who was the winner of the first indianapolis 500
Ray Harroun
title: Indianapolis 500 text: saw a field of 40 starters, with Harroun piloting a Marmon Model 32-based "Wasp" racer—outfitted with his invention, the rear view mirror. Harroun (with relief from Cyrus Patschke) was declared the winner, although Ralph Mulford protested the official result. Eighty thousand spectators were in attendance, and an annual tradition had been established. Many considered Harroun to be a hazard during the race, as he was the only driver in the race driving without a riding mechanic, who checked the oil pressure and let the driver know when traffic was coming. In 1912, the purse was raised to US$50,000. The field title: Indianapolis 500 text: was limited to 33 (where it remains) and a riding mechanic was made mandatory. This second event was won by Joe Dawson in a National, after Ralph de Palma's Mercedes broke. Although the first race was won by an American driver at the wheel of an American car, European makers such as the Italian Fiat or French Peugeot companies soon developed their own vehicles to try to win the event, which they did from 1912 to 1919. The 1913 event saw a change to a maximum engine size. After World War I, the native drivers and manufacturers regained their dominance title: Indianapolis 500 text: a 24-hour contest, in the fashion of Le Mans, or a . They instead chose a contest, as the estimated distance a race car could run before dark descended on the track, and a spectacular purse of $US25,000, equivalent to of pure gold. The combination allowed the track to rapidly acquire a privileged status for automobile races. The first "500" was held at the Speedway on Decoration Day (as Memorial Day was known from its inception in 1868 to 1967 when Federal Law made Memorial Day the official name), May 30, 1911, run to a maximum engine size formula. It title: Indianapolis 500 by year text: lap in his racing career at Indianapolis, the first driver to do so. 1925: The race is won by Ralph DePalma's nephew, and former riding mechanic, Peter DePaolo. Depaolo was the first to average over on his way to victory. 1926: Twenty-three-year-old racing sensation Frank Lockhart wins the race as a rookie. He is the first winner born in the 20th century. Rain hampered the race, and it was called at the 400-mile mark. 1927: Rookie George Souders wins by eight laps, the largest margin since 1913; consecutive rookie winners occurs for the second time. Many racing pundits view Souders' title: 1911 Indianapolis 500 text: 1911 Indianapolis 500 The 1911 International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, May 30, 1911. It was the inaugural running of the Indianapolis 500, which is one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world. Ray Harroun, an engineer with the Marmon Motor Car Company, came out of retirement to drive, and won the inaugural event before re-retiring for good in the winner's circle. Over the previous two seasons (1909 and 1910), the Speedway had scheduled numerous smaller races during a series of meets over the two years. In a departure from that