Who bought Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1945 and revived the 500?

Tony Hulman bought Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1945 and helped revive the Indianapolis 500. He purchased the deteriorating facility from Eddie Rickenbacker on November 14, 1945, after racing had been suspended during World War II.

The Speedway had fallen into serious disrepair while closed, and there was concern that it might be sold for redevelopment. Hulman, a Terre Haute businessman associated with Hulman & Company and the Clabber Girl brand, saw the track’s sporting and civic importance. He invested in restoration and worked with three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Wilbur Shaw, who became track president.

Their efforts brought the race back in May 1946, its first running since 1941. Hulman also became famous for making the command “Gentlemen, start your engines!” a defining Indianapolis tradition. Arthur Newby, Carl Fisher and Frank Wheeler were among the Speedway’s original founders, while Eddie Rickenbacker was the previous owner—not the man who restored the postwar race.