Ray Harroun
Encyclopedia
Ray Harroun was an American
racecar driver, born in Spartansburg, Pennsylvania
.
, which manufactured Columbia
cars), and Harry Sandol. In 1903, the fifth driver was David R. Adams; in 1904 it was Eddie Bald
.
-sanctioned races, during the years 1905-1911. (Statistics on some of the shorter races document only the top three finishers, so some starts resulting in lower finishes may not be known.) From 1909 to 1911, Harroun drove primarily for the team operated by Indianapolis
-based auto maker, Marmon. However, at least one 1909 race result shows him driving a Buick
. And, statistics from 1905 through 1908 show him driving cars described as "Harroun Custom" and "Harroun Sneezer."
Harroun's race wins included: a 1910 100-mile race at the Atlanta Motordrome; the 1910 200-mile Wheeler-Schebler Trophy Race
(at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
); the May, 1910, 50-mile Remy Grand Brassard Race
(also at IMS
); three races at Churchill Downs
(home of the Kentucky Derby
); three races at the original Latonia Race Track
; and races at tracks in New Orleans, Los Angeles
, Long Island
and Memphis
. He is best known for winning the first
Indianapolis 500
, driving a Marmon. The last race that he is known to have started was a three-mile race, which he won, at the Fort Wayne Driving Park on September 14, 1911.
Harroun won a total of 8 races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
, the second-most of any driver in the 100-year history of the track. (The only driver with more victories at IMS is Johnny Aitken
, with 15 wins in 1909-1916.)
designated some races each year as "championship" events. However, there was no actual year-long championship, and no points were awarded. In 1927, points were assigned retroactively, and champions were designated for those years. At that time, Harroun was designated the champion for the 1910 season.
Indianapolis 500
in 1911, his use of what would now be called a rear-view mirror
, rather than the riding mechanic specified in the rules, created controversy, but was ultimately allowed. Harroun went on to win at an average speed of 74.602 mi/h. Harroun, who came out of retirement to race in the first 500, would not race after 1911. Harroun's historic Firestone
-shod yellow #32 Marmon "Wasp," in which he won the Indianapolis 500, is on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum
.
Galpin, Darren; A Record of Motorsport Racing Before World War I.
http://www.motorsport.com/stats
http://www.champcarstats.com
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
racecar driver, born in Spartansburg, Pennsylvania
Spartansburg, Pennsylvania
Spartansburg is a borough in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 333 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Spartansburg is located at ....
.
Early driving
As noted in the Columbia Car webpages, Harroun participated in the original setting of the record from Chicago to New York in 1903, and the re-taking of that record in 1904. He and four others drove in shifts non-stop to establish the record of 76 hours at the end of September, 1903. That time was bested by another team nearly a year later, and in October of 1904, the Columbia team re-set the record at 58 hrs, 35 min. That record stood for nearly two years. Other drivers in both years included Bert Holcomb (who was in charge of the runs), Lawrence Duffie (Demonstrator of the Gasoline Dept of Electric Vehicle CompanyElectric Vehicle Company
-History:The Electric Vehicle Company was founded as a holding company of battery-powered electric automobile manufacturers made up of several car companies assembled by Isaac L. Rice beginning in 1897. It was taken over in 1899 by William C. Whitney and P. A. B...
, which manufactured Columbia
Columbia Automobile Company
The Columbia Automobile Company was a leading early Hartford, Connecticut, United States manufacturer of automobiles.The Columbia Automobile Company was created as a joint venture of the Motor Vehicle Division of the Pope Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut, and the Electric Vehicle...
cars), and Harry Sandol. In 1903, the fifth driver was David R. Adams; in 1904 it was Eddie Bald
Eddie Bald
Edward Carl Bald, or Eddie Bald, was an American racing automobile driver who was retroactively awarded the 1907 National Championship in 1951 and was a champion bicycle racer in the 1890s with the nickname "The Cannon."...
.
Racing career
Nicknamed the "Little Professor" for his hand in creating the Marmon Wasp. Harroun is best known for winning the first running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on May 30, 1911. He is known to have started at least 60 AAAAmerican Automobile Association
AAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...
