The Omaha 400 was an annual motorcar race held in Omaha, Nebraska. It covered 400 miles on a fixed track. In 1944, during the Second Great War, General Abner Dowling survived a aerial attack on his command car although his vehicle was destroyed. His driver flagged down an Army truck which transported him to his HQ. The truck driver sped so quickly that Dowling thought he acted as though he smelt victory at the Omaha 400.