This weekend tens of thousands of spectators from around the world will arrive for the qualifications to the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race.
What many of them may not realize is that a special department is needed to keep the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) operating at its peak level.
That effort is led by Facilities Director Paul Riley, whose staff oversees everything from mowing to maintaining the garages in Gasoline Alley.
Riley likens his department’s role to that of the U.S. Marines, who are often the first to go into battle and remove obstacles for the other branches of military.
“If you want to use another analogy, we are like the crust that holds everything together in a pie,” Riley said. “From an operations standpoint, we touch almost every facet of what IMS has to deal with on a daily basis.”
As the one who overseas the care of IMS’ physical assets, Riley is very busy this time of the year, often working 12-hour (or longer) shifts, and he enjoys every bit of it.
“I’m a very people oriented person and I like to be around them,” Riley said. “This position gives me the opportunity to interact with people on all levels.”
Growing up in the city’s Riverside area, not far from the track, Riley remembers hearing the sound of race cars from his home as a child. To his delight, Riley’s class at IPS Riverside School #44 took a field trip to the IMS.
“I never envisioned that I would one day be a part of this great organization,” he said.
Riley, a “proud product” of IPS, graduated from Northwest High School.
Riley started at IMS as a part-time laborer in 1979, picking up trash. He was hired full time as a painter after that year’s race and eventually was promoted to maintenance supervisor. Riley has been facilities director since 2001.
In addition to his daily work, Riley is also founder of aaim1.com, African-Americans in Motorsports, a website that provides information and history on Blacks in the racing field.
Riley said many African-Americans don’t realize they have a proud legacy in auto racing, and he would like to get more of them involved in the sport.
“We’re not as noticeable as we are in some other sports, but we’re out there,” he said.
Riley gave several examples of Black involvement in motor sports, starting with Indianapolis’ own Charlie Wiggins, famed driver in the Gold and Glory Sweepstakes of the 1920s, racing’s answer to the baseball Negro Leagues. Wiggins was believed to also be a well-respected mechanic at IMS, but due to racial segregation at the time, he was officially listed as a janitor.
Other prominent Blacks in motor sports Riley mentioned included Willy T. Ribbs, who became the first to compete in the 500-Mile in 1991; Lewis Hamilton, a British driver of African descent who won the 2007 U.S. Grand Prix and Dr. James Logan, the first African-American to own a race car. Last year, Antwon Brown, a Brownsburg resident, won a national title in NHRA racing.
“Most people get hooked when I introduce Indy Car racing to them,” Riley said. “This is especially true when they discover that history of our own was made here.”
Captain Phil Burton of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, who provides off-duty logistical support and security at IMS, enjoys working with Riley.
“Paul is very dependable, organized and professional,” Burton said. “He can always be counted on when I need him, and is an asset to any effort.”
