(Speedway, IN) – Just blocks from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a stretch of Main Street is poised to become a new public tribute to one of Indiana’s most influential visionaries.
The Town of Speedway is moving ahead with plans for a walkable memorial honoring Carl G. Fisher, the entrepreneur whose ideas helped shape modern auto racing, early highways, and Indianapolis itself. Town officials are now seeking a design firm to transform the site at 1555 Main Street into a landscaped public space featuring historical elements, art, and places to stop and reflect.
The location is no accident. The property once housed Prest-O-Lite, the acetylene headlight company Fisher built into a national success at a time when driving after dark was still rare. That business not only helped fuel the growth of Speedway as a town, but also launched Fisher into a career defined by bold, sometimes audacious ideas.
Born in Greensburg in 1874, Fisher rose from modest beginnings to become one of the most recognizable promoters and developers of the early twentieth century. He was a central figure in the creation of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, helped champion coast-to-coast auto travel through his promotion of the Lincoln Highway and Dixie Highway, and later played a major role in transforming Miami Beach into an international destination.
Speedway officials envision the new memorial as more than a statue or plaque. Early plans describe an interactive landscape with signage that tells Fisher’s story, public art elements, lighting, and low-maintenance greenery — a space meant to be walked, used, and experienced year-round.
Set in the shadow of the racetrack that helped define his legacy, the project aims to reconnect a modern audience with a man whose influence stretched far beyond motorsports — and whose story began in southeastern Indiana.
Design proposals are due to the Speedway Redevelopment Commission in early February, with a final concept expected to move forward later this year.
