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Chassis Num: 004

The car was built as a copy of the Blu-Green Special, which was named after Gilmore Oil Company's Regular Gas. The original was a 1930 Miller Indy Car driven by Wilbur Show, who raced it at West Coast Tracks, including at Speed Trials on the dry lakes.

Harry A. Miller created some of the more advanced designs and engineering marvels of the early 1900s. He was born in Menomine, Wisconsin in 1875. His fathers German surname was Mueller; when Harry was old enough he changed his last name to Miller, to simplify the spelling. He left school at age thirteen to pursue in job in the local machine shop where he repaired steam engines and other mechanical devices.

By the early 1900s, he and his wife were living in San Francisco. While there, he created a simplistic car without a clutch or gearbox. He later created and patented a type of spark plug. This patent was later sold to the Peerless Motor Car Company. With the profits, he left California and headed to Toledo, Ohio in pursuit of a career in the automotive industry.

By 1908 he was a riding mechanic in the Vanderbilt Cup Races on Long Island. The car had disappointing results and he would never again get into the cockpit of a racer for competition purposes.

The early 1910s were blissful for the master engineer. He managed to secure investors to help with his endeavors. His Master carburetor, which he had first built in 1907, was very popular, and would remain a widely used item until the early 1920s. This success in the carburetion business led to other automotive endeavors. When Bob Burman, a race car driver with some fame, requested Miller to build him a replacement engine for his damaged car, Miller accepted. The engine was originally created by Peugeot; Miller made many modifications including using aluminum alloy pistons which dramatically reduced the overall weight while increase its strength and durability. With the newly tuned engine, Burman won the 200-mile Southwest Sweepstakes Road Race at Oklahoma City, and many other victories.

Happy with the success of the engine, Burman requested another engine. He would never take delivery of the unit, as he was tragically killed when he lost control of his car due to a blown tire. Both Burman and his riding mechanic were killed when the car hit two utility poles and a parked car. The race car was thrown over 45 feet.

By the mid-1910s, Miller was approached by an aviator named Lincoln Beachey who requested an engine built for aviation purposes. Together, they created a six-cylinder unit though it never reached major production, as Beachey was killed in a plane crash.

The next major project for Miller came in 1917, when he created a new race car for Barney Oldfield. Oldfield had been using a Delage. The result was the 'Golden Submarine', named due to its aerodynamic, teardrop, and enclosed body. The car was a very unusual design for the United States at the time. Under the hood was an engine that was truly unique. It had a peak RPM level of 4000, which was incredible for its day. Most engineers used larger displacement size to create more power as more revolutions often meant that the durability of the engine was jeopardized. The mechanical components were not adequate to handle extreme RPM speeds. Millers engine was an engineering marvel.

Located within the enclosed shell of the Golden Submarine was a roll cage which was intended to protect the driver in the case of a crash. The enclosed top was later removed, as the driver nearly drowned during a race when it went into the infield and into water. The car had a brilliant racing career that included many successful dirt track racing endeavors. At the Milwaukee Mile, it broke every international dirt track record.

De Lloy Thompson contacted Miller near the close of 1917, requesting a military aircraft engine. The two began designing a V-12 engine, but part-way through the project, Miller lost interest and began pursuing other endeavors, such as building engines for Duesenberg Motors, who had military contracts. This project never really materialized, as the war ended and the engines were no longer needed.

At the close of World War I, Miller moved to Los Angeles. Another project presented itself; it was called TNT and was backed by a wealthy brewer. The goal of the project was to design and built a racing car which could also be produced as a sports model. The team consisted of Miller, Fred Offenhauser, and Leo Goosen. This dream-team would be the most successful part of this venture, as financial difficulties had the project come to a halt.

In 1920, the Indianapolis 500 set a displacement limitation on engines, requiring them to be no larger than 183 cubic-inches or three-liters. The newly-formed Miller group created an engine for this race, which they called the Miller 183. They recruited the services of race-car driver, Tommy Milton. Ira Vail provided the necessary financial backing.

