Tourist Office
St. Jude Elementary
Indianapolis

THE INDIANA MOTOR SPEEDWAY

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the home to the INDY 500, which is the most prestigious race in the world. That is why Indianapolis, Indiana, is known as the Racing Capital of the World. Drivers from all over the world participate in the 500, such as Shigeaki Hattori of Japan. The race is 500 miles long and is held annually on Memorial Day weekend. More than 300,00 fans attend the race each year. The first race was held May 30, 1911. The sponsors were Carl Fisher, James Allison, Frank Wheeler, and Arthur Newby. The first race took 6 hours and 42 minutes and was won by Ray Harroun and Cyrus Patschke. In the early days of racing, two people rode in the same car.

No races were held between 1917 and 1918 because of World War I or between 1942 and 1945 because of World War II. The track was out of shape at that time. The track was then purchased by the current owners, the Hulman family of Terre Haute, Indiana. The Hulman Family has built the track into a world class attraction. The track once had a PGA Tour Golf Tournament. The golf course was located in the center of the race track.. The track has added a NASCAR race known as the Brickyard 400. The name of the race comes from the three feet row of brick at the finish line. The winner of the inaugural in 1994 was Jeff Gordon. The race is held in August of each year. The track then added a Formula One race in September 2000. The inaugural race was won by Michael Schumacher.

The Indy 500 has many traditions. The winner of the race drinks a quart of milk and gets his face and name placed on the Borg-Warner trophy. There is also a Memorial Day Parade which is attended by more than 100,000 people. The Hall of Fame Museum was part of the Speedway in 1952. Surrounding the restored cars are numerous displays of engines, photographs, and other precious memorabilia, much that has been donated by former participants. The Marmon (Wasp) is believed to be the first automobile to make use of the rear view mirror. Also displayed are several examples of early antique and classic passenger cars which were built in Indianapolis such as the Stutz, Cole, and Marmon.