You don't have to get out on the field or play a sport in order to make a lot of money from it - just ask Tony Hulman George. It's not true to say he never participated himself - he had a brief career as a racing driver, and although he wasn't bad, he never won any major races. He made a much larger impact on the racing world as a businessman.
Motor racing runs in his blood - George's father purchased the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after the end of the Second World War. The ownership passed on to George, who expanded its usage with a view to increasing its revenue. At one point, the circuit was used for NASCAR, IROC and Formula 1 races, although only NASCAR settled there for the long term. After resigning from the company, he went on to form the Indycar Racing League, and was heavily involved in the short lived Indycar team Vision Racing.