1911 Indianapolis 500

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1911 Indianapolis 500

The 1911 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, or International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race, the first recorded automobile

Automobile

An automobile or motor car is a wheeled motor vehicle for transportation passengers, which also carries its own car engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally f...
race of such distance in history, and cause for the largest public gathering in the city up to that time, was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500 race.It has existed since 1909, and is the original "Speedway," the first racing facility historically to incorporate the word....
on Tuesday, May 30, 1911. A departure from previous Speedway policy of holding numerous smaller racing meets during 1909 and 1910 racing seasons, the singular, large-scale event attracted widespread attention from both American and European racing teams and manufacturers, and, despite controversy surrounding its conclusion, proved far and away a successful event, immediately establishing itself both as the premier motorsports competition in the nation, and one of the most prestigious in the world.

r seeing a second decline in attendance in as many days for Labor Day

Labor Day

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September . The holiday originated in 1882 as the Central Labor Union sought to create "a day off for the working citizens"....
, September 5, 1910, the final day of the concluding racing meet of the 1910 racing season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, co-founders Carl Fisher

Carl G. Fisher

Carl Graham Fisher was an United States entrepreneur. Despite having severe astigmatism , he became a seemingly tireless pioneer and promoter of the automotive, auto racing, and real estate development industries....
, James Allison

James A. Allison

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Encyclopedia

The 1911 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, or International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race, the first recorded automobile

Automobile

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

One Race

"Too much racing"

After seeing a second decline in attendance in as many days for Labor Day

Labor Day

Carl G. Fisher

James A. Allison

James Ashbury Allison , born in Marcellus, Michigan, was an American entrepreneur and businessman. He was the inventor of the Allison Perfection Fountain Pen and with Carl G....
, Arthur Newby and Frank Wheeler conferred to decide on a new course for the following year. While the appearance on Monday of some 18,000 was reasonable enough in some respects, given both the rain showers occurring early that morning and the large parade held downtown in the afternoon, neither the two days of the Labor Day meet nor the July 4 weekend races had come near to equalling the 50,000 that had been attracted the previous Memorial Day

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a United States Federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May . Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S....
. While potential explanations for the decline included the summer's extreme heat and the women of the city making holiday plans for their families that did not include auto racing, one of the most likely, they reasoned, was an overabundance of the very events they exhibited: too many races had diluted turnout to including only those most interested in the sport.

Timing and farming

By the next day, Tuesday September 6, local newspapers had already heard rumors of the decision, and reported the four partners as considering, for 1911, a singular event with a purse high enough to attract global as well as local and regional competition. Beginning with discussion of either a 24-hour or a one thousand mile endurance race

Endurance racing

Endurance racing is a form of motorsport which is meant to test the durability of equipment and endurance of participants. Teams of multiple drivers attempt to cover a large distance in a single event, with participants given a break with the ability to change during the race....
as favored by several of the manufacturers, debate soon proceeded as to what would be most beneficial to spectators as well as participants; while a 24-hour event would be possible on a technical level despite its extreme nature, all agreed that potential ticket-buyers would inevitably depart the grounds well before its conclusion. Deciding on a "race window" extending from 10:00 A.M. to late afternoon, early estimates placed the planned race distance at 300 to ; the winner of the event, with purse estimates ranging toward $30,000, could expect to see as much as $12,000.

In choices for a specific date for the race, Memorial Day, already the occasion of the largest attendance, was always foremost. As suggested to the Speedway owners by Lem Trotter, the date coincided with the completion of a late-spring agricultural practice known as "haying," after which the farmers acquired an effective two-week break. While the intention, Trotter argued, would certainly be to draw from far more than just the local farming community, simple business sense called for as little interference as possible with the regional economy. That such an opportunity to avoid a potential conflict of interest fell on a major national holiday sealed the decision: within two days, formal announcement was made of a , marathon-distance motor race, to be held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, May 30, 1911.

Superlatives, preparation

As desired and expected, news of the inauguration of a contest of such distance evoked strong enthusiasm both within and without the motorsport community. Newspaper and trade magazine articles used ever-new superlatives for the challenges expected to soon face both drivers and engineers, and continuing discussion throughout the spring and winter kept the race as the primary conversation piece of the average citizen. Everyone, it seemed, had something to say about it.