The Miller Group built engine had eight cylinders, and consisted of technology from Peugeot, Duesenberg, and Ballot. By 1922, it was completed and ready for competition. The car was instantly successful. As a result, Cliff Durant, the son of GM founder William C. Durant, ordered six examples. The Miller-powered cars won ten races. In the hands of Jimmy Murphy, a Miller-powered car won the Indianapolis 500 with an average speed of 94.5 miles per hour.

For 1923, racing officials changed the rules for the Indianapolis 500 race. The displacement size was reduced and the number of seats allowed per car was downgraded to just one. To accommodate the new rules, the Miller Group created the two-liter, Miller 122. It had a 122-cubic-inch formula engine and would become one of the most successful engines ever created.

These Miller 2-liter racers were to become the first ever series built racing cars. It was no easy task as each car required more than two-thousand parts, each individually produced at the Miller factory and hand assembled.

Durant again placed an ordered to replace his obsolete cars. Another individual, named Tommy Milton, purchased a 2-liter Miller in 1924. Milton was a well known speedway daredevil who had set the American Land Speed Record at Daytona Beach Florida in April of 1920. He achieved a third in the Indianapolis 500 in 1920, won it in 1921, and earned a National Driving Championship. He enjoyed much success during the early 1920s with a second victory at the Indy 500 in 1923 while driving a Harry Stutz sponsored 122 Miller.

His 2-liter Miller he ordered in 1924 was a one-off example specially prepared to for speed record runs. The chassis was designed to except either a Miller 183 eight or a Miller 122 eight. The car was made as aerodynamic as possible, which meant the removal of the wheel brakes and replaced by a lever operated externally, contracting brake band around a drum placed on the transmission output shaft.

Though the 183 engine had been rendered obsolete for track racing in 1923, it still remained a very capable and powerful engine. It was built with the cylinder blocks having either left side or right side exhaust discharge.

The 183 engine used in the Milton '183 Miller' car had its exhaust on the left side. All of the single-seater 122 Miller cars had the exhaust on the right side of the car with the steering apparatus on the left. Milton's 183 Convertible was the exception, featuring a left side exhaust and right side steering.

The '183 Miller' Milton car was brought to Muroc Dry Lake in the Mojave Desert on April 4th of 1924. With the AAA recording the time and speed, the car was clocked at 151.26 mph and traveled 17 mph faster than any European. He came just 5 mph away from his record he set at 156.03. This speed had been set in a dual engine Duesenberg that had a displacement size of 10-liters. Milton had the 183 engine quickly replaced with the 2-liter 122 and tried the run again. This time he managed 171.17 mph. Both were amazing runs; satisfied with the results, Milton returned to racing using one of his conventional 122 Millers.

Many of the 122 Millers produced have wonderful and colorful histories. Such is the case with the front-drive 122 Miller created by Jimmy Murphy and Riley Brett. It was dramatically different than other cars, as the power was sent to the same wheels that carried the bulk of the weight, and was responsible for the steering. The idea was that front-wheel drive may help in powering through turns.

Leo Goossen turned the idea into engineered drawings. The shop foreman of Miller, Mr. Fred Offenhauser, oversaw the production and Harry A. Miller made sure the project had all that was needed.

The Front Drive #1 was intended for competition at Indianapolis and on the board tracks. A second car was created for land speed record attempts. It was given as small of a frontal area as possible with the brakes concealed with the disc wheels. This car has become known as the 'Outboard Brake' car, or Front Drive #2. Unfortunately, plans changed after Murphy died at Syracuse in 1924.

Front Drive #2 was brought to the 1925 Indianapolis race where it was driven by Bennett Hill during practice and qualifying. Hill was unable to adapt to the cars handling and was unsatisfied with its handling. Ora Haibe was given the opportunity to qualify the car for the race, but was unable to do so.

Front Drive #2 was later purchased by the Packard Company to determine the feasibility of a front drive system. The car was later sold to Stanley Reed who brought the car to the speedway in 1927 with Bruce Miller behind the wheel, but was unable to qualify the car. In the hands of Sam Ross in 1928, the car qualified 16th with a speed of 106.757 mph. After 132 laps the car experienced timing gear problems and was forced to retire prematurely. In 1929 the car returned to Indy with driver Albert Karnatz piloting the machine; it qualified but retired early due to a gas leak. The following year the Junk Formula rules were put into place and made the car obsolete. Changes were made to the car to accommodate the new rules. It was widened to allow for a riding mechanic. At Indy the car qualified 33rd, but on race day it proved to be very competitive. It ran at the front of the pack most of the race and finished in an impressive 6th place.

