1.
Anaheim, California
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Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a population of 336,265, making it the most populous city in Orange County, Anaheim remained largely a rural community until Disneyland opened in the city in 1955. This led to the construction of hotels and motels around the area. The city also developed into a center, producing electronics, aircraft parts. Anaheims city limits extend from Cypress in the west to the Riverside County line in the east and encompass a diverse collection of neighborhoods, Anaheim Hills is a master-planned community located in the citys eastern stretches that is home to many of the citys affluent. Downtown Anaheim has three historic districts, the largest of which is the Anaheim Colony. The Anaheim Resort, a district, includes Disneyland, Disney California Adventure. The Platinum Triangle, a redevelopment district surrounding Angel Stadium, is planned to be populated with mixed-use streets. Finally, Anaheim Canyon is a district north of California State Route 91. Anaheims name is a blend of Ana, after the nearby Santa Ana River, and heim, the city of Anaheim was founded in 1857 by 50 German-Americans who were residents of San Francisco and whose families had originated in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Franconia in Bavaria. For $750 a share, the formed the Anaheim Vineyard Company. Their new community was named Annaheim, meaning home by the Santa Anna River in German, the name later was altered to Anaheim. To the Spanish-speaking neighbors, the settlement was known as Campo Alemán, although grape and wine-making was their primary objective, the majority of the 50 settlers were mechanics, carpenters and craftsmen with no experience in wine-making. The community set aside 40 acres for a center and a school was the first building erected there. The first home was built in 1857, the Anaheim Gazette newspaper was established in 1870, for 25 years, the area was the largest wine producer in California. However, in 1884, a disease infected the grape vines, other crops – walnuts, lemons and oranges – soon filled the void. Fruits and vegetables had become viable cash crops when the Los Angeles – Orange County region was connected to the railroad network in 1887. The famous Polish actress Helena Modjeska settled in Anaheim with her husband and various friends, among them Henryk Sienkiewicz, Julian Sypniewski, while living in Anaheim, Helena Modjeska became good friends with Clementine Langenberger, the second wife of August Langenberger
2.
United States Auto Club
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The United States Auto Club is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, USAC sanctioned the United States National Championship, ultimately, USAC was formed by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman. It became the arbiter of rules, car design, and other matters for what it termed championship auto racing, for a while there was a separate series of specifications for championship cars designed to be run on dirt, rather than paved, tracks. NASCAR drivers including Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, the triple crown is earned in USAC racing when a driver claims all three national championships. Only two drivers, Tony Stewart and J. J, yeley, have achieved the triple crown in a single season. Three other drivers, Pancho Carter, Dave Darland, and Jerry Coons, in 2012 Mike Curb and Cary Agajanian became the only car owners to win the triple crown by winning all three championships in the same year. USAC had awarded a championship until A. J. Foyt won his seventh title in 1979. It has announced that it will begin awarding a national championship starting in 2010, a drivers finishes in their 25 best races are counted toward the championship and the 2010 winner received $40,000. Points are accumulated in the three series, sprints, midgets, and silver crown. Bryan Clauson of Noblesville, Indiana claimed the championship, topping runner-up, Levi Jones. Bruce White, assistant staff doctor Don Mullendore, owner and pilot of the plane, the effect on USAC, and for open-wheel racing in the United States, was devastating, especially since it closely followed the death of Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman. The plane crash came at a time when Indy car owners and drivers were demanding changes from USAC, aside from the Indianapolis 500, USAC events were not well attended, and the owners felt that USAC poorly negotiated television rights. The owners also wanted increases in payouts, especially at Indy, though some think the plane crash was used as an opportunistic way to force change in the sport, it was merely an unfortunate coincidence. The seed of dissent had been growing for years before the accident. Finally, most car owners banded together to form Championship Auto Racing Teams in 1978, USAC tried unsuccessfully to ban all CART owners from the 1979 Indianapolis 500, finally losing in court before the race began. Both the USAC and CART ran race schedules in 1979, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president John Cooper was instrumental in forming a joint body of CART and USAC with the creation of the Championship Racing League in March 1980. However, in mid 1980, Cooper forced USAC to renounce their agreement with the CRL if they wanted to keep officiating the Indy 500, beginning in 1971, all dirt races were split from the National Championship. From 1971 to 1980, the series was named National Dirt Car Championship, Champions From 1956–1960 USAC National Sprint Car Championship was divided into two divisions, Midwest and East
3.
