View source for Ray Harroun

{{short description|American racing driver (1879–1968)}}
{{Infobox racing driver
| name              = Ray Harroun
| image             = Ray Harroun circa 1911.jpg
| caption           = Harroun, circa 1911
| birth_name        = Ray Wade Harroun
| birth_date        = {{Birth date|1879|01|12}}
| birth_place       = [[Spartansburg, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
| death_date        = {{Death date and age|1968|01|19|1879|01|12}}
| death_place       = [[Anderson, Indiana]], U.S.
| titles            = '''Major victories''' <br/> [[Indianapolis 500]] ([[1911 Indianapolis 500|1911]])
| module1 = 
  {{Infobox Champ Car driver|embed=yes
  | Total_Champ_Races = 17
  | Years_In_Champ    = 3
  | First_Champ_Race  = [[1909 AAA Championship Car season|1909]] [[G & J Trophy Race|G & J Trophy]] ([[Indianapolis Motor Speedway|Indianapolis]])
  | Last_Champ_Race   = [[1911 AAA Championship Car season|1911]] [[1911 Indianapolis 500|Indianapolis 500]] ([[Indianapolis Motor Speedway|Indianapolis]])
  | First_Champ_Win   = [[1910 AAA Championship Car season|1910]] Atlanta Speedway Trophy ([[Atlanta Motordrome|Atlanta]])
  | Last_Champ_Win    = [[1911 AAA Championship Car season|1911]] [[1911 Indianapolis 500|Indianapolis 500]] ([[Indianapolis Motor Speedway|Indianapolis]])
  | Champ_Wins        = 4
  | Champ_Podiums     = 9
  | Champ_Poles       = 0
}}}}

'''Ray Wade Harroun''' (January 12, 1879 – January 19, 1968) was an American [[racing driver]] and pioneering race car constructor. He is most famous for winning the inaugural [[Indianapolis 500]] in [[1911 Indianapolis 500|1911]].

== Biography ==

Harroun was born on January 12, 1879, in [[Spartansburg, Pennsylvania]] to Russell LaFayette Harroun and Lucy A. Halliday. His father was a carpenter. Ray was their youngest child.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1879-01-12 |title=Ray Harroun |url=https://spartansburghistory.org/1879/01/12/ray-harroun/ |access-date=2023-07-05 |website=spartansburghistory.org |language=en-US}}</ref>

Harroun served on a [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] coaler during the [[Spanish–American War|Spanish American War]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-15 |title=Ray Harroun |url=https://indyencyclopedia.org/ray-harroun/ |access-date=2023-07-05 |website=indyencyclopedia.org |language=en-US}}</ref>

He participated in the original setting of the land speed record driving from [[Chicago]] to New York in 1903, and the re-taking of that record in 1904.<ref>As noted in the Columbia Car webpages, Harroun</ref> He and four others drove in shifts non-stop to establish the record of 76 hours at the end of September, 1903. That time was bested by another team nearly a year later, and in October 1904, the Columbia team re-set the record at 58 hrs, 35 min. That record stood for nearly two years. Other drivers in both years included Bert Holcomb (who was in charge of the runs), Lawrence Duffie (Demonstrator of the Gasoline Dept of [[Electric Vehicle Company]], which manufactured [[Columbia Automobile Company|Columbia]] cars), and Harry Sandol. In 1903, the fifth driver was David R. Adams; in 1904 it was [[Eddie Bald]].

=== Racing career ===

Nicknamed the "Little Professor" for his pioneering work of creating, with [[Howard Carpenter Marmon|Howard Marmon]], the Marmon Wasp, which was a revolutionary design being the first open-wheel single-seater racecar. Harroun is best known for winning the first running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on May 30, 1911. He is known to have started at least 60 [[American Automobile Association|AAA]]-sanctioned races, during the years 1905–1911 (statistics on some of the shorter races document only the top three finishers, so some starts resulting in lower finishes may not be known), winning 19.  From 1909 to 1911, Harroun drove primarily for the team operated by [[Indianapolis]]-based auto maker, [[Marmon Motor Car Company|Marmon]]. However, at least one 1909 race result shows him driving a [[Buick]]. Also, statistics from 1905 through 1908 show him driving cars described as "Harroun Custom" and "Harroun Sneezer."