At the 1931 Indy 500 it was driven by Frank Brisko and his riding mechanic Floyd Wiese. On lap number 138 a steering arm failure had the car retire early from the race. It returned a year later with Brisko as the driver and Floyd Sparks as the riding mechanic. The qualifying speed of 111.149 earned them a start of 13th place. But on lap number 61 they had a blown clutch and again, ended the day early. A wheel came off on lap 146th the following year, but neither driver or mechanic were hurt.

In 1937 the car was given a DOHC 6-cylinder engine designed by Frank Brisko. Brisko qualified at 118.213 which gave him a mid-pack start. He was joined during the race by riding mechanic Lester Brown. An oil leak on lap 105 meant the car would return to the pits early, and credited with a 23rd place.

Rule changes in 1938 eliminated the need for the riding mechanic. Brisko had the car narrowed and brought back to single seat configuration. It was still powered by Brisko's 271 cubic-inch six-cylinder engine which was powerful enough to qualify the car in 11th place that year. On lap number 39, an oil problem and broken line ruined the cars chances once again. Returning in 1939, Brisko again sat in the 11 spot but on race day it would be an air pump failure that took him out on lap number 38.

In 1940 the car completed the 193 lap race and finished in 9th place. For 1941 the car made it 70 laps before a broken valve spring sidelined the attempt. The car and Brisko returned in 1946, having been treated to mild restyling but still with the six-cylinder engine, driven by Louis Tomei and wearing the name 'Boxar Tool Special', traveled 34 laps before a broken oil line formed him to quit.

The impressive Miller car had lasted 21 years in major competition which is a feat unheard of in modern times as most cars barely last a season. It has one of the longest major racing careers in history and a true testament to the ingenuity and creativity of the Miller automobiles.

Tommy Milton piloted a Miller 122 to another victory at the Indy 500 in 1923, averaging 100 mph. With this success, Millers popularity continued to escalate. He was supplying more cars to more teams than any other marque.

As time progressed, so did his engines, cars, and accomplishments. He would become one of the most successful race car builders of all time.

Indianapolis

Historically known simply as ‘The 500' the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race is often shorted to either the Indianapolis 500 or the Indy 500. Originally the race was advertised as the ‘Liberty Sweepstakes' following WWI in 1919 before reverting the name to the ‘International Sweepstakes' name from 1920 through 1980. All references as the ‘International Sweepstakes' name was dropped following the 1981 race when the name ‘65th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race' was officially adopted. Since this time the race is always advertised this way and is complete with a unique annual logo and the ordinal has always been included.

‘The 500' is an American automobile race that is held annually during the Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway Indiana. One of the oldest and richest motorsports ever, the Indy 500 has one of the largest attendances, and radio and television audiences, of any single-day sporting event throughout the world. Since 1952 the race has been broadcasted live on radio by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network. On May 25, 2008, the 92nd running is scheduled and will mark the 63rd consecutive year of uninterrupted occurrence.

Carl Graham Fisher, an ex-bicycle racer and pioneer automobile dealer founded the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1906. Gleaning information from others in the automobile industry, Fisher deduced that poorly developed public roads were hampering research and development. Fisher proposed a facility of long straight-aways and sweeping turns to be used for both private testing and an occasional race pitting the automobiles of different manufacturers against each other. The original plan was to build the facility at French Lick.

On February 9th 1909 the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation was formed when 328 acres of farmland northwest of Downtown Indianapolis was bought by Fisher and his partners Jim Allison, Arthur Newby and Frank Wheeler. A 2.5-mile rectangular track was built. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway complex was built as a gravel-and-tar track and hosted a variety of small events before promoters chose to focus on just one major event. The track was then paved with 3.2 millions bricks following several deaths related to the unsteady racing surface.

The first race, a five mile long event, was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was on August 19, 1919. Louis Schwitzer took the checkered flag amidst over 12 thousand spectators. But it was a disaster as the track surface broke up and caused the deaths of two drivers, two mechanics, and two spectators. Following several unsuccessful automobile and motorcycle races, Fisher decided that a single extravaganza was needed.

The first 500 Mile Race was held on May 30th 1911. Besting 39 other drivers in the field, Ray Harroun won the race with an average speed of 74.59 mph in six hours and 42 minutes in a Marmon ‘Wasp', outfitted with his invention, the rear-view mirror. Admission was only $1, and 80,200 spectators were in attendance. Harroun was considered to be quite a hazard during the race as he was the only driver without a riding mechanic, who checked the oil pressure and let the driver know when traffic was coming.

An American driver at the wheel of an American car won the first race, though European makers began building their own vehicles to attempt a win at this race. European vehicles were raced from 1913 through 1919 before the onset of World War 1 allowed native drivers and manufacturers to regain their dominance of the race. The race was only 300 miles long in 1916 because Speedway management feared a shortage of vehicles due to the war in Europe. A total of only 21 cars competed in that race. In 1917 through 1918 the track shut itself down because of World War I. Engineer Harry Arminius Miller set himself up at the most competitive of the post war builders and his technical advancements allowed him to be indirectly latched to a history of success that lasted well into the mid 1970's.

The Indy 500 resumed in 1919 and Howdy Wilcox, the first driver to break 100 mph barrier won the race. Fisher announced that he no longer wished to operate the track prior to the 1923 race and a group led by Eddie Rickenbacker purchased the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for around $750,000.

During the early 1920's Miller produced his own 3.0-liter engine that was inspired by the Peugeot Grand Prix engine that had been serviced in his shop by Fred Offenhauser in 1914. Jimmy Murphy won the 1922 race after Miller installed the engine into a Duesenberg. Miller went on to create his own automobiles that shared the ‘Miller' designation, powered by supercharged versions of his 2.0 and 1.5 liter engine single-seaters These vehicles won four more races for the engine up to 1929. Before being adjusted to the international 3.0-liter formulas, these engines won another seven races until 1938. In 1935 Miller's former employees, Offenhauser and Leo Goosen had already achieved their first win with the soon-to-become famous 4-cylinder Offenhauser engine. In both naturally-aspirated and supercharged form, this motor was now forever connected with the Brickyard's history with record of 27 wins, and a record-holding 18 consecutive years of wins.

Struggling to survive through the Great Depression, Auto racing went through a particularly tough year in 1933. Five men were killed, one was seriously injured and there was also a short-lived drivers strike. In 1941 World War II shut down the track.
By 1945 Eddie Rickenbacker was ready to depart the auto racing business. In 1945 the track was sold to Anton Hulman Jr who spent millions of dollars to improve the facility. This investment resulted in the 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing'. Since 1946 there has been an Indianapolis 500 every year, despite rain delays, deaths and a power struggle in auto racing circles.

Just before World War II, European manufacturers that had been gone from the Indianapolis 500 for nearly two decades made a brief comeback with the Maserati 8CM in 1941. Wilbur Shaw became the first driver to win consecutively in Indianapolis. Between 1950 and 1960 the 500 became part of the World Drivers' Championship where Ferrari made an appearance at the '52 event with Alberto Ascari.

It wasn't until the Indy 500 was removed from the Formula one calendar that European entries made their return to the race. In the 1961 race, Australian Jack Brabham drove his slightly modified F1 Cooper. Foreign cars eventually became the norm at the Indy 500 and foreign drivers began showing up on a regular basis, choosing the U.S. as their primary base for their motor racing activities.

Three-time race winner Wilbur Shaw envisioned a successful future for auto racing in Indianapolis, but needed someone to step in and assure that success. Indianapolis investment broker, Homer Cochran got Rickenbacker and Tony Hulman together and the deal was struck on November 14th, 1945. The Speedway was sold for $750,000. The race began to get the track road worthy by May of 1946. Hulman oversaw the Indianapolis 500 for over 30 years, until his death in 1977.

After having won the previous two races, Bill Vukovich was killed on the 57th lap while leading the race in 1955. During the 1958 race during the first lap, fifteen vehicles were involved in an accident that cost the life of driver Pat O'Connor. This accident began the mandate that all cars were required to be equipped with roll bars and all drivers must wear fireproof uniforms.