Due to the publicity thus created, Speedway management, which had for the previous two seasons of meets charged the effectively nominal entry fee of one dollar per mile of scheduled race distances, took measure to ensure that the conceivably large entry list did not include any but the most serious participants: at an accordingly heightened fee of $500 per car, participation became a nominally risky proposition to teams and manufacturers, since, although the high finishers were due to receive record purse money and accessory prizes, no money at all was offered to finishers below tenth place. Interest, however, was far from dampened, with entry blanks distributed over the course of the following month quickly returning filled, the first of which being that of an automobile built by the J. I. Case Threshing Machine Compnay

Case Corporation

Case Corporation was a manufacturer of construction equipment and agricultural equipment. In 1999 it merged with New Holland to form CNH Global....
of Racine

Racine, Wisconsin

Racine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, Wisconsin, United States, located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River ....
, Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is one of the fifty U.S. state in the United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States. It borders two of the five Great Lakes and four U.S....
, to be driven by Lewis Strang

Lewis Strang

Lewis Strang was an United States racecar driver. Strang was pole sitter for the inaugural "500". He was killed in a testing accident, becoming the first Indy 500 veteran to die....
. By May 1, the final potential day for entry, an extensive total of some 46 cars had been nominated to compete.

May 1 also marked the beginning of an eventually decades-long tradition of the opening of the Speedway, on the first day of the month, to practice by any and all participants. A policy originally established so as to allow teams unfamiliar with the , recently brick-paved course as much time to acclimate as necessary, it ultimately proved most advantageous to the locally-based teams, given many of the entries from abroad not even setting out for the city until well into the month. One example of such, the double-entry Pope-Hartford team based in Springfield

Springfield, Massachusetts

Springfield is the largest city on the Connecticut River, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States.In the United States Census, 2000, the city population was 154,082....
, Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a U.S. state located in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States. It borders Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north....
, came by way of the team's actual racing cars themselves simply being driven, while loaded up with toolboxes and as many spare parts

Interchangeable parts

Interchangeable parts are components of any device designed to specifications which ensure that they will fit within any device of the same type....
as they could hold, cross-country, making overnight stops in New York City

New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
, Buffalo

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo , is the second largest city in the state of New York. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River, Buffalo is the principal city of the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area and the county seat of Erie County, New York....
, Cleveland

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, the most populous county in the state. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately 60 miles west of the Pennsylvania border....
and Columbus

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus is the Capital , the largest, and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. Located near the Geographic centers of the United States, Columbus is the county seat of Franklin County, Ohio, although parts of the city also extend into Delaware County, Ohio and Fairfield County, Ohio counties....
, Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern United States U.S. state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region , Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads in North America....
, before finally arriving, where they were duly met at the city's East Washington Street by Frank Fox

Frank Fox

Frank Fox was an United States racecar driver. After his driving career ended he turned to horse racing. The harness race is named after him....
, who was not only the slated driver of one of the two cars but also the company's local agent.

The 500-Mile Race

The largest racing purse offered to that date, $

United States dollar

The United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States and was defined by the Coinage Act of 1792 to be between 371 and 416 grains of silver ....
27,550, drew 46 entries from the United States

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
and Europe

Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
, from which 40 qualified by sustaining 75 mph (120.7 km/h) for a quarter mile distance, though starting position was determined by date of entry instead of speed. Entries were prescribed by rules to have a minimum weight of 2,300 lb (1,043 kg) and a maximum engine size of 600 cubic inches (9.83 litres) displacement

Engine displacement

Engine displacement is the volume swept by the all pistons of an engine in a single movement from top dead center to bottom dead center....
.

The cars lined up five to a row, excepting the first and last; the former led in what is now called the pole position

Pole Position

Pole Position is a racing game video game released in 1982 by Namco. In this game, the player has to complete a lap in a certain amount of time in order to qualify for an Formula One race at the Fuji Speedway....
by co-founder and president of the Speedway Carl G. Fisher in a Stoddard-Dayton

Stoddard-Dayton

Stoddard-Dayton was a high quality car manufactured by Dayton Motor Car Company in Dayton, Ohio, Ohio, United States, between 1905 and 1913. John W....
pace car, the latter holding a single car to make up for the shifted positioning that resulted. Fisher's use of the Stoddard-Dayton is believed to constitute the first use of such a vehicle, for the first known mass-rolling start of an automobile race.

Amid roiling smoke, the roar of the 40 machines' engines, and the waving of a red flag which signalled 'clear course ahead', American Johnny Aitken

Johnny Aitken

Johnny Aitken was a racecar driver from Indianapolis, who was active in the years prior to World War I.Aitken competed in the Indianapolis 500 three times....
, in a National, took the lead from the fourth starting spot on the extreme outside of the first row, and held it until lap 5 when Spencer Wishart

Spencer Wishart

Spencer Wishart was an United States racecar driver. He was active during the early years of the Indianapolis 500. Wishart was killed when he clipped another car during an AAA national championship race and crashed into a tree....
took over in a Mercedes

Mercedes (car)

Mercedes was a brand of the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft which began to develop in 1900, after the death of its co-founder, Gottlieb Daimler....
, himself soon overtaken by David L. Bruce-Brown

David L. Bruce-Brown

David Loney Bruce-Brown was an United States racecar driver. Having bluffed his way into auto racing at the age of 18, he turned out to be a natural talent behind the wheel and won the 1908 Daytona Speed Trials....
's Fiat

