Oct 14 2025

Mystery Friday Foto #51 Solved: Head to Head Racing at the 1911 Indy 500


Can you identify these race cars on the track?

Identify;

  • Race and track

The 1911 inaugural Indy 500 Race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The Alco “Black Beast” in the Inaugural Indy 500 Race

  • Date

Tuesday, May 30, 1911

  • The 5 racers going head to head

L to R- 

#21 National (Howdy Wilcox) finished 14th

#20 National (Charles Merz) finished 7th

#19 ALCO 'Black Beast' (Harry Grant) Out of the race with bearing problems on lap 51

#18 Fiat (Eddie Hearne) finished 21st

#17 Buick Charles Basle) Out of the race with mechanical problems on lap 46

  • Link one of the cars to the Vanderbilt Cup Races

The Alco 'Black Beast' famously won the 1909 and 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Races with Harry Grant at the wheel.

Comments (3)

Congrats to Steve Lucas and Kenneth Parrotte for identifying this weekend's mystery photo.

Greg O. 


1911 Historic Indy 500 Newsreel


The First Indy 500 Race

Comments

Oct 09 2025 frank femenias 8:53 PM

Not Motor Parkway racing. Possibly Indy 500 racing on a wider track

Oct 12 2025 Steve Lucas 1:52 PM

That’s the “Parade Lap” at the first Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 30, 1911. From left to right are: the #21 National (Howdy Wilcox); #20 National (Charles Merz); #19 ALCO (Harry Grant); #18 Fiat (Eddie Hearne); #17 Buick Charles Basle). The ALCO is the same “Black Beast” that won the 1909 and 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race.

Oct 14 2025 Kenneth Parrotte 1:28 AM

Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Tuesday May 30, 1911.  First Indianapolis 500.  Cars were started in order of entry.  The numbers were assigned in order of entry.  Each car must time at least 75 mph for a quarter mile flying start.  The cars in the photo are in turn one on lap one of the Indy 500.  #17 is Charles Basle driving a Buick.  He finished 34th with mechanical issues.  #18 is Eddie Hearne driving a Fiat.  He finished 18th.  #19 is Harry Grant driving a Alco.  Grant finished 33rd with bearing problems.  #20 is Charley Merz driving a National.  Merz finished 7th.  #20 is Howard Wilcox is driving a National.  He finished 14th.  Grant won the Vanderbilt Cup race 1909 and 1910.  Grant drove a Lozier in the 1911 Vanderbilt race.  He started first and finished 4th.  Interesting to note that each car carried a 12 inch disc on the rear end of the car with the car number.  The disc was colored.  One color for cars 1-10, another color for cars 11-20 and so on.

Oct 20 2025 Mark Schaier 9:02 PM

I had arrived early Tues Oct.7, I decided head for the Hershey Lodge to view the outside tented area of vintage collections to be auction by SM Sotheby. One struck me was the 1911 Marmon Wasp winner of the first Indie 500,WOW! But I looked up on their online catalog of the the result of the auction. Surprise, not the real thing.

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