American open wheel car racing
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American Championship car racing, also known as Indy Car racing, is a category of professional-level automobile racing in the United States and North America. As of 2016, the top-level American open wheel racing championship is sanctioned by IndyCar, competitive events for professional-level, single-seat open-wheel race cars have been conducted under the auspices of several different sanctioning bodies since 1902. A season-long, points-based, National Championship of drivers has been recognized in 1905,1916. The Indianapolis 500, which debuted in 1911, is the marquee event of Indy Car racing. The open-wheeled, winged, single-seater cars have generally similar to those in Formula One. The fame of the Indianapolis 500 leads many to refer to the cars that compete on the American Championship circuit as Indy cars. This form of racing has experienced high levels of popularity over the years, the golden era of the 1950s was followed by a decade of transition and innovation in the 1960s, which included increased international participation. The sport experienced considerable growth and exposure during the popularity of the CART PPG Indy Car World Series in the 1980s. Two organizational disputes in 1979 and 1996, respectively, led to a split that divided the participants among two separate sanctioning bodies, however, an official unification took place in 2008 that brought the sport back together under one single sanctioning body. The national championship was sanctioned by the Contest Board of the American Automobile Association, the AAA first sanctioned automobile motorsports events in 1902. At first it used the rules of the Automobile Club of America and it introduced the first track season championship for racing cars in 1905. Barney Oldfield was the first champion, no official season championship was recognized from 1906-1915, however, single races were held. Official records regard 1916 as the next contested championship season, years later, retroactive titles were named back to 1902. These post-factum seasons are considered unofficial and revisionist history by accredited historians, Racing did not cease in the United States during WWI, but the official national championship was suspended. The Indianapolis 500 itself was suspended for 1917–1918 due to the war. In 1920, the championship resumed, and despite the difficult economic climate that would later follow. Shortly after Pearl Harbor, all auto racing was suspended during World War II, from 1942 to 1945 no events were contested, banned by the U. S. government primarily on account of rationing. Racing resumed in full in 1946, the 1946 season is unique, in that it included six Champ Car events, and 71 Big Car races, as organizers were initially unsure about the availability of cars and participation
4.
Indianapolis 500
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The Indianapolis 500 is an automobile race held annually at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. The event is held over Memorial Day weekend, which is typically the last weekend in May and it is contested as part of the Verizon IndyCar Series, the top level of American Championship Car racing, an open-wheel formula colloquially known as Indy Car Racing. The name of the race is often shortened to Indy 500, the event, billed as The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, is considered part of the Triple Crown of Motorsport, which comprises three of the most prestigious motorsports events in the world. The official attendance is not disclosed by Speedway management, but the permanent seating capacity is upwards of 250,000, the inaugural running was won by Ray Harroun in 1911. The race celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011, and the 100th running was held in 2016, alexander Rossi is the defending champion. The most successful drivers are A. J. Foyt, Al Unser, the active driver with the most victories is Hélio Castroneves, with three. Rick Mears holds the record for most career pole positions with six, the most successful car owner is Roger Penske, owner of Team Penske, which has 16 total wins and 17 poles. For a list of races and winners, see List of Indianapolis 500 winners, the Indianapolis 500 is held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a 2.5 mile oval circuit. Drivers race 200 laps, counterclockwise around the circuit, for a distance of 500 miles, since its inception in 1911, the race has always been scheduled on or around Memorial Day. Since 1974, the race has been scheduled for the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, practice and time trials are held in the two weeks leading up to the race. Traditionally, the field consists of 33 starters, aligned in a grid of eleven rows of three cars apiece. The event is contested by Indy cars, a formula of professional-level, single-seat, open cockpit, open-wheel, as of 2015, all entrants utilize 2.2 L V6, twin-turbocharged engines, tuned to produce a range of 550–700 horsepower. Chevrolet and Honda are the current engine manufacturers involved in the sport, firestone, which has a deep history in the sport, dating back to the first 500, is the exclusive tire provider. The race is the most prestigious event of the IndyCar calendar and it has been avouched to be the largest single-day sporting event in the entire world. Likewise, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway itself is regarded as the worlds largest sporting facility in terms of capacity, the total purse exceeded $13 million in 2011, with over $2.5 million awarded to the winner, making it one of the richest cash prize funds in sports. Due to safety issues, the race is not held in wet conditions, in the event of a rain delay, the race will be postponed until rain showers cease, and the track is sufficiently dried. If rain falls during the race, officials can end the race, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway complex was built in 1909 as a gravel-and-tar track and hosted a smattering of small events, including ones for motorcycles. The first long distance event, in conditions, was the 100-lap Prest-O-Lite Trophy in 1909
5.