Fiat

Fiat S.p.A. Fiat based cars are constructed all around the world?the largest concern outside Italy is in Brazil . It also has factories in Argentina and Poland....
which would go on to dominate the first half of the race. Nearing the halfway point, Ray Harroun

Ray Harroun

Ray Harroun was an United States racecar driver, born in Spartansburg, Pennsylvania....
, an engineer for the Marmon

Marmon

Marmon was an automobile brand name manufactured by Nordyke Marmon & Company of Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, from 1902 through 1933, and a brand of Texas-made premium trucks from 1963 through 1997....
company and defending AAA

American Automobile Association

The AAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a 50 million member North American Non-profit organization automobile Lobbying in the United States, Service , and seller of vehicle insurance....
national champion, and the only driver competing without a riding mechanic due to his first-ever-recorded use of a cowl-mounted rear-view mirror

Rear-view mirror

A rear-view mirror is a functional type of mirror found on automobiles and other vehicles, designed to allow the driver to see the area behind the vehicle through the back window....
, passed Bruce-Brown for the lead in his self-designed, six-cylinder

Cylinder (engine)

A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically casting from aluminum or cast iron before precision features are machined into it....
"Marmon Wasp" (so named for its distinctively sharp-pointed, wasp-like tail).

Others falter during the marathon event; of the 14 cars to fall out, riding mechanic Sam Dickson

Sam Dickson

Sam Dickson was a racecar riding mechanic, and the first person to be killed in the Indianapolis 500. In the inaugural race, Dickson was the riding mechanic for Arthur Greiner who was making his only 500 appearance....
is the lone fatality, killed when driver Arthur Greiner

Arthur Greiner

Arthur Greiner was an United States racecar driver, and historically the first to finish last in the the Indianapolis 500. Greiner crashed on the backstretch after completing twelve laps in the inaugural race....
hits the wall in the second turn on lap 12.

Harroun, relieved by Cyrus Patschke for 35 laps (87.5 miles / 140.82 km), leads 88 of the 200 laps, the most among the race's seven leaders, to average a speed of 74.602 mph (120.060 km/h) in a total time of 6:42:08 for the 500-mile (804.67 km) distance to win.

Or apparently win.

During the midpoint of the second half the race, Harroun and Lozier

Lozier

The Lozier Motor Company was a Brass Era car producer of automobiles in the United States. The company produced luxury automobiles from 1900 to 1915, with a factory at 3703 Mack Avenue, Detroit, Michigan....
driver Ralph Mulford

Ralph Mulford

Ralph Mulford was an United States racecar driver active during the formative years of the auto racing.Indy 500 results...
had fought an intense battle for supremacy, with Harroun being scored as holding a small advantage near the 340 mile (550 kilometer) mark...whereupon one of the Wasp's tires 'let go'. With balloon tires not yet developed, automobile tires of the day did not 'go flat', but were in fact thin strips of solid rubber which could be cut and torn without totally destroying the tire, and by extension the car, if pit stop for replacement occurred swiftly enough. Harroun's forced stopped allowed Mulford to move to the front, before Mulford soon pitted as well, also needing new rubber. After Mulford came back onto the track, Harroun was scored in the lead with a 1 minute, 48 second advantage...and it is on this statistic that controversy ensues.

Upon Harroun's declared victory, Mulford filed protest, contending that he had lapped Harroun when the Marmon had limped in on the torn tire, an argument appearing plausible to some, due to an accident disrupting the official timing and scoring stand at nearly the same time. However, race officials were quick to note that Mulford's subsequent pit stop forced the Lozier crew to spend several minutes themselves changing a tire that had stuck to the wheel hub; Mulford's protest was thus denied, though the reality remains that the final result will always be open to dispute.

After the race, and collection of $10,000 for first place, Harroun returned to the position he had taken at the end of the 1910 racing season: retirement. He would never race again.

Official Results

Qualification Results

Entries required to maintain excess of 75 mph (120.7 km/h) over a quarter-mile distance to qualify, but starting grid determined by order of entry date.

No qualification times or speeds recorded, only success or failure to qualify.