-sanctioned races, during the years 1905-1911. (Statistics on some of the shorter races document only the top three finishers, so some starts resulting in lower finishes may not be known.) From 1909 to 1911, Harroun drove primarily for the team operated by Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
-based auto maker, Marmon. However, at least one 1909 race result shows him driving a Buick
Buick
Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...
. And, statistics from 1905 through 1908 show him driving cars described as "Harroun Custom" and "Harroun Sneezer."
Race wins
Wheeler-Schebler Trophy Race
The Wheeler-Schebler Trophy Race was an automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in each of the two years prior to the first Indianapolis 500. The trophy was sponsored by the Wheeler-Schebler Carburetor Company. Frank Wheeler, one of the four co-founders of the Speedway, was also...
(at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....
); the May, 1910, 50-mile Remy Grand Brassard Race
Remy Grand Brassard and Trophy Race
The Remy Grand Brassard and Trophy Race was an automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, on each of four automobile race weekends conducted during the two years prior to the first Indianapolis 500. The prize was sponsored by magneto manufacturer Frank Remy...
(also at IMS
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....
); three races at Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
(home of the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
); three races at the original Latonia Race Track
Latonia Race Track
Latonia Race Track on Winston Avenue in Latonia Kentucky, six miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio, was a Thoroughbred horse racing facility opened in 1883. The track hosted a spring-summer racing series and a second in late fall. It was once regarded as among the United States' top sites for racing,...
; and races at tracks in New Orleans, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
and Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. He is best known for winning the first
1911 Indianapolis 500
The 1911 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, or International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, May 30, 1911...
Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
, driving a Marmon. The last race that he is known to have started was a three-mile race, which he won, at the Fort Wayne Driving Park on September 14, 1911.
Harroun won a total of 8 races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....
, the second-most of any driver in the 100-year history of the track. (The only driver with more victories at IMS is Johnny Aitken
Johnny Aitken
Johnny Aitken was a racecar driver from Indianapolis, who was active in the years prior to World War I.Aitken competed in the Indianapolis 500 three times. He started the race twice, in 1911 and 1916. He led the first lap of the first race . Aitken captured the pole position in 1916, but ended...
, with 15 wins in 1909-1916.)
Retroactive champion designation
During the years that Harroun was driving, the AAAAmerican Automobile Association
AAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...
designated some races each year as "championship" events. However, there was no actual year-long championship, and no points were awarded. In 1927, points were assigned retroactively, and champions were designated for those years. At that time, Harroun was designated the champion for the 1910 season.
The first Indianapolis 500
At the first1911 Indianapolis 500
The 1911 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, or International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, May 30, 1911...
Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
in 1911, his use of what would now be called a rear-view mirror
Rear-view mirror
A rear-view mirror is a mirror in automobiles and other vehicles, designed to allow the driver to see rearward through the vehicle's backlight ....
, rather than the riding mechanic specified in the rules, created controversy, but was ultimately allowed. Harroun went on to win at an average speed of 74.602 mi/h. Harroun, who came out of retirement to race in the first 500, would not race after 1911. Harroun's historic Firestone
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company is an American tire company founded by Harvey Firestone in 1900 to supply pneumatic tires for wagons, buggies, and other forms of wheeled transportation common in the era. Firestone soon saw the huge potential for marketing tires for automobiles. The company...
-shod yellow #32 Marmon "Wasp," in which he won the Indianapolis 500, is on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum is an automotive museum on the grounds of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, which houses the Auto Racing Hall of Fame. It is intrinsically linked to the Indianapolis 500, but it also includes exhibits reflecting other forms of...
.
Later career
After retiring from racing, Harroun continued engineering work for Marmon, and later for the Maxwell racing team. In 1917, Harroun started his own automobile company in Wayne Michigan, where a street is now named for him. He continued to work in the automotive industry until his retirement at age 79.Indianapolis 500 results
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Sources
Scott, D. Bruce; INDY: Racing Before the 500; Indiana Reflections; 2005; ISBN 0-9766149-0-1.Galpin, Darren; A Record of Motorsport Racing Before World War I.
http://www.motorsport.com/stats
http://www.champcarstats.com