Cover of Speed Age magazine, claiming to show the start of first Indianapolis 500 race; the event depicted was in fact the start of a 5-mile race on August 19, 1909.

The 1911 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, or International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race, the first recorded automobile race of such distance in history, and cause for the largest public gathering up to that time in the city's history, was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, May 30, 1911. Cover of Speed Age magazine, showing start of first Indianapolis 500 race. ... Cover of Speed Age magazine, showing start of first Indianapolis 500 race. ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... Indianapolis 500, 1994 An Indianapolis 500 racecar depicted on the Indiana state quarter The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, often shortened to Indianapolis 500 or Indy 500, is an American automobile race, held annually over the Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. ... Karl Benzs Velo model (1894) - entered into the first automobile race An automobile (or motor car) is a wheeled passenger vehicle that carries its own motor. ... Auto racing (also known as automobile racing or autosport) is a sport involving racing automobiles. ... The Indianapolis skyline Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana. ... Indianapolis Motor Speedway Wing and Wheel Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana (a separate city completely surrounded by Indianapolis) in the United States, is the second-oldest surviving automobile racing track in the world (after the Milwaukee Mile), having existed since 1909, and the original Speedway, the first racing... May 30 is the 150th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (151st in leap years). ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ...

The largest racing purse offered to that date, $27,550, drew 46 entries from the United States and Europe, 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. European redirects here. ... Displacement, One complete cycle of a four cylinder, four stroke engine. ...

The cars lined up five to a row, excepting the first and last; the former led in what is now called the pole position by co-founder and president of the Speedway Carl G. Fisher in a Stoddard-Dayton 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. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Stoddard-Dayton was a high quality car manufacturer in Dayton,Ohio USA between 1904 and 1913. ... See also List of Indianapolis 500 pace cars A pace car has been used to start the Indianapolis 500 since 1911. ...

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, 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 took over in a Mercedes, himself soon overtaken by David L. Bruce-Brown's Fiat which would go on to dominate the first half of the race. Nearing the halfway point, Ray Harroun, an engineer for the Marmon company and defending AAA 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, passed Bruce-Brown for the lead in his self-designed, six-cylinder "Marmon Wasp" (so named for its distinctively sharp-pointed, wasp-like tail). Johnny Aitken (born May 3, 1885 - died October 15, 1918) was a racecar driver from Indianapolis who competed in the Indianapolis 500 two times (1911 and 1916). ... Mercedes was the brand of the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft before being merged with Benz & Cie. ... Fiat Punto FIAT Group, or Fiat S.p. ... Ray Harroun (January 12, 1879 - January 19, 1968) was an American racecar driver. ... Marmon 48 from 1914 ad Marmon was an automobile brand name manufactured by the Nordyke & Marmon Company of Indianapolis, Indiana, from 1902 through 1933. ... The AAA logo The AAA (usually read triple-A, or sometimes three As), formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is an American not-for-profit automobile lobby group and service organization. ... The rear-view mirror of a Mazda 626. ... A piston and cylinder from a steam engine A cylinder in an internal combustion engine is the space within which a piston travels. ...

Others falter during the marathon event; of the 14 cars to fall out, riding mechanic Sam Dickson is the lone fatality, killed when driver Arthur Greiner 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 driver Ralph Mulford had fought an intense battle for supremecy, 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 but 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. imange from a 1912 advertisement for a Lozier touring car priced at $5,000. ... Tires may refer to: the plural of tire the Italian name for Tiers, Italy, a town in South Tyrol, Italy Category: ...

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

Starting grid qualification determined by order of entry date.

