The coronavirus crisis has upended one of Indiana’s greatest traditions and left a May-sized hole in the lives of thousands.
No one will be packing into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the next month to watch the world’s best racers. There will be no parties, no Snakepit, no parade.
For fans who have a monthlong tradition built around the Indianapolis 500, the loss is a heavy one.
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“I think it’s very difficult for a lot of people. I feel for the thousands of people who have been going for their entire life, and this is such a part of their lives,” said Donald Davidson, historian for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “People have said to me they’ve been going every year for 60 years, and they don’t know what they’re going to do now. Their whole year revolves around the month of May.”
But those at IMS hope to make May a little more manageable in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak and as people wait for the postponed race in August. Organizers at the speedway have opened its 111-year archive and assembled a digital tool to allow fans to explore the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Starting with 1900s released on April 14, the IMS Digital Archive will unveil a new decade’s worth of photographs, interactive features and videos each week. So far, people have been taken back to the start of the track, learning about speedway founders, the first competitive event at IMS (hint — it wasn’t a car race) and the winner of the very first Indy 500.
“The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has hosted some of the greatest champions, pioneers and innovators in auto racing, motorcycle racing and aviation competition history,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said in a statement. “It’s important that we honor our history and show our race fans where we come from as we grow into the next generation as a modern racing facility.”
Opening the archive for the first time, visitors are greeted by a photograph of Lewis Strang, a racecar driver who would win the pole position in the first Indianapolis 500. Lewis is bent over staring at a model of IMS outlined on the ground.
From that image, people can scroll through to read articles about the hot air balloon race that served as the inaugural event on the IMS grounds, and dig into the lives of the four men who founded the racetrack — Carl G. Fisher, James A. Allison, Arthur C. Newby and Frank H. Wheeler.
They can learn about the lives of Edwin George “Cannon Ball” Baker, a record-breaking motorcycle racer, and Johnny Aitken, the first driver to practice on the finished speedway.
The tendrils of each story weave in and out of each other, proving to be a perfect way to fill up on IMS history when those pangs for racing kick in.
“The fact that there’s nothing going on now, and television and even radio now is all replays, people are starving for content. They’re home and surfing the internet,” Davidson “This digital archive is hopefully educational and entertaining, as people get track history in stages.”
The archives contain a wealth of multimedia content, formatted to be explored on mobile phones, tablets as well as browsers.
IMS officials, as well as Davidson himself, have put together features, oral histories and articles telling the story of the track in chronological orders. The material prominently features some of the most significant moments that have defined the speedway and the Indianapolis 500, as well as NASCAR’s Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard.
Obvious focus is given to the races and the racers, but also uncovers agreements and partnerships among major players in the racing world that helped shape the speedway’s story forever.
Organizers have put together new features featuring deep dives into the track’s history, and have used articles and items from past race programs to create a comprehensive look at everything IMS.
“It’s a combination of explanatory pieces, some driver or personality profiles, photos and other oddball stuff, trivia. Basically, it’ll be an entertaining history lesson that lets you jump from item to item,” Davidson said.
The most recent offering, released on April 21, showcases the 1910s. With the first Indianapolis 500 occurring in 1911, a large emphasis is given to the racers. You can learn about inaugural winner Ray Harroun and his Marmon “Wasp,” an automobile that is believed to be the first in the world with a rear-view mirror. Video of newsreels from from that initial race put you inside the revelry of the finish line.
Two years after Harroun’s initial victory, work was completed on IMS’s signature pagoda, a featured panel found on the archive website. People can learn about Ralph de Palma, a racer who was graceful in victory and defeat.
New material will be unlocked every Tuesday through July 7.
“There’s such an appreciation and an interest in the past history that it’s a wonderful opportunity to get this series going,” Davidson said.
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Indianapolis Motor Speedway Digital Archive
What: An online portal allowing fans to access, enjoy and learn about the heritage of IMS, the Indianapolis 500 and other events at the speedway.
When: A new decade will be unveiled every Tuesday. Fans can already access the 1900s, 1910s and 1920s.
How to see it: Go to IMS.com/DigitalArchive
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