FDCUSA

#4530 Indianapolis 500, Variety B
[F201104]

$5.00

FDOI; Indianapolis, Indiana

The artwork was arranged to fit a custom envelope template, laser printed on 8.5" x 11", Southworth 24# 100% Cotton Cream Paper. Each envelope was cut from that paper using an Ellison Prestige Pro Cutter with a custom 6-3/4 envelope die and hand-assembled.

Text of Cachet Front:
After serving as a driving mechanic, he began racing in 1906 and won the national championship in 1910, then joined the Marmon Automobile Company in Indianapolis as Chief Engineer. The company asked him to design and drive a car in the new 500-mile race. Harroun came up with a revolutionary design. The Marmon Wasp, driven by Harroun, won the first Indianapolis 500 mile race on May 11, 1911.

Text of Cachet, Back:

A group of businessmen, headed by Carl Fisher, planned a new Speedway and in
1909, the Indianapolis Speedway was opened. The 2.5 mile track surface consisted
of about 3.5 million bricks and it was and is still referred to as 'the Brickyard'.
The first Indianapolis 500 race was held on 11th May, 1911 and was won by Ray Harroun driving is Marmon Wasp in a time of 6 hours 42 minutes 8 seconds, at an average speed of 74.602 mph. The sleek and distinctive design enabled the car to reach speeds in excess of 100 mph on the straight. Prior to the race, however, other drivers protested because the car did not carry a passenger to watch for oncoming traffic and Harroun resolved the matter by attaching a rear-view mirror.