Row	Far Inside	Inside Center	Center	Outside Center	Far Outside
1	Pace Car Position	Lewis Strang Lewis Strang Lewis Strang was an United States racecar driver. Strang was pole sitter for the inaugural "500". He was killed in a testing accident, becoming the first Indy 500 veteran to die....	1 Ralph DePalma Ralph DePalma Ralph DePalma was an Italian-American racecar driving champion, most notably winner of the 1915 Indianapolis 500. His entry at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame estimates that he won about 2000 races, and he is credited with winning 24 American Championship Car Racing races....	Harry Endicott Harry Endicott Harry Endicott was an United States racecar driver. He was the brother of fellow "500" participant Bill Endicott. Endicott was killed in a dirt oval practice crash....	Johnny Aitken Johnny Aitken Johnny Aitken was a racecar driver from Indianapolis, who was active in the years prior to World War I.Aitken competed in the Indianapolis 500 three times....
2	Louis Disbrow Louis Disbrow Louis Disbrow was an United States racecar driver.Indy 500 results...	Frank Fox Frank Fox Frank Fox was an United States racecar driver. After his driving career ended he turned to horse racing. The harness race is named after him....	Harry Knight Harry Knight Harry Knight was an United States racecar driver. Knight was killed in an AAA National race.Indy 500 results ...	2 Joe Jagersberger Joe Jagersberger Joe Jagersberger was an Austrian-American racecar driver....	Will Jones Will Jones (racing driver) *Will Jones* was an United States racecar driver who drove in the Indianapolis 500.Indy 500 results...
3	Gil Andersen Gil Andersen Gil Andersen was an Norwegian-American racecar driver active during the formative years of auto racing. Born in Horten, Norway, he competed in the first six Indianapolis 500 races....	Spencer Wishart Spencer Wishart Spencer Wishart was an United States racecar driver. He was active during the early years of the Indianapolis 500. Wishart was killed when he clipped another car during an AAA national championship race and crashed into a tree....	W. H. Turner W. H. Turner W. H. "Wild Bill" Turner was an United States racecar driver.Indy 500 results...	Fred Belcher Fred Belcher Fred Belcher was an United States racecar driver who competed in the Indianapolis 500.Indy 500 results...	3 Arthur Chevrolet Arthur Chevrolet Arthur Chevrolet, was a Swiss American racecar driver and automobile manufacturer.Born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Canton of Neuch?tel, Switzerland, he was the middle brother of Louis Chevrolet and Gaston Chevrolet ....
4	4 Charles Basle Charles Basle Charles Lucien Basle was a France racecar driver.Indy 500 results...	Eddie Hearne Eddie Hearne Eddie Hearne Indy 500 results...	Harry Grant	Charlie Merz Charlie Merz Charlie Merz was an United States racecar driver. Active in the early years of the Indianapolis 500, he later became Chief Steward of the Memorial Day Classic....	Howdy Wilcox Howdy Wilcox Howard Wilcox was an United States racecar driver active in formative years of auto racing.Born in Crawfordsville, Indiana, Howdy Wilcox led the last 98 laps of the 1919 Indianapolis 500 after starting in the 2nd position....
5	Mel Marquette Mel Marquette Melvon Marquette was an United States racecar driver. He was also an early aviator.Indy 500 results...	Fred Ellis Fred Ellis (racing driver) Fred Ellis was an United States racecar driver.Indy 500 results...	Harry Cobe Harry Cobe Harry Cobe was an United States racecar driver.Indy 500 results ...	Jack Tower Jack Tower Jack Tower was an United States racecar driver. He lived in Flint, Michigan.Indy 500 results...	Ernest Delaney Ernest Delaney Ernest Delaney was an United States racecar driver.Indy 500 results...
6	David L. Bruce-Brown David L. Bruce-Brown David Loney Bruce-Brown was an United States racecar driver. Having bluffed his way into auto racing at the age of 18, he turned out to be a natural talent behind the wheel and won the 1908 Daytona Speed Trials....	Lee Frayer Lee Frayer Lee Frayer was an United States racecar driver who competed in the Indianapolis 500.Indy 500 results...	Joe Dawson Joe Dawson (racecar driver) Joe Dawson was an United States race car driver.Born in Odon, Indiana, Indiana, Dawson competed in the Indianapolis 500 race three times, beginning in 1911 when he drove a Marmon to a fifth place finish....	Ray Harroun Ray Harroun Ray Harroun was an United States racecar driver, born in Spartansburg, Pennsylvania....	Ralph Mulford Ralph Mulford Ralph Mulford was an United States racecar driver active during the formative years of the auto racing.Indy 500 results...
7	Teddy Tetzlaff Teddy Tetzlaff Teddy Tetzlaff was an United States racecar driver active in the formative years of auto racing. He competed in the first four Indianapolis 500s, with a highest finish of second in 1912 Indianapolis 500....	Herbert Lytle Herbert Lytle Herbert Lytle was an United States racecar driver.Indy 500 results...	Hughie Hughes Hughie Hughes Hughie Hughes was an United States racecar driver. He was killed in a board track crash.Indy 500 results ...	Charles Bigelow Charles Bigelow (racing driver) Charles Bigelow was an United States racecar driver. He is no relation to fellow Indy 500 driver Tom Bigelow.Indy 500 results...	Ralph Beardsley Ralph Beardsley Ralph Edward Beardsley was an United States racecar driver.Indy 500 results...
8	Caleb Bragg Caleb Bragg Caleb Bragg was an United States racecar driver, speedboat racer, and aviation pioneer....	Howard Hall Howard Hall (racing driver) Howard Hall was an United States racecar driver.Indy 500 results ...	Bill Endicott Bill Endicott Bill Endicott was an United States racecar driver. He was the brother of fellow racer Harry Endicott.Indy 500 results...	Arthur Greiner Arthur Greiner Arthur Greiner was an United States racecar driver, and historically the first to finish last in the the Indianapolis 500. Greiner crashed on the backstretch after completing twelve laps in the inaugural race....	Bob Burman Bob Burman Bob Burman was an United States racecar driver active in the formative years of auto racing. He competed at the 1911 Indianapolis 500 in 1911....
9	Billy Knipper Billy Knipper Billy Knipper was an United States racecar driver.Indy 500 results...

