The 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway hasbeen the home to a race on Memorial Day nearly every year
since 1911. Even during the first race, there were controversies.
Ralph Mulford was given the checkered flag first but took three
extra laps just to make sure he’d completed 500 miles. When he
finished, another driver, Ray Harroun, was being presented with
the winner’s trophy, and Mulford’s protests were ignored. Harroun
averaged 74.6 mph for the 500 miles. In 2013, the winner,
Tony Kanaan, averaged over 187 mph, beating the previous record
by over 17 mph!