1911 MARMON WASP

Carl Fisher had the vision to build a two and one half mile speedway six miles northwest of Indianapolis in 1909. The track's first surface of crushed rock and tar proved unsuitable for racing so it was resurfaced with 3,200,000 bricks, each of which weighed nine pounds, eight ounces. On May 30, 1911, the first Indianapolis 500 mile racing contest was held. This Marmon Wasp, driven by Ray Harroun, won that first "500" in 6 hours, 42 minutes and 8 seconds at an average speed of 74.602 mph.

At the time it was customary for racing cars to carry a riding mechanic who would watch the cars in back and tell the driver of an impending pass. Harroun designed his Marmon with no provision for a riding mechanic; instead he bolted a 3" x 8" mirror between some rods and made the first rear-view mirror ever used on an automobile.

The Marmon Motor Car Company failed in 1933, Harroun died in 1968, but the Wasp, named for its yellow and black paint job, survives at the Speedway Hall of Fame Museum located at the track.