On May 30, 1911, “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” was born with the inaugural running of the Indianapolis 500. Upward of 90,000 spectators packed the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to see 40 cars speed around a 2.5-mile track 200 times. Bands played, and people bought ham sandwiches and lemonade from the concession stands. Amid the festivities, however, was a sense of danger. As one of the longest track races, the Indy 500 was also one of the most perilous. The drivers, who competed in open cars, did not wear helmets or seat belts. Barroom bets about race deaths would become common.
However, competitors did have one important safety feature: a riding mechanic. This person was responsible for looking behind to see what was happening. Ray Harroun realized that if he didn’t have a passenger, he could compete in a one-seater, which was more aerodynamic. To replace the riding mechanic, he mounted what was possibly the world’s first rearview mirror on the dashboard. Aided by these changes, Harroun averaged some 75 miles per hour in his Marmon race car and won the race in 6 hours 42 minutes 8 seconds.