DNQ	Louis Edmunds	Rupert Jeffkins

Race Results

Race finishing times recorded down to second intervals.

All entries still running at conclusion scored ahead of non-finishing entries, regardless of race completion percentage.

Position colors reflect the American
American Championship Car Racing

Since 1916 there has been a recognized United States national automobile racing National Championship for drivers of professional-level, single-seat open wheel race cars....
formula motorsports
Formula racing

Formula racing is a term that refers to various forms of Open wheel car single seater Auto racing. Its origin lies in the nomenclature that was adopted by the F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile for all of its post-World War II single seater regulations, or wikt:formulae....
wikistandard for finishing positions.

Pos	No	Driver	(Relief Driver)	Car	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	Cyl	Displ Engine displacement Engine displacement is the volume swept by the all pistons of an engine in a single movement from top dead center to bottom dead center.... (in³) (L)	Color	Qual Speed	Rank	Laps Led*	Laps Run	Time	Speed (mph Miles per hour The mile per hour is a physical unit of speed, expressing the number of Mile covered per hour.It is currently the Unit of measurement used for speed limits, and speeds, on roads in the United Kingdom and United States.... ) (km/h)	Status	Prize Money ($ United States dollar The United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States and was defined by the Coinage Act of 1792 to be between 371 and 416 grains of silver .... )
1	32	Ray Harroun Ray Harroun Ray Harroun was an United States racecar driver, born in Spartansburg, Pennsylvania.... **	Cyrus Patschke	Marmon Marmon Marmon was an automobile brand name manufactured by Nordyke Marmon & Company of Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, from 1902 through 1933, and a brand of Texas-made premium trucks from 1963 through 1997.... "Wasp"	Nordyke & Marmon Company Marmon Marmon was an automobile brand name manufactured by Nordyke Marmon & Company of Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, from 1902 through 1933, and a brand of Texas-made premium trucks from 1963 through 1997....	Marmon	Marmon	6	477 7.82	yellow / black	no full lap	28	88	200	6:42:08	74.602 120.060	finished	14,250
2	33	Ralph Mulford Ralph Mulford Ralph Mulford was an United States racecar driver active during the formative years of the auto racing.Indy 500 results...		Lozier Lozier The Lozier Motor Company was a Brass Era car producer of automobiles in the United States. The company produced luxury automobiles from 1900 to 1915, with a factory at 3703 Mack Avenue, Detroit, Michigan....	Lozier Motor Company Lozier The Lozier Motor Company was a Brass Era car producer of automobiles in the United States. The company produced luxury automobiles from 1900 to 1915, with a factory at 3703 Mack Avenue, Detroit, Michigan....	Lozier	Lozier	4	544 8.91	White	no full lap	29	10	200	6:43:51 +0:01:43	74.285 119.550	finished	5,200
3	28	David L. Bruce-Brown David L. Bruce-Brown David Loney Bruce-Brown was an United States racecar driver. Having bluffed his way into auto racing at the age of 18, he turned out to be a natural talent behind the wheel and won the 1908 Daytona Speed Trials....		Fiat Fiat Fiat S.p.A. Fiat based cars are constructed all around the world?the largest concern outside Italy is in Brazil . It also has factories in Argentina and Poland....	E. E. Hewlett	Fiat	Fiat	4	589 9.65	maroon / white	no full lap	25	81	200	6:52:29 +0:10:21	72.730 117.048	finished	3,250
4	11	Spencer Wishart Spencer Wishart Spencer Wishart was an United States racecar driver. He was active during the early years of the Indianapolis 500. Wishart was killed when he clipped another car during an AAA national championship race and crashed into a tree....	Dave Murphy	Mercedes Mercedes (car) Mercedes was a brand of the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft which began to develop in 1900, after the death of its co-founder, Gottlieb Daimler....	Spencer Wishart	Mercedes	Mercedes	4	583 9.55	gray	no full lap	11	5	200	6:52:57 +0:10:49	72.648 116.916	finished	2,350
5	31	Joe Dawson Joe Dawson (racecar driver) Joe Dawson was an United States race car driver.Born in Odon, Indiana, Indiana, Dawson competed in the Indianapolis 500 race three times, beginning in 1911 when he drove a Marmon to a fifth place finish....	Cyrus Patschke	Marmon	Nordyke & Marmon Company	Marmon	Marmon	4	495 8.11	yellow / black	no full lap	27	0	200	6:54:34 +0:12:26	72.365 116.460	finished	1,500
