credit: cbteam234

The Indianapolis 500 is a beloved tradition dating back to the turn of the 20th century which celebrates motorsports. The Indy 500 has become one of the most popular sporting events in the country, and even the world. Since its fledgling days as part of several events that all took place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to a sporting and racing phenomenon with millions of fans, the Indianapolis 500 has become a part of American culture.

In 1909, automobiles were a fairly recent invention, having come onto the transportation scene about twenty years prior. Automobile enthusiasts in Indianapolis decided to create the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the northwestern part of Indianapolis to test and enhance automobiles. Planned for high-speed tests and races, the course was two and a half miles long and was funded and designed by four men: Carl G. Fisher, Arthur C. Newby, James A. Allison, and Frank H. Wheeler. Originally, the track’s surface was made of gravel and tar, but the safety of the racers was called into question after several accidents, so the management decided to pave the surface of the track. After many millions of paving bricks had been installed, the races and testing could begin again later that year. Many unofficial races were held during the year of 1910, and inclement weather threatened to cause problems when an official event was scheduled, so it had to be postponed to the next year. When it finally occurred, though, on May 30, 1911, it became the very first Indianapolis 500 race as we know it today, albeit with a different name: the International Sweepstakes. For almost one hundred years after that very first day, the race has been held every year except during times of war.

The first Indianapolis 500 race was an extremely successful spectacle that drew over 80,000 spectators, each one paying $1.00 to get in. Won by Ray Harroun, whose car featured his newly-invented rear view mirror, the Indianapolis 500 attracted worldwide attention from automobile makers who wished to feature their creations in the prestigious race. Winning the Indianapolis 500 was a great honor among car makers and racers alike, and the publicity that would come along with winning would surely help business and increase awareness of their company. As such, European vehicles, especially Italian and French ones, dominated the race for much of the rest of the 1910s, much to the chagrin of the American vehicle makers. A concerted effort, led in spirit by Harry Arminius Miller, allowed the Americans to use their technical developments to win the races, started a chain of success that would last many years to come. Part of Miller’s technical developments involved the usage of a 3 liter engine, influenced by a car of French design. Technological innovations such as these allowed him to win several races with cars of his design.

In 1935, former employees of Harry Arminius Miller developed the Offenhauser engine, which used four cylinders to provide even more power. This engine development ended up winning an unbroken record of 27 wins, along with the unbroken record of 18 consecutive years. Around this time period, the race was still referred to as the “International Sweepstakes”, but after World War II the name shifted to be known as the “Indianapolis 500” or, in its abbreviated form, the “Indy 500”. Around 1981, entry changed from being open to being invitational, rendering the “Sweepstakes” part of the title irrelevant; therefore, the official title of the race became the “Indianapolis 500-Mile Race”, with the ordinal number appearing before the word “Indianapolis”. Its original name as the “International Sweepstakes” is not referenced by any official race regulations or memorabilia.

credit: al_green

Around the same time, a governing body called the Championship Auto Racing Teams, or CART, was formed, which was to overlook the race and determine the usage of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 1994, it was decided by the owner, Tony George, to reduce the influence from CART and to create a new racing series called the Indy Racing League, which would use his Indianapolis Motor Speedway as its centerpiece. The new league was not immediately popular, losing in television ratings and general popularity to the Daytona 500, but as time went on, the race became more important to the grand scheme of car racing and has evolved to what we know today.

There are many traditions that have come to be associated with the Indianapolis 500, due to its ninety-year lifespan. Since the race is held at the end of May, the weeks before the race spent practicing and attempting to qualify for the race have come to be referred to as “the month of May” to racing enthusiasts. “Carb Day” is the final practice session before the race begins, known as such because it was the last chance to tune the carburetors for the conditions of the day. No team has used a carburetor for more than forty years, but the name still stands as an ode to tradition. An explosive is set off on the morning before the race, the Purdue University All-American Marching Band plays traditional pre-race songs, and typical Memorial Day celebrations are held near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Those are only the traditions that go on before the race starts. During the race, it is traditional for the cars to start in three rows of eleven with a rolling start, for a grand total of thirty three cars, one that has not changed throughout the years. Tom Carnegie’s commentary was also a cherished part of the race for over sixty years, from 1946 to 2006, but he has been replaced by an Indianapolis television personality. After the race, the winner of the Indy 500 drinks a bottle of milk. This started for practical reasons in 1936, when the winner wanted something to cool him off, but evolved into a promotional ceremony for milk companies. The winner’s face is also placed onto the Borg-Warner Trophy, which has commemorated every winner since 1936, also displaying the winner’s date of victory and average speed. One of the pace cars, which is a car that limits the speed of the other race cars in case of an accident or another event deserving caution, is awarded to the winner. Finally, the winner and his crew are known to kiss the bricks that were laid with the original attempt to pave the track, of which few remain to mark the start and the finish line.

credit: Global Jet

The Indianapolis 500 is a beloved part of American culture and sporting. As an important fixture of the sports industry, as well as a historical source for automotive innovation and advances in technology, the Indy 500 is as significant as it is fun. Whether it involves collecting the memorabilia, idolizing the racers, crews, and vehicles, watching the adrenaline-pumping races, or a combination of all of the above, millions of fans have showed their support for the event and motor sports in general. While it technically consists of thirty three cars racing around and around the track, the precision involved in getting the cars ready for racing, the efforts of the racers themselves, and the amount of tradition behind the sport make it the phenomenon that it is today.

In 2007, the 91st Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti earned a record $1.6 million purse.

This year, the Indianapolis 500 takes place on Sunday, May 25, 2008 and can be viewed on ABC television.

Photo credit: Flickr