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104-740: The event was a unique footnote in the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway . Between 1911 and 1993, the Harvest Auto Racing Classic was the only time an official race other than the Indianapolis 500 was contested at the track. It was also the last event held at the facility prior to the United States involvement in World War I . The track would shut down for two years (1917–1918) during

208-445: A 2.5-mile (4.0 km) oval to leave room for the grandstands. Reshaping of the land for the speedway took 500 laborers, 300 mules and a fleet of steam-powered machinery. The track surface consisted of graded and packed soil covered by 2 inches (5 cm) of gravel, 2 inches (5 cm) of limestone covered with taroid (a solution of tar and oil), 1–2 inches (3–5 cm) of crushed stone chips that were also drenched with taroid, and

312-435: A 500-mile (800 km) tire test approved by the government for Firestone. Shaw was shocked at the dilapidated state of the speedway and contacted owner Eddie Rickenbacker, only to discover that it was for sale. Shaw then sent out letters to the automobile industry to try to find a buyer. All the responses indicated that the speedway would be turned into a private facility for the buyer. Shaw then looked around for someone to buy

416-416: A better means of testing cars before delivering them to consumers. At the time, racing was just getting started on horse tracks and public roads. Fisher noticed how dangerous and ill-suited the makeshift courses were for racing and testing. He also argued that spectators did not get their money's worth, as they were able to get only a brief glimpse of cars speeding down a linear road. Fisher proposed building

520-470: A broken crankshaft during a practice run. Despite round the clock work, the team would be unable to rebuild the engine and Christiaens was forced to sit out all three races. On Thursday September 7, Wilbur D'Alene became the first driver to take to the track. He completed a few practice laps, but no other drivers went out. On Friday September 8, Johnny Aitken led the speed chart with a lap of 98.9 mph. He ran three more fast laps, then parked his car for

624-474: A circular track 3 to 5 miles (5 to 8 km) long with smooth 100–150-foot-wide (30–45 m) surfaces. Such a track would give manufacturers a chance to test cars at sustained speeds and give drivers a chance to learn their limits. Fisher predicted speeds could reach up to 120 mph (190 km/h) on a 5-mile (8 km) course. He visited the Brooklands circuit outside London in 1907, and after viewing

728-413: A controversy where exhaust pipe rules were clarified after qualifications began and certain teams with an altered exhaust pipe were "locked into" the field, USAC held an additional qualification round on the day before the race, announcing that any driver who could post a faster speed than the slowest qualifier (Roger McCluskey) would be allowed to start the race. Bill Vukovich and George Snider were added to

832-426: A final topping of crushed stone. Workers also constructed dozens of buildings, several bridges, grandstands with 12,000 seats, and an 8-foot (2.4 m) perimeter fence. A white-with-green-trim paint scheme was used throughout the property. The first event ever held at the speedway was a helium gas-filled balloon competition on Saturday, June 5, 1909, more than two months before the oval was completed. The event drew

936-572: A great track. In the 1950s, cars were topping out at 150 mph (240 km/h), helping to draw more and more fans. The low-slung, sleek cars were known as roadsters, and the Kurtis, Kuzma, and Watson chassis dominated the field. Nearly all were powered by the Offenhauser , or "Offy", engines. The crowd favorite Novi , with its unique sound and look, was the most powerful car of the decade that dominated time trials. However, they would never make

1040-403: A lap near the 125 mi (201 km) mark while cycling through pit stops. Dan Wheldon would go on to win the 2005 Indianapolis 500 . Sam Hornish Jr. became the first driver to ever overtake for the lead on the race's final lap, ultimately winning the 2006 Indianapolis 500 in the last 450 feet (140 m) by a 0.0635-second margin over rookie Marco Andretti . Dario Franchitti became

1144-642: A record that still stands as of 2022. Later in the year, Aitken was credited as co-winner of the American Grand Prize race, but died in 1918 of bronchopneumonia from the Influenza pandemic of 1918 . On March 23, 1917, Speedway management cancelled the 1917 Indianapolis 500, and halted all racing at the facility during both 1917 and 1918. The track was offered as a landing strip and maintenance/refueling station for military aircraft traveling between Wilbur Wright Field and Chanute Air Force Base . It

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1248-522: A reported 40,000 people. Nine balloons lifted off "racing" for trophies; a balloon by the name of Universal City won the race, landing 382 miles (615 km) away in Alabama after spending more than a day aloft. The first motorsport event at the track consisted of seven motorcycle races, sanctioned by the Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM), on August 14, 1909. This was originally planned as

1352-494: A second race meet at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway . After hosting multiple race meets in 1909 and 1910 , starting in 1911 the Indianapolis 500 would be the only race held annually. This second race meet would be the first time in five years that another race would be held at the famous and well-equipped Brickyard. The event was seen by Carl Fisher as an opportunity for the Speedway to generate gate revenue, particularly if

1456-559: A third weekend to the schedule (one road course race during NASCAR weekend and one oval weekend for the Indianapolis 500), the IndyCar Harvest GP , as a road course race. Originally scheduled for a single race October 3, due to continuing cancellations of other events on the schedule, it was changed to a doubleheader , with races run on October 2 and October 3. Its naming pays tribute to the Harvest Auto Racing Classic, and

1560-450: A two-day, 15-race program, but ended before the first day was completed due to concerns over suitability of the track surface for motorcycle use. These early events were largely planned by one of the top names in early auto racing promotion, Ernest Moross , who earned fame for his bold and sometimes outlandish barnstorming events at fairgrounds tracks with racing star Barney Oldfield . On August 19, 1909, fifteen carmakers' teams arrived at

1664-640: Is a motor racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana , an enclave suburb of Indianapolis , Indiana . It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400 and formerly the home of the United States Grand Prix and Indianapolis motorcycle Grand Prix . It is located six miles (9.7 km) west of Downtown Indianapolis . Constructed in 1909, it is the second purpose-built, banked oval racing circuit after Brooklands and

1768-566: Is owned by Roger Penske 's company Penske Corporation , following its 2019 purchase of Hulman & Company and its assets, which included the Speedway, the IndyCar Series , and associated enterprises. Indianapolis businessman Carl G. Fisher first envisioned building the speedway in 1905 after assisting friends racing in France and seeing that Europe held the upper hand in automobile design and craftsmanship. Fisher began thinking of

1872-526: Is still the closest finish in race history. The 500 got a new look in 1996 when it became an Indy Racing League event, formed as a rival to CART. There was another qualifying controversy in 1996 and 1997, arising over the IRL's "25/8 rule" which locked the previous year's top-25 overall points finishers into the Indianapolis race, regardless of their qualifying speed, leaving only eight spots open for entries to qualify on speed alone. The rule effectively locked out

1976-483: The 1961 race. The Cooper used a smaller (2.7-liter) and less powerful Coventry Climax engine compared to the 4.4-liter Offy engines used by the other 32 cars and was slower on the straights, but many took note of the British car's superior handling through the turns. Brabham qualified 17th and after running as high as third, would ultimately finish ninth after completing all 200 laps. Despite this, many doubters claimed

2080-709: The AAA (as were the Indianapolis 500 races through 1955). 1910 also saw the speedway host the National Aviation Meet, featuring Wilbur and Orville Wright and highlighted by Walter Brookins setting a world record by taking a plane up to 4,938 feet (1,505 m). A change in marketing focus led to only one race per year beginning in 1911. An estimated 80,000 spectators attended the first 500-mile (800 km) race on Memorial Day , May 30, 1911. Forty cars competed with Ray Harroun winning at an average speed of 74.602 miles per hour (120.060 km/h). While all

2184-520: The Burman Special , which left as few as 14 cars ready to race in the garage area. The competition for the day began with an 8-lap, 20-mile race at about 2 p.m. A mostly disappointing crowd of only 10,000-12,000 spectators arrived on a sunny, pleasant afternoon A total of ten cars lined up for a posted $ 1,000 prize purse. Some drivers, including Eddie Rickenbacker , elected to sit out the two shorter sprint races and instead save their machines for

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2288-643: The National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987, it is the only such site to be affiliated with automotive racing history. In addition to the Indianapolis 500, the speedway also hosts NASCAR 's Brickyard 400 and Pennzoil 250. From 2000 to 2007, the speedway hosted the Formula One United States Grand Prix, and from 2008 to 2015 the Moto GP . The speedway served as

2392-740: The banked layout , it solidified his determination to build the speedway. With dozens of car makers and suppliers in Indiana, Fisher proclaimed, "Indianapolis is going to be the world's greatest center of horseless carriage manufacturer, what could be more logical than building the world's greatest racetrack right here?" Fisher began looking around the Indianapolis area for a site to build his track; he rejected two potential sites before finding level farmland, Pressley Farm, totaling 328 acres (133 ha) about 5 miles (8 km) outside Indianapolis. In December 1908, he convinced James A. Allison , Arthur C. Newby , and Frank H. Wheeler to join him in purchasing

2496-492: The 100-mile race to be held later in the day. Louis Chevrolet drew the pole position for the 20-mile race, and the field lined up in three rows. From a standing start about fifty yards north of the start/finish line, the field rolled en masse to the timing line, and flagman Charles Sedwick waved the red flag to start the race. Johnny Aitken took the lead from the outside of the front row, with Louis Chevrolet in second and Howdy Wilcox in third. Pete Henderson dropped out on

2600-571: The 100-mile race would pay AAA championship points. The track would be made available for practice and testing for a couple days prior to race day. To entertain fans, a band contest was included as part of the festivities. All three races of the Harvest Auto Racing Classic were run under the auspices of the AAA Contest Board , and were contested with the same cars that ran in the Indianapolis 500 and other national championship events. Drivers could participate in one, two, or all three of

2704-580: The 1917 Indianapolis 500 were to be cancelled, which it ultimately was. It was the last time a race other than the Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway until the Brickyard 400 began in 1994 . The race was given the title the Harvest Auto Racing Classic , a reference to the harvest season of late summer/early autumn. The event was originally planned for Labor Day weekend, however,

2808-560: The 1925 event, Pete DePaolo became the first to average 100 mph (160 km/h) for the race, with a speed of 101.13 mph (162.75 km/h). In July 1926, the neighborhood around the racetrack voted to incorporate itself (along with the track) as the independent town of Speedway, Indiana . In 1926, Fisher and Allison were offered "a fortune" for the speedway site by a local real estate developer. They refused, selling instead to former racing driver (and World War One fighter ace ) Edward V. Rickenbacker in 1927. How much he paid

2912-565: The 1946 race. Since the record 42 cars that started the 1933 edition of the 500, the field size has been set at 33 drivers, with only three exceptions to this rule, the first being 1947, when only 30 cars started due to a strike by certain teams affiliated with the ASPAR drivers, owners and sponsors association. Since then the speedway has continued to grow. Stands have been built and remodeled many times over, suites and museums were added, and many other additions helped bring back Indy's reputation as

3016-608: The 2018 and 2019 NASCAR Cup Series seasons, the Brickyard 400 was scheduled for the weekend where the Harvest Auto Racing Classic was conducted. Each of the two September editions of the Brickyard included an Xfinity and Cup Series race each, and a dirt track race, the Bryan Clauson Classic. All four races were moved to July in 2020. On July 26, 2019, the SRO Motorsports Group announced that

3120-559: The CART series regulars from competing for qualifying spots in the Indy 500. CART responded by holding their own event, the U.S. 500, on the same day as the 1996 Indianapolis 500. While the new qualifying format was not a factor in 1996, it would backfire in 1997 when two drivers who posted qualifying speeds fast enough to make the race were bumped to make room for slower locked-in cars with more 1996-97 championship points. Hemelgarn Racing, who owned

3224-486: The F1 drivers at the time raced in the 500 in 1952. Five-time world champion Juan Fangio practiced at the speedway in 1958 but ultimately decided against racing there. The 1950s were also the most dangerous era of American racing. Of the 33 drivers to qualify for the 1953 race, nearly half, 16, eventually died in racing accidents. In October 1961, the final remaining brick sections of the track were paved over with asphalt, with

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3328-496: The Grand Prix road course. Buddy Rice became the first American driver since 1998 to win the race in the rain-shortened 2004 Indianapolis 500 . At the time, Rice drove for the team co-owned by 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal and the Indiana native television talk show host and comedian David Letterman . In 2005, Danica Patrick became the first female driver to lead the race at Indianapolis, after acquiring it for

3432-494: The IRL as Rahal Letterman Racing . Castroneves repeated his Indianapolis 500 win in 2002 despite controversial circumstances involving a late-race caution and a pass made by Tracy, and his teammate de Ferran won in 2003. In 2003, the Indy Lights Series, a minor league series to the IndyCar Series , made history with the first May race at the track since 1910, other than the 500. The Freedom 100 , first held during

3536-488: The IRL full-time for the 2003 season. Michael Andretti, who had left his long-time ride at Newman-Haas Racing because he wanted to run the Indianapolis 500 again (something they were not willing to do), bought a majority interest in CART's Team Green, which returned to Indianapolis in 2002 with Dario Franchitti , Paul Tracy and Michael Andretti, and moved it to the IRL that same year as Andretti Green Racing , and in 2004 former CART champion Bobby Rahal 's operation moved to

3640-531: The Indianapolis 500 after a five-year absence and was joined by Ganassi, Walker Racing and Michael Andretti , driving for Team Kool Green in a separate effort headed by Kim Green, known as "Team Motorola". For the second straight year, an Indy rookie won the race as Hélio Castroneves took the checkered flag. Roger Penske then elected to move his entire operation over to the IRL beginning in 2002, taking Castroneves and teammate Gil de Ferran with him. After fielding one car in 2002, Ganassi Racing followed Penske to

3744-641: The Speedway will host a new road course event scheduled in October, the Intercontinental GT Challenge Indianapolis 8 Hour, along with the entire GT World Challenge America including TCR, GT3, and GT4 specification races. Following the coronavirus pandemic related cancellations , on April 6, 2020, INDYCAR announced the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone IndyCar Series 2020 schedule alternations will include

3848-446: The U.S. government moved to ban all auto racing, primarily on account of rationing. The race would not be held for four years (1942–1945). The track was more or less abandoned during the war and fell into a state of disrepair. Many of the locals conceded that the speedway would be sold after the war and become a housing development. With the end of the war in sight, on November 29, 1944, three-time 500 winner Wilbur Shaw came back to do

3952-413: The circuit, Joe Dawson made up the deficit to win. Three of the next four winners were European, with DePalma being the exception as an American national, though originally Italian born. These races gave Indy a worldwide reputation and international drivers began to enter. The 1916 race was shortened to 120 laps, for a number of reasons including a lack of entries from Europe (there were so few entries that

4056-408: The closing stages, the limits were abandoned, though the use of pump gasoline was still mandatory. By the early 1930s, rising race speeds began to make the track increasingly dangerous, and in the period 1931–1935, there were 15 fatalities. This forced another repavement, with tarmac replacing the bricks in parts of the track. In addition, during the 1935–36 seasons the inside wall was removed in

4160-412: The corners, the outside wall was realigned (to change the angle compared to the track, reducing the potential for cars to vault over it), hard crash helmets became mandatory, and the first yellow light system was installed around the track. The continuing track dangers during this period, however, did not stop Louis Meyer or Wilbur Shaw from becoming the first two three-time winners, with Shaw also being

