|| *Comments on the 1911 International 500:* View the most recent comment <#34> | Post a comment <#post> Tweet 1. RaceFanX posted: 05.23.2010 - 11:30 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) THE LEGEND BEGINS!!! In an era where drivers usually rode with a ride-along mechanic Ray Harroun raced to the inaugural alone in his bright yellow Marmon Wasp. To make up for not having a co-driver to watch his back, Harroun equipped the Wasp with a secret weapon never used before on automobile...the very first rear-view mirror. 2. RaceFanX posted: 05.23.2010 - 11:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And once again thank you to the R-R pit crew for putting together these stats. 3. bduddy posted: 05.24.2010 - 12:46 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I have to second the thanks to the r-r people for getting all these races up. As for Harroun, his mirror may have been the first of many innovations premiered at Indy, but it was also the start of what would become a theme there and elsewhere: it was promptly banned the next year, and all cars were required to run with riding mechanics. 4. Jeremy Siple posted: 06.12.2010 - 1:23 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) The idea of the 500-mile endurance test for the horseless carriage is born. 5. joey2448 posted: 03.30.2011 - 8:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) were cars lined up on the grid by their numbers?....the polesitter drove #1, second was #2, third was #3....etc, but it's not totally consistent.... 6. JoeytheHDK posted: 05.08.2011 - 8:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The cars were lined up by order of when their entries came in. To make the race, I think the drivers and cars had to run a mile at 75 miles per hour. 7. cjs3872 posted: 05.18.2011 - 6:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Actually, there was a controversy concering who won the race. At about the 200-mile mark, there was a three-car incident in which Joe Jagersberger's car crashed into the scoring stand, which caused those scoring the race to scram for safety. (Miraculosly, no one was seriously injured.) To this day, many think that Ralph Mulford actually won this race. The day after the race, all the scoring sheets for this race were destroyed, adding to the confusion. As a result, the original pagoda was erected by 1913, mainly as a scoring and officials tower. Also, due to the way the race was scored from 1911-1949, some drivers were place in the wrong finishing positions, as positions were based by cars that were running, rather than laps completed, in case cars were flagged off the course having completed fewer laps than cars that had dropped out of the race. For instance, Bill Endicott, who's car was the last of the 26 that were running (only 12 of which completed the entire race distance), should have been placed 29th, behind Johnny Aitken, Will Jones, and pole sitter Lewis Strang. Also, on a sad note, in Arthur Greiner's crash, his riding mechanic was killed, becoming the first man killed in the Indianapolis 500. 8. DaleSrFanForever posted: 05.22.2011 - 4:54 pm Rate this comment: (13) (0) Damn, I knew Harry Gant was old, but I didn't know he finished 33rd in the very first Indy 500 in 1911! :) 9. RaceFanX posted: 05.24.2011 - 12:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Joe Jagersberger's #8 car had the steering fail on the frontstretch and his mechanic fell out of the car because of it. Herbert Lytle in the #35 swerved to avoid the mechanic in the middle of the track and his car hit the scoring stand and flipped on its side. Harry Knight and his #7 were also involved as was another car. In an incredible bit of good camera work a silent newsreel crew on the scene (film was sound with still 16 years away) and got much of the incident on film. Here is a newsreel with highlights of the historic race... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DObRkFU6-Rw&feature=relmfu Nice footage of an early pit stop by Bob Burman and the #45 team. 10. potatosalad48 posted: 05.29.2011 - 12:40 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The first Indianapolis 500 finishes in almost 7 hours with an average speed of just under 75 miles an hour. It's amazing how far we've come since then. 11. ii posted: 04.01.2012 - 11:37 am Rate this comment: (0) (3) DSFF, this is Harry Grant, not Harry Gant 12. RaceFanX posted: 05.31.2012 - 2:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Interesting to see someone entered an Alco in this race, the before mentioned Harry Grant who broke and finished 33rd. Alco was a well known name in transportation at the time...as a builder of steam locomotives. Alco only built cars from 1906 to 1913, using thier own designs from 1908 until they left the business, and they did win the Vanderbilt Cup twice in 1909 and 1910 before this race. The company continued in the locomotive business and later switched to making diesels with the rest of the industry in the 1930-1940s but went under in 1969 (although their Canadian side business Montreal Locomotive Works [MLW] continued into the mid-1980s). 