INDIANAPOLIS — Mari Hulman George, chairman of the board emeritus of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, died early Saturday. She was 83.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced Hulman George’s death in a statement and said her family was by her side.
Heartbroken at the passing of Mari Hulman George, who touched the lives of millions through her passion for auto racing, stewardship of IMS and decades of compassionate philanthropy.
Rest in peace, Mari. We love you and will miss you.https://t.co/II0IvRk03D
— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) November 3, 2018
Hulman George was IMS chair from 1988 through 2016. Her father, Anton « Tony » Hulman Jr., purchased the speedway in 1945 and saved it from demolition after World War II, and racing and the facility became a staple of the Hulman family.
« Our mother was such a unique, wonderful person, » Tony George said in a statement. « She loved her family, friends, auto racing and animals with equal passion. She was a quiet pioneer in so many ways, from owning a race team in the 1950s and 1960s to overseeing a period of tremendous growth and evolution while chairman of the board at IMS.
« She was known by millions as the woman who gave the command to start engines for the Indianapolis 500 and other events at the Speedway, but her true legacy will be the generous and kind philanthropy she learned from her parents. »
Hulman George fielded an entry in the Indianapolis 500 in 1962 and 1963, with husband Elmer George as the driver. He finished a career-best 17th in 1962 and received relief help from Paul Russo and A.J. Foyt during that race.
Indianapolis fans recognized Hulman George as the individual who gave the command to start engines for the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400 from the late 1990s until 2015.
Tony Stewart, who has raced at Indy under both the IndyCar and NASCAR banners, lauded Hulman George for her « passionate » persona.
Racing is filled with passionate people, but you’d be hard pressed to find anyone more passionate than Mari Hulman George. She did so much for motorsports and her community. My heart goes out to the entire Hulman-George family. https://t.co/eWBT492nPl
— Tony Stewart (@TonyStewart) November 3, 2018
Born Dec. 26, 1934, in Evansville, Hulman George was a pioneer female co-owner of a team that raced at the highest levels of Midwestern auto racing in the 1950s and 1960s.
She also was known for her philanthropy, focusing on the arts, health care and, in particular, animal care. She served on the board for Hulman & Company, IMS and the IMS Foundation, as well as First Financial Bank, a publicly traded company headquartered in Terre Haute.
« We were most impacted by her charitable heart and dedication to causes and organizations that made a difference to our community, » IMS president Doug Boles said. « While she will be missed deeply by fans, staff, friends and family, her presence and impact will be felt at IMS and across Indiana for years to come. »
Mari is survived by three daughters, a stepdaughter, son Anton H. « Tony » George, who is the current chairman of the speedway, and seven grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and her longtime companion, Guy Trollinger. She was predeceased in death by her husband, Elmer, and a stepson.
Funeral arrangements are pending but are being handled by Callahan & Hughes Funeral Home in Terre Haute.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://www.espn.com/racing/indycar/story/_/id/25164103/mari-hulman-george-chairman-emeritus-indianapolis-motor-speedway-dies-83
