1.
Columbus, Ohio
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Columbus is the capital and largest city of the U. S. state of Ohio. It is the 15th-largest city in the United States, with a population of 850,106 as of 2015 estimates and this makes Columbus the fourth-most populous state capital in the United States, and the third-largest city in the Midwestern United States. It is the city of the Columbus, Ohio, Metropolitan Statistical Area. With a population of 2,021,632, it is Ohios third-largest metropolitan area, Columbus is the county seat of Franklin County. The city proper has also expanded and annexed portions of adjoining Delaware County, named for explorer Christopher Columbus, the city was founded in 1812 at the confluence of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers, and assumed the functions of state capital in 1816. As of 2013, the city has the headquarters of five corporations in the U. S, fortune 500, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, American Electric Power, L Brands, Big Lots, and Cardinal Health. In 2012, Columbus was ranked in BusinessWeeks 50 best cities in America. In 2013, Forbes gave Columbus an A rating as one of the top cities for business in the U. S. and later that included the city on its list of Best Places for Business. Columbus was also ranked as the No.1 up-and-coming tech city in the nation by Forbes in 2008, and the city was ranked a top-ten city by Relocate America in 2010. In 2007, fDi Magazine ranked the city no.3 in the U. S. for cities of the future, and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium was rated no.1 in 2009 by USA Travel Guide. The area including modern-day Columbus once comprised the Ohio Country, under the control of the French colonial empire through the Viceroyalty of New France from 1663 until 1763. In the 18th century, European traders flocked to the area, the area found itself frequently caught between warring factions, including American Indian and European interests. In the 1740s, Pennsylvania traders overran the territory until the French forcibly evicted them, in the early 1750s, the Ohio Company sent George Washington to the Ohio Country to survey. Fighting for control of the territory in the French and Indian War became part of the international Seven Years War, during this period, the region routinely suffered turmoil, massacres, and battles. The 1763 Treaty of Paris ceded the Ohio Country to the British Empire, after the American Revolution, the Ohio Country became part of the Virginia Military District, under the control of the United States. Colonists from the East Coast moved in, but rather finding a empty frontier, they encountered people of the Miami, Delaware, Wyandot, Shawnee. The tribes resisted expansion by the fledgling United States, leading to years of bitter conflict, the decisive Battle of Fallen Timbers resulted in the Treaty of Greenville, which finally opened the way for new settlements. By 1797, a surveyor from Virginia named Lucas Sullivant had founded a permanent settlement on the west bank of the forks of the Scioto River
2.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
3.
Royal Oak, Michigan
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Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County of the U. S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit, as of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 57,236. It is the 8th-largest municipality in Oakland County and the 27th largest municipality in Michigan by population, Royal Oak was incorporated as a village, in 1891, and as a city in 1921. The name originated in 1819, during one of Territorial Governor Lewis Cass surveying expeditions, in the 1920s, Father Charles Coughlin became the founding pastor of the Shrine of the Little Flower, a prominent landmark in the city. Through his ministry, he raised funds to build the present limestone Church complex, throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, Royal Oaks downtown grew into an entertainment and nightlife destination. A number of condominiums and lofts have been built in the area. The city also has a Farmers Market located at the corner of 11 Mile Road and Troy Street, the present structure was erected in the spring of 1927 and dedicated July 1 of that year. Downtown Royal Oak features an assortment of nightlife venues, including the Royal Oak Music Theatre. Royal Oak is home to the Detroit Zoo, one of the leading tourist attractions. Mark Ridleys Comedy Castle, a club, was an early venue for performers such as Tim Allen. The many restaurants range in fare from take-out sandwiches to high-end establishments specializing in cuisines like Italian, Belgian, Nepali, pubs include biker bars, dance clubs, upscale breweries, sports bars, and rooftop bars. During the summer, downtown Royal Oak becomes host to hordes of motorcycle enthusiasts from around Metro Detroit, on Wednesday nights Main Street is often lined with Harley-Davidsons, whereas on Thursday night the streets fill up with sport bikes. Royal Oak encompasses a major span of the Woodward Dream Cruise, the city sponsors ancillary events around the Cruise. The popular 1990s sitcom Home Improvement was set in Royal Oak, in 2008, three movies were filmed in Royal Oak. Scenes from Prayers for Bobby, Youth in Revolt and Gran Torino were filmed in the downtown area, in 2009, the remake of Red Dawn had several scenes filmed in Royal Oak neighborhoods. In December 2009 it was announced that the Arts, Beats and Eats festival would be moved from Pontiac to Royal Oak, Royal Oak is also the setting for the popular Nickelodeon show, The Loud House. However, the town goes by the name of Royal Woods. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 11.79 square miles
4.
Formula One
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Formula One is the highest class of single-seat auto racing that is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de lAutomobile. The FIA Formula One World Championship has been the form of racing since the inaugural season in 1950. The formula, designated in the name, refers to a set of rules, the F1 season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix, held worldwide on purpose-built F1 circuits and public roads. The results of each race are evaluated using a system to determine two annual World Championships, one for drivers, one for constructors. The racing drivers are required to be holders of valid Super Licences, the races are required to be held on tracks graded 1, the highest grade a track can receive by the FIA. Most events are held in locations on purpose-built tracks, but there are several events in city centres throughout the world. Formula One cars are the fastest road racing cars in the world. Formula One cars race at speeds of up to approximately 375 km/h with engines currently limited in performance to a maximum of 15,000 RPM, the cars are capable of lateral acceleration in excess of five g in corners. The performance of the cars is very dependent on electronics – although traction control and other driving aids have been banned since 2008 – and on aerodynamics, suspension, the formula has radically evolved and changed through the history of the sport. F1 had a global television audience of 425 million people during the course of the 2014 season. Grand Prix racing began in 1906 and became the most popular internationally in the second half of the twentieth century. The Formula One Group is the holder of the commercial rights. Its high profile and popularity have created a major merchandising environment, since 2000 the sports spiraling expenditures and the distribution of prize money favoring established top teams have forced complaints from smaller teams and led several teams to bankruptcy. On 23 January 2017 it was confirmed that Liberty Media had completed its $8 billion acquisition of Delta Topco, the Formula One series originated with the European Grand Prix Motor Racing of the 1920s and 1930s. The formula is a set of rules that all cars must meet. Formula One was a new formula agreed upon after World War II during 1946, the first world championship race was held at Silverstone, United Kingdom in 1950. A championship for constructors followed in 1958, national championships existed in South Africa and the UK in the 1960s and 1970s. Non-championship Formula One events were held for years, but due to the increasing cost of competition
5.
1950 Formula One season
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The 1950 Formula One season was the fourth season of the FIAs Formula One motor racing. It featured the inaugural FIA World Championship of Drivers which commenced on 13 May and ended on 3 September, as well as a number of non-championship races. The championship consisted of six Grand Prix races, each held in Europe and open to Formula One cars, plus the Indianapolis 500, Giuseppe Farina won the championship from Juan Manuel Fangio and Luigi Fagioli. All of the Formula One regulated races in the championship were run in Europe, the Indianapolis 500 was run to American AAA regulations, not to FIA Formula One regulations and none of the regular drivers who competed in Europe competed in the 500, and vice versa. Alfa Romeo drivers consequently dominated the championship with Italian Giuseppe Nino Farina edging out Argentine teammate Juan Manuel Fangio by virtue of his place in Belgium. Championship points were awarded to the top five finishers in each race on an 8,6,4,3,2 basis,1 point was awarded for the fastest lap of each race. Points for shared drives were divided equally between the drivers, regardless of how many laps each driver completed during the race, Only the best four results from the seven races could be retained by each driver for World Championship classification. The Alfa Romeo team dominated the British Grand Prix at the fast Silverstone circuit in England, with King George VI in attendance, Giuseppe Farina won the race from pole position, also setting the fastest lap. The podium was completed by his teammates Luigi Fagioli and Reg Parnell, while the remaining Alfa driver, the final points scorers were the works Talbot-Lagos of Yves Giraud-Cabantous and Louis Rosier, both two laps behind the leaders. Scuderia Ferrari made their World Championship debut around the streets of Monaco, polesitter Fangio took a comfortable victory, also setting the races fastest lap, a whole lap ahead of Ascari, with the third-placed Louis Chiron a further lap back in the works Maserati. Villoresi, although delayed by the accident, had made his way through the field to second place, Fangios win brought him level with Farina in the points standings. The race was stopped after 138 of the scheduled 200 laps due to rain, Alfa Romeos dominance continued when the World Championship returned to Europe for the Swiss Grand Prix at the tree-lined Bremgarten circuit just outside Bern. Fangio, Farina and Fagioli locked out the front row of the grid for Alfa, while the Ferraris of Villoresi, Fangio was the initial leader, starting from pole position, but he was passed by Farina on lap seven. Ascari and Villoresi were both able to compete with the third Alfa of Fagioli in the stages, although both had retired by the ten-lap mark. Farina took the win and the fastest lap, finishing just ahead of Fagioli, while Rosier, in place as a result of Fangios retirement. Farinas second win of the season put him six points clear of the consistent Fagioli, the Alfas were once again untouchable at the start of the race, but when they stopped for fuel, Sommer emerged as an unlikely race leader. His lead, however, was short-lived and he was forced to retire when his engine blew up, Fangio ultimately took the victory, ahead of Fagioli, who again finished second. Rosier again made the podium in his Talbot-Lago and he had been able to pass the polesitter Farina when the Italian picked up transmission problems towards the end of the race
6.
1951 Formula One season
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The 1951 Formula One season was the fifth season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1951 World Championship of Drivers, which commenced on 27 May 1951, the season also included 14 races that were open to Formula One cars but did not count towards the championship standings. Ferraris newer, unsupercharged 4.5 litre cars offered a challenge to the Alfas. The Ferraris were able to capitalize on the inefficiency of the Alfas very thirsty engines, although Alfas won four races, with Fangio taking the championship, Ferraris three victories spelled the end for the Alfas. BRM made their only appearance with the V16 at Silverstone. Points were given to top 5 finishers,1 point was given for fastest lap. Only the best four of eight scores counted towards the world championship, points for shared drives were divided equally between the drivers, regardless of who had driven more laps. Alfa Romeo, the dominant team in 1950 with its supercharged 159 Alfetta, took the first 5 places on the grid, with the exception of 3rd, argentine Juan Manuel Fangio was on pole position, with his Italian teammate Giuseppe Nino Farina alongside him. The race started while it was raining, and with its overhanging trees lining the road, but Fangio made no mistake and won the race from Piero Taruffi in a Ferrari and Farina, whose decision to run the race without changing tires proved to be the wrong decision. Lee Wallard won this race in his Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser. The next Grand Prix was in Belgium at the very fast, Farina won by 3 minutes over Ascari and Villoresi, with Fangio finishing 4 laps down in 9th after one of his Alfas wheels jammed on its hub. The French Grand Prix at the very fast 4.8 mile Reims-Gueux circuit deep in northern French champagne country played the host for an exciting race. Fangio, on again, was beaten off the line by 3rd placed qualifier Ascari, with 2nd placed qualifier Farina making a terrible start. On this public road circuit, made up entirely of straights and slow, angular corners saw Ascari retire his car with a broken gearbox, Farina pushed very hard and eventually took the lead. Argentine Jose Froilan Gonzalez was 2nd in a Ferrari, and 53-year old pre-war great Luigi Fagioli in an Alfa was 3rd. Gonzalez was chasing Farina very hard, but Farinas car developed magneto problems and had to fall back, but Fangio took advantage of Ascaris brake problems on his Ferrari to win a race that holds the record for farthest racing distance ever completed for a Grand Prix-373 mi. The British Grand Prix at the Silverstone airfield circuit in England played host to Round 5 of the Formula One Championship, and this race was to make history. This was the first time Enzo Ferrari had won a Grand Prix with a car of his own companys construction- and this team went on to be the most successful team in Formula One history
7.
1950 Indianapolis 500
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The 34th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, May 30,1950. The event was part of the 1950 AAA National Championship Trail, the race was also included as the third round in the inaugural 1950 World Drivers Championship, and paid points towards the World Championship. The event, however, did not attract any European entries for 1950, giuseppe Farina originally planned to enter, but his car never arrived. The Indianapolis 500 would be included on the World Championship calendar through 1960, the race was originally scheduled for 200 laps, but was stopped after 138 laps due to rain. A rumor circulated in racing circles during and after this race that Johnnie Parsonss team discovered a crack in the engine block on race morning. The discovery supposedly precipitated Parsons to charge for the lap leader prizes, presumably, he set his sights on leading as many laps as possible before the engine inevitably was to fail. Furthermore, the race ending early due to rain supposedly saved Parsonss day allowing him to secure the victory before the engine let go. However, the engine block crack was proved to be a myth, and it was said to be a very minor but acceptable level of porosity. Despite the 500 being his only race in the 1950 World Championship, during the month, Clark Gable and Barbara Stanwyck were at the track to film scenes for the film To Please a Lady. Stanwyck was on hand in victory lane after the race for the traditional celebratory kiss to the winner, time trials was scheduled for six days. Saturday May 13, Walt Faulkner won the position with a record run of 134.343 mph. Sunday May 14 Saturday May 20, The third day of time trials saw six cars complete runs, Bayliss Levrett was the fastest of the afternoon. Charles Van Acker was ruled physically disqualified, after a crash he suffered at the Speedway from 1949, sunday May 21 Saturday May 27, The day began with 11 spots open in the grid. Sunday May 28, Only one driver managed to bump his way into the field, johnny McDowell bumped Cliff Griffith, while 15 other cars failed to make the field. The two Novi entries failed to qualify – Chet Miller had engine trouble in one of the cars, rain and two crashes cut the track time to less than three hours. Points for 5th position were shared between the drivers, henry Banks and Fred Agabashian Bayliss Levrett and Bill Cantrell First win for Firestone in the World Championship. World Drivers Championship standings Note, Only the top five positions are listed, Only the best 4 results counted towards the Championship. The race was carried live on the Mutual Broadcasting System, the precursor to the IMS Radio Network, the broadcast was sponsored by Perfect Circle Piston Rings and Bill Slater served as the anchor
8.
1951 Indianapolis 500
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The 35th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday, May 30,1951. The event was part of the 1951 AAA National Championship Trail, for the second year in a row, no European Formula One-based teams entered the race. Duke Nalon, who had suffered burns in a crash in 1949. Heavy attrition saw only eight cars running at the finish, winner Lee Wallards car lost its brakes, suffered a damaged exhaust pipe, and broke a shock absorber mounting. In addition to the unbearably uncomfortable ride, Wallard had worn a fire retardant outfit, created by dipping his uniform in a mixture of borax crystals and water. Due to not wearing an undershirt, Wallard suffered serious chafing and it was estimated he lost 15 pounds during the race. Wallards winning car had the smallest displacement in the field, about a week after winning the race, Wallard suffered severe burns in a crash at Reading, which effectively ended his professional racing career. Three-time winner Mauri Rose, in his 15th Indy start, crashed and flipped on lap 126 and it was his final 500, as he retired from driving after the crash. Time trials was scheduled for six days, rain, however, pushed qualifying into a seventh day.74 Fastest Lead Lap, – Lee Wallard 1,07.26 Ayulo and McGrath shared the same car. Points for 3rd position were shared between the drivers, World Drivers Championship standings Note, Only the top five positions are listed. Only the best 4 results counted towards the Championship, the race was carried live on the radio through a network arrangement set up by 1070 WIBC-AM of Indianapolis. Mutual, which had carried the race for years, had raised its advertising rates for 1951. As a result, Mutual dropped the coverage altogether, local station WIBC stepped in to cover the race, and provided its feed to various Mutual affiliates. A total of 26 stations carried the broadcast, WIBC personality Sid Collins served as booth announcer, and the remainder of the crew consisted mostly of WIBC talent. Jim Shelton reported from his familiar turn four location, and Collins interviewed the winner in victory lane, like the Mutual broadcasts, WIBC featured live coverage of the start, the finish, and 15-minute live updates throughout the race. Indianapolis 500 History, Race & All-Time Stats – Official Site Van Camps Pork & Beans Presents, Great Moments From the Indy 500 – Fleetwood Sounds,19751951 Indianapolis 500 at RacingReference. info
9.