Sprint car racing
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Sprint cars are high-powered race cars designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, typically they are powered by a naturally aspirated, mechanically fuel injected American V8 with an engine displacement of 410 cubic inches capable of engine speeds of 9000 rpm. Depending on the setup and the track layout these cars achieve speeds in excess of 160 mph. A lower budget but likewise very popular class of Sprint cars uses a 360 cubic inch engines that produce approximately 700 horsepower, Sprint cars do not utilize a transmission, they have an in or out gear box and quick change rear differentials for occasional gearing changes. As a result, they do not have electric starters and require a push to start them, the safety record of sprint car racing in recent years has been greatly improved by the use of roll cages, and especially on dirt tracks, wings, to protect the drivers. Many IndyCar Series and NASCAR drivers used sprint car racing as a stepping stone on their way to more high-profile divisions. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Johnny Rutherford, Parnelli Jones, Johnnie Parsons, Al Unser, Sr. and Al Unser, Jr. as well as NASCAR Sprint Cup champions Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. In fact, having announced his retirement from NASCAR, Tony Stewart plans on returning to Sprint Car racing. It has always been his passion, according to Stewart. The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum located in Knoxville, Iowa, there are a few sanctioning bodies for non-winged sprint cars. This series has become the premier non-winged sprint car series on the west coast of the United States, USAC also has hosted the Silver Crown series based in the Midwestern United States state of Indiana for decades. The Silver Crown series was started in 1971 as an offshoot of the series competed for the National Championship Trail including the Indianapolis 500. Non-wing Sprint cars are considered the traditional sprint car, dating back to the first sprint cars in the 1930s and 1940s, today, they are essentially the same car as a Winged Sprint Car, only without wings. In fact, many of them have the stub outs in the frame for adding wings and they use the same 410ci or 360ci Aluminum engines as their winged cousins. Their tuning and gearing are different for performance at lower RPMs than a winged car, chassis set ups and tires are also different. While they dont have the top speed as a winged car. They tend to have a more extreme driving style and are often sliding sideways through corners, unfortunately, this makes them more dangerous than winged cars and their crashes are known for their spectacular nature. They also lack the inherent safety that a wing provides and it is fairly uncommon for someone to be good at driving both wing and non-wing cars, they are very different to drive
6.
New Bremen, Ohio
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New Bremen is a village in Auglaize County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,978 at the 2010 census and it is included in the Wapakoneta, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area. The village was founded by German immigrants in 1832 and is named after Bremen and it is home to the Bicycle Museum of America. New Bremen is also the headquarters of Crown Equipment Corporation. The town was first a community started by Bavarians and Hanoverians, following a route from Bremen, Germany to America, through West Virginia. Once Cincinnati was reached the founders formed a group called the City of Bremen Society and this charter authorized the purchase of 80 acres of Ohio land to build a town. This land was first established as a community in 1832. As the town itself was established, migration to the town had been stunted by lack of usable markets and this all would change with the completion of the Miami and Erie Canal. There were so few in the town that subcontractors had to rely of jiggers or 2oz bottles of whiskey to attract workers, the Canal was soon finished and opened. When opened, the Canal brought new markets to New Bremen, the town became busy place very quickly, with hundreds of freight boats moving few frequently, along with dozens of passengers boats, filled with people making the trip from Cincinnati. The locks from the Canal have been restored along with the addition of a lockkeepers house, the New Bremen Local Schools system consists of a high school, middle school, and elementary school. New Bremen is located at 40°26′11″N 84°22′46″W, according to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.15 square miles, all land. As of the census of 2010, there were 2,978 people,1,145 households, the population density was 1,385.1 inhabitants per square mile. There were 1,266 housing units at a density of 588.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the village was 97. 8% White,0. 1% African American,0. 1% Native American,0. 5% Asian,0. 4% from other races, hispanic or Latino of any race were 1. 2% of the population. 24. 5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8. 2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.12. The median age in the village was 38.2 years. 27. 8% of residents were under the age of 18,6. 4% were between the ages of 18 and 24,26. 4% were from 25 to 44,27. 4% were from 45 to 64, and 12% were 65 years of age or older
7.
1960 Indianapolis 500
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The 44th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Monday, May 30,1960. The event was part of the 1960 USAC National Championship Trail and it would be the final time World Championship points would be awarded at the Indy 500. Often regarded as the greatest two-man duel in Indianapolis 500 history, Jim Rathmann and Rodger Ward battled out nearly the entire second half. Rathmann took the lead for good on lap 197 after Ward was forced to slow down with a worn out tire, Rathmanns margin of victory of 12.75 seconds was the second-closest finish in Indy history at the time. The inaugural 500 Festival Open Invitation was held at the Speedway Golf Course in the four leading up to the race. Time trials was scheduled for four days, but the day was rained out. Saturday May 14 – Pole Day time trials Eddie Sachs set a record of 146.592 mph to win the pole position. Sunday May 15 – Second day time trials Saturday May 21 – Third day time trials The third day of trials was rained out. Sunday May 22 – Fourth day time trials Jim Hurtubise nearly broke the elusive, hurtubises four-lap qualifying average of 149.056 mph featured a new one-lap record of 149.601 mph, to establish himself as the fastest qualifier in the field. After Carburetion tests, Dempsey Wilson replaced Jimmy Daywalt as the driver for the #23 entry, the race started out with four contenders in the first half. Rodger Ward took the lead on lap 1 from the outside of the front row, two laps later, Ward was back in the lead, and the record-setting number of lead changes was already under way. Troy Ruttman and Jim Rathmann also took turns at the front, the first caution came out on lap 47, after Duane Carter spun in turn 3. He did not hit the wall, came to a rest in the infield grass, later, Jim McWithey came into the pits without any brakes. He brushed the inside pit wall trying to slow the car down, later in the race, Eddie Russo and Wayne Weiler also suffer single-car crashes. Rodger Ward stalled his engine twice during his first pit stop, after getting back on the track, he started charging to catch up to the front of the field. Shortly after the point, Eddie Sachs and Troy Ruttman would both drop out of the race, ultimately leaving Rathmann and Ward to battle it out in front. On about lap 124, Tony Bettenhausen came in for a pit stop. He complained of an engine, but returned to the track
8.
Kurtis Kraft
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Kurtis Kraft was an American designer and builder of race cars. The company built cars, quartermidgets, sports cars, sprint cars, Bonneville cars. It was founded by Frank Kurtis when he built his own midget car chassis in the late 1930s, Kurtis built some very low fiberglass bodied two-seaters sports cars under his own name in Glendale, California between 1949 and 1955. About 36 cars had made when the licence was sold to Madman Muntz who built the Muntz Jet. In 1954 and 1955, road versions of their Indianapolis racers were offered, Kurtis Kraft created over 550 ready-to-run midget cars, and 600 kits. The Kurtis Kraft chassis midget car featured a version of the Offenhauser motor. The National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame describes the combination as virtually unbeatable for over twenty years, Kurtis Kraft also created 120 Indianapolis 500 cars, including five winners. Kurtis sold the midget car portion of the business to Johnny Pawl in the late 1950s, Frank Kurtis was the first non-driver inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame. Zeke Justice and Ed Justice of the Justice Brothers both worked at Kurtis-Kraft after World War II, zeke Justice was the first employee at Kurtis-Kraft. The FIA World Drivers Championship included the Indianapolis 500 between 1950 and 1960, so many Kurtis Kraft cars are credited with competing in that championship, One Kurtis midget car was also entered in the 1959 Formula One United States Grand Prix driven by Rodger Ward. It was not designed for European-style road racing and with an engine it circulated at the back of the field for 20 laps before retiring with clutch problems. From 1950 to 1960, the Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship
9.
