It’s Race Month! | It’s May in Indianapolis and that means Indy 500 RACING! In this month’s newsletter, we highlight the three Indianapolis 500 winners buried at Crown Hill: the very popular “Howdy” Wilcox; Louis Schneider, a former motorcycle policeman; and Floyd Davis, who won in 1941 without ever leading a single lap!
These three winners, the four founders of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and many other racing-related figures will be included on our public Racing Legends Tour, a guided walking and driving tour to be given on Saturday, May 20, from 7-9 p.m. Details and ticket information for this and other guided tours can be found on our Tours and Events webpage, as well as on our Racing Legends Tour on our Tour App. Please join us! | | The Three Winners of the Indianapolis 500 Buried at Crown Hill | Howard “Howdy” Samuel Wilcox, 1919 Indy 500 Winner
(June 24, 1889 – September 4, 1923) |  | | “Howdy” Wilcox was born in Crawfordsville, IN on June 24, 1889, and lived most of his short life in Indianapolis. He was the only driver to race in each of the first 11 Indianapolis 500s, starting in 1911, and was the first to qualify at 100 mph. Wilcox finished four times in the top 10 and won the race in 1919 after starting in the second position and leading the last 98 laps of the 200-lap race. | | | Louis Schneider, 1931 Indy 500 Winner
(December 19, 1901 – September 22, 1942) |  | Photo credit: Flicker.com; Louis Schneider, 1930 Indianapolis 500 Third Place finisher with riding mechanic Clyde Terry in his #23 Bowes Seal Fast Special | One of only two Indianapolis 500 winners born in Indianapolis, Louis Schneider attended Shortridge High School and Culver Military Academy before becoming a motorcycle policeman. By the mid-1920s, he was racing motorcycles, and in 1926, he was racing in AAA-sanctioned auto races. | | | Floyd Eldon Davis, 1941 Indy 500 Co-Winner
(March 5, 1905 – May 31, 1977) |  | Photo credit: 500 Festival; Floyd Davis rides in the 500 Festival Parade in 1975 | Floyd Davis, originally from Oakford, Illinois, started in racing as a mechanic with his father. As a driver, he was a strong competitor on dirt ovals in the 1930s before driving in the Indianapolis 500 in 1937. Davis drove in four Indianapolis 500s, co-winning his last race in 1941, the only time a co-winner of the race was named. During the race, Davis drove the Noc-Out Hose Clamp car for 60 laps, moving from 17th to 12th place when teammate Mauri Rose, the pole sitter, experienced problems with his car, the Elgin Piston Pin. Davis wasn’t happy when at lap 72, team owner Lou Moore pulled him from his car and replaced him with Rose. “I was ready to go into the lead when Mauri replaced me,” he later joked. | | | Crown Hill Heritage Foundation President David Rieck visited Fox 59 to talk about Crown Hill’s 2023 upcoming public tours and events as well as a brand-new speaker series. |  | The Crown Hill Heritage Foundation offers many ways to discover, explore and experience Crown Hill Cemetery. We are proud to offer many public guided tours as well as, new in 2023, the Crown Hill speaker series that will cover various topics related to Crown Hill. We hope you will join us for a tour, come hear one of our speakers, or just enjoy the grounds at your leisure. | | | Thanks to our corporate partners! |  | | | |
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