Auto racing
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Auto racing is a sport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Almost as soon as automobiles had been invented, races of various sorts were organised, by the 1930s specialist racing cars had developed. There are now numerous different categories, each with different rules and it was won by the carriage of Isaac Watt Boulton. Internal combustion auto racing events began soon after the construction of the first successful gasoline-fueled automobiles, the first organized contest was on April 28,1887, by the chief editor of Paris publication Le Vélocipède, Monsieur Fossier. It ran 2 kilometres from Neuilly Bridge to the Bois de Boulogne, on July 22,1894, the Parisian magazine Le Petit Journal organized what is considered to be the worlds first motoring competition, from Paris to Rouen. One hundred and two competitors paid a 10-franc entrance fee, the first American automobile race is generally held to be the Thanksgiving Day Chicago Times-Herald race of November 28,1895. Press coverage of the event first aroused significant American interest in the automobile, brooklands, in Surrey, was the first purpose-built motor racing venue, opening in June 1907. It featured a 4.43 km concrete track with high-speed banked corners, One of the oldest existing purpose-built automobile racing circuits in the United States, still in use, is the 2. 5-mile -long Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. It is the largest capacity venue of any variety worldwide, with a top capacity of some 257. NASCAR was founded by Bill France, Sr. on February 21,1948, the first NASCAR Strictly Stock race ever was held on June 19,1949, at Daytona Beach, Florida. From 1962, sports cars temporarily took a seat to GT cars. From 1972 through 2003, NASCARs premier series was called the Winston Cup Series, the changes that resulted from RJRs involvement, as well as the reduction of the schedule from 48 to 31 races a year, established 1972 as the beginning of NASCARs modern era. The IMSA GT Series evolved into the American Le Mans Series, the European races eventually became the closely related Le Mans Series, both of which mix prototypes and GTs. The best-known variety of racing, Formula One, which hosts the famous Monaco Grand Prix. In single-seater, the wheels are not covered, and the cars often have aerofoil wings front, in Europe and Asia, open-wheeled racing is commonly referred to as Formula, with appropriate hierarchical suffixes. In North America, the Formula terminology is not followed, the sport is usually arranged to follow an international format, a regional format, and/or a domestic, or country-specific, format. In North America, the used in the National Championship have traditionally been similar though less sophisticated than F1 cars. The series most famous race is the Indianapolis 500, the other major international single-seater racing series is GP2
10.
Maserati
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Maserati is an Italian luxury vehicle manufacturer established on 1 December 1914, in Bologna. The companys headquarters are now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident and it has been owned by the Italian-American car giant Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and FCAs Italian predecessor Fiat S. p. A. since 1993. In May 2014, due to plans and product launches. This caused them to production of the Quattroporte and Ghibli models. Maserati is placing a production output cap at 75,000 vehicles globally, the Maserati brothers, Alfieri, Bindo, Carlo, Ettore, and Ernesto were all involved with automobiles from the beginning of the 20th century. Alfieri, Bindo and Ernesto built 2-litre Grand Prix cars for Diatto, in 1926, Diatto suspended the production of race cars, leading to the creation of the first Maserati and the founding of the Maserati marque. One of the first Maseratis, driven by Alfieri, won the 1926 Targa Florio, Maserati began making race cars with 4,6,8 and 16 cylinders. The trident logo of the Maserati car company is based on the Fountain of Neptune in Bolognas Piazza Maggiore, in 1920, one of the Maserati brothers, artist Mario, used this symbol in the logo at the suggestion of family friend Marquis Diego de Sterlich. Alfieri Maserati died in 1932, but three brothers, Bindo, Ernesto and Ettore, kept the firm going, building cars that won races. The brothers continued in engineering roles with the company, Racing successes continued, even against the giants of German racing, Auto Union and Mercedes. In back-to-back wins in 1939 and 1940, a Maserati 8CTF won the Indianapolis 500, the war then intervened, Maserati abandoned car making to produce components for the Italian war effort. During this time, Maserati worked in fierce competition to construct a V16 town car for Benito Mussolini before Ferry Porsche of Volkswagen built one for Adolf Hitler and this failed, and the plans were scrapped. Once peace was restored, Maserati returned to making cars, the Maserati A6 series did well in the racing scene. Key people joined the Maserati team, alberto Massimino, an old Fiat engineer, with both Alfa Romeo and Ferrari experiences oversaw the design of all racing models for the next ten years. With him joined engineers Giulio Alfieri, Vittorio Bellentani, and Gioacchino Colombo, the focus was on the best engines and chassis to succeed in car racing. These new projects saw the last contributions of the Maserati brothers and this new team at Maserati worked on several projects, the 4CLT, the A6 series, the 8CLT, and, pivotally for the future success of the company, the A6GCS. Other racing projects in the 1950s were the 200S, 300S, 350S, Maserati retired from factory racing participation because of the Guidizzolo tragedy during the 1957 Mille Miglia, though they continued to build cars for privateers. Maserati became more and more focused on building road-going grand tourers, the 1957 Maserati 3500 GT marked a turning point in the marques history, as its first ground-up grand tourer design and first series produced car
11.
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
12.
Spark plug
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A spark plug has a metal threaded shell, electrically isolated from a central electrode by a porcelain insulator. The central electrode, which may contain a resistor, is connected by an insulated wire to the output terminal of an ignition coil or magneto. The spark plugs shell is screwed into the engines cylinder head. Spark plugs may also be used in applications such as furnaces wherein a combustible fuel/air mixture must be ignited. In this case, they are referred to as flame igniters. In 1860 Étienne Lenoir used a spark plug in his gas engine. Early patents for spark plugs included those by Nikola Tesla, Frederick Richard Simms, helen Blair Bartlett also played a vital role in making the insulator in 1930. The plug is connected to the voltage generated by an ignition coil or magneto. As current flows from the coil, a voltage develops between the central and side electrodes. Initially no current can flow because the fuel and air in the gap is an insulator, once the voltage exceeds the dielectric strength of the gases, the gases become ionized. The ionized gas becomes a conductor and allows current to flow across the gap, spark plugs usually require voltage of 12, 000–25,000 volts or more to fire properly, although it can go up to 45,000 volts. They supply higher current during the process, resulting in a hotter. As the current of electrons surges across the gap, it raises the temperature of the channel to 60,000 K. The intense heat in the channel causes the ionized gas to expand very quickly. This is the click heard when observing a spark, similar to lightning and thunder. The heat and pressure force the gases to react with each other, the size of this fireball, or kernel, depends on the exact composition of the mixture between the electrodes and the level of combustion chamber turbulence at the time of the spark. A small kernel will make the run as though the ignition timing was retarded. A spark plug is composed of a shell, insulator and the central conductor, spark plugs are specified by size, either thread or nut, sealing type, and spark gap
13.
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
14.
California
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California is the most populous state in the United States and the third most extensive by area. Located on the western coast of the U. S, California is bordered by the other U. S. states of Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona and shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California. Los Angeles is Californias most populous city, and the second largest after New York City. The Los Angeles Area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nations second- and fifth-most populous urban regions, California also has the nations most populous county, Los Angeles County, and its largest county by area, San Bernardino County. The Central Valley, an agricultural area, dominates the states center. What is now California was first settled by various Native American tribes before being explored by a number of European expeditions during the 16th and 17th centuries, the Spanish Empire then claimed it as part of Alta California in their New Spain colony. The area became a part of Mexico in 1821 following its war for independence. The western portion of Alta California then was organized as the State of California, the California Gold Rush starting in 1848 led to dramatic social and demographic changes, with large-scale emigration from the east and abroad with an accompanying economic boom. If it were a country, California would be the 6th largest economy in the world, fifty-eight percent of the states economy is centered on finance, government, real estate services, technology, and professional, scientific and technical business services. Although it accounts for only 1.5 percent of the states economy, the story of Calafia is recorded in a 1510 work The Adventures of Esplandián, written as a sequel to Amadis de Gaula by Spanish adventure writer Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo. The kingdom of Queen Calafia, according to Montalvo, was said to be a land inhabited by griffins and other strange beasts. This conventional wisdom that California was an island, with maps drawn to reflect this belief, shortened forms of the states name include CA, Cal. Calif. and US-CA. Settled by successive waves of arrivals during the last 10,000 years, various estimates of the native population range from 100,000 to 300,000. The Indigenous peoples of California included more than 70 distinct groups of Native Americans, ranging from large, settled populations living on the coast to groups in the interior. California groups also were diverse in their organization with bands, tribes, villages. Trade, intermarriage and military alliances fostered many social and economic relationships among the diverse groups, the first European effort to explore the coast as far north as the Russian River was a Spanish sailing expedition, led by Portuguese captain Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, in 1542. Some 37 years later English explorer Francis Drake also explored and claimed a portion of the California coast in 1579. Spanish traders made unintended visits with the Manila galleons on their trips from the Philippines beginning in 1565
15.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
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The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, in the United States. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400 and it is located on the corner of 16th Street and Georgetown Road, approximately six miles west of Downtown Indianapolis. Constructed in 1909, it is the original speedway, the first racing facility so named and it has a permanent seating capacity estimated at 235,000 with infield seating raising capacity to an approximate 400,000. It is the highest-capacity sports venue in the world, considered relatively flat by American standards, the track is a 2. 5-mile-long rectangular oval with dimensions that have remained essentially unchanged since its construction. A modern infield road course was completed in 2000, incorporating part of the oval, including the mainstretch, 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 on which the speedway was first built to cover an area of over 559 acres. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987, in addition to the Indianapolis 500, the speedway also hosts NASCARs Brickyard 400 and Lilly Diabetes 250. From 2000 to 2007, the hosted the Formula One United States Grand Prix. On the grounds of the speedway is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, which opened in 1956, the museum moved into its current building located in the infield in 1976. Also on the grounds is the Brickyard Crossing Golf Resort, which opened as the Speedway Golf Course in 1929. The golf course has 14 holes outside of the track, along the backstretch, the speedway also served as the venue for the opening ceremonies for the 1987 Pan American Games. Fisher began thinking of a means of testing cars before delivering them to consumers. At the time, racing was just getting started on horse tracks, Fisher noticed how dangerous and ill-suited the makeshift courses were for racing and testing. He also argued that spectators did not get their moneys worth, Fisher proposed building a circular track 3 to 5 miles long with smooth 100–150-foot-wide surfaces. Such a track would give manufacturers a chance to test cars at sustained speeds, Fisher predicted speeds could reach up to 120 mph on a 5-mile course. He visited the Brooklands circuit outside London in 1907, and after viewing the banked layout, in December 1908, he convinced James A. Allison, Arthur Newby, and Frank W. Wheeler to join him in purchasing the property for $72,000. Construction of the started in March 1909. Fisher had to downsize his planned 3-mile oval with a 2-mile road course to a 2. 5-mile oval to leave room for the grandstands
16.
Chevrolet Camaro
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The Chevrolet Camaro is an American automobile manufactured by Chevrolet, classified as a pony car and some versions also as a muscle car. It went on sale on September 29,1966, for the 1967 model year and was designed as a model to the Ford Mustang. The car shared its platform and major components with the Pontiac Firebird, four distinct generations of the Camaro were developed before production ended in 2002. The nameplate was revived on a car that evolved into the fifth-generation Camaro. Before any official announcement, reports began running during April 1965 within the press that Chevrolet was preparing a competitor to the Ford Mustang. On June 21,1966, around 200 automotive journalists received a telegram from General Motors stating. please save noon of June 28 for important SEPAW meeting, hope you can be on hand to help scratch a cat. John L. Cutter – Chevrolet public relations – SEPAW secretary, john L. Cutter – Chevrolet public relations SEPAW secretary. These telegrams puzzled the automotive journalists, on June 28,1966, General Motors held a live press conference in Detroit’s Statler-Hilton Hotel. It was to be the first time in history that 14 cities were connected in real time for a press conference via telephone lines. He claimed the name, suggests the comradeship of good friends as a car should be to its owner and that to us. The Camaro name was then unveiled, automotive press asked Chevrolet product managers, what is a Camaro. and were told it was a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs. In the book The Complete Book of Camaro, it states that Mr. Lund and Mr. Rollett found the word camaro in the French-English dictionary was slang, to mean friend, pal, or comrade. The article further repeated Estess statement of what the word camaro was meant to imply, that the cars name suggests the comradeship of good friends, as a personal car should be to its owner. In fact, the actual French word that has that meaning is camarade, from which the English word comrade is derived, and not camaro, camaro is not a recognized word in the French language. The Camaro was first shown at a preview in Detroit, Michigan, on September 12,1966. Public introduction of the new model was on September 26,1966, the Camaro officially went on sale in dealerships on September 29,1966, for the 1967 model year. Therefore, the Camaro was touted as having the same conventional rear-drive, front-engine configuration as the Mustang, in addition, the Camaro was designed to fit a variety of power plants in the engine bay. The first-generation Camaro lasted until the 1969 model year and eventually inspired the design of the new retro fifth-generation Camaro, the first-generation offered a standard, Super Sport, and Rally Sport editions
17.
1933 Indianapolis 500
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The 21st International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, May 30,1933. Louis Meyer defeated Wilbur Shaw by a time of 401.89 seconds, the average speed of the race was 104.162 miles per hour while Bill Cummings achieved the pole position with a speed of 118.521 miles per hour. The race was part of the 1933 AAA Championship Car season, Meyer was accompanied by riding mechanic Lawson Harris. The 1933 month of May at Indianapolis would go on record as the deadliest running of the 500, during practice, Bill Denver and his riding mechanic Bob Hurst were killed in a crash. On race day, Mark Billman was killed in a crash on lap 79 while Lester Spangler, monk Jordan were killed in a crash on lap 132. It was the fifth year at least one competitor would die in a crash during the month. First alternate, Sam Palmer Howdy Wilcox II had qualified for the race, on race day, he was replaced in the car by Mauri Rose. For 1933, riding mechanics were required, in 1933, one of the more famous bits of Indy 500 nostalgia occurred. Telegraph was still being used to transmit information to newspapers. George Zanaon, a typesetter for The World-Independent newspaper in the town of Walsenburg, since Memorial Day was a holiday, his young editor John P. Fitzpatrick was alone monitoring the Associated Press wire for race updates. The race took several hours to complete, and the AP wire was shut down prior to the finish, Fitzpatrick had nearly the entire story ready for print, minus the winner of the race. A helpful AP editor in Denver advised him that he would send the name of the winner via Western Union telegraph, the young editor misunderstood the jargon in the message, and interpreted it as saying a driver named Will Overhead was the winner. The headline read Will Overhead won the Indianapolis Memorial Day race today, at the two hundred fifty mile post Babe Stapp was leading the string of racing cars, but gave way to Overhead on then last half of the 500 mile grind. The true winner was Louis Meyer, the gaffe put the town of Walsenburg, and the The World-Independent newspaper, on the map in racing circles. 1933 Indianapolis 500 - Racing Reference
18.
1934 Indianapolis 500
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The 22nd International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 30,1934. The winner was the seven car driven by Bill Cummings. Cummings led for 57 laps total, including the last 26, of the 33 cars that began the race, only 12 were running at the finish, although there were no crashes resulting in serious injuries. One serious incident involved George Bailey, whose car went over the outside wall, the finish was the closest in the history of the race to that point, with second-place finisher Mauri Rose within 100 yards of Cummings at the finish. Rose would also file a protest that Cummings had illegally gained ground during a period following a crash. Cummings was accompanied by riding mechanic Earl Unversaw, the race was part of the 1934 AAA Championship Car season. First alternate, Willard Prentiss For 1934, riding mechanics were required
19.
1939 Indianapolis 500
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The 27th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 30,1939. The race was won by the two car of Wilbur Shaw, who started in the third position. In Louis Meyers final Indy 500, he too would crash at the backstretch at over 100 miles an hour, ten-lap qualifying runs were eliminated for 1939, and the distance reverted to four-lap runs. This change was permanent, and four-lap runs have been used ever since. With Roberts on lap 109, the car driven by Bob Swanson lost control, Roberts car contacted Swansons, causing Swansons car to eject Swanson, flip over, and catch fire, while Roberts car went through the outer wall. Chet Millers car went into the field, flipped. Two spectators were injured by flying debris. The three drivers were taken to hospitals, while it took over 30 minutes to clear the burning wreck of Swansons car from the track, Roberts death due to brain injuries was announced before the race was completed. George Bailey became the first driver to compete with a car in the Indianapolis 500 when he contested the 1939 race in a Gulf-Miller. First alternate, George Robson Henry Banks Sam Hanks Tommy Hinnershitz Ronney Householder Frank McGurk Zeke Meyer Duke Nalon Johnny Seymour Lou Webb Doc Williams 1939 AAA Championship Car season
20.
1940 Indianapolis 500
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The 28th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 30,1940. The winner was Wilbur Shaw in the same Maserati 8CTF he had driven to victory in 1939, Shaw became the first driver in the history of the race to win in consecutive years. It also marked Shaws third win in four years, making him the second winner of the race. Shaws average speed was 114.277 miles per hour, slowed by rain which caused the last 50 laps to be run under caution, Shaw took home $31,875 in prize winnings, plus additional prizes that included a car and a refrigerator. Fourth place finisher Ted Horn was flagged due to the shower after completing only 199 laps - one lap short of the full distance. This marked the only blemish on his record of nine consecutive races completing every lap. He would eventually complete 1,799 out of a possible 1,800 laps from 1936 to 1948, the top 4 starting positions finished in the top four places, albeit in shuffled order. Note, The race was run under caution from lap 150 to 200 due to rain
21.
1941 Indianapolis 500
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The 29th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday, May 30,1941. Floyd Davis was the driver for the #16 car. On lap 72, Davis came in for a pit stop, Rose had started the race in another car and dropped out earlier. Car owner Lou Moore was apparently unsatisfied with Davis performance thus far in the race, Rose charged up the standings and took the lead in the #16 car, and went on to win. Both drivers were credited as co-winners, similar to what occurred in the 1924 race and this marked the last time that one car would carry two drivers to victory at Indy. Speedway president Eddie Rickenbacker did not attend the race, and instead listened to it on the radio and he was recovering from injuries suffered in a near-fatal plane crash a few months before the race. Sam Hanks was injured in a crash the day before the race. He was credited with 33rd place, on the morning of the race a fire broke out in the garage area. George Barringers revolutionary rear-engined car was destroyed, at the time, the car was being refueled. In a nearby garage, another car which was owned by Joel Thorne was being worked on with a welder, the fumes caught fire from the sparks of the welding, and a huge fire broke out which burned down about a third of the southern bank of garages. The start of the race was delayed by a couple hours, Barringers car was withdrawn, and he was credited with 32nd finishing position. With Sam Hanks and Barringer out, the lined up with only 31 cars. Two-time defending champion Wilbur Shaw crashed while leading on lap 152, as of 2016, no driver has ever won the Indianapolis 500 three consecutive years. He would have become the first four-time winner of the 500. Going down the mainstretch, the car lost control, and hit the outside wall, Shaw was drenched with fuel, and suffered a back injury which left him immobile for several minutes. Despite the fuel spill, the fuel did not ignite, and it is believed that the morning fire had an effect on Shaws efforts. At some point before the race, Shaws crew was preparing his tires for race day, one particular wheel was determined to be out of balance, and rather than being discarded, it was labeled in chalk with the words USE LAST. However, the water hoses are believed to have washed off the chalk message
22.
1946 Indianapolis 500
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The 30th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday, May 30,1946. This was the first Indianapolis 500 presided over by new track owner Tony Hulman, the track had closed in late 1941 due to World War II, and over the next four years, the facility fell into a terrible state of disrepair. Hulman purchased the Speedway in November 1945, and quickly went to work cleaning up the grounds, the Speedway re-opened, and the 1946 race was considered a rousing success. Race winner George Robson would be killed in a crash just months after the victory. The 1946 running of the 500 was the first of consecutive years that featured popular fixture Tom Carnegie on the Speedway public address system. During the pre-race ceremonies, James Melton performed the song Back Home Again in Indiana and it was the first time the traditional song had been performed before the start of the race. On December 7,1941, the attack on Pearl Harbor launched the United States into World War II, the Speedway gates were locked, and the facility was abandoned. The race would not be held from 1942 to 1945, during the period in which the track was closed, it fell into a terrible state of disrepair. Grass and weeds overwhelmed the brick racing surface, and the old wooden grandstands became frail, after World War II was over in the summer of 1945, Eddie Rickenbacker was mostly uninterested in reviving the Speedway, due to other commitments, including his involvement with Eastern Air Lines. He was looking to sell the property, perhaps to developers, Wilbur Shaw and Homer H. Cochran helped consummate a deal for Tony Hulman of Terra Haute, Indiana to purchase the track. On November 14,1945 at the Indianapolis Athletic Club, Hulman signed the deal, hulmans first official duty was to name Wilbur Shaw the president and general manager. Pop Myers was retained as vice-president, and Joseph R. Cloutier was named treasurer, Hulman himself was appointed the chairman of the board, and Leonard Marshall became the secretary. Tony Hulman announced that renovation of the Speedway would begin immediately, within days, the Speedways administrative offices at 444 North Capitol Avenue in downtown Indianapolis was reopened, and staff was hired, many rehired from before the war years. The AAA Contest Board subsequently announced that the specifications and rules would remain unchanged from 1941. In mid-December, Indiana Lieutenant Governor Richard T. James, while on a trip to Europe. The deadline for entries to be received was midnight on May 1, as had been customary, the track was made available for practice beginning May 1. Some teams, however, began arriving and setting up at the track as early as mid-March, due to the ongoing renovations and construction, spectators were not allowed through the gates until May 11. Only participants and members of the press were allowed to enter the gates up to that point, in addition, practice over the first ten days of May was limited to 4,00 p. m. to 7,00 p. m. daily
23.
1947 Indianapolis 500
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The 31st International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday, May 30,1947. The 1946 winner, George Robson, had killed in the meantime. Late in the race, Lou Moore teammates Bill Holland and Mauri Rose were running 1st and 2nd. The pit crew displayed a confusing chalkboard sign with the letters EZY to Holland, Mauri Rose ignored the board, and charged to catch up to Holland. Holland believed he held a lap lead over Rose, and allowed him to catch up, the two drivers waved as Rose passed Holland, with Holland believing it was not more than a congratulatory gesture. In reality, the pass Rose made was for the lead, the race was marred by a 41st lap crash that claimed the life of Shorty Cantlon. Time trials was scheduled for five days, the minimum speed to qualify was set at 115 mph. In the months leading up to the race, several top drivers that were members of a union, the American Society of Professional Auto Racing, threatened to boycott the race over the purse size. The AAA Contest Board refused to heed their demands, and when the entry list was closed on May 8, many of the top drivers, particularly several popular west coast drivers, were not on the list. A total of 35 cars were entered, but at least nine had no driver listed, after the practice began for the month, officials decreed that the boycotting drivers would not be allowed late entry. After several weeks of dispute, an agreement was made for the ASPAR drivers to participate mid-way through the month, saturday May 17 - Pole Day Rain, and the holdout of several ASPAR drivers, meant only seven cars completed qualifying runs. Ted Horn claimed the position with a speed of 126.564 mph. Sunday May 18 Three cars qualified, bringing the field to 10 cars, saturday May 24 Sunday May 25 Wednesday May 28 The final day of qualifying closed with 28 cars in the field. When qualifying closed at 6 p. m. on Wednesday May 28, duke Dinsmore was the final qualifier, completing his run amidst some scoring confusion by the officials, just as the time had run out. Race officials initially stressed that Wednesday would be the final day available to qualify, however, a day later, they re-opened qualifying for one hour late on Thursday May 29 in an effort to fill the field. Mel Hansen and Emil Andres were the two cars to complete attempts, and after approval by the other entries, were added to the grid to bring the field to 30 cars. The heartbreak story of the day belonged to driver Billy Devore, after failing to make the field on Wednesday, the Bill Schoof crew worked diligently to make repairs to their car, hoping that officials would re-open qualifying. When word was announced that time trials would be held Thursday
24.
1948 Indianapolis 500
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The 32nd International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 31,1948. For the second year in a row, the Blue Crown Spark Plug teammates Mauri Rose, Rose became the second driver to win the Indianapolis 500 in consecutive years. Unlike the previous race, no controversy surrounds the results. Coupled with his co-victory in 1941, Rose became the third winner at Indy. Fourth place finisher Ted Horn completed a record of nine consecutive races from 1936-1948 completing 1,799 out of a possible 1,800 laps. His nine consecutive finishes of 4th or better is the best such streak in Indy history, the only lap he missed in 1940 was due to being flagged for a rain shower. Duke Nalons third-place finish would be the result for the popular Novi engine. First alternate, Johnny Shackleford The race was carried live on the Mutual Broadcasting System, the broadcast was sponsored by Perfect Circle Piston Rings and Bill Slater served as the anchor. The broadcast feature live coverage of the start, the finish, sid Collins, from WIBC, joined the crew for the first time, serving as a turn reporter at the south end of the track
25.
1949 Indianapolis 500
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The 33rd International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was an automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 30,1949. After two years of failures to his teammate, Bill Holland finally won one for himself, giving car owner Lou Moore his third consecutive Indy victory. Mauri Rose was fired by the team after the race when he ignored orders and tried to pass Holland. First alternate, Ralph Pratt The race was carried live on the Mutual Broadcasting System, the broadcast was sponsored by Perfect Circle Piston Rings and Bill Slater served as the anchor. The broadcast feature live coverage of the start, the finish, the race was carried live for the first time in history on local television on WFBM-TV channel 6 of Indianapolis. The station signed on for the first time race morning May 30,1949, with a documentary about the race entitled The Crucible of Speed, the race broadcast utilized three cameras located along the mainstrech. Earl Townsend, Jr. who had worked previously as a reporter, was the first television announcer. Dick Pittenger and Paul Roberts joined Townsend along with engineer Robert Robbins, the telecast reached approximately 3,000 local households
26.
International Motorsports Hall of Fame
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Although people of many nationalities have been inducted the majority of inductees chosen are American drivers who competed in domestic series. Only two non-Americans have been inducted since 2003 and it was founded in 1982 by Bill France, Sr. the founder of NASCAR, and is currently located in Lincoln, Alabama, adjacent to Talladega Superspeedway. To be nominated, the person must be retired from their specialty in motorsports for at least five years unless approved on special means and they are voted on by a 150-member panel from the American auto racing media. Due to the opening of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, there was no class of 2010, Motorsports Hall of Fame of America Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame NASCAR Hall of Fame Official website
27.
Jews
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The Jews, also known as the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group originating from the Israelites, or Hebrews, of the Ancient Near East. Jews originated as a national and religious group in the Middle East during the second millennium BCE, the Merneptah Stele appears to confirm the existence of a people of Israel, associated with the god El, somewhere in Canaan as far back as the 13th century BCE. The Israelites, as an outgrowth of the Canaanite population, consolidated their hold with the emergence of the Kingdom of Israel, some consider that these Canaanite sedentary Israelites melded with incoming nomadic groups known as Hebrews. The worldwide Jewish population reached a peak of 16.7 million prior to World War II, but approximately 6 million Jews were systematically murdered during the Holocaust. Since then the population has risen again, and as of 2015 was estimated at 14.3 million by the Berman Jewish DataBank. According to the report, about 43% of all Jews reside in Israel and these numbers include all those who self-identified as Jews in a socio-demographic study or were identified as such by a respondent in the same household. The exact world Jewish population, however, is difficult to measure, Israel is the only country where Jews form a majority of the population. The modern State of Israel was established as a Jewish state and defines itself as such in its Declaration of Independence and its Law of Return grants the right of citizenship to any Jew who requests it. The English word Jew continues Middle English Gyw, Iewe, according to the Hebrew Bible, the name of both the tribe and kingdom derive from Judah, the fourth son of Jacob. The Hebrew word for Jew, יְהוּדִי ISO 259-3 Yhudi, is pronounced, with the stress on the syllable, in Israeli Hebrew. The Ladino name is ג׳ודיו, Djudio, ג׳ודיוס, Djudios, Yiddish, ייִד Yid, ייִדן, Yidn. The etymological equivalent is in use in languages, e. g. but derivations of the word Hebrew are also in use to describe a Jew, e. g. in Italian. The German word Jude is pronounced, the corresponding adjective jüdisch is the origin of the word Yiddish, in such contexts Jewish is the only acceptable possibility. Some people, however, have become so wary of this construction that they have extended the stigma to any use of Jew as a noun, a factual reconstruction for the origin of the Jews is a difficult and complex endeavor. It requires examining at least 3,000 years of ancient human history using documents in vast quantities, as archaeological discovery relies upon researchers and scholars from diverse disciplines, the goal is to interpret all of the factual data, focusing on the most consistent theory. In this case, it is complicated by long standing politics and religious, Jacob and his family migrated to Ancient Egypt after being invited to live with Jacobs son Joseph by the Pharaoh himself. The patriarchs descendants were later enslaved until the Exodus led by Moses, traditionally dated to the 13th century BCE, Modern archaeology has largely discarded the historicity of the Patriarchs and of the Exodus story, with it being reframed as constituting the Israelites inspiring national myth narrative. The growth of Yahweh-centric belief, along with a number of practices, gradually gave rise to a distinct Israelite ethnic group
28.
International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
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The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame was opened July 7,1981 in Netanya, Israel. It honors Jewish athletes and their accomplishments from anywhere around the world and it is located at the Wingate Institute for Physical Education and Sport. It has inducted over 300 athletes and sportspersons representing 25 countries, the Hall elects new honorees each year, with submissions due December 1 for votes for the following year. The Hall was founded by Joseph M. Siegman, a producer and writer who lives in Beverly Hills. He chaired the Hall from 1981 to 1989, and later served as chairman of its Selection Committee, the IJSHoF is separate from the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, an American hall of fame that honors only American Jews. The Pillar of Achievement recognizes Jewish men and women who have significant contributions to sports
29.
Wilbur Shaw
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Warren Wilbur Shaw was an American racing driver. He was president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 1945 until his death in 1954, Shaw was the automotive test evaluator for Popular Science magazine. He was born in Shelbyville, Indiana on October 31,1902 and he participated in the 1927 Indianapolis 500. Wilbur Shaw won the Indianapolis 500 race three times, in 1937,1939 and 1940, Shaw was the second person to win the 500 three times, and the first to win it twice in a row. In the 1941 race, Shaw was injured when his car crashed and he was dismayed at the dilapidated condition of the racetrack and quickly contacted then-owner Eddie Rickenbacker, the World War I flying ace and president and founder of Eastern Air Lines. When the United States entered World War II, ending racing at Indianapolis and elsewhere for the duration, Rickenbacker padlocked the gates and let the race course slowly begin to disintegrate. During a meeting soon after the tire test, Rickenbacker informed Shaw that what was left of the track would be demolished, Shaw sent out letters to the major car manufacturers trying to find a backer to buy the speedway. However, all indicated that should they buy the IMS they would turn it into a testing facility for their own cars only. Shaw then met Terre Haute businessman Tony Hulman who had inherited his familys business, Hulman & Company, a lifelong fan of automobile racing in general and the 500 in particular, Hulman listened with great interest to what Shaw had to say. Despite what Hulman saw amongst the weeds and deterioration when Shaw took him to Indianapolis, as a reward for his efforts to revive the Speedway, Shaw was appointed as its president, where he would have complete day-to-day control over the track. It seemed as though Shaw and Hulman had a Midas touch at the Speedway, Hulman poured money into improvements, and Shaw delivered the worlds greatest automobile race to enthusiastic crowds, which grew in number by the year. Shaw was killed in a crash near Decatur, Indiana, on October 30,1954. The pilot, Ray Grimes, and artist Ernest Roose were also killed, shaws highly regarded autobiography, Gentlemen, Start your Engines, was published in 1955, and covers events through 1953. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1991 and he was named to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1990. Shaw was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1991, shaws Blend Of Skill, Charisma Looms Large In Speedway History. The Greatest 33 Profile Wilbur Shaw at Find a Grave The Greatest 33
30.
A. J. Foyt
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Anthony Joseph A. J. Foyt, Jr. is a retired American automobile auto racing driver who has raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes United States Automobile Club Champ cars and he raced stock cars in NASCAR and USAC. He won several major sports car racing events and he holds the USAC career wins record with 159 victories, and the American championship racing career wins record with 67. He is the driver to win the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, the 24 Hours of Daytona. Foyt won the International Race of Champions all-star racing series in 1976 and 1977, in the NASCAR stock car circuit, he won the 1964 Firecracker 400 and the 1972 Daytona 500. Foyt survived three major crashes that caused injuries, and narrowly escaped a fourth. Foyts success has led to induction in numerous halls of fame. Since his retirement from racing, he has owned A. J. Foyt Enterprises, which has fielded teams in the CART, IRL. Foyt was born in Houston, Texas and he attended Pershing and Hamilton middle schools and Lamar, San Jacinto and St. Thomas Catholic high schools, but he dropped out to become a mechanic. Foyt began racing midgets in 1953 at age 18 in a car owned and maintained by his father and he started his USAC career in a midget car at the 1956 Night before the 500 in Anderson, Indiana. His first midget car win was at a 100 lap event at Kansas City in 1957 and he left midget cars after the 1957 season to drive in sprint cars and Championship Car. He did occasionally compete in midget car events and he won the 1960 and 1961 Turkey Night Grand Prix, the first two years that it was held at Ascot Park. He won the 1961 Hut Hundred after starting last, and finished seventh in National Midget points that year and he won the 1970 Astro Grand Prix, an event that he promoted in his hometown of Houston. He ended his career with 20 midget car feature wins, in 1975 and 1976, Foyt won the Australian Speedcar Grand Prix at the Liverpool International Speedway in Sydney when the speedway had an asphalt surface. Foyt began his sprint car career in 1956, at age 21, on June 16,1957, on the high banked asphalt track at Salem, Indiana, Foyt came out on top in a race long battle with Bob Cleberg. That victory put Foyt on the radar for USAC car owners, Foyt eventually won 28 USAC National sprint car feature races and the USAC Eastern Championship in 1960. Foyt continued to sprint cars long after he was firmly established as one of the top drivers at the Indy 500. In 1961, he became the first driver to successfully defend his points championship, late in the 500, Foyt made a pit stop for fuel, but a refueling malfunction meant that he returned to the race without enough fuel to finish
31.
Rick Mears
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Rick Ravon Mears is a retired American race car driver. He is one of three men to be winners of the Indianapolis 500, and the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six. Mears is also a three-time Indycar series/World Series champion, Mears was raised in Bakersfield, California, and began his racing career in off-road racing. He switched to Indy Car racing in the late 1970s, making his debut for the small Art Sugai team and his speed attracted the attention of Roger Penske. Although at the time Penske Racing had the services of Mario Andretti, Andretti was also racing in Formula One with Lotus at the time but Penske wanted another young driver who would focus exclusively on American racing. For 1978, Mears was offered a ride in nine of the 18 championship races. The arrangement also included a ride at the Indianapolis 500, in his rookie appearance at Indy, Mears qualified on the front row, and was the first rookie to qualify over 200 mph. When the race began, Mears discovered his helmet was not strapped on tight enough and he did not lead a lap and retired at 104 laps with a blown engine. He ended up sharing Rookie of the Year honors with Larry Rice, two weeks later, at the Rex Mays 150, he won his first race. He added another win a month later at Atlanta and rounded off the year with his first road win at Brands Hatch. In 1979 the National Championship sanction changed from the USAC to CART, at Indianapolis he won his first 500, staying at the front of the field, taking advantage when Bobby Unser fell out of contention with mechanical trouble. Three wins and four places in the eleven CART-eligible races won Mears his first championship. His worst finish in the season was seventh in Trentons second heat, in 1980 the ground effect Chaparral was technologically more advanced than the other chassis, and Johnny Rutherford drove it to his 3rd Indianapolis 500 win, going on to dominate the season. Mears finished in place in the points with one win. In 1980 Mears had tested a Formula One Brabham and he declined an offer, the 1981 and 1982 seasons saw two more championships for Mears. Despite facial burns during a pit fire in the 1981 Indianapolis 500, at the 1982 Indianapolis 500 he came within 0.16 of a second of adding a second Indy win. With less than 20 laps to go, during Mears final pit stop, the delay left him more than 11 seconds behind Gordon Johncock. Mears made up the difference when Johncock suffered handling problems, the photo-finish would stand for 10 years as the closest finish to an Indy 500
32.
Al Unser
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Alfred Al Unser is an American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser Jr. He is the person to have both a sibling and child as fellow Indy 500 winners. Als nephews Johnny and Robby Unser have also competed in that race, after his son Al Jr. joined the top circuit in 1983, Unser has generally been known by the retronymic name of Al Unser, Sr. or Big Al. Unser was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the youngest of four brothers and his father Jerry Unser and two uncles, Louis and Joe, were also drivers. Beginning in 1926 they competed in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, Joe Unser became the first member of the Unser clan to lose his life to the sport, killed while test-driving an FWD Coleman Special on the Denver highway in 1929. Als oldest brother Jerry became the first Unser to drive at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, qualifying 23rd, however, tragedy struck the next year when he was killed from injuries sustained in a fiery crash during a practice session. Middle brother Bobby drove in his first Indianapolis 500 in 1963, becoming in 1968 the first member of the family to win, Unser married Wanda Jesperson in 1958 and they had three children- Alfred Jr. Mary, and Deborah. Deborah died in a buggy accident in 1982. Al Unser and family own and operate the Unser Racing Museum in Albuquerque and he began racing in 1957, at age 18, initially competing primarily in modified roadsters, sprint cars and midgets. In 1965 he raced in the Indianapolis 500 for the first time and he won the Indy 500 in 1970, two years after his brother, Bobby. During the race, he led for all but 10 of the 200 laps and his quick pit stops were a factor in the victory. That season he won a record 10 times on oval, road, Unser competed in USACs Stock Car division in 1967, and was the series Rookie of the Year. In 1971 he won the Indy 500 again, starting from the position with an average speed of 157.735 mph. Unsers bid to become the first three-time consecutive Indy 500 champion was thwarted when he finished second to Mark Donohue in the 1972 Indianapolis 500. Unsers race average speed of 161.363 mph ranked as the then-second fastest ever run, in the 1983 season, Unser joined Team Penske and drove for 4 years in a Penske-owned car. Unser controlled the late stages of the 1983 Indianapolis 500, leading 61 laps, with less than 20 laps to go, Unser got challenges from Tom Sneva who led the most laps. With help from his son - who was laps down - Unser began pulling away from Sneva. However Sneva got by Al Jr. and set sail for Unser Sr. Sneva caught up to Unser within 1 lap of passing Al Jr. Sneva then easily pulled away to win the race by 11 seconds, avenging his firing from the team in 1978
33.
