The Indianapolis 500 has been held since 1911 and is, consequently, one of the oldest circuit racing events after the Targa Florio (1906) and a competition steeped in tradition. It is run on an oval circuit with four steeply banking curves. Prior to commencing repaving with asphalt in 1936, the surface of the circuit consisted of over three million bricks, gaining it the nickname of the Brickyard.

The designation “500” relates to the distance: 500 miles or 804,672 km (200 laps, each covering 2.5 miles).

Wilbur Shaw, himself a native of Indiana, won the race three times in 1937 and then 1939 and 1940 with the Maserati 4 CL. Wilbur Shaw is also number 5 in the top 5 Indianapolis 500 drivers of all time. He was President of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 1945 until his death in 1954.

Maserati racing cars also won the Targa Florio on four successive occasions during this period (1937 to 1940). The 1950’s were also successful years for Maserati, with Juan Manuel Fangio winning among other laurels the Formula One World Championship in 1957.

The emblem of Maserati is the trident, a symbol borrowed from the Fountain of Neptune in the company’s home city of Bologna.