Joe Dawson - National Sketch

This is the second in a series of original art created by David Story and making its online premiere on First Super Speedway. This wonderful art is of Joe Dawson sitting in his 1912 Indianapolis 500-winning National Motor Vehicle Company race car. The story of this particular race is best known for crushing defeat than victory. Mercedes driver Ralph DePalma dominated the race, leading from lap 3 through lap 198 of the 200 lap race. When DePalma's engine failed at the north end of the great Speedway with a little more than a lap to go Dawson, trailing by 5 laps, had only to finish. He did. As for DePalma he still holds the record for the most number of laps led by a driver failing to win the Indianapolis 500.
 
David's style is to surround his outstanding art with interesting notes about his subject. In it he points out that National promoted their entry as "stock" and the claim was never challenged. This is the only time one of the owners of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was also an owner of the winning car as Speedway co-founder Arthur Newby was also one of the top officers at National. Check out the family album from Joe Dawson's great-nephew Larry Snyder elsewhere on First Super Speedway. Also take a look at David Story's artwork of Ray Harroun and Jules Goux.