=== Race wins ===

[[File:Ray Harroun Atlanta 1910 - Camera Craft Jan 1913.jpg|thumb|Harroun (standing, second from right) at the Atlanta Motordrome races in 1910]]

Harroun's race wins included: a 1910 100-mile race at the [[Atlanta Motordrome]]; the 1910 200-mile [[Wheeler-Schebler Trophy Race]] (at the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]]); the May 1910, 50-mile [[Remy Grand Brassard and Trophy Race|Remy Grand Brassard Race]] (also at IMS); three races at [[Churchill Downs]] (home of the [[Kentucky Derby]]); three races at the original [[Latonia Race Track]]; and races at tracks in [[New Orleans]], [[Los Angeles]], [[Long Island]] and [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]]. He is best known for winning the [[1911 Indianapolis 500|first]] [[Indianapolis 500]], driving a [[Marmon Motor Car Company|Marmon]].

Harroun won a total of 8 races at the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]], the second-most of any driver in the 100-year history of the track (the only driver with more victories at IMS is [[Johnny Aitken]], with 15 wins in 1909–1916).

=== Revisionist champion designation ===

During the years that Harroun was driving, the [[American Automobile Association|AAA]] designated some races each year as "championship" events.  However, there was no actual year-long points championship, and no points were awarded by the [[AAA Contest Board]]. In 1927, the Contest Board [[negationist|negated]] their history; points were assigned retroactively, and National Champions were designated for those years. At that time, Harroun was designated the champion for the 1910 season. Historians consider these revised results to be unofficial.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Capps |first=H. Donald |date=February–March 2010 |title=John Glenn Printz and the Struggle for the Past: The A.A.A. Catastrophe - Arthur Means, Val Haresnape, Russ Catlin, and Bob Russo |url=http://forix.autosport.com/8w/rvm/rvm-vol07-no06.pdf |journal=Rear View Mirror |volume=7 |issue=6 |pages=21–38}}</ref>

=== The inaugural Indianapolis 500 ===

[[File:MarmonWasp.JPG|thumb|Harroun's original [[Marmon Motor Car Company|Marmon]] "Wasp" on display at the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum]]]]

At the [[1911 Indianapolis 500|inaugural]] [[Indianapolis 500]] in 1911, Harroun's use of what would now be called a [[rear-view mirror]], rather than the riding mechanic specified in the rules, created controversy, but was ultimately allowed. Harroun went on to win at an average speed of {{convert|74.602|mi/h|km/h}}. Harroun, who came out of retirement to race in the first 500, would not race after 1911.  Harroun's historic [[Firestone Tire and Rubber Company|Firestone]]-shod yellow #32 [[Marmon Motor Car Company|Marmon]] "Wasp," in which he won the Indianapolis 500, is on display at the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum]].

The 50th Anniversary race in 1961 was won by [[A. J. Foyt]], and both Harroun and Foyt appeared together on the television program ''[[I've Got a Secret]]''—their secret being their respective wins at Indianapolis.

=== Later career ===

After retiring from racing, Harroun continued engineering work for [[Marmon Motor Car Company|Marmon]], and later for the Maxwell racing team.

