The White Front Tavern on West 16th Street in Indianapolis was the hang out for all the guys from the Speedway in the 50's and 60's. The T-Shirt style of the day consisted of a Mobil, Champion, or a White Front Shirt. You can see them in some of the old Speedway photo's. There was a guy at the Jungle Park reunion today that was selling repops of the White Front T-Shirt. Got any White Front Storys?
George and Violet Mates (photo below) started the business as the White Front Tavern (with a limited food menu) in 1935 at 3729 W.16th Street. A new railroad under p*** near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway forced a move to the new location at 3535 W.16th Street in 1952. Their sons Nick and Mike Mates and their wives (who by the way are sisters) added the Mates name and began calling the restaurant / bar Mates' New White Front. Ironically the front of the building was never painted white at the new location. GO THIS SITE AND SEE 18 PAGES OF DRIVERS IN THE EARLY DAYS WEARING THE SHIRTS http://www.mateswhitefront.com/mates_white_front_august,2003_002.htm JUST CLICK ON THE NEXT ARROW
The original White Front building eventually becme the home for two different speed shops, first Mike Smith's speed shop his son Danny Smith s a pretty famous Sprint car racer, it then becam ****'s Speed shop, **** Sommers the owner had Indy Cars and his drivers included Eddie Sachs. The wives of the owners are somehow related to a guy named Mike Saligoe who is an incredible fabricator
great history...when i was younger i knew of the white front, its about 5mins from where i live, but was not old enough to go in, but have been their many times. when it was a gentlemans club,witch is what it is today..
@mates35 , welcome to the HAMB. Is the bar/restaurant still operating? How about the speed shop? Are you able tp update the most recent 20 year history?
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