24 Hours of Indy

This 24 hour race held at the Indiana State  Fairgrounds was actually a follow up to an earlier race meet that offered a menu of events including a 100 mile race. The event was less of a race and more of a simple 24 hour record attempt using a pair of National Motor Vehicle Company stock cars (discussed in the company's 1917 brochure). The idea came to Carl Fisher and National president Arthur C. Newby after realizing the pace the 100 mile race winning National was good enough to bust the existing 24 hour speed record. The drivers that braved this freezing cold November event and set the new record were Jap Clemens and Charlie Merz. Perhaps the most significant outcome of this event was that Indianapolis Motor Speedway founders Fisher, Newby and Jim Allison discussed the idea of building a giant speedway as they huddled by a campfire through the cold night.