THE SPEEDWAY’S WINNINGEST DRIVER

WORDS: MARK DILL

IMS PHOTO ARCHIVE

102ND RUNNING OF THE 500 189 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall-of- at both National and the track was devastated but soldiered on to return to Aitken spoke French, a great benefit to the Fame driver could be the behind those decisions, but Aitken fit IMS for another race meet in September. team as they grappled with understand- answer to a number of Trivial Pursuit the bill. Described as both modest and Adding to his tally of IMS victories, Aitken ing the nuances of The Speedway. When questions. Who led the first lap of the friendly, local news reporters dubbed him scored three more wins, duplicating the the were hampered by tire wear inaugural ? Which driver “Happy Johnny.” total he recorded at the July meet held in practice, Aitken recommended a switch INNOVATIVE CARS OF THE 500 INNOVATIVE first tested bricks when the track founders days before Kincaid’s passing. to Firestones from a European brand. The

THE SPEEDWAY’S WINNINGEST DRIVER WINNINGEST THE SPEEDWAY’S considered paving options? Who was the Aitken backed up all the attention with American rubber had been developed at first man to cut a high-speed practice lap on-track performance. At The Speedway’s Kincaid’s death wasn’t the first time the track and proved more durable on the at The Speedway? first auto races in August 1909, he set new Aitken had lost a friend in racing. His rough surface. Aitken again found himself American speed records for stock cars mechanic, Claude Kellum, was killed rid- managing a winner as captured Johnny Aitken’s rise to prominence came and dominated the first half of the week- ing with National teammate Charlie Merz first place. under the guidance of Art Newby and his end’s feature race, the Wheeler-Schebler during The Speedway’s first races in company, the National Motor Vehicle Trophy. He also won two of the weekend’s August 1909. By 1915 Aitken, now employed by the Company. Newby is better known to race 16 races; the first of a record 15 wins at The locally based Stutz factory, was free to fans as one of the four founders of Speedway—more than any other driver After marrying in 1912, he had to pull away return to driving in the “500.” He served The Speedway. in history. from competition driving per Art Newby’s as relief driver for two Stutz primary driv- National company policy of not allowing ers—Gil Andersen and Earl Cooper. Both

Like many of his contemporaries, Aitken In December Aitken was among a small married drivers on his team due to the finished in the top ten. FIRSTSUPERSPEEDWAY.COM was an employee at the manufacturer he group of drivers to brave unusually frigid danger. This was not before he competed raced for. Not only did such drivers com- weather for a time trial on the freshly in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911 to In 1916, Aitken signed on as lead driver pete in wheel-to-wheel contests, but they paved Brickyard. Again, he established become the first driver to lead the famous for the Indianapolis Speedway Team Com- also test-drove passenger car models and new speed records and early in the year race by heading the field for the initial pany, formed by track founders Carl Fisher Speedway officials supervised tuning them. newspapers proclaimed him the driver to four laps. It was an otherwise unremark- and James Allison. They had acquired Peu- presented a never- beat in 1910. able performance as a piston rod failed at geot racers, widely regarded as the best in Smart and capable, by 1909 as the Lap 125. the world at the time. to-be-repeated Indianapolis Motor Speedway was being Despite being only 25, Aitken was rec- “Harvest Classic” constructed, Aitken was Newby’s “go to” ognized at National as a leader. He men- Stepping away from the cockpit did not This was the year of the first official points driver. On July 29 he made history as the tored 21-year-old future “500” champion mean Aitken departed the sport. He championship by the American Automo- on Saturday, first driver to practice at speed on the and another youngster, returned to The Brickyard in 1912 as the bile Association (AAA). Aitken waged a September 9. Aitken new track. He also drove for National in Tom Kincaid, 22. National team manager. National had con- season-long battle with Dario Resta, who, organized endurance runs, such as the tracted Joe Dawson to drive. Dawson was in a factory-backed , won at The swept a card of September 1909 Munsey Tour between Kincaid and Aitken were particularly close. on loan from Marmon as that company Brickyard in May. Washington D.C. and Boston. In one newspaper account they lived had withdrawn from the sport after win- three races of 20, together and even borrowed one another’s ning the first “500.” Aitken had his biggest day at IMS in 1916 50 and 100 miles. Just prior to the Munsey Tour, Aitken clothing. Tom called Aitken, “Jack,” and as well, but not in the “500.” Speedway tested pavement options of brick, cement their inseparable nature earned them the Aitken’s involvement was probably impor- officials presented a never-to-be-repeated The Indianapolis Speedway race team and wood creosote block at IMS. In one nickname “The Indigo Twins” from the tant to acclimating the new driver to the “Harvest Classic” on Saturday, September was the precursor to Allison Experimental test, his “Big Six” National was roped to midnight blue color of National’s team cars. team. The National was fast, and when 9. Aitken swept a card of three races of 20, Company and Aitken again retired from BELOW: Johnny Aitken (4) led the first four laps two posts at either end of the car and Ralph DePalma’s Mercedes failed while 50 and 100 miles. driving to accept an executive position of the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911. | The Aitken gunned the throttle to do what In May 1910 the duo combined to win six leading with little more than a lap to go, with the firm. With World War I, Speedway full field of the 1916 “500” with Aitken’s No. was probably The Speedway’s first of 22 races during The Speedway’s first the 22-year-old Dawson won. Both drivers won six championship races officials cancelled the “500” in 1917 and 18 car in pole position. | Aitken and his riding burnout. The objective was to deter- races after becoming The Brickyard. That that year, each taking five on board tracks 1918. Allison saw the opportunities to design mechanic in a promotional photo for Oilzum, mine the durability of the proposed included Kincaid’s win in the 100-mile Aitken returned to The Speedway in 1913, such as Cincinnati, Sheepshead Bay, Chi- and build engines for the U.S. military. a motor oil company still in business today. | running surface. Prest-O-Lite Trophy. this time as team manager for the French cago and Omaha. They split the Santa Peugeot drivers Jules Goux (left) and Georges Peugeot team. The track founders had Monica road races with Resta winning the For the brilliant, 33-year-old Aitken, the Boillot confer with team manager Aitken in 1914. When The Speedway wanted a driver for Tragedy struck on July 6 when Kincaid worked hard to attract European entries Vanderbilt Cup and Aitken the American promise of a wonderful career with a great RIGHT: Aitken models an unusual IMS race promotions, Aitken was at the top of the was killed during tests at The Speed- and Newby assigned Aitken the task of Grand Prize. In the end, though, Resta had company was soon dashed. He lost his life trophy in 1910, “The Speedway Helmet.” list. Undoubtedly, Newby’s leadership way. Aitken and Newby were reportedly making them feel at home. the most points and was champion. to the infamous influenza pandemic of 1918. He passed on October 15.

Sixty-three years later in 1981, - born Johnny Aitken was voted into the Indi- anapolis Motor Speedway Museum’s Hall of Fame. His widow, Bessie, who passed at age 102, lived to see the recognition.

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102ND RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500 191