6	2	†₁ Ralph DePalma Ralph DePalma Ralph DePalma was an Italian-American racecar driving champion, most notably winner of the 1915 Indianapolis 500. His entry at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame estimates that he won about 2000 races, and he is credited with winning 24 American Championship Car Racing races....		Simplex	Simplex Automobile Company	Simplex	Simplex	4	597 9.78	red / white	no full lap	2	4	200	7:02:02 +0:19:54	71.084 114.399	finished	1,000
7	20	Charlie Merz Charlie Merz Charlie Merz was an United States racecar driver. Active in the early years of the Indianapolis 500, he later became Chief Steward of the Memorial Day Classic....	Len Zengel Len Zengel Len Zengel was an United States racecar driver.Indy 500 results...	National	National Motor Vehicle Company	National	National	4	447 7.33	blue / white	no full lap	18	0	200	7:06:20 +0:24:12	70.367 113.245	finished	800
8	12	W. H. Turner W. H. Turner W. H. "Wild Bill" Turner was an United States racecar driver.Indy 500 results...	Walter Jones	Amplex	Simplex Automobile Company	Amplex	Amplex	4	443 7.26	red	no full lap	12	0	200	7:15:56 +0:33:48	68.818 110.752	finished	700
9	15	Fred Belcher Fred Belcher Fred Belcher was an United States racecar driver who competed in the Indianapolis 500.Indy 500 results...	John Coffey	Knox	Knox Automobile Company	Knox	Knox	6	432 7.08	brown	no full lap	13	4	200	7:17:09 +0:35:01	68.626 110.443	finished	600
10	25	Harry Cobe Harry Cobe Harry Cobe was an United States racecar driver.Indy 500 results ...	Louis Schwitzer	Jackson	Jackson Automobile Company Jackson Automobile Company Jackson Automobile Company produced the Jackson from 1903 to 1923, as well as the Jaxon steam car during 1903, and the Orlo only in 1904....	Jackson	Jackson	4	559 9.16	maroon / white	no full lap	22	0	200	7:21:50 +0:39:42	67.899 109.273	finished	500
11	10	Gil Andersen Gil Andersen Gil Andersen was an Norwegian-American racecar driver active during the formative years of auto racing. Born in Horten, Norway, he competed in the first six Indianapolis 500 races....		Stutz	Ideal Motor Car Company	Stutz	Wisconsin	4	390 6.39	gray / white	no full lap	10	0	200	7:22:55 +0:40:47	67.73 109.001	finished	0
12	36	Hughie Hughes Hughie Hughes Hughie Hughes was an United States racecar driver. He was killed in a board track crash.Indy 500 results ...		Mercer	Mercer Motors Company	Mercer	Mercer	4	300 4.92	yellow / blue	no full lap	32	0	200	7:23:32 +0:41:24	67.63 108.840	finished	0
13	30	Lee Frayer Lee Frayer Lee Frayer was an United States racecar driver who competed in the Indianapolis 500.Indy 500 results...	Eddie Rickenbacker Eddie Rickenbacker Edward Vernon Rickenbacker was an United States fighter aircraft Flying ace in World War I and Medal of Honor recipient. He was also a race car driver and automotive designer, a government consultant in military matters and a pioneer in air transportation....	Firestone-Columbus	Columbus Buggy Company	Firestone-Columbus	Firestone-Columbus	4	432 7.08	scarlet / gray	no full lap	26	0	197	flagged		flagged, still running	0
14	21	Howdy Wilcox Howdy Wilcox Howard Wilcox was an United States racecar driver active in formative years of auto racing.Born in Crawfordsville, Indiana, Howdy Wilcox led the last 98 laps of the 1919 Indianapolis 500 after starting in the 2nd position....		National	National Motor Vehicle Company	National	National	4	589 9.65	blue / white	no full lap	19	0	194	flagged		flagged, still running	0
15	37	Charles Bigelow Charles Bigelow (racing driver) Charles Bigelow was an United States racecar driver. He is no relation to fellow Indy 500 driver Tom Bigelow.Indy 500 results...	W. H. Frey E. H. Sherwood	Mercer	Mercer Motors Company	Mercer	Mercer	4	300 4.92	yellow / blue	no full lap	33	0	194	flagged		flagged, still running	0
16	3	Harry Endicott Harry Endicott Harry Endicott was an United States racecar driver. He was the brother of fellow "500" participant Bill Endicott. Endicott was killed in a dirt oval practice crash....		Inter-State	Inter-State Automobile Company	Inter-State	Inter-State	4	390 6.39	gray / black	no full lap	3	0	192	flagged		flagged, still running	0
17	41	Howard Hall Howard Hall (racing driver) Howard Hall was an United States racecar driver.Indy 500 results ...	Rupert Jeffkins	Velie	Velie Motors Corporation	Velie	Velie	4	334 5.47	gray	no full lap	36	0	190	flagged		flagged, still running	0
