Six months later, Chevrolet is fatally injured in a race at Beverly Hills. Gaston Chevrolet takes over the lead and goes on to win. There are 19 rookies who start this year's race, the most newcomers in one Indy 500 field (if one discounts the "all-rookie" field of 1911).ġ920: Ralph DePalma suffers another heartbreaking mishap when his magneto fails with 14 laps to go while leading.
INDY 500 AVERAGE SPEED DRIVER
Though closed to racing, the Speedway is used as an airstrip, serving as a fuel stop between Air Force bases in Dayton, Ohio and Rantoul, Illinois.ġ919: With the track reopened after the war, local Indiana-born driver Howdy Wilcox breaks a four-race winning streak by Europeans. Other tracks continue to host smaller events, but Indianapolis voluntarily suspends the race. Later in the year, the Harvest Auto Racing Classic is also held.ġ917–1918: Race is not held on account of World War I.
The field of 21 cars is the smallest ever. This time though he makes it to the finish to win.ġ916: Dario Resta wins the race, which was shortened to 300 miles (500 km) due to the ongoing war in Europe. Driver Willie Carlson's Maxwell chassis proceeds to run the race to an eventual ninth-place finish on a mere 30 gallons with the price at $0.06 a gallon, Carlson's total $1.80 fuel bill stands as the most economical performance in motor racing history.ġ915: Ralph DePalma's Mercedes again begins to slow with connecting rod problems late in the race. Also, in a technological breakthrough, inaugural race winner Ray Harroun, in charge of the United States Motor Company team, develops a fuel-sipping carburetor that runs on kerosene. Goux's victory is the first race, excluding the first, won by a rookie driver.ġ914: France takes its second consecutive 500 victory, this time with René Thomas, the first occasion for consecutive rookie winners. He averages approximately 10 miles per gallon of fuel – and an unknown quantity of champagne per stop. French born Jules Goux drinks six bottles of champagne on his way to a record 13-minute, 8-second victory over second place Spencer Wishart. No driver has ever matched DePalma's 196 fruitless laps in the lead, (only not being in the lead for the first two and the last two laps) and only Billy Arnold's 198 lap domination of the 1930 race tops DePalma's time at the front Dawson's 2 laps led by a winner would be the fewest recorded by a winner until 2011.ġ913: A five-story, wooden pagoda-style timing and scoring tower on the inside of the main straightaway gives the Speedway an enduring landmark the style reflects Speedway President Carl Fisher's apparent interest in Oriental architecture. Joe Dawson, in a National, wins after leading the only 2 laps of his Indy career. The inaugural "International 500-Mile Sweepstakes" is a rousing success, and becomes an annual Memorial Day tradition, and eventually grows to become one of the most important automobile races in the world.ġ912: Ralph DePalma's Mercedes breaks its connecting rod after leading 196 laps. receives the checkered flag at an average speed of just over 74 mph. Ray Harroun, an engineer for the Marmon Co. With the then-fantastic marathon distance of 500 miles, and a substantial purse, 40 cars qualify. After two years hosting multiple race meets, the Speedway management decided from 1911 onward to conduct one major racing event per year.
See Indianapolis Motor Speedway race results 1911–1919 ġ911: A historic event in the history of American automobile racing.
In the fall of 1909, the entire track is paved in brick, immediately giving the track the nickname "The Brickyard." An exhibition meet is held in December 1909, and racing meets are held throughout the summer of 1910.
INDY 500 AVERAGE SPEED SERIES
After a series of accidents, the original surface of crushed stone and tar is deemed unsuitable for racing. The first motorcycle and automobile races and demonstration runs are held the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in August 1909.