4264-481: The crash. Ten laps later, driver Bruce Keen struck a pothole and crashed into a bridge support. The race was then halted and the remaining drivers were given engraved certificates instead of trophies. The race resulted in the AAA boycotting any future events at the speedway until significant improvements were made. Fisher and his partners began looking into the idea of paving the track with bricks or concrete. Paving in 1909

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4368-401: The day was a 20-lap/50-mile event, with a $ 2,000 posted purse. Nine cars lined up in the grid, and like the first race, rolled to the starting line from a standing start about 50 yards up the track. Howdy Wilcox took the lead at the start, and led for the first six laps. Johnny Aitken ran second, while Hughie Hughes was running fourth. Wilcox then made a pit stop to change two tires, handing

4472-402: The day was the 100-mile AAA national championship race. George Buzane drew the pole position, and the field lined up in rows of four. A total of $ 9,000 in prize money was posted, to be divided among the top seven finishers. The pace car took the field around for one unscored lap, and the race was started. Johnny Aitken picked up where he left off in the first two races, and took the lead on

4576-470: The day. Johnny Aitken won $ 3500 for first place in the 100-mile race, bringing his total for the day to $ 4600. Hughie Hughes won $ 2000, and Wilbur D'Alene won $ 1200 for third. Rounding out the cash prizes were polesitter George Buzane (4th) with $ 1000, Dave Lewis (5th) with $ 600, Omar Toft (6th) with $ 400, and Pete Henderson (7th) with $ 300. It would Aitken's final race at Indianapolis, after compiling an all-time track record of 15 total race wins,

4680-482: The day. Other cars taking practice laps were Dave Lewis, Josef Christiaens , and George Buzane. As practice continued, several drivers announced their intentions to skip the 20-mile and/or the 50-mile races, in favor of concentrating on the important 100-mile championship race. Eddie Rickenbacker and Tommy Milton decided only to race the 100-mile event, while Johnny Aitken and Ralph DePalma were among those who elected to attempt all three. Light ticket sales during

4784-534: The decade included Danny Sullivan , Bobby Rahal , and F1 veteran Emerson Fittipaldi . The 1989 race came down to a final ten-lap, a thrilling duel between Fittipaldi and Al Unser Jr. , culminating in Unser crashing in the third turn of the 199th lap after making contact with Fittpaldi's right front tire. The early 1990s witnessed Arie Luyendyk winning in what was then the fastest 500 to date , with an average speed of 185.981 mph (299.307 km/h). That record

4888-430: The depression. The rules were indeed changed, but it was due to an effort by the speedway to get more car manufacturers involved in the race by discouraging the entry of specialized racing machines that dominated the 500 during the mid- to late-1920s. The rule changes, in fact, were already being laid out before the market crash. In 1931, Dave Evans performed a remarkable feat when his Cummins Diesel Special completed

4992-420: The dissident teams formed their own racing body, Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART). USAC responded by barring six of the most famous teams in the sport from qualification (including Roger Penske and Dan Gurney), for "undermining the well-being of USAC". The ruling would sideline former Indy winners Bobby Unser, Al Unser Sr., Gordon Johncock, and Johnny Rutherford. After a court injunction in favor of CART, and

5096-464: The entire 500 miles without a pit stop . It was also the first diesel entrant. In 1933, a record 42 cars started the 500. For 1934, a maximum fuel consumption limit was imposed, 45 US gal (37 imp gal; 170 L). It became 42.5 US gal (35.4 imp gal; 161 L) in 1935 and 37.5 US gal (31.2 imp gal; 142 L) in 1936. When the limits resulted in several top competitors running out of fuel in

5200-570: The exception of a distinct three-foot-wide line of bricks at the start-finish line. The "Brickyard" thus became known for its "Yard of Bricks". After being widely ignored by Formula One drivers when it was an F1 World Championship event, a wave of F1 drivers went to the speedway in the 1960s, and the rear-engine revolution that was started by the Cooper F1 team changed the face of the 500 as well, with 1959 and 1960 world drivers' champion Jack Brabham of Australia qualifying his Cooper in 13th for

5304-411: The final few laps, with Rickenbacker now out, the race between DePalma, Henderson, and Toft became a battle to see who would finish in the money. DePalma fell from 7th to 9th over the final eight laps, while Toft moved up from 9th to 7th. With four laps to go, Toft led Henderson by only 1.22 seconds. All three cars moved up one spot when they completed more laps than Rickenbacker, and Toft beat Henderson to

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5408-729: The final qualifying weekend, has been moved to "carb day" on the Friday before the 500. From 2005 to 2007, the Indy Lights became the first racing series since 1916 to run at the racecourse twice in one year. The first event being the Freedom 100, held on the oval track as part of the Indianapolis 500 weekend, and the second event, the Liberty Challenge , during the United States Grand Prix weekend, competing on