18	46	Billy Knipper Billy Knipper Billy Knipper was an United States racecar driver.Indy 500 results...		Benz	E. A. Moross	Benz	Benz	4	444 7.28	white	no full lap	40	0	188	flagged		flagged, still running	0
19	45	Bob Burman Bob Burman Bob Burman was an United States racecar driver active in the formative years of auto racing. He competed at the 1911 Indianapolis 500 in 1911....		Benz	E. A. Moross	Benz	Benz	4	520 8.52	white	no full lap	39	0	183	flagged		flagged, still running	0
20	38	Ralph Beardsley Ralph Beardsley Ralph Edward Beardsley was an United States racecar driver.Indy 500 results...	Frank Goode	Simplex	Simplex Automobile Company	Simplex	Simplex	4	597 9.78	red	no full lap	34	0	178	flagged		flagged, still running	0
21	18	Eddie Hearne Eddie Hearne Eddie Hearne Indy 500 results...	Edward Parker	Fiat	Edward A. Hearne	Fiat	Fiat	4	487 7.98	red / white	no full lap	16	0	175	flagged		flagged, still running	0
22	6	Frank Fox Frank Fox Frank Fox was an United States racecar driver. After his driving career ended he turned to horse racing. The harness race is named after him....	Fred Clemons	Pope-Hartford	Pope Manufacturing Company Pope Manufacturing Company Pope Manufacturing Company is a manufacturing company started by Albert Augustus Pope in Hartford, CT. The company began with the introduction of the "Columbia" High wheeler in 1878....	Pope-Hartford	Pope-Hartford	4	390 6.39	red / white	no full lap	6	0	162	flagged		flagged, still running	0
23	27	Ernest Delaney Ernest Delaney Ernest Delaney was an United States racecar driver.Indy 500 results...		Cutting Cutting (automobile) The Cutting was an automobile manufactured in Jackson, Michigan by the Clark-Carter Automobile Company from 1909-11, and the Cutting Motor Car Company from 1911-12....	Clark-Carter Automobile Company	Cutting	Cutting	4	390 6.39	gray / black / white	no full lap	24	0	160	flagged		flagged, still running	0
24	26	Jack Tower Jack Tower Jack Tower was an United States racecar driver. He lived in Flint, Michigan.Indy 500 results...	Robert Evans	Jackson	Jackson Automobile Company Jackson Automobile Company Jackson Automobile Company produced the Jackson from 1903 to 1923, as well as the Jaxon steam car during 1903, and the Orlo only in 1904....	Jackson	Jackson	4	432 7.08	maroon / white	no full lap	23	0	145	flagged		flagged, still running	0
25	23	Bert Adams (started) Mel Marquette Mel Marquette Melvon Marquette was an United States racecar driver. He was also an early aviator.Indy 500 results... (finished)		McFarlan McFarlan Automobile McFarlan is an American automobile manufactured in Connersville, Indiana from 1909 to 1928 as an outgrowth of the McFarlan Carriage Company founded in 1856 by English-born John B....	Speed Motors Company	McFarlan	McFarlan	6	377 6.18	lead / white	no full lap	20	0	142	flagged		flagged, still running	0
26	42	Bill Endicott Bill Endicott Bill Endicott was an United States racecar driver. He was the brother of fellow racer Harry Endicott.Indy 500 results...	Johnny Jenkins Johnny Jenkins (racing driver) Johnny Jenkins was an United States racecar driver.Indy 500 results...	Cole	Cole Motor Car Company Cole Motor Car Company The Cole Carriage Company was an early automobile maker based in Indianapolis, Indiana.The first cars were high wheelers with two cylinder engines but more conventional four cylinder models were introduced from 1910....	Cole	Cole	4	471 7.72	green	no full lap	37	0	104	flagged		flagged, still running	0
27	4	Johnny Aitken Johnny Aitken Johnny Aitken was a racecar driver from Indianapolis, who was active in the years prior to World War I.Aitken competed in the Indianapolis 500 three times....		National	National Motor Vehicle Company	National	National	4	589 9.65	blue / white	no full lap	4	8	125	did not finish		connecting rod	0
28	9	Will Jones Will Jones (racing driver) *Will Jones* was an United States racecar driver who drove in the Indianapolis 500.Indy 500 results...		Case	Case Corporation Case Corporation Case Corporation was a manufacturer of construction equipment and agricultural equipment. In 1999 it merged with New Holland to form CNH Global....	Case	Wisconsin	4	284 4.65	red / gray	no full lap	9	0	122	did not finish		steering	0
