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 ContentsPreface      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

“this biography of the self-made millionaire details Allison’s role in the Indianapolis 500 as well as his machine shop’s construction of the first mass-produced aircraft engine and production of other aircraft milestones during both World Wars”—Reference & Research Book News; “Having been the motorsports editor of a national automotive magazine and before that the auto racing reporter for a significant Midwestesrn newspaper, I thought I knew a lot about the early history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.... But now that I’ve read Sigur E. Whitaker’s biography of her great aunt’s husband, one of the Speedway’s co-founders, I’ve discovered some huge holes in my knowledge, holes delightfully filled by Whitaker’s well-researched work”—izoom.com.