13. james hoagland posted: 09.12.2014 - 4:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) are there other cars still on display somewhere from the 1911 race besides the wasp? 14. Anonymous posted: 01.09.2015 - 9:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Race was actually called International 500 DNQ's Rupert Jeffkins 40 Velie Motor Car Co. Velie/Velie Billy Pearce 13 Fal Motor Co. Falcar/Falcar Frank Gelnaw 14 Fal Motor Co. Falcar/Falcar Fred Clemons 22 McFarlan Motor Car Co. McFarlan/McFarlan Louis Edmunds 43 Cole Motor Car Co. Cole 30/Cole Harold Van Gorder 29 W.H. Chambers Lozier/Lozier 15. Schroeder51 posted: 03.13.2015 - 9:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) First Indy 500 start for everyone in the field (obviously). Only Indy 500 starts for Ray Harroun, W. H. Turner, Fred Belcher, Harry Cobe, Charles Bigelow, Howard Hall, Ralph Beardsley, Frank Fox, Ernest Delaney, Will Jones, Lewis Strang, Charles Basle, Fred Ellis, and Arthur Greiner. 16. Anthony posted: 07.05.2015 - 8:59 am Rate this comment: (1) (2) The greatest race in the world is born! Only the Le Mans 24 Hours can compare to this majestic event. 17. Jaws_Fan posted: 08.12.2015 - 6:28 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Although many fans think there was controversy over who won, the official ISM historian disputes this. According to him there is way more evidence for Ray Harroun then for Ralph Mulford, mainly Harroun only changed four tires as opposed to Mulford's fourteen. Mulford also congratulated Harruon in next day's newspaper 18. Evan posted: 08.12.2015 - 10:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Henry Ford(yes of Ford Motor Company fame) should be listed as withdrew because organizers told him he had too big of an engine. 19. Big Mac Fan posted: 01.27.2016 - 1:28 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) With the 100th running this year, here is a q history lesson: In 1911, -World War I hadn't happened -The Ottoman Empire existed -China still had dynasties (in this case the Qing dynasty) -Africa consisted of European colonies -The Panama Canal wasn't built -There was only 27 U.S. presidents. -The population of the U.S. was less than 100,000,000 -The titanic hadn't sunk -The oldest person alive today was 12 -The Great Depression never happened -The oldest airport was built two years ago. -Indianapolis only had a population of 200,000 -The light bulb was only 30 years old -Mount Rushmore didn't exist -There was 46 U.S. states Crazy how different things were a century ago. Geez. 20. Big Mac Fan posted: 01.27.2016 - 1:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) *quick 21. Paul8 posted: 03.24.2017 - 9:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Anonymous wrote: "DNQ's Rupert Jeffkins #40 Velie Motor Car Co. Velie/Velie Billy Pearce #13 Fal Motor Co. Falcar/Falcar Frank Gelnaw #14 Fal Motor Co. Falcar/Falcar Fred Clemons #22 McFarlan Motor Car Co. McFarlan/McFarlan Louis Edmunds #43 Cole Motor Car Co. Cole 30/Cole Harold Van Gorder #29 W.H. Chambers Lozier/Lozier" Found an official entry list from the actual race program to back up this post: http://chuckstoyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/1911-Indy-500-program-TABLE-OF-ENTRIES.jpg The #13 and #14 Falcar's should be listed as withdrawn. 22. Jim4Bill posted: 08.03.2017 - 2:20 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Ralph Mulford drove a Lozier Motor Company car - the only one I have ever seen in person was in a display area of Lozier Corporation in Omaha NE - they make store shelves including most of what Target uses in their stores. Same family - LozMoCo went under in 1915 but the family eventually started and grew a big business building and selling shelving. Small world? 23. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 05.01.2018 - 8:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) A few sources I've come across list Bert Adams as having started the race in the #23 and that Mel Marquette was his relief driver. Info on some of the DNQ drivers: Harold Van Gorder: Nationality: American Hometown: Sayre, Pennsylvania Born: April 2, 1888 Died: June 18, 1934 C. B. Baldwin: Nationality: American Culla Scott: Nationality: American John Glover: Nationality: American Russell Smith: Nationality: American Louis Larsonneur: Nationality: French Frank Agan: Nationality: American Hometown: Washington, Indiana Born: March 13, 1880 Died: Jan. 16, 1961 L. Johnson: Nationality: American Arthur Beck: Nationality: American Bert Adams: Nationality: American Hometown: Lafayette, Indiana Born: April 4, 1876 Died: 1943 E. F. Scheifler: Nationality: American Billy Clifton: Nationality: American Clarence Kittrell: Nationality: American Arthur Gibbons: Nationality: American Hometown: Wateska, Illinois Born: April 20, 1883 Died: Jan. 7, 1960 24. RaceFanX posted: 05.01.2018 - 9:27 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) THE LEGEND BEGINS!!! In an era where drivers usually rode with a ride-along mechanic Ray Harroun raced to the inaugural alone in his bright yellow Marmon Wasp. To make up for not having a co-driver to watch his back, Harroun equipped the Wasp with a secret weapon never used before on automobile...the very first rear-view mirror. Harroun had already decided to retire from auto racing before this race. He came out of retirement to run it, scored the biggest win of his career, and then hung it up never to race again. 