5512-574: The first back-to-back winner in 1939 and 1940. At the beginning of the 1940s, the track required further improvements. In 1941, about a third of the " Gasoline Alley " garage area burned down before the race. With U.S. involvement in World War II , the 1942 500-mile race was canceled in December 1941. Owner Eddie Rickenbacker said the race would be suspended for the duration of the war. In 1942, AAA Contest Board suspended all auto racing, and

5616-441: The first lap. He held the lead for the first 23 laps. Eddie Rickenbacker , who sat out the first two races, started deeper in the field, but was running second as quickly as lap 4. Aitken and Rickenbacker ran 1st-2nd for the first 50 miles, with Aitken never pulling more than 100 feet out in front. Rickenbacker stayed within a second of the lead on the scoring serials until he took the lead on lap 24. Tommy Milton , who also skipped

5720-566: The first lap. Wilcox passed Chevrolet for second place on lap two, while Aitken continued to lead. At the halfway point, Aitken and Wilcox were running nose to tail. The top two cars had stretched a lead of about 200 yards over Chevrolet in third place. On the final lap, Wilcox followed closely behind Aitken, but Aitken was able to hold off the challenge. Aitken won the race by 0.33 seconds, about one car length. Aitken collected $ 400 for first place, Wilcox received $ 300 for second, Chevrolet $ 200 for third, and Hughes $ 100 for fourth. The second race of

5824-486: The first native of New Zealand to win, in the 2008 Indianapolis 500 . In the 100th anniversary year of the construction of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Hélio Castroneves became the sixth three-time winner of the 500 in the 2009 Indianapolis 500 . Danica Patrick also had her best finish ever (third place) in the race, also the best finish ever by a woman in the history of the Indianapolis 500. 1916 Indianapolis 500 Too Many Requests If you report this error to

5928-399: The first native of Scotland since Jim Clark 's victory in 1965 to win, in the rain-shortened 2007 Indianapolis 500 . In mid-February 2008, Champ Car filed for bankruptcy. In late February, an agreement was reached for Champ Car to be merged with the IRL, and the first IRL IndyCar Series season since the unification took place in 2008. Scott Dixon , driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, became

6032-874: The first to be called a 'speedway'. It is the third-oldest permanent automobile race track in the world, behind Brooklands and the Milwaukee Mile . With a permanent seating capacity of 257,325, it is the highest-capacity sports venue in the world . The track is a 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km) rectangular oval with dimensions that have remained essentially unchanged since its construction. It has two 5 ⁄ 8 -mile-long (1,000 m) straightaways, four geometrically identical 1 ⁄ 4 -mile (400 m) turns, connected by two 1 ⁄ 8 -mile (200 m) short straightaways, termed "short chutes", between turns 1 and 2, and between turns 3 and 4. The turns have 9°12' banking, considered relatively flat by American standards. A modern, FIA Grade One infield road course

6136-420: The first two of four drivers, to date, to win four times each, while Bobby Unser won the race three times, with Andretti only ever winning the race once, in 1969 . Andretti would go on to race in F1 and win the world championship in 1978 with Team Lotus , who had been the first rear-engine winners at Indy, with Clark, in 1965. From 1970 to 1981, Indianapolis had a twin in the city of Ontario, California , by

6240-405: The first two races of the day, dropped out on lap 8 with ignition trouble. Howdy Wilcox later quit after completing only 8 laps. Rickenbacker's lead was short-lived, as Aitken was back in front on lap 25. With Aitken and Rickenbacker battling at the front of the field, another close battle was going on for third and fourth. Hughie Hughes and Wilbur D'Alene were running close together for much of

6344-518: The following year in his first attempt, eventually becoming the only driver to date to achieve auto racing's " Triple Crown of Motorsport " of winning the Monaco Grand Prix , Indianapolis 500, and Le Mans 24 Hours . There were enough Americans to compete with them, with A. J. Foyt, Mario Andretti , and the Unser brothers Bobby and Al leading the charge in the 1960s and 1970s, of whom Foyt and Al Unser would eventually become, respectively,

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6448-603: The full 500 mi (800 km) in first place, often breaking down before the end or having to make too many pit stops because of the massive engine's thirst for fuel and the weight that went with the extra fuel. The track's reputation improved so much that the 500-mile race became part of the Formula One World Championship for 11 years (1950–1960), even though none of the Indy drivers raced in Formula One and only Ferrari's Alberto Ascari of

6552-465: The gaps filled with mortar. At the same time, a concrete wall 33 inches (840 mm) tall was constructed in front of the main grandstand and around all four corners to protect spectators. The final "gold" brick (actually gold-plated brass) was laid in a special ceremony by Governor Thomas R. Marshall . Before the work was completed, locals nicknamed the track The Brickyard . Today, 3 feet (0.91 m), or one yard, of original bricks remain exposed at

6656-577: The last races other than the Indianapolis 500 to be held on the grounds for seventy-eight years. Racing was interrupted in 1917–1918 by World War I when the facility served as a military aviation repair and refueling depot, designated the Speedway Aviation Repair Depot, commanded by Captain Patrick Frissell. When racing resumed, speeds quickly increased. In 1921, speedway co-founder Wheeler committed suicide. At

