The 1950s and early 1960s are considered by many to be the Golden Era
of Racing at the Indianapolis 500, and photographer Ben Lawrence was on
hand taking photos of the Greatest Spectacle for the Indianapolis
Times.
During that era, Ben captured many images of the race and race events
that surrounded the Indy 500. He was there when Bill Vukovich met his
fate in 1955. He photographed the first Indianapolis 500 Parade, which
has become an annual event. He captured A.J. Foyt winning his first race
at the Brickyard. He was on hand to photograph the breaking of the
150-mph barrier. Then he saw the transition from the front-engined
Offenhauser to the rear-engined Lotus-Fords, which ended the Golden Era.