The First Indianapolis 500, 1911

26 artifacts in this set

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The Indianapolis 500 bills itself today as the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing." That description would have been just as accurate for the first race, held on May 30, 1911. Its 500-mile length and $27,000 prize purse were unlike anything seen in the auto racing world to that point. The first Indy 500 featured 40 qualifying cars. This set includes photos of 23 of them, presented in the order in which they finished the race.

Detailed Description

Brick from Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Paving brick

When Carl Fisher and his partners opened Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1909, the 2.5-mile track was perhaps the most advanced racing venue in the world -- except for its crushed stone and tar surface. Before the year was out, Fisher had that dangerous original surface replaced with 3.2 million bricks -- a state-of-the-art track surface at the time.