Archive for category Auto Racing

On the east side of Indianapolis is a small town called Speedway. This timeless treasure of a town is home to one of the world’s greatest landmarks, an icon of motor sport, the home to the greatest spectacle in racing. I’m talking, of course, about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

This racing facility has a remarkable history, which begins 100 years ago.  It was the first track to use the word ‘Speedway’ and was host to a 7-race motorcycle event on August 14, 1909. The first weekend for automobile races there was August 19-21 of the same year. Sixteen races, enacted by the American Automobile Association, led to 5 fatalities and a final race unfinished. Most of this was due to a terrible road surface. Thanks to track investor Carl Fisher, the speedway was overhauled completely, using 3.2 million paving bricks. This is why IMS is called The Brickyard. Since then, it has been paved over with high-grade asphalt, but a yard of bricks remain at the starting line.

In 1910, the Speedway reopened with 66 automobile races during Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day weekends. Each race, either 100 or 200-mile distance, had its own winner with its own trophy. This seemed a bit overextended and chaotic, so in 1911, the focus was switched to one race per year. The first 500 mile race was held on Memorial Day, May 30, 1911 to 80,000 spectators paying $1 each for admission. Ray Harrou, who averaged nearly 75 miles per hour, won the inaugural race, now referred to as the Indianapolis 500.

The 1910s through the 1920s were an interesting time for the race and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For instance, the 1916 race was shortened to 300 miles as a solemn reminder of World War I. In September of that year, the IMS hosted the Harvest Classic, a three race event of 20, 50, and 100-mile distances. One racer won all three races. As the US was now involved in the great war, racing was halted in 1917-1918 and the track became a center for military vehicle repairs. As racing returned, the speed of the vehicles had dramatically increased. The 1925 race, for instance, had an average track speed of 100 miles per hour.

The 30s and 40s were a hectic, nearly tragic time for the Speedway. During the Great Depression, the winnings for the race dropped dramatically. In addition, the rules were changed to encourage a wider range of automobile manufacturers to participate. But as increased cars were racing at increased speeds, the Brickyard became a treacherous track. So, another paving commenced, replacing the bricks in parts of the track with tarmac. This was mostly in response to 15 deaths in 4 years. In 1941, half of the garage area burned before the race. And, since the US was involved in World War II, the 1942 race was canceled. Later that year, the US government banned auto racing to conserve fuel, leaving the Indianapolis Motor Speedway an abandoned wreck. In 1946, in lieu of becoming a housing development, the track was sold to Tony Hulman, who kept it open as a public racing venue. Hastily, the track was repaired in time for the race that year.

The Speedway has continued to grow to this day.  It is now home to the Red Bull Indianapolis GP Motorcycle race being held August 30.  Get your MotoGP tickets today before they sell out.