigns, the infield | | | | President and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor |
| continues to include 4 of the 18 championship holes | | | | Speedway, he consistently reinvested revenues from |
| to the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course. | | | | the 500 mile race back into the speedway with the |
| Rickenbacker was forced to operate the speedway | | | | intention of making it an unrivaled world class racing |
| with his eyes on the bottom line. He was expected | | | | venue. Today the speedway holds 257,000 seats and |
| to return a profit for his investors and that sharply | | | | executive suites on the outside of turn 2 and on |
| curtailed opportunities for development. In 1935, | | | | both sides of the main straightaway. The Speedway |
| during his tenure as the President of the Indianapolis | | | | Hall of Fame Museum, commissioned by Tony |
| Motor Speedway, he moved to New York where he | | | | Hulman, is a shrine to the history of the Indy 500 and |
| also took charge of Eastern Airlines. His commitment | | | | the cast of thousands who made it possible. |
| to Eastern Airlines left him little time to devote to the | | | | |