Fred Belcher, #15 Knox, May 1911
Add to SetSummary
Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909 with multiple races each season. In 1911, track promoters decided instead to host just one spectacular event each Memorial Day. The inaugural Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, with $27,500 in prizes, drew 40 qualifying cars and 80,000 spectators. Ray Harroun won with his yellow #32 Marmon Wasp, and the Indianapolis 500 became an American institution.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909 with multiple races each season. In 1911, track promoters decided instead to host just one spectacular event each Memorial Day. The inaugural Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, with $27,500 in prizes, drew 40 qualifying cars and 80,000 spectators. Ray Harroun won with his yellow #32 Marmon Wasp, and the Indianapolis 500 became an American institution.
Artifact
Photographic print
Subject Date
May 1911
Keywords
Collection Title
On Exhibit
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Object ID
2009.103.P.5394.5
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Color
Black-and-white (Colors)
Dimensions
Height: 8.00 in
Width: 10.00 in
Share Anywhere
Use this Artifact Card to share this great find with others. From historic images to vivid descriptions, a record of rich detail is bundled inside a single card.
