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1911 Indianapolis 500 Starting Field
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Featured Article
Image of The Week
![](https://www.firstsuperspeedway.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/img_med/1911Indy500Field.jpg)
This great image and reference for the first Indianapolis 500 was provided to First Super Speedway by John Pappas, well know in Indianapolis auto racing history circles as the force behind the construction of a replica of the famous Boyle Maserati driven into racing lore as the winner of the 1939 and '40 Indianapolis 500s. Pappas also restored the truck and trailer used by the Boyle team to transport the racer. He is leading the effort to restore the old Mike Boyle racing garage in Indianapolis, a gargantuan task as it fell into disrepair through the decades - to the point of being dilapidated.
The marvelous contribution of this image of a page out of an in-period trade newspaper is that it concisely provides tremendous details to paint a vivid picture of the 1911 Indianapolis 500 - the color of cars and uniforms, the rulebook definition of the cars (2,300 pounds weight, 600 cubic inches) with respect to weight and engine capacity, and the identification of most relief drivers and riding mechanics. It is one of those wonderful, concise references that is of little tax on the reader's time and attention to absorb. Note that information about each specific car, both in terms of its technical aspects and color are provided. This is true of the color of the drivers' uniforms. Do yourself a favor and study this information. Soak. It. Up.
Note, too, that some of this information is not accurate, but I believe most of it is. For example, eventual winner Ray Harroun's relief driver is listed as W.L. Studebaker, but history has long recorded that the man who drove relief was Cyrus Patschke.
As you peruse this useful content, note that you can find more detail about many of the competitors listed elsewhere on First Super Speedway. Find that useful study material at the links below.
Starting Drivers
- Lewis Strang
- Ralph De Palma
- Harry Endicott
- Johnny Aitken
- Louis Disbrow
- Frank Fox
- Harry Knight
- Joe Jagersburger
- Gil Anderson
- Spencer Wishart
- Fred Belcher
- Arthur Chevrolet
- Charlie Basle
- Eddie Hearne
- Harry Grant
- Charlie Merz
- Howdy Wilcox
- David Bruce-Brown
- H. Van Gorder
- Lee Frayer
- Joe Dawson
- Ray Harroun
- Ralph Mulford
- Teddy Tetzlaff
- Herb Lytle
- Hughie Hughes
- Caleb Bragg
- Bill Endicott
- Bob Burman
- Billy Knipper
Relief Drivers
- Len Zengle
- Art Greiner (actually started the race)
- Louis Chevrolet (Buick relief driver for Art Chevrolet and Charlie Basle)
- Don Herr
- J.D. McNay
- Joe Matson
- Eddie Rickenbacker
- Ed Parker
Riding Mechanics
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