1911 Marmon Wasp
Driven to victory in the first Indianapolis 500 race
back in 1911, the Marmon Wasp is one of America's most iconic race cars. The
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum-owned Wasp features a four shock system up
front meant to counteract the bumpy conditions of the dirt and gravel surfaces
found at Indy back then.
In fact, driver and engineer Ray Harroun had to keep
his speed in check as he determined that going over 128 km/h would
prove disastrous for his tires. This strategy helped him change only two tires
during the race, which led to his success.
The Wasp's cockpit was designed for just one driver
at a time when racing was usually a two man show with a driver and a
"mechanician." Still, this allowed for a much narrower body while
shaving a significant amount of weight.
Other design traits included unusual tail and the
addition of a rear view mirror which was apparently inspired by its use on a
carriage that Harroun saw in Chicago years before the race. He then later said
that the mirror turned out to be useless during the race because the car shook
too much.
Back in May, the Marmon Wasp was honored as the
eleventh vehicle on the HVA's National Historic Vehicle Register. Its also been
extensively documented, measured, 3D scanned and filmed by the HVA under the
same standards used to record the Statute of Liberty and Space Shuttle
Discovery. Once the material is ready, the Wasp will join the archives just
like other iconic vehicles such as the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe prototype,
the first White House limousine and the Buick Y-Job.
