Indianapolis Motor Speedway History 101
As we continue our exciting journey through racing’s silly season, where drivers jockey for position on the track, TeamWWF is taking full advantage of this vibrant time by implementing significant website upgrades and developing more effective ways to support our drivers, fans, and team supporters.
We are delving even deeper into our rich heritage and history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and racing, while also posting a plethora of fascinating race and track factoids that will interest our avid fans and followers.
Recently, we discovered the video below, which showcases the history of IMS’s beginning, and it’s too great not to share. We hope you enjoy a little backstory of where it all began.
In the Beginning - May 1911
Enjoy this silent reel (soundtrack added) of 400 feet of footage from the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911; however, the video’s creator is unsure of when exactly the film was compiled to 16mm. This video doesn’t contain any “unseen” footage; it’s believed that another copy of this film served as the basis for the Smithsonian’s colorized footage, and another transfer is online.
The film opens with the start of the race and includes the history leading up to it, before moving on to footage from the race, including crashes. Completes with showing the waving of the checkered flag and victor, Ray Harroun, in the “Marmon Wasp.”
The 16mm Time Machine video creator edited the film scene-by-scene, independently correcting framing, contrast/exposure, light uniformity, and stabilization (the print had very poor registration) to improve the film as much as possible. Hopefully, the highest quality version of this footage is available. Played back at 16 frames per second to best approximate what the true-to-life speed was.
Soundtrack added, composed of period 1911 songs sourced from the Library of Congress:
- King Radium March
- Two-Step Medley No. 9
- Surprise Medley Overture
- Way Down Indiana Two-Step
- Introduction, History – 0:00
- Morning of the Race – 1:02
- Bob Burman Crowned – 2:00
- Parade of Cars – 2:47
- Carl Fisher in Pacemaker – 4:53 Race Begins – 5:56
- Crowd Rushes Accident – 7:24
- Sand Blowing Across Track – 8:44
- Pit Stop Tire Change – 10:04
- Tire Flies Off – 11:02
- Mechanic Falls, 4 Car Crash – 12:04
- Waving the Checkered Flag – 14:56
For more great videos, catch 16mm Time Machine on YouTube for a look back at the past 100 years, featuring historical footage covering everything from military to slice-of-life moments. A mix of independently shot silent home movie footage, primarily from the 1920s-1940s, along with produced footage up to the 1970s.
Check out these great videos of track upgrades in 2025.
Video and screenshot © 16mm Time Machine. Shared with permission for editorial.
