The 1911 starting grid illustrates the grid position as determined by the order in which entries were received for the race. All it took to be on the pole was to be first to make your $100 deposit.
Joe “The Kid” Dawson headed for victory in the 1912 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race in his National.
Each May, I am reminded of one of the most exciting races ever seen at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Unfortunately, none of us were around to see it. It was the second running of the 500-mile race in 1912, known as the “International Sweepstakes Race” when Joe “The Kid” Dawson won in a National, at the age of 22, over “Speed King” Ralph DePalma who had led the race for the first 198 laps. As the owner of a couple of National racecars, I have always been a bit offended by the repeated portrayal of Joe Dawson’s win in the 1912 race as dumb luck. The facts show otherwise, and illustrate the old adage: to finish first, first you have to finish.
At the conclusion of the race, winner Joe Dawson was covered in oil and dirt, and too tired for a victory dance after six long hours behind the wheel.
I find myself continually surprised at what our racing forefathers were able to accomplish with the limited resources they had at their disposal. It is hard to imagine some of the technical advances that were found on racecars prior to WWI—yes the first World War. They included “modern innovations” such as dry sump oiling systems, hemispherical four-valve heads, dual overhead cams, multi-disc clutches, dual-spark ignitions and even superchargers. All of this was accomplished at a time when most automobiles were repaired (and occasionally built) in the local blacksmith shop. It is also humorous to read of some of the “new” innovations advertised in sports car magazines of the ’50s and ’60s that were not new, just forgotten.
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