James Allison

A native of Indianapolis, Sigur E. Whitaker, is the great-great-niece of James Allison, one of the founders of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A retired banker, she lives in Norfolk, Virginia.

Table of Contents



Preface     

Introduction     



1. The Early Years     

2. The Birth of the Automobile Industry     

3. Development of the Automobile in the United States     

4. The Early Races     

5. Prest-O-Lite: The Early Years     

6. The Marriage     

7. Prest-O-Lite Expands—and Explodes     

8. Prest-O-Lite Explodes—Again     

9. An Indianapolis Racetrack Becomes Reality     

10. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Opens     

11. Indianapolis Motor Speedway Racing     

12. The Town of Speedway, Indiana     

13. The Second Year of Racing     

14. The Inaugural Indianapolis 500     

15. Prest-O-Lite Building Collapses     

16. Prest-O-Lite Thrives     

17. Riverdale Springs     

18. The Second Running of the Indianapolis 500     

19. The Europeans Dominate the 1914 Race     

20. The Lincoln Highway     

21. The War Years     

22. Racing Resumes     

23. Miami Beach     

24. The Miami Aquarium     

25. Prohibition     

26. Allison Assumes Indianapolis Motor Speedway Presidency     

27. Allison Engineering     

28. Allison Hospital     

29. The Divorce     

30. The End     

31. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Thereafter     

32. Allison Engineering in the Aftermath     



Epilogue     

Chapter Notes     

Bibliography     

Index