Studebaker at Indianapolis

While “Studebaker” is rarely the first name one thinks of when discussing motorsports, the company had a strong yet brief presence at the Indianapolis 500 in the early 1930s. Studebaker laid the groundwork with the introduction of the President’s inline eight-cylinder engine in early 1928. The advent of the Indianapolis 500’s 1930 rule changes opened the door for production-
based entries, and the President’s rugged eight powered a pair of private entries. These Studebaker-engined specials showed promise and led to the development of Studebaker’s corporate team.
This program will detail the origins and evolution of Studebaker-powered racers beginning in 1930 with a special emphasis on the company’s factory-backed campaigns in 1932 and 1933. Additional focus will also be placed on the technical development of the Studebaker racers as well as the post-Studebaker disposition of the team cars and their present-day status.
Sources include Studebaker’s corporate archives and image collection at the Studebaker National Museum plus period publications and race accounts. Additional data is drawn from secondary sources profiling the Studebaker team plus owner research compiled during their stewardship of the cars.