The Speedway began a large improvement project following the 1956 race, the centerpiece of which was an eight-story control tower. Thousands of new infield seats were also added to the Speedway, along with a tunnel built under the backstretch and a safer pit area walled off from the main stretch. In 1957 the 500 Festival began to organize civic events, and the Parade became a showcase event that drew thousands of people to the streets of downtown Indianapolis.

In 1960 tragedy struck, not on the track, but in the infield when a multi-floor homemade grandstand collapsed, killing two people and leaving forty people injured. During the 1964 race a fiery crash occurred that involved no less than seven vehicles. Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald, both popular drivers lost their lives. That was the final time that a front-engine car won the race, and the end resulted in a crusade by The Star's George Moore to ban gasoline and require the use of alcohol-based fuel.

10,400 seats were added to the Speedway to replace wooden grandstands, and in 1961, the double-decked Paddock grandstand was constructed on the main straightaway for an exorbitant price-tag of 1.4 million. In 1963 the Speedway motel was opened and the first track suites were built in 1973. A new Speedway Hall of Fame and Museum were opened in 1976.

In 1971, local auto dealer Eldon Palmer, driving a pace car, slid out of control, crashed into a photo stand and injured twenty-two people. The 1973 race is known and remembered as perhaps the worst race in 500 history. After being cancelled twice due to rain, it became, at 72-hours, the longest and deadliest race in Speedway history. One of the most well-liked drivers, Art Pollard suffered a fatal crash when his car hit the wall on pole day and flipped. Salt Walther's car tangled with Jerry Grant's on the first day of the race and set off a 12-car chain reaction that critically injured Walther and injured 13 other spectators. Two days later Swede Savage was injured fatally when during the race his car hit the wall, split in two and covered the track with flames. An emergency truck hit a crewman wile racing to Savage's accident.

In 1972 Offenhauser joined forces with European maker, McLaren and obtained three wins for the chassis, one with the Penske team and two for the McLaren works team in 1974. The final time the Offy would win a race, and its final appearance was in 1983 while its competitiveness steadily decreased.

Janet Guthrie became the first woman to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in 1977 only six years after the Speedway began allowing women in the pits and garage area.

In 1978 the Championship Auto Racing Team, CART was founded by six car owners that had an issue with the way the U.S. Auto Club was running Indy-style car racing. Prior to the 1979 race, there was some controversy when the Speedway rejected the entries of the CART teams based on the grounds that they weren't on good grounds with the USAC which sanctioned the Indianapolis 500. Federal court order reinstated the vehicles, though there were subsequent charges of turbocharger tampering by a few drivers. 35 vehicles started the race, the most since 1933, and an additional qualifying day was added to the race.

Following the end of the 1995 season, the Indy 500 was transferred to its fourth regulations ruling body since its inception. The race had been organized from 1911 through 1955 under the auspices of the AAA. AAA ended its auto racing divisions after the 1955 Le Mans disaster to concentrate on its membership program aimed at the general motoring public. Tony Hulman, IMS owner founded the United States Automobile Club in 1956, which took over the job of sanctioning of the race.

Though most of the racers didn't compete in the other races in the Championship, from 1950 through 1960, the Indy 500 also counted toward the World Driving Championship, which is now synonymous with Formula 1. Following the death of Tony Hulman in 1977, along with the loss of several important USAC officials in a plane crash in 1978, and due to control issues of monetary prizes and regulation amendments in the 1970's, several members joined together and formed CART. The Indy 500 remained with USAC for the next few years and became the only high-level race the body still sanctioned after its own series was discontinued after 1979. Though the same cars and drivers were in attendance, the race was temporarily removed from the CART calendar. Eventually this was resolved and the race again became part of the CART calendar in 1983. Race sanctioning continued to remain in the hands of USAC.

European technology began to take over, though American drivers continued filling the majority of entries at the Brickyard for the next few years. Beginning in 1978, the majority of chassiss's and engines were European. The only American-based chassis to win during the CART era was the Wildcat in 1982 and the Galmer in 1992. Ford engines were built in the UK by Cosworth while Chevy engines were constructed in Ilmor, UK.

