At the beginning of the 1940s, the track needed more improvement. In 1941, half of the garage area, known as "Gasoline Alley", burned down before the race. When the United States joined World War II, the 1942 race was canceled. In 1942 all auto racing was banned. The 500-Mile Race was canceled for the years 1942–1945. The track mostly abandoned during the war years.