We didn't realize that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is over 100 years old with the first car race here in 1909. The track was made up of gravel and tar which didn't stand up at all. So bricks were laid on the entire track before the 1911 race --
Forry was VERY fascinated by this race car that featured an open oil bath for the pistons on the bottom with the valves and camshaft on the top. (This car was never allowed to race at Indy as it was too heavy in spite of the fact that they drilled over a hundred holes in the frame.)
We took a tour of the track on this bus. It was a thrill to actually ride around the two and one-half mile track --
Of the over three million bricks that make up the track, these at the finish/starting line are the only ones that have not been covered with asphalt --
Other than during the two World Wars, there have been races at Indy every year. The museum has about half of the winning cars on display, including this six cylinder Marmon Wasp which won the first Indianapolis "500" in 1911. Driver Ray Harroun won in 6 hours, 42 minutes and 8 seconds with an average 74.59 miles per hour.
On our way back to Indy Lakes, we stopped at a Walgreen's and got our flu shots. One more thing checked off our "to do" lists!
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