Dario Franchitti
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George Dario Marino Franchitti, MBE, known professionally as Dario Franchitti, is a retired British racing driver. He is a four time IndyCar Series champion, a winner of the Indianapolis 500 as well as a winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona. Franchitti started his career in his native United Kingdom in the early 1990s, competing in Formula Vauxhall and Formula Three and was also the winner of the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award in 1992. After Franchitti did not secure a drive in 1995, he was contracted by the AMG team to compete in touring cars in the DTM. Despite 2 seasons with relative success, the series folded at the end of the 1996 season, Mercedes placed Franchitti in CART in 1997 with the Hogan Racing team. Team Green moved to the IndyCar Series for the 2003 campaign, Franchittis first season for IndyCar was disrupted by an injury, but won his first races the following season. His breakout year came in 2007, when he won the rain-shortened Indianapolis 500 as one of 4 victories in his route to a first career title in a final-race title decider with Scott Dixon. At the end of the season, Franchitti was named as BBC Scotlands Sports Personality of the Year, after an ill-fated move to NASCAR in 2008 Franchitti returned to IndyCar in 2009, driving for Chip Ganassi Racing. Franchitti won on his 2nd start back in the series, and eventually took 5 wins as he won a 2nd championship, again in a race championship decider against Dixon. A new car was introduced for the 2012 season, in which Franchitti only scored 1 victory – in the Indianapolis 500 – to become the 10th driver to win at least 3 Indianapolis 500s during a career. On 6 October 2013, Franchitti was involved in a crash in the Grand Prix of Houston. Franchitti suffered 2 fractured vertebrae, an ankle, and a concussion in the crash. Later he would learn that he had some of his past. Franchitti was born in Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland, while attending Stewarts Melville College in Edinburgh, he became interested in karting. Allan McNish credited a large part of the given to himself, Franchitti. Franchitti won the Karting Scottish Junior Championship in 1984, the British Junior Championships in 1985 and 1986 and he progressed to Formula Vauxhall Junior where he won the championship with four victories in 1991. He moved up to Formula Vauxhall Lotus in 1992, where he joined Paul Stewart Racing, in his first year, he finished fourth in the overall championship, and was named the McLaren/Autosport Young Driver of the Year. Staying with the team for the season, he won the championship in 1993
34.
Louis Meyer
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Louis Meyer was an American Hall of Fame race car driver who was a three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. Born in lower Manhattan, New York on July 21,1904, he was the son of French immigrants, Meyer was raised in Los Angeles, where he began automobile racing at various California tracks. He went on to become the driver to win the Indianapolis 500 three times, capturing the prestigious race as a rookie starter in 1928, then again in 1933 and 1936. Meyer started the tradition of drinking milk in victory lane at the 1933 Indianapolis 500 race, following his 1936 Indianapolis 500 victory, he drank from a glass milk bottle instead, as most race winners have done since. Following the suggestion of former winner, Tommy Milton, that year he became the first driver to receive the Pace Car as part of the race winnings. Meyer won the United States National Driving Championship in 1928,1929 and 1933, meyers wife June did not even know he was racing in the 1928 Indianapolis 500. Earlier in the day she was in Pennsylvania picking up a wrecked car and she found out about her husbands victory after the track announcer in Reading asked the crowd to give a big hand to Eddie Meyer, the brother of the Indianapolis 500 winner. Meyer died on November 7,1995 in Searchlight, Nevada, aged 91 and he was interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California. Meyers son Louis Meyer, Jr. assisted him in work at his race shops. He was not related to fellow driver Zeke Meyer, don Garrison Collection, oral history interview with Louis Meyer - Ball State University Archives and Special Collections Research Center - External link The Greatest 33 Louis Meyer at Find a Grave
35.
Johnny Rutherford
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Rutherford won that race in 1974,1976, and 1980. Rutherford began racing modified stock cars in 1959 and he dabbled in stock car racing, making 35 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts from 1963 to 1988. Rutherford won in his first start, at Daytona International Speedway driving for Smokey Yunick and this made him one of the youngest drivers ever to win in NASCAR history, in a full points-paying NASCAR race. In 1959, Rutherford started driving modified stock cars in Dallas and he joined the International Motor Contest Association sprint car circuit in 1961 leading it for most of 1962. Rutherford later joined the United States Auto Club starting in the Hoosier Hundred, later that year he also had his first start in the Indianapolis 500. Rutherfords first Indy car race win took place at the Atlanta 250 and he won the USAC National Sprint Car Championship in 1965. On April 3,1966, Rutherford suffered a crash at Eldora Speedway. His car flipped out of the track, and he suffered broken arms, a finger. He was forced to sit out the 1966 Indy 500, Rutherford won pole position at the Indy 500 in 1973,1976, and 1980. In 1973, Rutherford set a track record of 199.071 mph. Victories at the Indy 500 for him came in 1974,1976 and 1980, in 1984, at Michigan International Speedway, Rutherford set an all time Indy car qualifying lap speed record of 215.189 mph. His win in the 1986 Michigan 500 at age 48 made him the oldest winner of a 500-mile race, Rutherford recorded nine straight seasons with a victory making him one of just six drivers in Indy Car history to do so. In October 1977, Rutherford travelled down under to compete in Australias most famous motor race, there, partnering fellow Indianapolis racer Janet Guthrie, Rutherford drove a V8 powered Holden Torana for the team that had won the 1976 race, Ron Hodgson Motors. Driving a completely unfamiliar car on a 6.172 km public road course carved into the side of a mountain, during practice he complained about his car as it was not as good as the teams lead car driven by 1976 winners Bob Morris and John Fitzpatrick. Morris then got in the car and while not as quick as his own Torana, easily lapped over 5 seconds faster showing the problem was simply JRs lack of familiarity with the car and track. Wisely, JR made a start to the race. The Torana and Escort made contact and Rutherford ended up crashing into a bank at the top of The Mountain. The bent Torana was then back to the pits on the back of a tilt-tray truck
36.
Bobby Unser
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Robert William Bobby Unser is an American former automobile racer. He is the brother of Al Unser, Jerry Unser and Louis Unser, the father of Robby Unser, and he is one of ten drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 three or more times, and one of only two to have won the 500 in three different decades. Bobby has also been a spokesman and advocate of many commercial products, Unser was born in Colorado Springs Colorado, the third oldest of 4 brothers. When he turned 1, his family moved to Albuquerque New Mexico, in 1950 at the age of 15, he won his first championship in Southwest Modified Stock Cars. From 1953 to 1955 he joined the Air Force and became a top competition sharp shooter in military matches, in 1955, Bobby, and brothers Jerry and Al Unser decided to pursue racing careers in USAC. In 1959, his brother Jerry Unser died in an accident at the Indianapolis 500. Bobby is the father of two sons, Bobby Jr. and Robby, and two daughters, Cindy and Jeri, Unser came from a family of racecar drivers. He won numerous racing championships throughout his career, including three Indianapolis 500 titles and he debuted in 1955 at Pikes Peak, dubbed Unsers Peak because of his familys history of success at the hill climb. He finished fifth that year, behind his two brothers, a year later he won his first of a record 13 championships at Pikes Peak. He won six titles from 1958 to 1963. His streak ended in 1964 when his younger brother Al won the race, Unser raced in his first Indianapolis 500 in 1963. He crashed early and placed thirty-third and his first Indy-car win came in 1967 at Mosport, Ontario. A year later, Unser won his first Indianapolis 500, setting the record as the first driver to race over 170 miles per hour at Indianapolis, in 1969 Unser won his first USAC National Driving Championship. In 1972, Unser set another Indianapolis 500 record for the fastest qualifying time at 195.94 miles per hour. In 1974, he won his second USAC National Driving Championship, from 1979 to 1981, Unser raced in the CART series for Team Penske winning ten races. In 1980 he became the first driver to win the California 500 four times and his career ended in 1981 following a debacle at Indianapolis. Bobby was the center of one of the most controversial finishes in Indy 500 history at the 1981 Indianapolis 500, Unser won the pole in the #3 Roger Penske-owned car and led the most laps. On lap 149, during a period, Bobby and Mario Andretti made their pit stop
American