Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Seven Secret Indy 500 Remnants-- Part 8: Umbrella Mike's Garage

UMBRELLA MIKE'S GARAGE, 1701 GENT STREET.

After decades of neglect this building had deteriorated badly, but in the 1920s and 1930s it was the headquarters of one of the most successful racing teams in Indianapolis 500 history, the Boyle Racing Team.  The boss was "Umbrella" Mike Boyle, a shadowy labor leader from Chicago who twice did prison time, once for jury fixing, once for violating an anti-trust law.

Motorsports website Speedway Sightings said that Boyle "walked the fine line between crooked politicians and the Chicago Mob."

Still, his was a top-notch race team, employing as its driver the great Wilbur Shaw, a three-time Indy winner.

--CooterMob

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