IMS the World's Largest Sports Venue

The former CEO of Santa Monica, California-based American Business Investments and Converge Global Inc., Imran Husain works as a manager with IH Investments LLC, also in Santa Monica. In 2005, Imran Husain made history as the first Indian-born driver to race professionally at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Indy Lights race called the Freedom 100.

Previously home to the United States Grand Prix, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the largest sports venue in the world. Located in Speedway, Indiana, it is also the home of the Verizon 200 and the Indianapolis 500. Established by local businessmen as a testing facility for growing Indiana’s automobile industry more than a hundred years ago, the idea behind the original racetrack was to hold occasional races where cars from various manufacturers would compete against each other. In addition, it was assumed that spectators interested in buying a car would become influenced by the performance of different vehicles on the track.

The first such race was held on August 19, 1909, and since then, the races have been held yearly except for the periods during the two world wars. In 1911, the track owners noticed a decline in attendance, and it was then that they decided to introduce longer races that carried larger prizes, as opposed to the shorter races. In May of that year, the Indy 500 was inaugurated. The Indy 500 involved an exhausting 500- mile race. The race became an immediate hit among the spectators, and it continues to be immensely popular to this day and one of the largest sporting events in the world. .

Supreme Court Invalidates Donor

A California-based investment executive with more than two decades of experience, Imran Husain has managed IH Investments LLC, a family-owned investment company focused on multifamily and commercial real estate, since 2011. In addition to his interest in real estate and investing, Imran Husain pays close attention to state politics.

In a decision that might have ramifications for the future of “dark money” politics across the nation, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a California regulation that forced charity organizations to reveal the identities of contributors. Prior to the June 24th ruling, California required nonprofit charities soliciting donations in the state to disclose their major contributors to the attorney general. Campaign finance reform leaders believed the regulation would eventually prevent anonymous money, dubbed “black money,” from entering the state's political sphere.

The case matched charities' desire to protect the privacy of their contributors against the nation's need to combat charitable fraud. Conservative nonprofits Americans for Prosperity Foundation (a Koch-affiliated group) and the Thomas More Law Center challenged the state rule, arguing that the state had not demonstrated a convincing basis for the law, triggering the evaluation, which subsequently resulted in the ruling.

The Origin of Formula One Racing

Imran Husain is the manager of IH Investments LLC, a real estate investment agency based in Santa Monica, California. Earlier in his career, he was CEO of Converge Global Inc. In his current role with IH Investments, he manages investments for multifamily and other kinds of commercial real estate. When not at work, Imran Husain enjoys Formula One racing.

Formula One is a fast, glamorous sport and the world’s premier auto racing series. It has a large fan base around the globe. The name, Formula One, refers to a set of rules that every participant and car has to follow before entering competition. Originally known as Formula A, the sport traces its roots back to motor racing in the 1930s.

The Second World War deterred Formula One from starting earlier. The onset of war meant French, Belgian, and other European engineers switched their focus to the conflict. In 1946, interest in Formula One was rekindled and the first races occurred in 1947. It was not until 1950 that arrangements for a world championship were finalized, paving the way for the first World Championship Grand Prix in Silverstone, United Kingdom.

The early championships consisted of seven rounds in Monaco, Britain, Switzerland, America, France, Belgium and Italy. The early Formula One was dominated by popular pre-war auto manufacturers, such as Mercedes Benz, Ferrari, Maserati, and Alfa Romeo. With time, more races were included in the championship, but there were also non-championship races until 1983.