First race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
August 19, 1909 was the day the first race happened at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This track sits on 328 acres of farmland five miles northwest of downtown Indianapolis and was built to test cars for the growing auto industry while also serving as a racetrack. The goal was to pit different manufacturers against each other so spectators would buy cars. 12,000 people watched when Austrian engineer Louis Schwitzer won the event driving at an average speed of 57.4 miles per hour. The surface was crushed rock and tar which led to two fatal accidents on that first day. Two drivers, two mechanics, and two spectators were killed in those crashes. Today the venue is home to the famed Indianapolis 500.
Trascrizione (en)
On August 19th, 1909, the first race is held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which today is home of the famed Indianapolis 500. But who won that first race? And how did the iconic track get its famous nickname? The track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was built on 328 acres of farmland five miles northwest of Indianapolis, Indiana. At the time, the state had a growing automobile industry, and business owners hoped to use the Speedway as both a testing facility and a racetrack. The idea was that the races would pit cars from different manufacturers against each other and lead spectators to want to buy cars for themselves. 12,000 spectators watched that first race, which was won by Austrian engineer Louis Schwitzer, driving at an average speed of 57.4 miles per hour. The track's surface was made up of crushed rock and tar and was blamed for causing two fatal accidents that first day, with two drivers, two mechanics, and two spectators killed.
