A Brief History
On May 30, 1911, one of auto racing’s top 3 events was born with the initial running of the Indianapolis 500. (The other 2 of the 3 most prestigious auto races are the 24 Hours at Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix, with the 3 races combined referred to as the Triple Crown of Auto Racing.)
Digging Deeper
Built in 1909 as a primitive asphalt track (using gravel and tar) the fragility of the surface caused the owner to repave the track surface with 3.2 million bricks. Cost of the brick paving: $155,000, a big chunk of change in those days, especially with auto racing in its infancy. A concrete wall was also built around the track to (hopefully) keep the cars off the spectators.
The first use of the new brick surface was a 200 mile race on Memorial Day weekend 1910, which drew a crowd of 60,000. It must have been apparent to sponsors that they were on to something good. Ray Harroun won that race in a Marmon (made by Marmon Motor Car Company located right there in Indianapolis). The following year, when the first 500 mile even was held, Harroun won that first ever Indy 500 driving another Marmon. Racing teams were competing for a whopping $25,000 purse, which if that does not seem like a lot, consider that it took almost 80 pounds of pure gold to equal that in those days!
Rules for that first race limited motors to 600 cubic inches and Harroun was the only driver to drive solo without an assistant mechanic in the car with him (to watch oil pressure and look out for other cars). Harroun did not need the extra set of eyes because he employed his own invention, the rear view mirror. Average speed for the winning car was 74.6 mph, a speed you would expect today’s economy cars to match or exceed. (It was not until 1925 that a winner averaged 100 mph.)
Today’s Indy car engines are 2.2 liter twin-turbocharged capable of 650 horsepower, with the 2013 winner averaging 187.4 mph. The first female driver that qualified for the race was Janet Guthrie in 1977, and 8 more women have qualified since then. The highest finish by a woman driver was in 2009 when Danica Patrick finished 3rd. She is also the only woman to lead the race, which she did in 2005 and 2011.
Fact: American World War I flying ace (and #1 race car driver before the war) Eddie Rickenbacker owned the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 1927 to 1945. Today’s owner is Hulman and Company.
The Indy 500 race organizers call the race The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Question for students (and subscribers): What do you think? If it is not, then what auto race is? Each Memorial Day weekend nearly 400,000 fans crowd the track to vote with their ticket money. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Kramer, Ralph. The Indianapolis 500: A Century of Excitement. Krause Publications, 2010.
Leerhsen, Charles. Blood and Smoke: A True Tale of Mystery, Mayhem and the Birth of the Indy 500. Simon & Schuster, 2012.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="2353 http://www.crackedhistory.com/?p=2353">27 Comments
The first picture is really entertaining to look at, especially after realizing how much the cars and race has transformed over the years.
It is amazing that racing events are still a popular form of entertainment. We can definitely thank Harroun for the rear view mirrors that are on our cars today!
This is a long way from the first American auto race, the Chicago Times Herald, in 1895. This looked much more like the races we are used to seeing today. It had an asphalt track especially made for this type of race and the cars were more efficient and faster. Its so cool to see how much it changed, even in those fifteen years between races.
It is interesting to read and see pictures of the first auto races. The speed and look of the cars have very much changed over the years as one would expect. Crazy that the average winning speed used to be 75 mph and now is around 187 mph.
I had no idea auto racing dated back to 1909. I thought it was more recent. I wonder if people realized what a dangerous sport it was especially since cars were still a new invention. The prices they were racing for were huge!! It is so hard to wrap my head around the concept of 80 pounds of pure gold!
Racing it already boring and imagine how more boring it would be to see a race where the cars are only going 75 mph.
Crazy to read about how the cars have evolved through out time. From the Chicago race that only 2 finished and going nearly half the speed of the Indy races if 75 mph. Racing and cars have made tremedous improvements each century.
I never knew the Indianapolis was over 100 years old! The winning speed of the race in 2015 was well over 160 mph, and the first winner of the Indy 500 hit speeds of only 74 mph. A big change. This shows how far technology has evolved in the last 104 years!
I have heard of the story of the rear view mirror but was never sure who invented it. It’s crazy to think that they only went about 75 mph, but looking at the cars that makes sense! That picture is great and really puts it all into perspective.
It would be awesome to compare the Indianapolis 500 in 1911 to the Indianapolis 500 that took place this year in 2016. It would have to be unbelievable to see the progress we have witnessed in the last century. Not only in terms of the vehicles racing, but also the facilities where the race is held. Imagine seeing the race today being held on a brick path. With how fast the cars go today that would surely be dangerous!
Auto racing has become such a major part of American culture! One of the best thoughts though was building that cement wall around the track to protect fans. Think of how many lives that has saved.
Spending $155,000 on new bricks for a track does not seem like a lot today but for the average person in the early 1900s, it was a lot. Then having the chance to race and win $25,000 would seem insane to give away during that time. Today this would seem almost like an average prize amount with how the value of money has changed.
From the picture of the starting line during 1911 compared to a picture of the starting line now for the Indianapolis 500, the improvement the racing industry has made throughout the years can speak for itself. It is truly amazing. And it is interesting to learn about the story of the rear view mirror, I never knew the story behind it.
I have attended three Indianapolis 500 races, including the 100th annual race a couple months ago. There is nothing quite like the Indianapolis 500 race. The nickname “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” is well deserved. I enjoy traveling to Indianapolis each year to attend the race.
I have always wanted to attend an Indianapolis 500 race. It is cool to learn about the start of such a historic race. It is also amazing how far racing has come since the days of the first Indianapolis 500. I am surprised about the $25,000 pot for the winner. I would have thought that for the first race the winner would have received much less than that.
Racing in all its forms had been a huge part of American culture. It is interesting how much the sport has progressed in all its years. Faster, safer, and more intense. I wonder how much it will evolve over the next hundred years.
I am surprised that the winner received a prize of $25,000. That seems like a ton of money to me for a race like this. It is interesting that Harroun chose to ride solo even with his creation of the rear view mirror. It is crazy that the average speed of a winning car was only 74.6 mph back then.
The Indy 500 definitely seems to be one of the greatest races in the nation. From the start of the Indy 500 back in 1910 to now, there has always been an enormous crowd that comes to watch. It is incredible that the first ever race attracted 60,000 people, and the drivers were racing for $25,000 back in the early 20th century!
Ray Harroun seems to be the big name from back then. He won the first 200 mile race and then continued to win the first Indy 500 race. He even came up with his own invention of the rearview mirror, which is something we use today in all cars.
I love how the article says the brick wall was built around the track to (hopefully) keeps the cars off the viewers. It a good thing that we think about safety. All of the 60,000 spectators may have not survived.
To think that in 1898, the first land speed was 39 mph, the high speed of this race was 74, and now people are racing higher velocities! It is very crazy to think how advanced we are today than they were back then.
Never got into the sport but I can find a new appreciation for the reasons behind races like these. Competition drives people to create better vehicles all the time and because of races like these they get a little bump in pay if they are successful.
It’s amazing how advanced we continue to take things.
I would not have expected brick paving to be used on a race course! It is interesting to see the changing history of the Indy 500.
My favorite racing event is the Detroit Grand Prix on Belle Isle, located in Detroit. Belle Isle is the largest city island park!
It is kind of humorous to see these cars and compare it to NASCAR today.
I picked up at auction a GENUINE beyond doubt inaugural poster of the May 30th 1911 Indy 500. I have pics to send. Any feedback? I can’t find it anywhere which leads me to believe I have a real find on my hands. I am not adverse to selling it. I got it on a great deal. FYI, I know antiques and do not believe I am incorrect. mikewinters231 @ gmail . com thanks, Mike