On this date in 1911, driver Ray Harroun won the first-ever Indianapolis 500 race in six hours, 42 minutes, and 8 seconds, more than double this year’s winning time.
With more than 80,000 fans looking on from the grandstands of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a $25,000 prize purse up for grabs, the inaugural Indianapolis 500 got underway on this day in 1911. Some figures state as many as 100,000 actually watched trackside as 40 drivers zipped around the Brickyard. Finally, after six hours, 42 minutes and 8 seconds, the checkered flag flew. Ray Harroun, driving his Marmon Model 32-based Wasp, took the victory, or so it seemed. A controversy was brewing.
Harroun had outfitted his car with a rearview mirror, an invention of his own, which allowed him to be the only racer to compete without a riding mechanic. He was cited as a hazard on the racetrack due to this, as it was the mechanic’s job to keep tabs on the oil pressure and inform the driver of approaching racers. Nonetheless, he made it onto the track. This device wasn’t the only thing that caused some hardship for the winner of the inaugural race.
