IV 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 608 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-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; 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 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

That the House of Representatives recognizes the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.