Following the 1985 race, the old Gasoline Alley garages were demolished and replaced by 96 new garages in three concrete bunkers.

During the 1990's the Indy 500 lost a bit of its prestige when a fight among racing teams led to a competing race the same day in Michigan. In 1990 the grandson of Tony Hulman, Anton Hulman George was named president of the Speedway in January. He formed the Indy Racing League four years later and the conflict with CART only deepened. A few people saw this as an obvious declaration of war by George against Roger Penske, whose drivers had won a record 10 times at the Indianapolis 500. Supporters of George's decision shared his disapproval of Indy's lack of status within CART when it very obvious that it was the series' flagship, the increasing number of foreign drivers with large bank account that forced professional American racing drivers away. Meanwhile opposors accusing George of playing politics with the race and its heritage merely for a power play that furthered his own interests at the expense of the sport overall.

Promising to reward participants in its racing series with a guaranteed number of spots along with the best starting positions in the Indy 500, the IRL had its first race in 1996. Announcing that 25 of the 33 starting position would be reserved for the top 25 cars in the IRL points standings, this effectively left only eight entries for teams who had not competed in the first two IRL races. CART announced a competing schedule, which featured the U.S. 500 at the Michigan International Speedway on the same day as the Indy 500, which prompted the IRL to begin a lawsuit that challenged CART's use of the trademark IndyCar. A driver who had however qualified for three previous 500's, American Buddy Lazier, won a competitive but crash-filled race. The CART race had to be delayed when a massive pile-up occurred due the front-tow drivers colliding at the start. In 1997 the U.S. 500 was moved from being directly opposite from the Indy 500 to July, before being cancelled altogether in 1999.

Ten years later the Indianapolis 500 was regaining its luster as the rift within Indy Car circles began to heal. In 1993 Tony George announced that he was bringing NASCAR to the Speedway. In August of 1994 the inaugural Brickyard 400 was held. IRL attracted little known and inexperienced drivers, smaller teams and older cars during its first season in 1996. Due to this and other reasons, NASCAR's Daytona 500 has surpassed IRL's Indianapolis 500 in U.S. TV ratings.

Willie T. Ribbs, a black driver didn't qualify to race until 1991. Blacks did however race in Indianapolis from 1924 through 1936 in a 100-mile event called the Gold and Glory Sweepstakes. This race was held almost every summer at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

George's next move in 1997 was to specify new technical rules for less expensive vehicles and ‘production based' engines that outlawed the CART-spec vehicles. These cars had been the mainstay of the race since the late 1970s. Almost all of the CART teams and drivers did not compete in the race for the next few years. Though this situation allowed many American drivers to participate in an even that may not have been able to afford, a shadow was cast over the race. The absence of many of the top IndyCar drivers, and the disappearance of big-name sponsors and faster CART-spec car made many question George's decision.

A Formula One race, the U.S. Grand Prix was announced by George in December of 1998 that would be held at the track beginning in 2000. George invested tens of millions of dollars in preparation of that event. A 2.6-mile F-1 course had to be constructed, while 1.1 miles of existing track was used, and an additional 1.5 miles of track was built to snake through the infield. In preparation of the Formula One cars, 36 pitside garages were added with suites that overlooked the straightaway on top of those garages. A new media center and a new Master Race Control Tower were constructed and giant video screens were added for the fans of all three of the Speedway's races.

Numerous racing family have participated in the Indianapolis 500, these included the Unsers, Andrettis, Chevroletes, Rathmanns, Russons, DePAlmas, Bettenhausens, Mears, allisons, Carters, Snevas, Whittingtons and Vukovichs.

In 2000, Chip Ganassi, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jimmy Vasser, CART drivers returned to Indianapolis for the first time in 4 years when two weeks of the CART schedules were announced and allowed its teams to compete. Montoya put on a dominating performance and led 167 of the 200 laps before winning, somewhat humiliating the IRL teams.The following year Penske announced that he would once again enter vehicles in the Indy 500. Penske drivers Helio Castroneves and Gil de Ferran walked away with first and second place. CART drivers actually claimed the top five positions in the race, with the 6th place award going to Tony Stewart, a NASCAR driver driving for a CART team. Stewart is the only driver to complete the full race distance in both races on the same day.

Penske and Ganassi became permanet entrants in the IRL for 2002, with various other former CART teams joining them in switching sides. Honda and Toyota switched their engine supply from CART to IRL in 2003, and CART went bankrupt shortly afterwards with all rights and infrastructure purchased by remaining car owners.

In 2001 the 25th run of the festival's Mini-Marathon featured nearly 24,000 entrants from all over the world were competing. The following year Helio Castroneves won again for Penske, but unfortunately the win was quite controversial as Paul Tracy claimed to have passed Castroneves on lap 199 before a yellow light, and Tracy's owner Barry Green appealed this. The win was upheld originally by the IRL before Tony George served as the official arbitrator. On July 3rd George decided that the placement of vehicles after a caution is a judgment call of the officials and not subject to appeal.

A Penske driver claimed victory yet again in 2003 as Gil de Ferran finished first. Consequently teammate Helio Castroneves was denied his third win a row, though he did finish second, just 0.2990 seconds behind de Ferran.

The following year the start of the race was delayed by two hours, before beginning, only to be halted again shortly after. At lap 180 the race ended again, this the final time as the race continued. Pole sitter Buddy Rice took the checkered flag. Receiving the best showing of any women in Indy 500 history, 23-year-old rookie Danica Patrick led the 2005 race for several laps before finishing fourth. The 2005 race was won by Dan Wheldon. Wheldon, Patrick and her teammate Vitor Meira swapped the lead six times during the last 50 laps.

Sam Hornish Jr. won his first Indy 500 in 2006 as he finished just 0.0635 seconds ahead of Marco Andretti, 19 year-old amateur. Winning the second-closest Indy 500 ever, Homish passed Andretti on the final lap of the race. Danica Patrick finished eighth in her second year at Indianapolis.

Following a three-hour delay due to rain, the 07 winner was Dario Franchitti.

Continuing to operate as a separate series, the Champ Car World series had eliminated all oval races from its schedule by 2006. A deal was brokered before the 2008 series to reunite Champ Car and the Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series. This brought an end to the 11 year long split.

The Indy Racing League currently specifies all of the technical regulations for the Indy 500. Except for special low-drag adjustable ‘Speedway' wings that only used for the Indy 5500, the rules are the same as every other IRL IndyCar race. Teams are allowed to enter up to two cars on a given car number, while the second ‘backup' vehicle is given that number followed by a ‘T'. Both vehicles may be practiced during the month, even simultaneously. All vehicles must undergo and pass a rigorous technical inspection before receiving a sticker that signifies its eligibility to practice. Before and after qualification vehicles must past yet another inspection. The first one focuses on safety aspects while the second inspection is to detect any deviations from the performance guidelines from the performance guidelines set forth by the league.

The first two to three weeks of practice and qualifying prior to the race is known in racing circles as ‘the month of May'. ‘Bump day' is the final day of qualifying when the drivers are removed from the field of 33 by being out-qualified by faster vehicles, they are said to have been ‘bumped'. ‘On the bubble' are the drivers with the slowest speed in a full field, and the first in line to be bumped. ‘Carburetion Day' or ‘Carb Day' is the Friday before the race day when the final practice session before the race is held. Every year since 1972 on the Friday before the race the ‘Last Row Party' is held to benefit charity.

Stating ‘Gentlemen, start your engines!' has been revised to ‘Lady and Gentlemen' or ‘Ladies and Gentleman' when female drivers are competing in the Indy 500 race.

A long-standing tradition of the Indianapolis 500 has been for the victor to drink a bottle of milk immediately following the race. This tradition began in 1936 when Victor Louis Meyer asked for a glass of buttermilk, something his *** had influenced him to drink on hot days. This soon became a ritual as milk companies became influential sponsors of the race and wanted to promote their product. Today, a 10,000 sponsorship by the American Dairy Association is awarded to the winner if he drinks the milk in victory lane.

The Indianapolis 500 has been the topic of several movies, numerous TV shows, media and more recently, a Wii and DS game based on the race.

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