Sigur Whitaker is an acclaimed auto racing history book author. First Super Speedway and Sigur are collaborating with this platform for her articles. You can receive her articles directly by subscribing to her e-mail newsletter. If you would like to be added to my subscriber list, please let her know at sigurwhitakerbooks881@gmail.com.

Cummins Special

By Sigur Whitaker.
 
The Cummins Special holds a couple of Indianapolis 500 records even though it did not win the 1931 race. The car was entered by the Cummins Engine Company of Columbus, Indiana.
 

Cummins, Part 2

By Sigur Whitaker.

Book Review--Barney Oldfield, The Life and Times of America's Legendary Speed King by William F. Nolan

In the 1920s and 1930s, speeding motorists would be asked by the patrolman, “Who do you think you are, Barney Oldfield?” The question referenced Barney who was widely known as the Speed King.
 

The Fulford-Miami Speedway

By Sigur Whitaker.
 
In 1925, Carl Fisher was busy developing and promoting Miami Beach. It was at the peak of the Roaring Twenties development in south Florida. Miami Beach had 56 hotels with 4,000 rooms, 178 apartment buildings, and 858 private residences. Some of the wealthy residents included Harvey Firestone, J. C. Penney, Harry Stutz, Albert Champion (spark plugs), Frank Seiberling (Goodyear Tire & Rubber), John Oliver LaGorce (National Geographic), Roy Chapin (Hudson Motor Company), Alfred DuPont, R J. Reynolds, and William Randolph Hearst.
 

Sigur Whitaker on the Golden Submarine

(By Sigur Whitaker)
Barney Oldfield was one of the preeminent race car drivers of the early era in auto racing. He set many speed records ranging from one mile to 100 miles including a 100 mph record for one lap (2.5 miles) at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  He was so renown that through the 1940s, if a person was stopped for speeding by a policeman, he was frequently asked, “Who do you think you are, Barney Oldfield?”
 

IMS Pagoda History

(By Sigur Whitaker)
 
The iconic Pagoda at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has a history of over 100 years. To many, seeing the Pagoda brings back a flood of memories of racing at the Speedway.  
 

IMS Radio History

By Sigur Whiaker
 
Over the 1951-1952 winter, Tony Hulman and IMS president Wilbur Shaw put together the IMS Radio Network to broadcast the Indianapolis 500. This was not a new idea but rather it was born of necessity.
 

Sigur Whitaker on Prest-O-Lite

By Sigur Whitaker
Prest-O-Lite was the primary factor which made the Indianapolis Motor Speedway a reality. While both Carl Fisher and James Allison might have had the financial wherewithal to build the Speedway, the success of Prest-O-Lite made it easily achievable.
 

The Great Zoline Caper

By Sigur Whitaker

The Astor Cup Story

By Sigur Whitaker
 
The winner of the IndyCar drivers' championship has been presented with the Astor Cup since 2011. This cup has ties to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway through Carl Fisher, one of the cofounders.