500 On (The Indy) 500 by Rick Shaffer

500 on (the INDY) 500:
Tales, Facts and Figures on
"The Greatest Race in the World"

by Rick Shaffer

Foreword by Helio Castroneves

• Whether the distant past or modern times serves as a lure for "The Greatest Race in the World," there are literally hundreds of fascinating, true Indy 500 tales, facts and figures.

• Why is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 2.5 miles around instead of five miles?

• Who was an Indy race winner before Ray Harroun?

• What driver had to take a streetcar home to inform his parents he had just won the Indy 500?
• How was the starting lineup determined in the years before the cars were qualified?
• Have there always been 33 starters?

One of the race's most-respected journalists, Rick Shaffer, has gathered 500 of the most interesting anecdotes to come out of the intersection of 16th Street and Georgetown Road.

500 on (the Indy) 500 chronicles the famous from Chevrolet to Andretti, the obscure from William Borque (item #10, the track's first driver fatality) to Simon Pagenaud (#496), winner 105 years after the last Frenchman to do so.

The ultimate race chronology, this book is for the curious, the scholar, the passing fan or the diehard. The depth of research is sure to entertain and illuminate aspects of the Indy 500 new to even many Indy devotees.

Hard cover, 200 color and B&W images, 280 pages.