INDIANAPOLIS -- The year was 1954.
A small high school in Ripley County made big headlines that year at Butler's campus in Indianapolis.
Known as the "Milan Miracle," tiny Milan High School won the high school boys' basketball championship that year at Butler Fieldhouse, beating Muncie Central. The matchup -- and victory -- would lay the groundwork for the classic film, "Hoosiers."
The sweet taste of victory was also attracting more and more spectators to the track in Speedway. There were so many people that two new grandstands had to be built to accommodate the thousands of people who flocked to see the race. It was the first race in which a driver qualified for the pole with a speed of more than 140 miles per hour.
But Jack McGrath would not take the checkered flag.
Those who could not make it to the oval could listen to a live radio broadcast of the start to finish, where, for the first time, they would hear a coined phrase that came from our newsgathering partners at WIBC.
Those that attended the Indianapolis 500 in 1953 would feel a sense of deja vu.
Bill Vukovich dominated the race and would win for the second time in a row.
MORE ON THE ROAD TO 100
1948 | 1947 | 1946 | 1941 | 1940 | 1939 | 1938 | 1937 | 1936 | 1935 | 1934 | 1933 | 1932 | 1931 | 1930 | 1929 | 1928 | 1927 | 1926 | 1925 | 1924 | 1923 | 1922 | 1921 | 1920 | 1919 | 1916 | 1915 | 1914 | 1913 | 1912 | 1911 | Special Section: Road to 100 | Enter to win tickets to the Indy 500 | Start your engines: 100 stories in 100 days
Tune in to RTV6 News at 6 p.m. every night for our Road to 100, where we take a look back at each of the races leading up to the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
Want tickets to this year's race? Tune in to RTV6 News at 6 p.m. and watch for the daily trivia question and answer, then click here to enter the answer to be entered daily for your chance to win tickets to the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 29.
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