Harroun @ Time Trials!

This image of Ray Harroun at the wheel of his Marmon race car appeared in the December 12, 1909 Indianapolis Star. It was part of a collection of pictures supporting the Sunday edition of the paper's coverage of the upcoming time trials at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The track had only recently been paved with 3.2 million bricks. Harroun, who was destined to go down in history as the winning driver of the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911, had in 1909 established himself as one of the top American drivers in the sport with victories at New Orleans, the Wheatley Hills Sweepstakes (a support race for the Vanderbilt Cup), Atlanta Speedway and the first auto race meet at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.