The First Person to Win the Indianapolis 500: Ray Harroun

Author:
Readmikenow
Updated:
Sep 10, 2023

Who Is Ray Harroun?

The first Indianapolis 500 race was won by Ray Harroun. He was a man who had experience in a variety of jobs during his life. In 1902, he started building his own type of car. He set driving land speed records in 1903 and 1904. In 1906, he got a job at a Buick plant located in Lowell, Massachusetts working as a test driver. Prior to winning the Indianapolis 500, he participated in over 59 races.

Early Years

Ray Harroun was born in Spartansburg, Pennsylvania on January 12, 1879. His father’s name was Russell Lafayette Harroun and worked as a carpenter. His mother’s name was Lucy A. Halliday. He had three older sisters and they all lived on a small farm. Even at a young age, he was labeled as a restless spirit.

Career

At the age of 17, Harroun worked for his brother-in-law as a dental assistant apprentice. Two years later he joined the US Navy. Harroun served on a coal carrier during the Spanish-American War. In 1899, he got a job on a square-rigged ship that sailed between Europe and South America. His first job involving cars occurred when he was 23 years old. Harroun worked as a chauffeur. He taught himself to drive. His employer was impressed by his knack for working on cars.

Land Speed Record

In 1903, Harroun was a participant in the initial setting of a land speed record. He was part of a team that drove from Chicago to New York. Harroun and the team were able to set another record in 1904. He and four other drivers drove in shifts non-stop for over 75 hours in a factory-sponsored Columbia automobile. A year later, a new team broke their record.

The Sneezer

In 1905, Harroun built his first race car. It had a four-cylinder engine and two long rails that cradled the engine. Many people said it looked like a harness racing sulky. The driver sat in the extreme rear of the 1,000-pound vehicle. It would blow smoke and make huffing sounds as it moved down a racetrack. Those who saw this vehicle would refer to it as “The Harroun Sneezer."

Marmon Racing Team

Harroun worked as a mechanic for Nordyke & Marmon, a car manufacturer. He was soon promoted to company engineer. Harroun was able to become part of the Marmon racing team in 1909 when one of its members left the team. He would spend the next two years as a Marmon team driver. Harroun was very successful. The car he drove was the Marmon 32. It became one of the best-known and most popular racing cars used to cross the finish line. Aluminum was used in the vehicle’s drive train and body.

Racing Career

Between 1905 and 1911, Harroun participated in at least 60 sanctioned car races. During 1909 and 1911, He drove exclusively for the Marmon Racing team. During this time, he drove a vehicle called the “Harroun Custom” in a race as well as the “Harroun Sneezer.”

Car driven by Ray Harroun in first Indianapolis 500

Creation of the First Indianapolis 500

Around 1910, car race organizers decided it would be best to have one large race instead of several smaller ones. The first 500-mile race car marathon was then scheduled for May 30, 1911. The race was designed to have over 39 starters arranged in 8 rows. Each row would contain five cars. Approximately two hundred timing judges were employed. The judges would record the cars and confirm one another’s scoring by utilizing a machine called the Warner Horograph. This would be used with four adding machines, Dictaphones, and many telephones. Even timing wires would be used to accurately determine the winner. It was a system of devices that had never before been used together.

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First Indianapolis 500

The inaugural Indianapolis 500 race started at 10:00 am. It would last until 5:37 pm. With all the efforts made to keep the race organized, it would turn into a combination of chaos and mayhem. Harroun caused a controversy when he had something on his car later known as a rearview mirror. After a long discussion among the judges, he was permitted to use it during the race. His average speed during the race was 74.6 miles per hour. The car he used was known as a Marmon Wasp.

Winner Challenge

Once the race was over, there was chaos. More than one of the race participants believed they had finished first. The system used for timing had problems. Many believed it was inaccurate. Emotions were high as there was $14,250 in prize money for the official winner. A decision was made by the event judge to lock himself and the rest of the judges into a hotel room and meticulously analyze the race data to determine the winner. After more than 35 hours of scrutinizing the data, it was determined that Ray Harroun had won the first Indianapolis 500 race.

Announcement of Harroun Motor Car Company

After the Race

On the day he won the first Indianapolis 500, Harroun announced he would retire from being a racecar driver. He remained at his job as a consulting engineer for more years. In 1913, he designed and developed the Harroun carburetor. Between 1914 and 1915, Harroun designed and built three Maxwell racing cars. Harroun started his own automobile company in 1916. It was called the Harroun Motor Car Company. It went out of business soon after World War I started. Harroun stayed active and worked in the automotive industry. He eventually retired from it when he was in his late 80s.