6760-440: The lead to Aitken. Wilcox lost a couple minutes in the pits, but still managed to finish the race in 6th place. Two cars, Ralph DePalma and Art Klein , dropped out after 7 laps with dirty spark plugs . Klein was finished for the day, but DePalma would get his car ready for the 100-mile later in the afternoon. Hughie Hughes became the story of the race, fiercely battling Aitken for the race lead. On lap 15, Hughes briefly took

6864-535: The lead, but on the backstretch Aitken was able to get back ahead. On the final lap, Hughes battled with Aitken for the win. Down the mainstretch, Aitken held off Hughes by 0.28 seconds at the finish line. The margin of victory was about four feet. Winning his second race of the day, Aitken pocketed $ 700 for first place. Hughes won $ 500 for second. Louis Chevrolet , less than a second behind the first two cars, won $ 400 for third. Wilbur D'Alene received $ 300 for fourth, and Dave Lewis $ 100 for fifth. The third event of

6968-492: The line to finish 6th by 2.65 seconds. DePalma finished 8th, 29.17 seconds behind Henderson, and out of the money in all three races for the day. Aitken took the lead for good when Rickenbacker crashed out. He nursed his car around the final three laps with only one wheel attached to the steering linkage. Despite the crippled machine, he crossed the line 19 seconds ahead of second place Hughie Hughes . Aitken, accompanied by riding mechanic Maurice Becker, swept all three races for

7072-555: The lineup, bringing the field to 35. A crisis was averted for the moment, but USAC's handling of both issues was seen as bungling by some people, and as outright manipulation by others, and that year spelled the beginning of the end for USAC's governance of the Indy Car series. The 1980s brought a new generation of speedsters, led by four-time race winner Rick Mears who also broke the 220 mph (350 km/h) speed mark in qualifying ( 1989 ) and won six pole positions. Other stars of

7176-633: The name of the Ontario Motor Speedway . This track was known as the "Indianapolis of the West" and the home of the California 500, but was a financial failure due to poor management and not holding enough races on the racetrack. In the 1977 Indy 500, Janet Guthrie made history when she became the first female driver to qualify for the race. Guthrie started the race from 18th position but retired with timing gear failure after 27 laps. She

7280-620: The new board track in Cincinnati took the Labor Day date. To avoid a conflict, and to attract a stronger field, Indianapolis chose to run the weekend after. The race was scheduled for Saturday September 9, which also conveniently fell after the close of the Indiana State Fair . The meet would consist of three races, a 20-mile race, a 50-mile race, followed by a 100-mile race. The first two races would be non-points races, while

7384-463: The other drivers in the race had a riding mechanic in their car, Harroun decided to save weight and go faster by driving solo. So, to be able to see what was happening behind his No. 32 Marmon "Wasp" , he installed a rear-view mirror . It was the first time such a device was used in an automobile. A classic race followed in 1912 , when Ralph DePalma lost a five-lap lead with five laps to go after his car broke down. As DePalma pushed his car around

7488-536: The participants were arriving from the Cincinnati race held the previous weekend. Hometown driver Johnny Aitken , the 1916 Indianapolis 500 pole-sitter, and winner on Monday at Cincinnati, entered the event as the favorite. George Buzane's team was the first entrant to arrive from Cincinnati. Frank Gavin and Josef Christiaens of the Sunbeam team also arrived Wednesday. Christiaens' car, however would later suffer

7592-560: The property for $ 72,000. The group incorporated the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Company on March 20, 1909, with a capitalization of $ 250,000, with Fisher and James Allison in for $ 75,000 apiece and Frank Wheeler and Arthur Newby on board for $ 50,000 each. Construction of the track started in March 1909. Fisher had to quickly downsize his planned 3-mile (5 km) oval with a 2-mile (3 km) road course to

7696-410: The race may be cancelled on account of the United States entering the war. For 1916 , the AAA Contest Board established and recognized an official points-paying National Championship of drivers. Between the years of 1904 and 1919, although AAA sanctioned many races, an official national championship was only awarded in 1905 and 1916 . In an effort to bolster the 1916 season, it was decided to add

7800-822: The race will serve as a support event for the inaugural Indianapolis 8 Hour on the Intercontinental GT Challenge circuit. It was the second road course race at IMS for the 2020 season accompanying the GMR Grand Prix . It was announced by the Stephane Ratel Organisation that the 8 Hours of Indianapolis will return in 2021, but the INDYCAR race will move to the NASCAR weekend in mid-August. Indianapolis Motor Speedway Former: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway

7904-406: The race. Dave Lewis , running 5th much of the day, was holding off George Buzane for the first half. Buzane moved into 5th by the 28th lap. Ralph DePalma , Pete Henderson , Omar Toft traded 7th, 8th, and 9th place between one another most of the race. None of the three were factors in the race, and each were running at least a lap down at the checkered flag. With Wilcox and Milton out, Jay McNey

8008-407: The races. Each race was scored independently, and respective results in each race had no bearing on subsequent races. Separate cash prizes were posted for each of the three races. Riding mechanics were utilized. Officials decided not to have a pace car for the first two shorter races. For the 20-mile and 50-mile races, the field would be lined up about 50 yards north of the start/finish line. When