25. Eric posted: 07.04.2018 - 8:52 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) #23 should be listed as Bert Adams, as Mel Marquette drove relief for him. 26. Matt T posted: 07.07.2018 - 6:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The name of Arthur Greiner's mechanic was Sam Dickson. He was the first ever fatality in the 500. 27. RaceFanX posted: 07.17.2018 - 3:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ray Harroun's winning average speed of 74 miles per hour remains to this day the slowest average speed for an Indy 500 winner. That mark will likely stand forever. 28. dennyfan11 posted: 09.21.2018 - 12:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) You never know, there might be a 2002 Gold Coast Indy 300 style race 29. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 11.28.2018 - 3:29 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) List of riding mechanics: Ralph Mulford: Will Chambers David Bruce-Brown: Tony Scudellari Spencer Wishart: William Pfieffer Joe Dawson: Bruce Keen Ralph DePalma: Charlie Bury Charlie Merz: L. E. Banks William Turner: Emmett Ward Fred Belcher: William John Harry Cobe: Eddie Miller Gil Andersen: Frank Agan Hughie Hughes: L. P. Fuhrmann Lee Frayer: John Reider Howdy Wilcox: J. P. Walker Charlie Bigelow: Charlie Illingsworth Harry Endicott: Ed Madden Ralph Beardsley: George Scott Eddie Hearne: Louis Lindenstruth Frank Fox: Culla Scott Jack Tower: Robert Evans Bert Adams: Al Adams Bill Endicott: John Schatz Johnny Aitkein: Walt Kepner Will Jones: Fred Pfister Lewis Strang: W. R. Everett Harry Knight: John Glover Joe Jagersberger: Charlie Anderson Herbert Lytle: Billy Clifton Harry Grant: Frank Lee Charles Basle: Joseph Demand Louis Disbrow: Heinie Ulbricht Arthur Chevrolet: Albert Seraye Caleb Bragg: William Pozzo Teddy Tetzlaff: Dave Lewis Arthur Greiner: Sam Dickson There was actually a relief riding mechanic in this race, Eddie Towers releived Emmett Ward in Turner's #12. Now there's something I've never seen before! Notably, Ray Harroun did NOT have a riding mechanic-as mentioned, he drove using the original rear-view mirror. Howard Hall, Billy Knipper, Bob Burman, Ernest Delaney, and Fred Ellis also (possibly) drove without riding mechanics. 30. JollyMeanGiant posted: 08.15.2019 - 11:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) There was actually qualifying for the first 500, but the qualification speeds were never officially recorded or written down, primarily because they were only concerned with whether or not you could clear 75 MPH in qualifying, which is what you needed to make the race (also the fact that drivers would line up by their entry date numbers). So unfortunately, we'll never know who was the fastest qualifier for this race or where everybody ranked. 31. Jimmie4life posted: 04.21.2020 - 3:11 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) This was truly a testament to the endurance of these engines. It was a miracle they made it 500 miles at all, which 26 of 40 making it is even more astonishing, considering just 6 years earlier, a race in the Bronx, NY had 8 drivers for a 1 lap race, in which just 2 drivers started, and only 1 driver finished the race. I just love looking back in time during the history of motorsports, because to me, it's been much more grueling, intriguing, and overall incredible to look at. Because other sports are less about the amount of progress with hundreds of aspects, and not just a few like Baseball or Football(not that they are bad, either). 32. JollyMeanGiant posted: 02.23.2021 - 7:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Additional WDs (these drivers were also entered as relief drivers but did not participate): Charles Sprague, #3 Interstate, Interstate/Interstate Cliff Alley, #10 Stutz, Stutz/Wisconsin Dave Buck, #14 Falcar, Falcar/Falcar Louis Lindenstruth, #18 Fiat, Fiat/Fiat Don Herr, #20 National, National/National Harry Wainwright, #22 McFarlan, McFarlan/McFarlan Jay McNay, #27 Cutting, Cutting/Cutting George Ainslee, #29 Lozier, Lozier/Lozier John Turcotte, #33 Lozier, Lozier/Lozier Dave Lewis, #34 Lozier, Lozier/Lozier George Scott, #38 Simplex, Simplex/Simplex W. L. Studebaker, Marmon, Marmon/Marmon 33. TeamDCRfan posted: 03.16.2021 - 1:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Louis Chevrolet sponsored by and driving a Buick. Kinda funny. Yes I know Chevy wasnt a car company yet. 34. Canadianfan posted: 03.16.2021 - 1:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @33 It would be by the end of the year. ? On November 3, 1911, Swiss race car driver and automotive engineer Louis Chevrolet co-founded the "Chevrolet Motor Company" in Detroit with his brother Arthur Chevrolet, William C. Durant and investment partners William Little (maker of the Little automobile), former Buick owner James H. Whiting, Dr. Edwin R. Campbell (son-in-law of Durant) and in 1912 R. S. McLaughlin CEO of General Motors in Canada. Durant was cast out from the management of General Motors in 1910, a company which he had founded in 1908. In 1904 he had taken over the Flint Wagon Works and Buick Motor Company of Flint, Michigan. He also incorporated the Mason and Little companies. As head of Buick, Durant had hired Louis Chevrolet to drive Buicks in promotional races. Durant planned to use Chevrolet's reputation as a racer as the foundation for his new automobile company.? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: