Wilbur Shaw was born in Shelbyville on October 31, 1902, and was reared there. He became one of the most iconic figures in American sports and a household name because of his racing exploits. He liked to talk about his first race at the Shelby County Fairgrounds in a goat cart when he was seven years old. Although he did not win that race, he earned many other victories and became a three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 1937, 1939, and 1940. After World War II, his passionate efforts to save the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from destruction led Anton Hulman Jr. to purchase the track in 1945, and his leadership helped elevate the 500 to one of the world's premier sporting events. Until his death on October 30, 1954, he remained proud to be the Speedway's President, a Hoosier, and from Shelbyville.