On this day in history, Aug. 19, 1909, the inaugural race occurred at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway — now home of the world’s premier motor racing competition, the Indianapolis 500, as History.com pointed out.
“In that first five-mile race on Aug. 19, 1909, 12,000 spectators watched Austrian engineer Louis Schwitzer win with an average speed of 57.4 miles per hour,” the same source noted.
Local businessmen Carl G. Fisher, James A. Allison, Arthur C. Newby and Frank H. Wheeler started the speedway.
It was originally created as a testing facility for Indiana’s growing automobile industry and was built on 328 acres of Midwest farmland five miles northwest of Indianapolis, Indiana, the same source said.
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The rectangular 2½-mile track linked four turns, each exactly 440 yards from start to finish, by two long and two short straight sections, as History.com chronicled.
In that first five-mile auto race on Aug. 19, 1909, 12,000 spectators watched Austrian engineer Louis Schweitzer win with an average speed of 57.4 miles per hour, according to the same source.
Josef Newgarden (#2) competes during the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, on Sunday, May 28, 2023, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
The Speedway’s debut was a little rocky, said the Indiana Motorcycle Preservation Society.
The original raceway oval featured a 2.5-mile distance and a packed gravel road — but the gravel was susceptible to potholes and dips, the same source recounted.
The speedway’s inaugural meets had tragic circumstances.
The first official Indy 500 was held on May 30, 1911.
“Unfavorable conditions led to one of the drivers, Wilfred Bourque, flipping his vehicle.
He and his mechanic, Harry Halcomb, sadly died,” stated the Indiana Motorcycle Preservation Society.
The inaugural events at the speedway spanned three days.
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The second day went off with no injuries or fatalities; however, the third day again encountered tragedy, as a racer’s tires blew and he spun into the audience.
As a result, two spectators and another mechanic suffered fatal injuries and perished, according to the same source.
NTT IndyCar driver Jimmie Johnson poses for a photo with his car on May 21, 2022, after qualifying for the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Following these accidents, caused in part by its rock-and-tar surface, the 2.5-mile track was paved with bricks in late 1909 — earning the nickname “the Brickyard,” according to Indiana University at Indianapolis.
The first official Indy 500 was held on May 30, 1911.
Its 500-mile length and $27,000 prize purse were unlike anything seen in the auto racing world to that point; and the first Indy 500 featured 40 qualifying cars, according to the Henry Ford Museum.
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Since 1911, the Indianapolis 500 has taken place every year, except for during the years 1917-18 and 1942-45, when the United States was involved in two world wars, History.com indicated.
With an average attendance of 400,000 spectators, the Indy 500 is the best-attended event in U.S. sports, cited the same source.
With an average crowd of 400,000 spectators, the Indy 500 is the best-attended event in U.S. sports.
In 1936, asphalt was used for the first time to cover the rougher parts of the track, and by 1941 most of the track was paved, according to Motor Sport Magazine.
The last of the speedway’s original bricks were covered in 1961, except for a three-foot line of bricks left exposed at the start-finish line as a nostalgic reminder of the track’s history, the same source noted.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of the oldest and most revered motor sports facilities in the world.
Terrell Davis, MVP of the 1997 Super Bowl-winning Denver Broncos, is seen at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 26, 2019, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Since its construction in 1909, the racetrack has become a National Historic Landmark and a legend in the world of auto racing, according to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.
First opening its doors in 1956, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum currently boasts 37,500 sq. ft. of vintage cars, trophies, photographs, fine art, and other artifacts which capture the significance of motor sports.
Each year, the venue welcomes more than 140,000 patrons, who visit Racing Capital of the World, the same source stated.
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The Indy 500 is one of the biggest racing events in the U.S., as the racetrack has a permanent seating capacity of 257,325, according to Sporting News.
On May 26, 2024, Indianapolis will celebrate the 108th running of the Indy 500.
When considering the capacity of the infield of the track, the number of spectators can reach as high as 300,000, multiple sources say.
The sterling silver Borg-Warner Trophy, which is 110 pounds and measures 5 feet and 4 inches tall, has been presented to each Indy 500 winner for 87 years.
NTT Indy Car Series driver Helio Castroneves (#66) reacts to winning the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 2021, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Each May, the Borg-Warner Trophy is featured at several Indianapolis 500 events, including the public drivers’ meeting at the track, the 500 Festival Parade and the post-race Victory Celebration.
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Immediately after the race, the trophy is hoisted into Victory Circle with the winning car and driver for photographs, according to Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s official website.
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On May 26, 2024, Indianapolis will celebrate the 108th running of the Indy 500.