Row	Far Inside	Inside Center	Center	Outside Center	Far Outside
1	Pace Car Position	Lewis Strang	Ralph DePalma ( Italian-born)	Harry Endicott	Johnny Aitken
2	Louis Disbrow	Frank Fox	Harry Knight	Joe Jagersberger	Will Jones
3	Gil Anderson	Spencer Wishart	W. H. Turner	Fred Belcher	Arthur Chevrolet ( Swiss-born)
4	Charles Basle	Eddie Hearne	Harry Grant	Charles Merz	Howdy Wilcox
5	Mel Marquette	Fred Ellis	Harry Cobe	Jack Tower	Ernest Delaney
6	David L. Bruce-Brown	Lee Frayer	Joe Dawson	Ray Harroun	Ralph Mulford
7	Teddy Tetzlaff	Herb Lytle	Hughie Hughes	Charles Bigelow	Ralph Beardsley
8	Caleb Bragg	Howard Hall	Bill Endicott	Arthur Greiner	Bob Burman
9	Billy Knipper

Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Ralph DePalma (January 23, 1884 – March 31, 1956) was an Italian-American racecar driving champion. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Johnny Aitken (born May 3, 1885 - died October 15, 1918) was a racecar driver from Indianapolis who competed in the Indianapolis 500 two times (1911 and 1916). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Norway. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Arthur Chevrolet, (April 25, 1884 – April 16, 1946) was an Swiss-born American racecar driver and automobile manufacturer. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Switzerland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Harry Grant (July 10, 1877 - October 8, 1915) was an American auto racing driver. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Howard (Howdy) Wilcox (June 24, 1889 - September 4, 1923) won the 1919 Indianapolis 500. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Joe Dawson (April 19, 1889 - June 18, 1946) was an American race car driver. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Ray Harroun (January 12, 1879 - January 19, 1968) was an American racecar driver. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ...

Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Entrant	Engine	Cylinders	Displacement	Chassis	Color	Start Pos	Laps Led*	Time	Laps / Speed / Reason Out
1	32	Ray Harroun**	Marmon "Wasp"	Nordyke & Marmon Company	Marmon	6	477 in³ / 7.82 L	Marmon	yellow/black	28	88	6:42:08	200 - 74.602 mph / 120.060 km/h
2	33	Ralph Mulford	Lozier	Lozier Motor Company	Lozier	4	544 in³ / 8.91 L	Lozier	White	29	10	6:43:51 / +1:43	200 - 74.285 mph / 119.550 km/h
3	28	David L. Bruce-Brown	Fiat	E. E. Hewlett	Fiat	4	589 in³ / 9.65 L	Fiat	maroon/white	25	81	6:52:29 / +10:21	200 - 72.730 mph / 117.048 km/h
4	11	Spencer Wishart	Mercedes	Spencer Wishart	Mercedes	4	583 in³ / 9.55 L	Mercedes	gray	11	5	6:52:57 / +10:49	200 - 72.648 mph / 116.916 km/h
5	31	Joe Dawson	Marmon	Nordyke & Marmon Company	Marmon	4	495 in³ / 8.11 L	Marmon	yellow/black	27	0	6:54:34 / +12:26	200 - 72.365 mph / 116.460 km/h
6	2	Ralph DePalma ( Italian-born)	Simplex	Simplex Automobile Company	Simplex	4	597 in³ / 9.78 L	Simplex	red/white	2	4	7:02:02 / +19:54	200 – 71.084 mph / 114.399 km/h
7	20	Charlie Merz	National	National Motor Vehicle Company	National	4	447 in³ / 7.33 L	National	blue/white	18	0	7:06:20 / +24:12	200 – 70.367 mph / 113.245 km/h
8	12	W.H. “Jack” Turner	Amplex	Simplex Automobile Company	Amplex	4	443 in³ / 7.26 L	Amplex	red	12	0	7:15:56 / +33:48	200 – 68.818 mph / 110.752 km/h
9	15	Fred Belcher	Knox	Knox Automobile Company	Knox	6	432 in³ / 7.08 L	Knox	brown	13	4	7:17:09 / +35:01	200 – 68.626 mph / 110.443 km/h
10	25	Harry Cobe	Jackson	Jackson Automobile Company	Jackson	4	559 in³ / 9.16 L	Jackson	maroon/white	22	0	7:21:50 / +39:42	200 – 67.899 mph / 109.273 km/h
11	10	Gil Anderson	Stutz	Ideal Motor Car Company	Wisconsin	4	390 in³ / 6.39 L	Stutz	gray/white	10	0	7:22:56 / +40:48	200 – 67.73 mph / 109.001 km/h
12	36	Hughie Hughes	Mercer	Mercer Motors Company	Mercer	4	300 in³ / 4.92 L	Mercer	yellow/blue	32	0	7:22:56 / +40:48	200 – 67.73 mph / 109.001 km/h
13	30	Lee Frayer	Firestone-Columbus	Columbus Buggy Company	Firestone-Columbus	4	432 in³ / 7.08 L	Firestone-Columbus	scarlet/gray	26	0	flagged	flagged
14	21	Howdy Wilcox	National	National Motor Vehicle Company	National	4	589 in³ / 9.65 L	National	blue/white	19	0	flagged	flagged
15	37	Charles Bigelow	Mercer	Mercer Motors Company	Mercer	4	300 in³ / 4.92 L	Mercer	yellow/blue	33	0	flagged	flagged
16	3	Harry Endicott	Inter-State	Inter-State Automobile Company	Inter-State	4	390 in³ / 6.39 L	Inter-State	gray/black	3	0	flagged	flagged
17	41	Howard Hall	Velie	Velie Motors Corporation	Velie	4	334 in³ / 5.47 L	Velie	gray	36	0	flagged	flagged
18	46	Billy Knipper	Benz	E. A. Moross	Benz	4	444 in³ / 7.28 L	Benz	white	40	0	flagged	flagged
19	45	Bob Burman	Benz	E. A. Moross	Benz	4	520 in³ / 8.52 L	Benz	white	39	0	flagged	flagged
20	38	Ralph Beardsley	Simplex	Simplex Automobile Company	Simplex	4	597 in³ / 9.78 L	Simplex	red	34	0	flagged	flagged
21	18	Eddie Hearne	Fiat	Edward A. Hearne	Fiat	4	487 in³ / 7.98 L	Fiat	red/white	16	0	flagged	flagged
22	6	Frank Fox	Pope-Hartford	Pope Manufacturing Company	Pope-Hartford	4	390 in³ / 6.39 L	Pope-Hartford	red/white	6	0	flagged	flagged
23	27	Ernest Delany	Cutting	Clark-Carter Automobile Company	Cutting	4	390 in³ / 6.39 L	Cutting	gray/black/white	24	0	flagged	flagged
24	26	Jack Tower	Jackson	Jackson Automobile Company	Jackson	4	432 in³ / 7.08 L	Jackson	maroon/white	23	0	flagged	flagged
25	23	Mel Marquette	McFarlan	Speed Motors Company	McFarlan	6	377 in³ / 6.18 L	McFarlan	lead/white	20	0	flagged	flagged
26	42	Bill Endicott	Cole	Cole Motor Car Company	Cole	4	471 in³ / 7.72 L	Cole	green	37	0	flagged	flagged
27	4	Johnny Aitken	National	National Motor Vehicle Company	National	4	589 in³ / 9.65 L	National	blue/white	4	8	DNF	125 – connecting rod
28	9	Will Jones	Case	J. I. Case T. M. Company	Wisconsin	4	284 in³ / 4.65 L	Case	red/gray	9	0	DNF	122 - steering
29	1	Lewis Strang	Case	J. I. Case T. M. Company	Wisconsin	4	284 in³ / 4.65 L	Case	red/gray	1	0	DNF	109 – steering
30	7	Harry Knight	Westcott	Westcott Motor Car Company	Westcott	6	421 in³ / 6.90 L	Westcott	gray	7	0	DNF	90 – accident, front-straight
31	8	Joe Jagersberger	Case	J. I. Case T. M. Company	Wisconsin	4	284 in³ / 4.65 L	Case	red/gray	8	0	DNF	87 – accident, front-straight
32	35	Herbert Lytle	Apperson	Apperson Brothers Automotive Company	Apperson	4	546 in³ / 8.95 L	Apperson	vermillion/white	31	0	DNF	82 – accident, pits
33	19	Harry Grant	Alco	American Locomotive Company	Alco	6	580 in³ / 9.50 L	Alco	black	17	0	DNF	51 – bearings
34	17	Charles Basle	Buick	Buick Motor Company	Buick	4	594 in³ / 9.73 L	Buick	white/red	15	0	DNF	46 – mechanical
35	5	Louis Disbrow	Pope-Hartford	Pope Manufacturing Company	Pope-Hartford	4	390 in³ / 6.39 L	Pope-Hartford	red/black	5	0	DNF	45 – accident, front-straight
36	16	Arthur Chevrolet ( Swiss-born)	Buick	Buick Motor Company	Buick	4	594 in³ / 9.73 L	Buick	white/red	14	0	DNF	30 – mechanical
37	39	Caleb S. Bragg	Fiat	Caleb S. Bragg	Fiat	4	487 in³ / 7.98 L	Fiat	maroon	35	0	DNF	24 – wrecked, pits
38	24	Fred Ellis	Jackson	Jackson Automobile Company	Jackson	4	355 in³ / 5.82 L	Jackson	maroon/white	21	0	DNF	22 – withdrawn
39	34	Teddy Tetzlaff	Lozier	Lozier Motor Company	Lozier	4	544 in³ / 8.91 L	Lozier	white/red	30	0	DNF	20 – accident, front-straight
40	44	Arthur Greiner	Amplex	Simplex Motor Car Company	Amplex	4	443 in³ / 7.26 L	Amplex	red/white	8	0	DNF	12 – accident, second turn

*Due to an accident at the timing and scoring stand, laps 138 through 176 were unofficially recorded.

**Ray Harroun was relieved by Cyrus Patschke for approximately 35 laps at the halfway point of the race.

Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Ray Harroun (January 12, 1879 - January 19, 1968) was an American racecar driver. ... Marmon 48 from 1914 ad Marmon was an automobile brand name manufactured by the Nordyke & Marmon Company of Indianapolis, Indiana, from 1902 through 1933. ... Marmon 48 from 1914 ad Marmon was an automobile brand name manufactured by the Nordyke & Marmon Company of Indianapolis, Indiana, from 1902 through 1933. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... imange from a 1912 advertisement for a Lozier touring car priced at $5,000. ... imange from a 1912 advertisement for a Lozier touring car priced at $5,000. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Fiat Punto FIAT Group, or Fiat S.p. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Mercedes was the brand of the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft before being merged with Benz & Cie. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Joe Dawson (April 19, 1889 - June 18, 1946) was an American race car driver. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Ralph DePalma (January 23, 1884 – March 31, 1956) was an Italian-American racecar driving champion. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Norway. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Howard (Howdy) Wilcox (June 24, 1889 - September 4, 1923) won the 1919 Indianapolis 500. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Pope Manufacturing Company is a manufacturing company started by Albert Augustus Pope in Hartford, CT. Until 1896, it was the leading US producer of bicycles. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Johnny Aitken (born May 3, 1885 - died October 15, 1918) was a racecar driver from Indianapolis who competed in the Indianapolis 500 two times (1911 and 1916). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Harry Grant (July 10, 1877 - October 8, 1915) was an American auto racing driver. ... The American Locomotive Company, shortened to ALCo was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Buick is a brand of automobile built in the United States and China by General Motors. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Arthur Chevrolet, (April 25, 1884 – April 16, 1946) was an Swiss-born American racecar driver and automobile manufacturer. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Switzerland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Fred Ellis (1885-1965) was an American political/editorial cartoonist. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ...

Notes

Race field average engine displacement:

• 460.10 in³ / 7.54 L

Race field average qualifying speed:

• No full lap

Finishing entries average time and finishing speed:

• 7:05:27
• 70.740 mph / 113.846 km/h

References and External Links

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Crowd of 100,000 at the Speedway

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The Great Race

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Harroun is in Lead at 300

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Harroun Only One Sure of His Place

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One Dead and Many Injured

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Train and Trolley Bear in Thousands

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