If I was to ask one hundred people, “Whose car won the Indianapolis 500 while he owned the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” I suspect that nearly all would answer, “Roger Penske.” After all Roger has won the Indianapolis 500 eighteen times but none of these victories was while he owned the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

There are two owners of the Speedway which have won the Indianapolis 500—Jim Allison and Arthur Newby.  Here is the story of Jim Allison’s car winning the race.

In September 1915, Allison and Carl Fisher started Speedway Team Company and Prest-O-Lite Team Company to ensure they would have enough cars participating in the 1916 Indianapolis 500 after most European cars and drivers couldn’t participate because World War I was raging in Europe.

Tired of driving the cars from downtown Indianapolis to the Speedway for testing, Allison started a small machine shop near the Speedway to maintain the five cars owned by Speedway Team Company. This high-end machine shop, known as Allison Experimental, quickly developed a reputation as a center for automobile invention. The twenty-man shop pioneered designs and models not only for Speedway Team Company but for other racing teams. With a passion for quality, Allison ensured that his company had the finest tools available.

When the United States entered World War I, Allison shuttered the Speedway. Allison Experimental began working on designs for the Liberty Engine and quickly established a national reputation for quality machine parts. They also started building whippet tanks, high speed crawler type tractors for hauling battlefield equipment, and production superchargers. Allison Experimental quickly grew to a staff of 50 to 100. Additionally, up to 150 temporary draftsmen were hired to make production drawings to ensure that the parts would work together.

With the signing of the armistice ending World War I on November 11, 1918, Speedway management began making plans for a resumption of the Indianapolis 500. At Allison Experimental, the focus shifted back to auto racing. The racers from the 1916 Indianapolis 500 were brought out of storage including the Peugeot which had been driven by Johnny Aitken and two Premiers.

By Memorial Day, Speedway Team Company, now solely owned by Allison, had three vehicles ready to run in the race. The Peugeot would be driven by Howdy Wilcox, a Hoosier native and a crowd favorite. He was the first driver to break 100 mph in a qualifying run during the 1919 time trials. Driving the two Speedway Team Company Premiers were Jules Goux and George Buzane.

Qualifications consisted of one timed lap. The qualifying format of four consecutive laps was instituted in 1920.

During qualifications, Rene Thomas, the winner of the 1914 Indianapolis 500, won the pole position driving a Ballot at 104.70 mph and breaking Wilcox’s short-lived speed record. Jules Goux started from the 24th position with a qualifying speed of 95.0 mph. George Buzane crashed during practice and did not qualify for the race.

Although qualifications promised a fast-paced contest, the 1919 Indianapolis 500 became a test of endurance. For the first time since 1911, the race had fatalities—three in total. Arthur Thurman lost control of his vehicle and flipped over on lap 45. On lap 96, Louis LeCocq and his riding mechanic, Robert Bandini, were killed in a fiery crash.

The initial pace in the race was set by Ralph de Palma, who qualified fourth with a speed of 98.2 mph. Starting from the outside of the first row, he led the first 63 laps with a blistering speed of 92 mph. Gaston Chevrolet led from lap 63 until 72 when De Palma retook the lead. He led 93 of the first 102 laps before his speed caused tire issues resulting in a long pitstop. De Palma finished the race in sixth.

Howdy Wilcox took over the lead on lap 103 and led the remainder of the way. Sometime after the 400-mile mark, he pitted and upon exiting, led the race by two laps over Eddie Hearne, who finished second. Wilcox’s average speed was 88.05 mph. Jules Goux, in the other Speedway Team Company racer, finished third. Wilcox also won the AAA National title in 1919.

Howdy Wilcox participated in eleven Indianapolis 500s (1911-1923). He died in a crash at the Altoona Speedway in Pennsylvania in September 1923.