First Super Speedway

Don Radbruch Collection

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By: Mark Dill

The attached articles are a nice discovery in that they are first-hand accounts of the development and testing of the first car to win the Indianapolis 500, the Marmon Wasp.

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Image of The Week

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Ray Harroun - Marmon Wasp Sketch

This outstanding sketch by artist David Story includes some interesting notes he has made in the margin. The art was inspired by a famous photograph taken by Russian photographer Nathan Lazarnick on the morning of the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911.

I knew the late Don Radbruch as a great contributor on the Yahoo Auto Racing History Group. He was the first to welcome me when I joined the group and encouraged my interest in pre-World War I auto racing. Unsolicited, he sent me this collection of photos and helped provide the identification of the persons and cars involved. I never met Don, but I purchased one of his books, "Dirt Track Auto Racing, 1919 - 1941," if for no other reason than to get to know him better. What I found is that Don didn't just research and write about auto racing history, he helped create it. He drove track Model A roadsters beginning in 1948 and graduated to sprints and midgets as he continued racing into the 1960's. Don was champion of the American Racing Association (ARA) sprint car series in 1951. More than anything, though, he presented himself to me as a caring person with a real love for our sport. I decided to break out what he gave me as a distinct section on FirstSuperSpeedway.com. I hope this is a fitting tribute, a remembrance of Don. That's certainly my intention.