Offenhauser
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The Offy or Offenhauser Racing Engine is a racing engine design that dominated American open wheel racing for more than 50 years and is still popular among vintage sprint and midget car racers. The Offenhauser engine, familiarly known as the Offy, was developed by Fred Offenhauser, originally, it was sold as a marine engine. In 1930, a four-cylinder 151 cu in Miller engine installed in a car set a new international land speed record of 144.895 mph. Miller developed this engine into an overhead cam, four-cylinder, four-valve-per-cylinder 220 cu in racing engine. Variations of this design would be used in midgets and sprints into the 1960s and they and former Miller employee, draftsman Leo Goossen, further developed the Miller engines into the Offenhauser engines. Then in 1946 the name and engine designs were sold to Louis Meyer, Meyer was bought out by Drake, his wife Eve and their son John in 1965. From then until Drakes son John sold the shop to Stewart Van Dyne and it was under Meyer and Drake that the engine dominated the Indy 500 and midget racing in the United States. One of the keys to the Offenhauser engines success and popularity was its power. A251.92 cubic inch DOHC four-cylinder racing Offy with a 15,1 compression ratio, other variants of the engine produced even higher outputs of 3 hp per cubic inch. Another reason for the success was its reliability, its monobloc construction meant it was not vulnerable to head gasket or cylinder stud problems. From 1934, through the 1970s, the Offenhauser engine dominated American open wheel racing, winning the Indianapolis 50027 times, by then, the company had already been sold, right after World War II, to Meyer and Drake, who continued to build the engines. From 1950 through 1960, Offenhauser-powered cars won the Indy 500, outputs over 1,000 bhp could be attained, using around 44.3 psi of boost pressure. The final 2. 65-litre four-cylindar Offy, restricted to 24.6 psi boost, the Offys final victory came at Trenton in 1978, in Gordon Johncocks Wildcat. The Offenhauser shop began to do work for Lockheed in 1940. The last prewar engine was shipped on July 17,1941, after the Pear Harbor attack, the plant worked overtime on hydraulic systems, getting Fred Offenhauser the money and the fatigue to retire. In 1944, Leo Goossen finally became a full time Offenhauser employee, Offenhauser produced engine blocks in several sizes. These blocks could be bored out or sleeved to vary the cylinder bore, Offenhauser frequently made blocks, pistons, rods, and crankshafts to specific customer requests. In their 11 world championship years, the Meyer-Drake Offenhauser engine partnered for at least one race with the following 35 constructors
10.
1961 Indianapolis 500
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The 45th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Tuesday, May 30,1961. For the first time since 1949, the Indianapolis 500 was not recognized on the World Championship calendar, the race celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first Indy 500 in 1911. Eddie Sachs and A. J. Foyt were battling for 1st-2nd in the stages of the race. On Foyts final scheduled pit stop, his crew was unable to engage the fuel mechanism. Foyt returned to the track, and was pulling away from Sachs, Foyts car was running faster due to the light fuel load, but his crew signaled him that he would be unable to make it to the finish without another pit stop. The crew borrowed a fuel feed mechanism from Len Suttons team, Foyt gave up the lead on lap 184 for a splash-and-go. That handed the lead to Sachs, who was now leading by 25 seconds, with three laps to go, the warning tread showed on Sachs rear tire and Sachs decided to play it safe. Rather than nurse the car around, he pitted to replace the tire on lap 197. Foyt took the lead three laps to go and won his first Indy 500 victories by a margin of 8.28 seconds. Dubbed the British Invasion, it would be the first notable appearance of a rear-engined car. Brabham qualified 17th at 145.144 mp/h and drove the car to a respectable 9th-place finish and he had planned to run conservatively and make only two pit stops, but tire wear and fuel consumption forced him to make a 3rd stop, negating his strategy. Had he driven more aggressively with three pit stops, he might have much closer to the lead serial. The remainder of the original 3,200,000 bricks now lie underneath the asphalt surface and this meant that the 1961 race was the last 500 in which cars raced on the original bricks other than those at the start/finish line. Nicknamed the Tinley Park Express, Tony Bettenhausen, Sr. was killed in a crash during a run on May 12. He was testing a car for Paul Russo and it was determined that an anchor bolt fell off the front radius rod support, permitting the front axle to twist and mis-align the front wheels when the brakes were applied. The car plunged into the wall, then rode along the top, snapping fence poles. The car came to rest upside-down on top of the outside wall, before the time trials Bettenhausen had been the favorite to become the first driver to break the 150 mph barrier at the Speedway.481 mph. First alternate, Paul Russo John Masariu,38 father of 6, of Danville, on the 127th lap of the race, driver Eddie Johnson spun out in turn 4, but did not suffer significant damage and he was not injured
