IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 608 

Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Indianapolis Motor 

Speedway. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 7, 2009 

Mr. CARSON of Indiana (for himself, Mr. HILL, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. 

BUYER, Mr. PENCE, Mr. VISCLOSKY, Mr. DONNELLY of Indiana, Mr. 

SOUDER, and Mr. ELLSWORTH) submitted the following resolution; which 

was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the opening of the 

Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

Whereas the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the world’s 

largest spectator sporting facility, with more than 

250,000 permanent seats; 

Whereas founders Carl G. Fisher, Arthur C. Newby, Frank 

H. Wheeler, and James A. Allison pooled their resources 

in early 1909 to build the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 

on a site 5 miles northwest of downtown Indianapolis to 

provide an automobile testing ground to support Indiana’s growing automotive industry; 

Whereas the first motorized races, using motorcycles, took 

place August 14, 1909, on the recently completed 2.5- 


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mile oval, which had a racing surface composed of 

crushed stone and tar; 

Whereas a series of automobile races at the Indianapolis 

Motor Speedway, the first four-wheeled races at the facility, took place August 19, 1909; 

Whereas in a span of 63 days in late 1909, 3,200,000 paving 

bricks, each weighing 9.5 pounds, were laid on top of the 

crushed rock and tar surface to upgrade the Speedway 

and leading to the facility’s popular nickname, ‘‘The 

Brickyard’’; 

Whereas a 3-foot horizontal strip of that original brick still 

is exposed at the start-finish line, known as the ‘‘Yard 

of Bricks’’; 

Whereas the first Indianapolis 500 Mile Race took place May 

30, 1911, and was won by Ray Harroun at an average 

speed of 74.602 mph; 

Whereas the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a pioneer in 

introducing seating areas specifically for people with disabilities; 

Whereas Harroun’s Marmon ‘‘Wasp’’ race car was the first 

automobile to use a rearview mirror, one of countless 

firsts in automotive technology and safety devised or developed at the Speedway through the years, including the 

first use of a Pace Car (1911), the first use of four-wheel 

hydraulic brakes (1921), the first installation of color 

warning lights (1935), the first mandatory use of helmets 

(1935), and the first use of crash-data recorders (1993) 

and the SAFER Barrier (2002), an energy-absorbing 

barrier affixed to concrete walls that has become the 

standard at all major United States oval tracks; 


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Whereas the Indianapolis 500, the largest single-day spectator sporting event in the world, has taken place on Memorial Day weekend every year since 1911 except during 

the United States involvement in world wars, from 1917– 

1918 and 1942–1945; 

Whereas Janet Guthrie became the first woman to compete 

in the Indianapolis 500 in 1977, making IndyCar racing 

the first and only major sport where men and women 

compete according to the same rules, against each other; 

Whereas Willy T. Ribbs became the first African-American 

driver to compete at the Indianapolis 500 in 1991, the 

first of several African-Americans to compete in IndyCar 

racing; 

Whereas in 2005, Danica Patrick became the first female 

driver to lead the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race when she 

acquired the lead near the 140-mile mark; 

Whereas in 2009, Helio Castroneves became a three-time 

winner of the 500 Mile Race and Danica Patrick finished 

in third place, the best finish ever by a woman in the 

race; 

Whereas the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the only facility 

in the world that has played host to four elite racing series, the IndyCar Series, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 

MotoGP, and Formula One; 

Whereas nearly every global motorsports icon has competed 

and won at Indianapolis, including A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, 

Rick Mears, Dale Earnhardt, Mario Andretti, Graham 

Hill, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, and Valentino Rossi; 

Whereas each May since 1981, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has served as the backdrop for the annual Armed 


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Forces Induction Ceremony, in which Hoosiers who have 

volunteered to serve our Nation in the Armed Forces are 

administered the oath of enlistment; 

Whereas in 1987, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was officially listed on the United States National Park Services 

list of National Historic Landmarks as the oldest continuously operated automobile race course anywhere; and 

Whereas the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has played an 

enormous part in shaping and defining the City of Indianapolis, the State of Indiana, United States motorsports, and the United States auto industry; and is a 

great source of pride to all Hoosiers: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives recog2 nizes the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Indian3 apolis Motor Speedway. 

Æ 


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