In late 1958, Wilke got together with Rathmann and Rodger Ward and mechanic A.J. Through Leader Card, a high-end paper company founded by his father, Wilke backed the Marcheses and Lindsey Hopkins' team with driver Jim Rathmann. Milwaukee's greatest contribution to 500 history is Bob Wilke, who distributed Kurtis Kraft race cars, collected Ferraris and Maseratis and went from sponsor to owner with instant success. ■ Paul and Eddie Russo of Kenosha, who combined for 17 starts, three of them together in 1955, '57 and '60. ■ Myron Fohr of Milwaukee, a two-time starter in Marchese cars, was the fourth-place finisher in 1949. ■ Tony Willman of West Allis, a four-time participant before the race went on hiatus for World War II. ■ Carl Marchese of Milwaukee, who made just one start (1929) but went on to be a car owner and promoter at the Milwaukee Mile with his brother, Tom. ■ Eddie O'Donnell of Whitewater, whose three starts included a fifth-place finish in 1915. His Offenhauser engines won 27 Indy 500s, including every one from 1947-'64.Īmong the Wisconsin drivers in the early- and mid-20th century were: Statistics can be confusing, Davidson said, because numerous mechanics would prepare cars while in Miller's employ and their cars could carry their names instead of his.Ī meticulous craftsman, Miller proved to be a better builder than businessman, though, going bankrupt in 1933.įred Offenhauser, Miller's shop foreman, bought the remnants of the business and from them built an even more successful business of his own. One partnership Miller struck over the years was with the Four-Wheel Drive Auto Co. 'Now a sportsman with money that probably owned yachts and racehorses could go and order a Miller. 'It had gone from being automobile companies and then maybe a few rich kids with foreign grand prix cars,' Davidson said. The company had become a one-stop shop for Indy hopefuls like none before or since. From 1925-'29, three-quarters of the field carried Miller branding in one way or another. Jimmy Murphy in 1922 was the first driver to win with Miller power, and Miller cars won nine 500s and his engines three more. Then the next thing was specialists like Harry Miller, as an example, came in, and his business was to sell racing cars.'Ī native of Menomonie, Wis., Miller had built carburetors and then graduated to engines and later cars. Others would push the envelope and build a racing car with stuff on there that you couldn't buy at that time. 'Some companies were adamant about trying to make it as close to what they were selling as possible. 'Some people say that was the golden age of the American racing car, the '20s,' Indianapolis Motor Speedway historian Donald Davidson said. A company that built automobiles as a sideline couldn't keep up with the industry and got out of the business in 1927.īy then, Indianapolis racing belonged to Harry Miller. Louis Disbrow was the only Case driver to finish the 500, eighth in 1913, the final year of the program.Īccording to company history, Case wasn't competitive in the marketplace either. Its racing cars were never competitive, though. The Case team was popular, according to company history, with its drivers and riding mechanics neatly attired in khaki racing suits and red turtlenecks adorned with white eagles. Jagersberger crashed, and Strang and Jones dropped out with steering failures. Joe Jagersberger, an Austrian who had settled in Racine, bore No. With the 1911 lineup set by entries, Lewis Strang's Case carried the No. Case Threshing Machine Co., based in Racine, Wis., primarily dealt in harvesting equipment but for a time built cars as well, and saw the opportunity the first 'International 500' provided. Competitions also could give the buying public and opportunity to see how the Marmons and Coles and Marions stacked up. That is how inextricably the state and the race have been connected between the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911 and the 100th running Sunday.Ĭarl Fischer and his partners built their 'motor parkway' on the west side of Indianapolis in 1909 intending it to be a test facility for a growing local auto industry. Since then, connections have included the most heralded designer in American racing history, a buttoned-down owner with three victories, the fastest driver the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has seen and a prolific owner so enamored of Indy he found a way to participate again a dozen years after folding his team. Indianapolis - How long and how deeply have Wisconsin and the Indy 500 been linked?
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