8112-413: The rear-engine cars were for drivers who liked to be pushed around, though as Brabham said "It started the rear-engined revolution at Indy". A. J. Foyt , who had won his first 500 in 1961, won the 1964 Indianapolis 500 , which was the last ever win for a front-engine car, and since Jim Clark 's win driving the rear-engine Lotus 38 in 1965 , every winner has driven a rear-engine car. Graham Hill won

8216-568: The remaining events. Fisher promised the track would be repaired by the next day and convinced officials that the show should go on. The second day saw 20,000 spectators, no major incidents, and additional speed records broken. On the third day of racing, 35,000 spectators showed up to watch the grand finale 300-mile (480 km) race. At 175 miles (282 km) into the race, the right front tire blew on Charlie Merz 's car. His car mowed down five fence posts and toppled dozens of spectators. Two spectators and his mechanic, Claude Kellum, were killed in

8320-415: The rival CART series begin to cross over to compete at the Indianapolis 500. In the 2000 Indianapolis 500 , multiple CART champion team Chip Ganassi Racing brought their drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Jimmy Vasser to Indianapolis. Montoya qualified second, led 167 laps, and won the race convincingly, becoming the seventh Indy 500 rookie to win the race. The next year , Team Penske made its return to

8424-501: The same time was under a false impression that fans thought that 500 miles was too long of a race. He believed in the idea that fans may better enjoy a shorter event, and thus the race was shortened to a 300-mile distance. After a lackluster reception, the decision was quickly reversed, and the Memorial Day classic was to revert to 500 miles for 1917. The 1917 Indianapolis 500 was scheduled, however, Speedway management understood that

8528-436: The signal was given, the field conducted a rolling start to the stripe. For the 100-mile race, it was decided to utilize a pace car. The field circulated for one unscored warm-up lap, and started the race from a flying start, in the same manner as the Indianapolis 500. As many as 25 entries were expected, however, the final entry list consisted of only twenty cars, and that number later dwindled. More than one entry withdrew from

8632-498: The speedway itself entered several cars), a lack of oil, and out of respect for the war in Europe . On September 9, 1916, the speedway hosted a day of short racing events termed the " Harvest Classic ", composed of three races held at 20-, 50-, and 100-mile (32, 80 and 160 km) distances. In the end, Johnny Aitken , in a Peugeot , would win all three events, his final victories at the facility. The Harvest Classic contests were

8736-487: The speedway, who would reopen the racetrack as a public venue. He found Terre Haute businessman Tony Hulman . Meetings were set up and the speedway was purchased on November 14, 1945. Though not officially acknowledged, the purchase price for the speedway was reported by the Indianapolis Star and News to be $ 750,000. Major renovations and repairs were made at a quick pace to the frail speedway, in time for

8840-544: The start-finish line. In December 1909, eleven drivers and a few motorcyclists returned for speed trials. Drivers soon reached speeds of up to 112 mph (180 km/h) on the new surface. Racing returned in 1910, with a total of 66 automobile races held during three holiday weekends ( Memorial Day , Independence Day and Labor Day ). Each weekend featured two or three races of 100 to 200 miles (160 to 320 km), with several shorter contests. Each race stood on its own and earned its own trophy. All races were sanctioned by

8944-492: The starting lineups. However, the grids were later adjusted based on car counts. Dario Resta , the winner of the "500" back in May, did not enter after blowing the engine in his car at Cincinnati. Ralph DePalma , the 1915 "500" winner had skipped the 1916 race due to a dispute with management over appearance fees. DePalma and the track reconciled, and he submitted an entry, but since he blew his Mercedes engine at Cincinnati, it

9048-430: The track for practice. The track surface again became a concern with drivers being covered in dirt, oil, and tar and with ruts and chuckholes beginning to form in the turns. Speedway workers oiled and rolled the track prior to the gates opening to the public. Fifteen to twenty thousand spectators showed up, paying at the most $ 1 for a ticket. Halfway through the first 250-mile (400 km) event, race leader Louis Chevrolet

9152-485: The track, along the backstretch, and four holes in the infield. The site is among the most visited attractions in the Indianapolis metropolitan area , with 1 million guests annually. The track is nicknamed "The Brickyard" (see below), and the venue self-describes as the "Racing Capital of the World". The garage area is known as Gasoline Alley , though Indy 500 racecars have used methanol and currently ethanol. The Speedway

9256-421: The track. On Saturday morning, a final practice session and a band contest was held to entertain early-arriving spectators. Johnny Aitken ran a practice lap of 1 minute-31 seconds, matching his lap time from Friday. Also turning fast laps were Wilcox and Lewis. Art Klein was considering withdrawing due to engine trouble, and William Muller did withdraw. Driver Jack Gable was unable to arrive from Chicago to drive

9360-414: The two cars victimized in the scenario, protested to the IRL that the field would not include the 33 fastest cars. After Bump Day was completed, the series elected to add the two bumped cars, driven by Johnny Unser and Lyn St. James, back into the field, bringing the number of starters to 35. This marked the last time the 500's starting field has been larger than 33 drivers. The early 2000s saw drivers from

9464-731: The venue for the opening ceremonies for the 1987 Pan American Games . On the grounds of the speedway is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum , which opened in 1956, and houses the Hall of Fame . The museum moved into its current building located in the infield in 1976. Also on the grounds is the Brickyard Crossing Golf Resort, which originally opened as the Speedway Golf Course in 1929. The golf course has 14 holes outside

9568-400: The war, and reopened in 1919 . The 1916 Indianapolis 500 was held on May 30, 1916. Under unique circumstances, the race was scheduled for 300 miles rather than the traditional 500-mile distance. World War I was escalating abroad, but the United States had not yet entered the war . Parallel to that, Speedway president Carl G. Fisher was in an ongoing feud with the local hoteliers, and at

9672-577: The week began to worry Speedway management. The Indiana State Fair closed on Friday, which the Speedway hoped would help bolster the Saturday crowd at the track. Instead, it began to appear that the locals did not have the interest to attend the races so soon after the fair. On Friday, Speedway general manager Theodore E. "Pop" Myers announced that the start time for Saturday would be pushed back from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. This would allow fans that had to work on Saturday morning additional time to travel to

9776-399: The weekend, some after suffering irreparable damage at Cincinnati. The short field was considered a disappointment for the event, as it mirrored the low turnout experienced in May . No elimination trials were held, ostensibly due to the small field of entries, and due to the fact that all cars had practiced over 95 mph. A blind draw was conducted mid-week for each of the three races to set

9880-466: Was completed in 2000, incorporating part of the oval, including the main stretch and the southwest turn, measuring 2.605 mi (4.192 km). In 2008, and again in 2014, the road course layout was modified to accommodate motorcycle racing, as well as to improve competition. Altogether, the current grounds have expanded from an original 320 acres (1.3 km ) on which the speedway was first built to cover an area of over 559 acres (2.3 km ). Placed on

9984-424: Was eventually classified 29th. 1977 also saw A. J. Foyt make history when he became the first driver to win the race four times. 1979 saw the second exception to the 1934 33-driver field rule. By the late 1970s there arose some resistance from certain car owners and drivers as to the direction being taken by USAC , the auto racing sanctioning body that among other things, governed the Indianapolis 500 event. Some of

10088-403: Was not eclipsed for almost a quarter of a century until Tony Kanaan won the 2013 race with an average speed of over 187 mph (301 km/h). Rick Mears became the third four-time winner after a late-race duel with Michael Andretti in 1991 , and in 1992 , Al Unser Jr. eked out a hard-fought victory by defeating last-place-starting driver Scott Goodyear by 0.043 of a second, a margin that

10192-484: Was not revealed. Rickenbacker built a golf course in the infield. The next year, Allison died from pneumonia . With the Great Depression hitting the nation, the purse dropped from a winners share of $ 50,000 and a total of $ 98,250 in 1930 to $ 18,000 and $ 54,450, respectively. There is a common misconception the rules were "dumbed down" to what was called the "junkyard formula" to allow more entries during

10296-407: Was out to nearly a half-lap lead. But with two laps to go, the right rear wheel on Ricknenbacker's car was wobbling badly. Coming out of turn four, the wheel collapsed, sending the car out of control. The car careened back and forth, and came to rest on the inside of the track. Rickenbacker and his riding mechanic George Henderson were narrowly avoided by four other cars, but emerged uninjured. Over

10400-414: Was referred to as the Speedway Aviation Repair Depot, and the 821st Aero Repair Squadron was stationed there. The AAA National Championship was suspended in both 1917 and 1918 . There were, however, AAA races (non-championship races) conducted during the war years at other tracks. The Indianapolis 500 resumed after the war in 1919 , but the Harvest Auto Racing Classic was not held again. During

10504-438: Was still relatively new with only a few miles of public roads paved, leaving little knowledge of what would work best. Traction tests were conducted on bricks, proving they could hold up. Less than a month after the first car races, the repaving project began. Five Indiana manufacturers supplied 3.2 million 10-pound (4.5 kg) bricks to the track. Each was hand laid over a 2-inch (51 mm) cushion of sand, then leveled and

10608-443: Was temporarily blinded when a stone smashed his goggles. William Bourque , driving in a Knox, suffered a suspected rear-axle failure resulting in his car flipping end over end on the front stretch before crashing into a fence post. Both he and his mechanic, Harry Halcomb, died at the scene. The first day of car racing resulted in four finishes and two land speed records, but concerns over safety led AAA officials to consider canceling

10712-444: Was the last car running in the field, He would be flagged after completing 38 of the 40 laps. The final ten laps came down to a battle of survival between Johnny Aitken and Eddie Rickenbacker . On lap 33, Rickenbacker took the lead, then Aitken led laps 34–35. On lap 36, the steering arm on the right wheel of Aitken's car broke, rendering his car almost undriveable. Rickenbacker assumed the lead. As Aitken slowed, quickly Rickenbacker

10816-561: Was unclear for a few days which car he would drive. Later in the week, DePalma was named to the Peugeot team owned by the Speedway, taking over the car of Charlie Merz . Also failing to arrive was William Muller, who suffered an engine failure at the Cincinnati race, and Gil Anderson who was seriously injured after a crash at Cincinnati. The track was made available for participants to practice on Thursday September 6 and Friday September 7, as well as Saturday morning. By Wednesday, several of

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