Wednesday 14th November 1945

Tony Hulman purchased the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from Edward Rickenbacher for $750,000. The speedway was in a deplorable condition after four years of disuse during World War II, and before Hulman made his offer Rickenbacher was considering tearing the facilities down and selling the land. Hulman installed himself as chairman of the board of the raceway and named Wilbur Shaw as president. The two hastily renovated the racetrack for the return of Indy racing the following year, but also launched a long-range program of improvements that included replacing all of the old wooden grandstands with structures of steel and concrete. In May of 1946, the American Automobile Association ran its first postwar 500-mile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. George Robson, driving a prewar Adams-Sparks won the event with an average speed of 114.82 mph.