27-02-2013, 11:02 AM
No takers on the queries.
That doesn't surprise me.
Carl Fisher (Fisher Body), Dupont confidant, Frank Wheeler and James Allison the original builders financiers of the first motorsports facility in the US were of the ST minions orbit.
All were tied to the young auto industry and the defense industries. Yes they built the track and did no upkeep for decades. When they started losing interest and sold the track to the national hero Ed. Rickenbacker. He let the track go to hell too.
Damn but the Great Depression killed the attendance an issue the ST was not aware of. No one could afford to go to the track for "fun" hunger came first. A condition that was not abated until the mobilization of WW2. The lucky that worked anywhere or worked the land on FAMILY farms ate, the rest well "let them eat S*IT" was the attitude until the war, then you fought and were broke or were home as 4F and got rich.
A 3-time winner ran an aircraft tire test for Firestone in 1945 an learned of the complete lack of maintenance and heard rumors of selling the land to AFNB (bank) real estate developers. Rickenbacker was only in it for the $. Wilber Shaw (of Shelbyville In) got involved and interested a Yalie in buying the track to preserve as a racetrack.
Those two men had nothing in common except both were Hoosiers.
One from a broken family and born to dirt but possessed by an ability of driving and "real" engineering - not taught by PU, MIT or CIT, but taught by having your butt strapped out over-the-line in a machine.
Degrees be damned are you fast? Fast enough?
The men had one thing in common - they appreciated motor racing and knew all those G.I. about to come home would want to resume a "normal Life" and one of the traditions of normal life was a Memorial Day Race in Indy. Both of them loved Indy as a race and both were made by association with the Speedway. They both understood motor racing as a great thing to be involved in.
The other man never had to work labor and had everything he ever wanted by profits of "Clabber Girl" baking powder industry established the previous generations of the Hulman family.
Hulman was a Yalie, I have not been able to prove he was a member of any secret society there. It is clear he had the linkages to the "right" people though.
To be sure the Hulman family went from wealthy to really well off because of the rebuilding of the track.
Consider that when Dick Lugar as Indianapolis Mayor, pushed "Unigov" down Hoosier throats and exemption was made for Speedway (the town Hulman built). Speedway is separate from Indianapolis in governance. That is ST power in disguise. Burt SerVaas ring any bells as ST operator?
He reportedly was involved in swinging Lugar's deal.
Danger Danger Will Robinson Warning Warning.....
Names be names and .....
Unlike previous owners of the track Tony Hulman put huge dollars back into the facility. The Yalie bought the track in extreme disrepair in 1945 (Oct.) and hoped to put on the next 500 in May 1946.
Reportedly he paid $750,000 for the track and sold the Coke concessions at the track for the same amount in a week (as per former winner Roger Ward). That ST level so called wisdom. Astute business.
It has become clear that more was involved in the IMS than a few auto enthusiasts in 1909 wanting a test track.
Long before the present age of corporate sponsorships for tracks, teams and etc., Hulman aligned both Coke and Firestone as unofficial sponsors as Nascar has done with Chevrolet. Closet deals all.
As corporate as the IMS has become - there was a day when the employees of the track from the janitor to the Chairman knew it was all about the fan-in-the-cheap-seats that made it all possible.
In 1974 the gate ticket taker would NOT take the stub off my ticket and waved me into the seats. My hair cut and the boondockers on my feet proved I was active duty military. The people didn't hassle my Pop and me, we were both drunk before Jim Nabors sang for reasons I won't go into.
The trends of society in America are reflected in the way Americans treat each other and the way Americans tolerate being poorly treated by Corporations and Governments and each other.
It was not always as harsh as it is now in America. We used to have more products to sell than energy and WAR.
That doesn't surprise me.
Carl Fisher (Fisher Body), Dupont confidant, Frank Wheeler and James Allison the original builders financiers of the first motorsports facility in the US were of the ST minions orbit.
All were tied to the young auto industry and the defense industries. Yes they built the track and did no upkeep for decades. When they started losing interest and sold the track to the national hero Ed. Rickenbacker. He let the track go to hell too.
Damn but the Great Depression killed the attendance an issue the ST was not aware of. No one could afford to go to the track for "fun" hunger came first. A condition that was not abated until the mobilization of WW2. The lucky that worked anywhere or worked the land on FAMILY farms ate, the rest well "let them eat S*IT" was the attitude until the war, then you fought and were broke or were home as 4F and got rich.
A 3-time winner ran an aircraft tire test for Firestone in 1945 an learned of the complete lack of maintenance and heard rumors of selling the land to AFNB (bank) real estate developers. Rickenbacker was only in it for the $. Wilber Shaw (of Shelbyville In) got involved and interested a Yalie in buying the track to preserve as a racetrack.
Those two men had nothing in common except both were Hoosiers.
One from a broken family and born to dirt but possessed by an ability of driving and "real" engineering - not taught by PU, MIT or CIT, but taught by having your butt strapped out over-the-line in a machine.
Degrees be damned are you fast? Fast enough?
The men had one thing in common - they appreciated motor racing and knew all those G.I. about to come home would want to resume a "normal Life" and one of the traditions of normal life was a Memorial Day Race in Indy. Both of them loved Indy as a race and both were made by association with the Speedway. They both understood motor racing as a great thing to be involved in.
The other man never had to work labor and had everything he ever wanted by profits of "Clabber Girl" baking powder industry established the previous generations of the Hulman family.
Hulman was a Yalie, I have not been able to prove he was a member of any secret society there. It is clear he had the linkages to the "right" people though.
To be sure the Hulman family went from wealthy to really well off because of the rebuilding of the track.
Consider that when Dick Lugar as Indianapolis Mayor, pushed "Unigov" down Hoosier throats and exemption was made for Speedway (the town Hulman built). Speedway is separate from Indianapolis in governance. That is ST power in disguise. Burt SerVaas ring any bells as ST operator?
He reportedly was involved in swinging Lugar's deal.
Danger Danger Will Robinson Warning Warning.....
Names be names and .....
Unlike previous owners of the track Tony Hulman put huge dollars back into the facility. The Yalie bought the track in extreme disrepair in 1945 (Oct.) and hoped to put on the next 500 in May 1946.
Reportedly he paid $750,000 for the track and sold the Coke concessions at the track for the same amount in a week (as per former winner Roger Ward). That ST level so called wisdom. Astute business.
It has become clear that more was involved in the IMS than a few auto enthusiasts in 1909 wanting a test track.
Long before the present age of corporate sponsorships for tracks, teams and etc., Hulman aligned both Coke and Firestone as unofficial sponsors as Nascar has done with Chevrolet. Closet deals all.
As corporate as the IMS has become - there was a day when the employees of the track from the janitor to the Chairman knew it was all about the fan-in-the-cheap-seats that made it all possible.
In 1974 the gate ticket taker would NOT take the stub off my ticket and waved me into the seats. My hair cut and the boondockers on my feet proved I was active duty military. The people didn't hassle my Pop and me, we were both drunk before Jim Nabors sang for reasons I won't go into.
The trends of society in America are reflected in the way Americans treat each other and the way Americans tolerate being poorly treated by Corporations and Governments and each other.
It was not always as harsh as it is now in America. We used to have more products to sell than energy and WAR.
Read not to contradict and confute;
nor to believe and take for granted;
nor to find talk and discourse;
but to weigh and consider.
FRANCIS BACON
nor to believe and take for granted;
nor to find talk and discourse;
but to weigh and consider.
FRANCIS BACON
pinwheels: