Marmon Wasp - 1911 Indy 500 Winner

#motoring #f1 #art
1911 and the first Indy 500 winner - driven by Ray Harroun and the first car to be driven without a riding mechanic because it was equipped with a rear view mirror.

"Marmon Wasp" by John Ketchell

Held on May 30 1911 the first Indianapolis 500-Mile Race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a departure from the usual policy of holding a number of smaller racing meets during 1909 and 1910 racing seasons.

The single, large-scale event attracted widespread attention from both American and European racing teams and manufacturers.

Despite the controversy surrounding the result when second placed Ralph Mulford protested claiming he had lapped Harroun when the Marmon limped into the pits on a torn tire, it was by far and away the most sucessful event held to date. It quickly established itself both as the premier motorsports competition in the nation, and one of the most prestigious in the world.

Mulfords protest was denied and Harroun declared the winner. After the race, and collection of $10,000 for first place, Harroun returned to the position he had taken at the end of the 1910 racing season: retirement. He would never race again.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Alan Mann Racing Twin Cam Escorts 1968

Image
In 1964 Alan Mann Racing became a top Ford Factory Team sporting the distinctive racing livery of Red and Gold. The team ran cars in events as diverse as the Monte Carlo Rally and Tour de France to Le Mans and the World GT Championship, which they won in 1965 with Carroll Shelby and the Daytona Coupe Cobra. The iconic red and gold livery graced cars from Mk1 Escorts and Cortinas to Lightweight GT40s and the F3L prototype. Some of the best drivers of the period from Graham Hill and Sir Jackie Stewart to Sir John Whitmore and Frank Gardner raced for the team, which achieved substantial successes in many different forms of the sport. Title: “Follow my Leader” Artist: Graham Bosworth Description: Frank Gardner leads Peter Arundell in the Alan Mann Escort Twin Cams – Silverstone 1968 Medium: Gouache on board Size: 63 x 49.5 cm including frame.
Read more

Motoring Art Etchings

Image
An etching is no ordinary print. It is a time consuming and skilled art. Very few motoring artists work in this medium, the examples here are by Peter Hearsey - well known to Goodwood goers as the artist behind all of the Festival of Speed posters since the first event. To produce each etching, a metal (usually copper) plate is covered with a waxy ground which is acid-resistant. The artist then scratches off the ground with a pointed etching needle where he wants a line to appear in the finished piece, so exposing the bare metal. The plate is then dipped in a bath of acid, technically called the mordant (French for "biting") or etchant. The acid "bites" into the metal, where it is exposed, leaving behind lines in the plate. The remaining ground is then cleaned off the plate. The plate is inked all over, and then the ink wiped off the surface, leaving only the ink in the etched lines. The plate is then put through a high-pressure printing press together with a
Read more

Targa Florio 1970 Original Poster

Image
The Targa Florio was started in 1906 by the wealthy pioneer race driver and automobile enthusiast, Vincenzo Florio. The 1970 race saw the fastest ever lap of the 45 mile road circuit. In practice Leo Kinnunen lapped in Porsche 908 in 33m 36secs (average speed of 79.9mph). The race was won by Brian Redman and Jo Siffert driving a Porsche 908. 1970 54th Targa Florio Poster Artist: F Gordon-Crosby Size: 70 x 99.5cm Condition: A- This wonderful original poster is available from Historic Car Art.
Read more