theindy500.com

SPEEDWAY TRAGEDIES

Fourteen drivers have died in ten races. Clamming the lives of drivers in the Indianapolis 500 the years of 1919, 1929, 1933, 1935, 1939, 1947, 1953, 1955, 1958, 1964 and 1973.

The 1973 race is remembered by many as perhaps the worst race in 500 history. It was canceled twice due to rain, becoming, at 72-hours, the longest race in Speedway history Reports on a number of spectators injured was reported to be between 11 and 13 driving rain hit as they were being placed in ambulances. There have bean many tragedies in the Indianapolis 500 with many deaths taking the lives of some of the best racecar drivers we have seen. The very first Indianapolis 500 involved a major crash witch hit the judges stand and scattered the judgers from there post for some of the race.

Indianapolis 500 women drivers

Janet Guthrie is the first woman to earn a starting spot in the Indianapolis 500 (1977) and the Daytona 500 (1977), where she was Top Rookie. Her ninth-place finish in the Indianapolis 500 (1978), with a team she formed and managed herself, was the best by a woman until 2005. she set fastest time of the day at Indianapolis on may 7 and may 22, 1977.

In her brief career at the top levels of racing, she earned top-ten starting positions and posted top-ten finishes in both Indy-car Championship racing and in NASCAR Cup racing. Her fifth-place Indy-car finish at Milwaukee in 1979 was the best by a woman for 21 years. Her sixth-place NASCAR Cup finish at Bristol in 1977 remains the best by a woman in NASCAR’s superspeedway era. She is the only woman to lead a Cup race. She was Top Rookie in five NASCAR Cup races.

Robert (Bobby) Rahal

Robert “Bobby” Woodward Rahal, born January 10, 1953 in Medina, Ohio. His farther convinced racing officials that he was eighteen years old when he was only seventeen, so he could enter his first race in Canada as a novice. Bobby Rahal won the 1986 Indianapolis 500. His racing team is known as the Rahal Letterman racing team. The Rahal Automotive group sells and services many makes and models of cars in his dealerships.

INDIANAOLIS 500 PACE CARS 1941 - 1978

The Nash Ambassador was the pace car in 1947, it was the kind of car that made the neighbours stop and look. With its rap around grill and bumpers, it was well ahead of its time. The Indianapolis 500 was like a show ground for dealers to show their models during the 40s and 50s, and they produced some very beautiful cars. The Chevrolet Fleet master driven by Wilbur Shaw as the pace car in the 1948 Indianapolis 500. The Plymouth Spot Fury used as the pace car in the 1965 Indy 500, there was only 33 of them ever made. Read more on Pace Cars used in the Indianapolis 500.

INDIANAPOLIS 500 PACE CARS

The pace car was used to take the starting field on one un-scored lap. The field would use the lap to warm up their engines and tyres and then at the conclusion of the lap at the required speed the pace car would pull of the track and allow for a rolling start Carl Fisher drove the pace car for the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911 in a Stoddard Dayton. Carl Fisher also drove the pace car for the following years 1912, 1913, 1914 and 1915. The Nash Ambassador in 1947 driven by George W Mason was my favorite of all times. There have been many beautiful cars from days gone by that have been pace cars for the Indianapolis 500. Chrysler, Studebaker, Packard, Ford, Buick and Chevrolet just to name a few. In 1974 the warm up lap was changed from one to three laps. Full detailed article of the History of Indianapolis 500 pace Cars.

INDIANAPOLIS 500 QUALIFICATIONS

Drivers from all around the world come to the Indianapolis 500 in the hopes to win the race. First of all they must qualify and if they are new to the Indianapolis 500 they fist have to take a driving test. Most drivers qualify two cars there main car and a back up car. This is why qualifying can take so long, it starts two weeks before the Indianapolis 500. Each driver is carefully monitored and then based on the time they received during a certain trail will place them at a certain location for the start of the race for example the driver that made the best time in the qualifying will start at the front this will increase a drivers potential to win the Indianapolis 500.

INDIANAPOLIS 500 HISTORY

The Indianapolis 500 first race was held at the speedway on Memorial Day May 30 1911. With 80,200 spectators coming from all around to see this event, it is belived that they paid one dollar admission to watch the very first Indianapolis 500 mile race.

The Indainapolis 500 of 1913 was the first race with international interest with entrants from England, France, Italy, and Germany as well as the United States. The 1913 Indianapolis 500 winner was Jules Goux with his 1913 Peugeot. The first European to win the Indianapolis 500

1917 and 1918 There were no races held on account of World War one. The track was closed for racing it was used as an air strip, as a fuel stop between the airforce base in Dayton, Ohio and Rantoul, Illinois. The track then reopened in 1919.

BUYING TICKETS FOR THE INDIANAPOLIS 500

There are many ways to buy tickets for the Indianapolis 500 you may wish to do a search on the internet on EBay for Indianapolis 500 tickets. Since scalping is legal in Indianapolis you may find many people walking up and down the street selling tickets to the Indianapolis 500. This is totally legal so do not worry about the authorities. One of the main ways to purchase tickets for the Indianapolis 500 is by requesting to purchase tickets directly from the speedway. There are so many different ways for you to purchase your Indianapolis tickets. More Ways to buy tickets.