29	1	Lewis Strang Lewis Strang Lewis Strang was an United States racecar driver. Strang was pole sitter for the inaugural "500". He was killed in a testing accident, becoming the first Indy 500 veteran to die....	Elmer Ray Elmer Ray Elmer "Kid Violent" Ray was an United States heavyweight boxing who fought from 1926 to 1949. Ray was known as a hard puncher and had a career record of 86 -13-1....	Case	Case Corporation	Case	Wisconsin	4	284 4.65	red / gray	no full lap	1	0	109	did not finish		steering	0
30	7	Harry Knight Harry Knight Harry Knight was an United States racecar driver. Knight was killed in an AAA National race.Indy 500 results ...		Westcott	Westcott Motor Car Company Westcott automobile The Westcott was an automobile produced in Richmond, Indiana and Springfield, Ohio between 1912 and 1925. The car company was named for its founder, Burton J....	Westcott	Westcott	6	421 6.90	gray	no full lap	7	0	90	did not finish		accident, front-straight	0
31	8	†₂ Joe Jagersberger Joe Jagersberger Joe Jagersberger was an Austrian-American racecar driver....		Case	Case Corporation	Case	Wisconsin	4	284 4.65	red / gray	no full lap	8	0	87	did not finish		accident, front-straight	0
32	35	Herbert Lytle Herbert Lytle Herbert Lytle was an United States racecar driver.Indy 500 results...		Apperson Apperson The Apperson was a brand of United States automobile manufactured from 1902 to 1926 in Kokomo, Indiana, Indiana....	Apperson Apperson The Apperson was a brand of United States automobile manufactured from 1902 to 1926 in Kokomo, Indiana, Indiana.... Brothers Automotive Company	Apperson	Apperson	4	546 8.95	vermillion / white	no full lap	31	0	82	did not finish		accident, pits	0
33	19	Harry Grant Harry Grant Harry Grant was an United states auto racing driver. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, driving an American Locomotive Company, Grant won the 1909 and 1910 Vanderbilt Cup on Long Island....		Alco	American Locomotive Company American Locomotive Company The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States....	Alco	Alco	6	580 9.50	black	no full lap	17	0	51	did not finish		bearings	0
34	17	†₄ Charles Basle Charles Basle Charles Lucien Basle was a France racecar driver.Indy 500 results...		Buick	Buick Motor Company	Buick	Buick	4	594 9.73	white / red	no full lap	15	0	46	did not finish		mechanical	0
35	5	Louis Disbrow Louis Disbrow Louis Disbrow was an United States racecar driver.Indy 500 results...		Pope-Hartford	Pope Manufacturing Company	Pope-Hartford	Pope-Hartford	4	390 6.39	red / black	no full lap	5	0	45	did not finish		accident, front-straight	0
36	16	†₃ Arthur Chevrolet Arthur Chevrolet Arthur Chevrolet, was a Swiss American racecar driver and automobile manufacturer.Born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Canton of Neuch?tel, Switzerland, he was the middle brother of Louis Chevrolet and Gaston Chevrolet ....		Buick	Buick Motor Company	Buick	Buick	4	594 9.73	white / red	no full lap	14	0	30	did not finish		mechanical	0
37	39	Caleb Bragg Caleb Bragg Caleb Bragg was an United States racecar driver, speedboat racer, and aviation pioneer....		Fiat	Caleb S. Bragg	Fiat	Fiat	4	487 7.98	maroon	no full lap	35	0	24	did not finish		wrecked, pits	0
38	24	Fred Ellis Fred Ellis Fred Ellis was an American political/editorial cartoonist. His cartoons spoke to many of the issues of the day, both international and those close to the heart of the American working-class family ....		Jackson	Jackson Automobile Company	Jackson	Jackson	4	355 5.82	maroon / white	no full lap	21	0	22	did not finish		fire damage, withdrawn	0
39	34	Teddy Tetzlaff Teddy Tetzlaff Teddy Tetzlaff was an United States racecar driver active in the formative years of auto racing. He competed in the first four Indianapolis 500s, with a highest finish of second in 1912 Indianapolis 500....		Lozier	Lozier Motor Company	Lozier	Lozier	4	544 8.91	white / red	no full lap	30	0	20	did not finish		accident, front-straight	0
40	44	Arthur Greiner Arthur Greiner Arthur Greiner was an United States racecar driver, and historically the first to finish last in the the Indianapolis 500. Greiner crashed on the backstretch after completing twelve laps in the inaugural race....		Amplex	Simplex Motor Car Company	Amplex	Amplex	4	443 7.26	red / white	no full lap	8	0	12	did not finish		accident, second turn	0

Footnotes

2006 Indianapolis 500 Official Program

1911 Indianapolis 500

One Race

"Too much racing"

Timing and farming

Superlatives, preparation

The 500-Mile Race

Official Results

Qualification Results

Race Results

Footnotes

Wikisource Newspaper Texts