INDIANAPOLIS — The Marion County Commissioners recently voted to convey the historic Boyle Racing garage to Indiana Landmarks. “The building at 1701 Gent Street is in terrible shape,” admits Marsh Davis, president of Indiana Landmarks. “But it’s a place where racing history was made, and our Indiana Automotive affinity group is 100 percent behind this rescue.” The building is just north of the 16 Tech area, not far from Bush Stadium lofts.
Mike Boyle, powerful Chicago labor leader for more than half a century, fielded Indy-500 winning cars from the 1920s through the 1940s. He employed the famed mechanic Cotton Henning and hired some of the best drivers in that period, including Cliff Woodbury, Ralph Hepburn, Billy Arnold, Pete DePaolo, Lou Moore, and “Wild Bill” Cummings. Wilbur Shaw, perhaps the most famous of Mike Boyle’s drivers, piloted a Boyle Special Maserati to win the 500-mile race in 1939 and 1940.
“The Boyle Racing team has a fundraising challenge ahead of us. We think it will take at least $300,000 to restore the building,” notes Andy Wolf, chairman of Indiana Automotive and president of Boyle Racing. “We jumped to the challenge because the rear section of the garage has caved in and we didn’t think the place could go through another winter without stabilization.” The group is developing a plan for the building’s future, which may include a sustainable combination of commercial and community uses.
Indiana Landmarks will attach a protective covenant to the deed, guaranteeing that the building will regain its historic appearance through the restoration and will be maintained in the future.
