INDY DIARIES: Safety gear for the first Indy 500

Friday, 20 May 2016


Mark Dill / Main image by IMS Photo Over 99 runnings, the Indianapolis 500 has become the most famous event in motorsport. That iconic status is built on a bedrock of hundreds of small stories, and to celebrate the centennial race, RACER.com has asked some of the people who are part of Indy's fabric to share a few of those stories with us. Check back with Tampa Racing every day between now and race day for a new 'Indy Diary' entry.

This photo of race driver Joe Jagersberger was taken just days before he competed in the first Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 1911. The image was to illustrate the protective gear he was using to shield himself from injury in the event of a high-speed accident.
From top to bottom, Jagersberger relied on the dubious protection of a leather skullcap, a full-face mask with goggles, a tight corset, taped forearms and leather gloves. Jagersberger was involved in the most spectacular accident of the day when on lap 87 his steering gear broke and his Case – yes the agricultural equipment manufacturer ventured into automobiles – was hopelessly unmanageable on the front stretch.
His riding mechanic Charles Anderson baled out of the cockpit but miscalculated the car's speed. He fell to the bricks hard and rolled. Stunned, Anderson remained there sprawled out in the middle of the track for several moments.
Harry Knight, driving a Westscott, swerved to avoid the stricken man and lost control. His skidding racer careened into the pit area because the Speedway did not have a retaining wall between it and the running surface at the time. Knight slammed into the Apperson of Herb Lytle and Caleb Bragg's Fiat, both being serviced at the time.
This incident is blamed for the scoring confusion that prevailed in the first Indianapolis 500. News reports indicate many scorers and judges abandoned their posts to run to the accident to help or even out of curiosity. This is frequently blamed for the uncertainty over the outcome and contributed heavily to a controversy about whether Ray Harroun or second-place finisher Ralph Mulford was the true first champion of the historic race. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured in the accident.
Jagersberger's driving career came to end just a few months later when injuries from another racing accident forced the amputation of his right leg. He later formed the Rajo Motor and Manufacturing Company whose main business was the production of racing cylinder heads for Ford Model T cars. His work there earned him an induction in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2007, fifty-five years after his passing in 1952 at Racine, Wisconsin.
With thanks to www.firstsuperspeedway.com