A very short recapitulation of the 1911 Indianapolis Sweepstakes by the magazine MoToR.
Text and jpegs by courtesy of hathitrust.org www.hathitrust.org, compiled by motorracinghistory.com
MoToR. Vol. 15-16, June 1911
The International Sweepstakes.
The World’s Greatest Motor Racing Event on Memorial Day at the Indianapolis Speedway.
The Contestants – Men and Cars – and the Rewards for the Victors.
The Prize Money.
The Speedway Prizes:
1st. $10,000 6th. $1,000
2nd. 5,000 7th. 800
3rd. 3,000 8th. 700
4th. 2,000 9th. 600
5th. 1,500 10th. 500
Total Speedway management prizes $25,100
*The Special Prizes:
Schebler Carbureter Purse. $2,500 – A first prize of $2,500.
Rayfield Carbureter Purse. 3,000. – 1st, $2,000; 2nd, $500; 3rd, $300, and 4th, $200.
Monogram Oil Purse. 1,000. – 1st, $500; 2nd, $250; 3rd, $150, and 4th, $100.
Remy Magneto Purse. 1,000 – A first prize of $1,000.
Bosch Magneto Purse. 800. – 1st, $500; 2nd, $200, and 3rd, $100.
Red Head Spark Plug Purse. 400. – 1st, $250; 2nd, $100, and 3rd, $50.
Total special prizes…. $8,700.
Grand total of all prizes offered…….. $33.800
*The bestowal of the special prizes listed is contingent upon the place holders‘ cars‘ equipment with the accessories for which the prizes are offered.
AT the close of Memorial Day, May 30, 1911, there will have been run the greatest track racing event in motoring history. It is the greatest in point of distance, in point of the number of entries, and in point of the magnitude of the prizes offered. It is greatest on three scores – and possibly on others. Think of it – over forty cars, and big ones at that, simultaneously grinding out 500 miles on a course two and one-half miles in length. As a spectacle it can- not be beaten. Just the starting of these cars will present quite a problem, let alone the keeping of the scores. Imagine, if it can be done, forty-five-odd cars at seventy miles or better, cars passing the stands at the rate of one every four seconds for about six and one-half hours such will be the International Sweepstakes. Truly a great task is cut out for all concerned. But then look at the glory and at the prize money waiting to be carried off.
Such an undertaking has naturally called forth the country’s best in cars and pilots for them – proof of which is given in the entry list and drivers‘ „portraits“ on the following two pages. Practically every well-known „speed merchant“ is on the list-and a careful inspection of the faces may result in the discovery of the winner.
Will records be broken? It is most likely the race will result in a new series of Speedway figures, in spite of the „crowding“ of the course. In fact, it is the intention of the Indianapolis Speed- way management that records shall be broken and that the Indianapolis Speedway shall be the scene of the breaking. There is a fine chance for this to occur. With the contestants on their mettle, and with such a plenteous hanging up of prizes, the struggle will be sharp from the very outset. And the winner, the man who will have the credit of establishing the first figure for 500 miles on a speedway, will take away with him a possible maximum of $13.750 as the reward of his success.
Photo captions.
Ray Harroun (Marmon „Wasp“), Winner of the World’s Greatest Speedway Race, the 500-Mile International Sweepstakes, Run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, June 30, 1911, in 6:42:08, or at an Average Speed of 74.62 m. p. h. The „Wasp“ was equipped in the winning of this event with the Remy magneto, Bosch spark plugs, Schebler carbureter, Firestone tires, Dorian rims, Truffault-Hartford shock absorbers and used Monogram oil.
Some Features and Incidents of the Great Sweepstakes.
Top, left and right: On the first lap of the race, after pacemaker Fischer had led them once around in procession.
Inset: Excitement and other things to be seen in the infield. Center, left to right: Wishart (Mercedes 11), who finished in fourth place; Mulford (Lozier 33), who captured second position; and Bruce-Brown (Fiat 28), third.
Bottom: Some of the visitors came in motor cars-an early view of one of the parking spaces.
