The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is pleased to announce a new exhibit opening August 1 dedicated to one of most colorful and influential personalities in racing history: Andy Granatelli.
โGranatelli: Larger Than Life presented by OโDonovan & McCardel Wealth Management of Raymond Jamesโ will chronicle the life and legacy of Granatelli, the marketing wizard who turned an oil additive โ STP Oil Treatment โ into a household name, and won the Indianapolis 500 as a car owner through sheer will, persistence and a work ethic engrained from childhood.
The Granatelli brothers were a true rags-to-riches, โAmerican dreamโ story. Andy, his older brother, Joe, and younger sibling, Vince, grew up in a tough Chicago neighborhood, yet the trio were automotive entrepreneurs before their teenage years, providing service on cold winter days.
The brothers soon would promote races at Chicagoโs Soldier Field, barnstorm across the Midwest fair circuit with an auto thrill show, and eventually build the family business, Grancor, into a multimillion-dollar powerhouse.
Through much of the 1960s and โ70s, Andy Granatelli used the Indianapolis 500 to increase the popularity of STP by displaying the logo prominently on everything from team uniforms to billboards, and by handing out free STP decals by the thousands. His tireless promotion, including running elbows with A-list celebrities, also elevated the raceโs popularity. One classic example was when Granatelli invited late-night talk show legend Johnny Carson to drive the STP Paxton Turbine at IMS in Fall 1967.
โGranatelli: Larger Than Life presented by OโDonovan & McCardel Wealth Management of Raymond Jamesโ will occupy the IMS Museumโs North Hall and Gallery through June 20, 2021. It will accompany the museumโs popular exhibit, โFrom the Vault presented by Bank of America,โ which has been extended through March 21, 2021.
To learn more about the Museum and its many exhibits, tour options, special events and educational programming, please visit www.indyracingmuseum.org