INDIANAPOLIS RACEWAY PARK - IRP

In 1958, 15 Indianapolis-area businessmen invested $5,000 to fund the development of a 267-acre farm tract into a sporting complex that would focus on auto racing. The original intention was to create a 15-turn, 2.5-mile (4.0 km) road course, but as an insurance measure against potential economic problems, the owners decided to incorporate a quarter-mile drag strip into the long straightaway of the road course design. The initial Indianapolis Raceway Park race was an SCCA event held in 1961. Indy car held their first road race at IRP won by Mario Andretti.  An insurance problem with the pit out configuration limited racing to SCCA regionals.  The last road race was held in 2007.