Following WW2, racing was starting to become a big sport.
AAA midgets were big and drivers like Vuky, the Tinley Park Express, Ronney Householder, Frank Burany, Wally Hostetler, Gordon Reid, Ray Knepper, Potsy Goacher, Vic and Neil Carter, Leroy Wariner, Duke Nalon, and others ran at quarter mile dirt tracks throughout the Midwest, including the Kokomo Speedway that opened in 1947.
Even the milwaukee Mile had a quarter mile track in the infield.
Indy was a part of that racing scene starting in 1911 and was very big before the war. Tony Hulman's purchase did save the track, and it was its purse that helped many keep going.
But it was his decision to pour money back into the track that elevated the 500 above the rest. That occurred over the many years he owned and operated the racing plant.
However, without the creation of the track and the first race in 1911 none of that would have happened.

JohnMc - 17 November 2009 11:40 PM

PLN_ Fan - 17 November 2009 12:06 AM

Look at the landscape now. Plenty of sponsors for series that do not rely in the Indy 500. I suspect, "back in the days " the same thing happened. What was the point of Bob's Auto Service sponsoring an entry in the 500, when no one would see it, as the race was on radio only ? Local and regional sponsors must have existed, just as they do now.

You would be wrong. "Back in the day" there wasn't as much sponsorship as you would think. Drivers and car owners made their money by winning. Howard Keck owned what many recognize as the most successful car to ever run at Indianapolis and it was named the Fuel Injection Special. Keck and his team named the car after their friend Stuart Hilborn's fuel injector. That car never ran anywhere else but Indianapolis. As for the local sponsors, most of the time they were car owners, drivers, drivers that worked for the company or just someone who wanted to be a part of a team at Indianapolis. Other cars, by the way, were named after the owner and included popular entrants such as the John Zink Special, Ken Paul Spl., Jim Robbins Spl. Bill Forbes Spl. Dean Van lines was another owner who named his car after his business. Like most of these owners, they were in racing because their business success afforded them the opportunity to do it. Very much like club racing except the payoff/purse for those times made it worthwhile. Penske would fit in with these guys quiet well.

The Fuel Injection Special only ran Indy because the driver only ran Indy for income tax reasons. Crazy, but true.

"However, without the creation of the track and the first race in 1911 none of that would have happened"

None of those 1/4 mile midget tracks or racing and those guys being in it ?

RedOak - 19 November 2009 09:52 PM

The Fuel Injection Special only ran Indy because the driver only ran Indy for income tax reasons. Crazy, but true.

Actually, RedOak, Vuky ran a few races in 1954 after his second Indy win and owned a Union Oil service station in his hometown of Fresno California where he would park his Indy Dodge Pace car and pump gas for his customers. Also in 1954, he ran races as favors and ran some midget races and a road race in Mexico. The greatest driver to ever race at Indianapolis, Bill Vukovich, couldn't sit still for long, taxes or no taxes. He was going to race.

PLN_ Fan - 19 November 2009 07:26 PM

You know, the internet is good at a lot of things, but documenting stuff that happened before the mid 90s isn't one of them. I don't think I need to spend hours typing in every possible version of " drivers stories from the early days of auto racing " to find the stuff that is condensed into one or two books.

A most obtuse statement and, as usual, you don't have a clue what you are talking about while the wherewithal to research subjects of any kind is literally at your fingertips. I know now that when you ask for a link it's because you lack the ability to find the information for yourself.

Ah, as insulting as ever.

I can find all manner of things, if I care to spend the time, or it's important. This isn't important enough. The funny thing is, you keep saying I haven't a clue, yet the info you and Novi presented pretty much made my point ! So, either some one clueless can figure out that the speedway was NOT necessarily for American O/W racing or I can simply think things through and come up with a relatively accurate answer without needing to comb the web for hours upon hours.

Take your pick.

Novi and I clearly pointed out that your statement about sponsorships in the "old days" was wrong and nothing more than unfounded speculation. As for the hours upon hours of looking something up on the internet, well, maybe one of your friends can explain that one to you because it's obvious that I can't, but I can now see that it would probably take you hours upon hours to look something up. The internet is practically instantaneous to those who now what they are looking for and how to use it.

PLN_ Fan - 20 November 2009 01:55 AM

Ah, as insulting as ever.

I can find all manner of things, if I care to spend the time, or it's important. This isn't important enough. The funny thing is, you keep saying I haven't a clue, yet the info you and Novi presented pretty much made my point ! So, either some one clueless can figure out that the speedway was NOT necessarily for American O/W racing or I can simply think things through and come up with a relatively accurate answer without needing to comb the web for hours upon hours.

Take your pick.

You refer to Open Wheel racing. In that, do you mean midgets, sprints, Champ Cars? What this thread is about is concerned only with Champ Cars.

Midgets and sprint cars would have no trouble contining if the Speedway never opened again.

Novi you were expressing that the drivers needed the prize money of the Indy 500 to fund the rest of the season. So, it would be the guys running in the 500. Obviously, they might run multiple series, outside of May.


JohnMC,

Tell you what. Find me the ratings for all CART races for the year 1988. When you have it, post the query you typed into the search engine. If it doesn't show them, then your "instantaneous" remark is exactly what I suspect it is. This is a MUCH more specific search than the finances and stories of drivers from 40 and 50 years ago.

PLN_ Fan - 20 November 2009 07:24 PM

JohnMC,Tell you what. Find me the ratings for all CART races for the year 1988. When you have it, post the query you typed into the search engine. If it doesn't show them, then your "instantaneous" remark is exactly what I suspect it is. This is a MUCH more specific search than the finances and stories of drivers from 40 and 50 years ago.

First off, this thread is about the history making day that Tony Hulman bought the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. YOU brought up the financing and sponsorship situation of the drivers and teams from "in the day" as if you knew what it was all about. You didn't nor could you even look it up. That information is out there and anyone can find it on the internet if, again, they know what to look for. As for the 1988 CART ratings that you want me to look up, you need the practice on how to navigate the internet for information so look them up yourself then get back to me. By the way, for you to deny the instantaneous communication of information by using the internet is insane particularly when you are on it as a poster.

Frankly, you take the cake PLN. As if I have to prove the instantaneous communication ability of the internet to you or anyone else.