In 1916, Harroun started his own automobile company in [[Wayne, Michigan]], called the [[Harroun|Harroun Motor Car Company]]. The venture folded after World War I, and today a street in Wayne is named for him.<ref>{{Cite web |last=History |title=Ray Harroun |url=https://saginawcountyhalloffame3.org/ray-harroun |access-date=2023-07-05 |website=Saginaw County Hall of Fame |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1927 he joined [[Lincoln Products]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Ray Harroun Joins Lincoln Products Co. Indianapolis Sweepstakes Winner In 1911 Heads Equipment Department |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/1797226422.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Apr+22%2C+1923&author=&pub=The+Sun+(1837-1985)&desc=Ray+Harroun+Joins+Lincoln+Products+Co.&pqatl=google |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130202150001/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/1797226422.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Apr+22,+1923&author=&pub=The+Sun+(1837-1985)&desc=Ray+Harroun+Joins+Lincoln+Products+Co.&pqatl=google |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 2, 2013 |quote=The Lincoln Products Company of Chicago, manufacturers of Lincoln shock absorbers has announced the appointment of Ray Harroun as manager of ... |newspaper=[[New York Times]] |date=April 22, 1923 |access-date=2012-10-05 }}</ref>

He continued to work in the automotive industry until his retirement at age 79. <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.andersonmchs.com/rayharroun.php#:~:text=Ray%20continued%20to%20work%20for,of%20Alexandria%2C%20his%20fifth%20wife | title=Madison County Historical Society }}</ref> He died on January 19, 1968.<ref>{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |title=Ray Harroun, First Indianapolis 500 Victor, Dies. Inventor and Car Designer Drove 74 m.p.h. Marmon to Glory in 1911 Race |url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0713FF3E541A7493C2AB178AD85F4C8685F9 |quote=Ray Harroun, who wanted to be remembered as an engineer and inventor, but who was more famous as the winner of the first Indianapolis 500 mile ... |newspaper=[[New York Times]] |date=January 20, 1968 |access-date=2012-10-05 }}</ref>

=== Legacy ===

Harroun was inducted in the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum#Auto Racing Hall of Fame|Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame]] in 1952, the [[Motorsports Hall of Fame of America]]<ref name=MSHoF>[http://www.mshf.com/hall-of-fame/inductees/ray-harroun.html Ray Harroun] at the [[Motorsports Hall of Fame of America]]</ref> in 2000, and the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame(www.mmshof.org) in 2010.

== Motorsports career results ==

=== Indianapolis 500 results ===

{{col-begin|width=auto}}
{{col-break}}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Year
!Car
!Start
!Qual
!Rank
!Finish
!Laps
!Led
!Retired
|-
![[1911 Indianapolis 500|1911]]
|32
|28
|—
|—
|style="background:green;color:white"|1
|200
|88
|Running
|-
|colspan=6|'''Totals'''
|200
|88
|
|}
{{col-break|gap=1em}}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Starts
|1
|-
!Poles
|0
|-
!Front Row
|0
|-
!Wins
|1
|-
!Top 5
|1
|-
!Top 10
|1
|-
!Retired
|0
|}
{{col-end}}

== References ==

{{Commons category}}
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{Racing-Reference driver|Ray_Harroun}}
* [http://www.raceremote.com/media/racerewind/race-rewind-all-shows/test-post/ Ray Harroun discussed in interview with his son Dick Harroun – on RaceRewind.com]
* {{Find a Grave|453}}
* [http://www.bruceduffie.com/thecolumbia.html Columbia Car webpages]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110724044601/http://www.thegreatest33.com/default.aspx#selecteddrivers?s=ray_harroun The Greatest 33]

{{S-start}}
{{Succession box|before= None|title=[[List of Indianapolis 500 winners|Indianapolis 500 Winner]]|years=[[1911 Indianapolis 500|1911]]|after=[[Joe Dawson (racing driver)|Joe Dawson]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{Indy 500 winners}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harroun, Ray}}
[[Category:1879 births]]
[[Category:1968 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Spartansburg, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:American founders of motor vehicle manufacturers]]
[[Category:Racing drivers from Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Indianapolis 500 drivers]]
[[Category:Indianapolis 500 winners]]
[[Category:American automotive engineers]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Crawford County, Pennsylvania]]