Fred OffenhauserFred H. Offenhauser, Jr. (November 11, 1888 – August 17, 1973), was an American machinist and self taught automotive engineer who developed the Offenhauser racing engine, nicknamed the "Offy", which dominated competition in the Indianapolis 500 race for decades. He also built the Novi engine, which was designed by Bud Winfield and Leo Goossen.
Harry Miller (auto racing)Harold Arminius Miller (December 9, 1875 – May 3, 1943) was an American race car designer and builder who was most active in the 1920s and 1930s. Griffith Borgeson called him "the greatest creative figure in the history of the American racing car". Cars built by Miller won the Indianapolis 500 nine times, and other cars using his engines won three more. Millers accounted for 83% of the Indy 500 fields between 1923 and 1928.
Midget car racingMidget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, is a class of racing cars. The cars are very small, with a very high power-to-weight ratio, and typically use four-cylinder engines. They originated in the United States in the 1930s and are raced on most continents. There is a worldwide tour and national midget tours in the United States, Australia, Argentina and New Zealand.Sprint car racingSprint cars are open-wheelrace cars, designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval, circular dirt or paved tracks. Historically known simply as "big cars," distinguishing them from "midget cars," sprint car racing is popular primarily in the United States and Canada, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
1935 Indianapolis 500The 23rd International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday, May 30, 1935. Despite attempts to improve participant safety by requiring crash helmets and installing green and yellow lights around the track, the event that year would prove to be one of the worst in terms of fatalities. Kelly Petillo won the race, accompanied by riding mechanic Jimmy Dunham.
Engine displacementEngine displacement is the measure of the cylindervolume swept by all of the pistons of a piston engine, excluding the combustion chambers. It is commonly used as an expression of an engine's size, and by extension as an indicator of the power (through mean effective pressure and rotational speed) an engine might be capable of producing and the amount of fuel it should be expected to consume.American open-wheel car racingCategory of professional-level automobile racing in North AmericaÁlex Palou, 2026 IndyCar Series ChampionAmerican open-wheel car racing, also known as Indy car racing, is a category of professional automobile racing in the United States. As of 2026, the top-level American open-wheel racing championship is the IndyCar Series, which is sanctioned by IndyCar, LLC.
Internal combustion engineEngine in which fuel combusts with an oxidizerDiagram of a cylinder as found in an overhead cam 4 stroke gasoline engine: C – crankshaftE – exhaust camshaftI – inlet camshaftP – pistonR – connecting rodS – spark plugV – valves.Indianapolis 500Annual auto race held in Speedway, Indiana, USMotor raceThe Indianapolis 500, commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an automobile race held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclavesuburb of Indianapolis. The event is traditionally held over Memorial Day weekend, usually the last weekend of May.
Auto racingAuto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non-racing disciplines. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various types were organized, with the first recorded as early as 1867.1976 Indianapolis 500The 60th 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 30, 1976. The race unfolded as a two-man battle between Polesitter Johnny Rutherford and A. J. Foyt. Rutherford was seeking his second Indy victory, while Foyt was chasing history, looking for his record fourth "500". Rutherford took the lead on lap 80, and was leading when rain halted the race on lap 103 (of 200).Historic motorsportHistoric motorsport or vintage motorsport, is motorsport with vehicles limited to a particular era. Only safety precautions are modernized in these hobbyist races. A historical event can be of various types of motorsport disciplines, from road racing to rallying. EventsSome of the most famous events are the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival in Britain, Le Mans Classic in France, and Monterey Historic in the United States.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.