In 1911, the Indianapolis Speedway set its longest race at 500 miles – because that’s how long a car could drive during daylight hours.
The first Ford Model A hit the streets in 1903. By 1908, the Model T brought cars to the masses. And a few miles away, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosted the first Indy 500 in 1911.
How long was the first Indy 500? What was the top speed? And who won the first Indy 500? The history of the Indy 500 shows just how far auto racing has come in the past century.
When was the First Indy 500?
The first Indy 500 took place on May 30, 1911.
Five years earlier, an automobile dealer named Carl Fisher suggested building a track outside Indianapolis. Car manufacturers could use the track to test the top speeds for new models. At the time, wheel ruts and horse droppings meant that public roads weren’t up to the task.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909 with a 2.5 mile brick track.
When the Speedway wasn’t running test drives, it brought in spectators to watch showdowns between different manufacturers hoping to prove that their car was the fastest.
And in 1911, the Speedway announced a 500-mile race to boost ticket sales.
Why was the first Indy 500 set at 500 miles? That was the longest the Speedway thought a race car from 1911 could travel during daylight.
In order to attract competitors, the Indy 500 offered a massive prize of $25,000 for the winner.
Forty-six race cars made the trek to Indiana, but only 40 cars qualified. Cars had to drive at least 75 miles per hour on the straightaway to make the cut.
Race Day at the 1911 Indy 500
On race day, 80,000 fans crowded into the Speedway, smashing the attendance record of 10,000 for the last race of 1910. Henry Ford even attended the event and photographed the race.
Forty cars lined up at the starting line, staring down a 2.5 mile track. Drivers would have to circle the course 200 times to reach 500 miles.
The first starting lineup looked very different from a 21st century race. Drivers competed in open cars and did not wear seatbelts or helmets. And riding mechanics accompanied the drivers in 39 of the 40 cars.
Before the race started, Carl Fisher took a turn around the track driving a Stoddard-Dayton car. He reached a top speed of 40 mph, leading a rolling start to the race. Fisher’s lap was likely the first time a pace car appeared in auto racing history.
Thirteen laps into the marathon event, the front wheel came off one of the race cars. The driver and his riding mechanic, Sam Dickson, were thrown from the car. Dickson died instantly, becoming the first person killed at the Indy 500.
Drivers made pit stops to change tires, which took them out of the race for minutes at a time as the pit crew had to pull the tires from the rims by hand.
By the end of the race, 14 cars had dropped out, leaving just 26 competing for the win.
Who Won the First Indy 500?
The first Indy 500 winner was Ray Harroun. An engineer who worked for the Marmon Motor Car Company, Harroun came in first after leading for 88 of 200 laps. He drove a Marmon “Wasp,” a car that Harroun helped design.
Harroun was the only driver who didn’t carry a riding mechanic in his car. Instead, he replaced the riding mechanic with the first ever rear-view mirror. Harroun claimed that the mirror was mostly useless during the race, as the jarring of tires on brick made it hard to use.
That wasn’t the only strategic move Harroun made to win the race. He also averaged 75mph throughout the race to prevent wear on his tires.
Runner-up Ralph Mulford argued that he actually won the first Indy 500. Mulford claimed that the early race crash cost him the win.
But Mulford backed down from his claim when press noted that he’d had to change tires 14 times during the race, meaning he almost certainly had not placed first.
How Long was the First Indy 500?
Today, the Indy 500 takes less than three hours, thanks to high-powered cars, lightning-quick pit crews, and experienced drivers. But how long was the first Indy 500?
The 1911 Indianapolis 500 took a whopping 6 hours and 42 minutes.
In 1911, the Indy 500 top speed likely exceeded 80mph on the straightaways. And cars quickly got faster. Harroun’s time would have landed him in 10th place by the 1922 Indy 500.
The first Indy 500 was so popular that the Speedway soon made it an annual race. In 1912, Ralph DePalma led for 196 of 200 laps, yet he didn’t even finish the race when his car broke down in the final laps. DePalma and his riding mechanic tried to push the car over the finish line but still fell short.
Over a century later, the Indianapolis 500 remains one of the most popular sporting events in the world.
Discover more strange sports stories by checking out Bruce Wilson’s Strange But True Sports History, available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook.