DOING THE DOUBLE Drivers who have ran the Indy 500 and Nascar's Coca-Cola 600 on the same day Year Driver Indy Finish Charlotte Finish 1994 John Andretti 10th 36th 1999 Tony Stewart 9th 4th 2000 Robby Gordon 6th 35th 2001 Tony Stewart 6th 3rd 2002 Robby Gordon 8th 16th 2003 Robby Gordon 22nd 17th 2004 Robby Gordon He left due to rain 20th

RAIN SHORTENED INDY 500s YEAR LAPS COMPLETED 1926 160 1950 138 1973 133 1975 174 1976 102 2004 180

World's Largest Public Address System Race fans now enjoy concert-quality sound from the Speedway's brand new public address system, the world's largest. It debuted at the 2003 Indy 500. The 317,200 watt system features 341 loudspeakers around the Speedway and 38 subwoofers along the main straightaway. More than 70 miles of speaker wire are used in the system. I've noticed that the kind of music they play varies from event to event. While they play rock music at both the Indy 500 and the U.S. Grand Prix, at the "500" it is midwestern rock, while its more of a world music played at the F1 race. Country music is played during Nascar's Brickyard 400.

Driver Names There was a guy who raced from 1948-1954 whose name was Spider Webb Although there have been SIX Unsers race in the 500, there has never been three that qualified for the same race. There were three generations of Bill Vukovich's to race in the 500. Not only was there a Speed Gardner who raced in 1929-1931, there was a driver named Racin Gardner who competed in 1996. Count L. Zborowski, raced his Bugatti against Prince deCystria in his Bugatti in the 1923 race. Out of the hundreds who have raced in the 500 over the 20th century, there was never one named Smith. Some racer in the 40's was named Tommy Hinnershitz!

Miscellaneous Ray Harroun, who started the first Indy 500 in 1911 from 28th position, won and never raced in another. It took Ray 6 hours and 42 mintues to complete the 500 miles! Louis Meyer also started from 28th position and then also went on to win in 1936. A.J. Foyt, Jr. has been in more Indy 500's than anyone - 35, from 1958-1992. He has led the most races: 13 and has led the most times: 39. He is tied with Al Unser and Rick Mears for the most victories: 4. Rick Mears has the most pole positions: 6. Al Unser, Sr. won the 500 right before he turned 48, making him the oldest winner of all time. Al has also the led the most career laps: 644. Troy Ruttman is the youngest at 22. The most lead changes occurred in 1960 with 29, but in 1930, there was only 1 lead change. It takes 200 laps to win the Indy 500. In the second one of 1912, Ralph DePalma led for 196 of those laps in his Mercedes "Grey Ghost". He was ahead by approx 5 miles when he encountered car troubles! He slowed and nursed it, but second place Joe Dawson, a local Indy boy, flew by with only two laps to go and he went on to win. Poor DePalma! His mechanic began to bemoan the fact, when Ralph jumped out and shouted for the passenger to start pushing! They finished in 11th. Ralph's "great push" was reported in newspapers everywhere. The story was read by millions of sports fans. It did much to turn the country's attention to Indy. Ralph would return and win Indy in 1915. The "man who wouldn't quit" died in 1956 after winning about 2,000 races.

Estimated Economic Impacts to Indianapolis from Various Sporting Events (March 2002) 1. Indianapolis 500 $335 million 2. Brickyard 400 $220 million 3. U.S. Grand Prix $170 million NCAA Final Four $29 million World Basketball Championship $9 million Mens Big Ten Conference $7 million Womens Big Ten Conference $3 million Source: Street & Smith's Sport Business Journal

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