George Rider Mason (May 6, 1890 – September 13, 1918) was an American

racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...

. A Red Cross ambulance driver in World War I, Mason was killed in action, or as the result of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

. Mason has the distinction of being the first and, until

Greg Ray Gregory Ray (born August 3, 1966) is an American former race car driver. After winning the SCCA national Formula Atlantic championship in 1993, he moved up to the CART-sanctioned Toyota Atlantic series in 1994. In 1997 he made his Indy Racing L ...

in the 2003 race, only driver to field a car in the Indianapolis 500 carrying the number 13 over the first 86 years of the event. From 1926–2002, usage of #13 was not permitted, and generally avoided by competitors due to

superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs and ...

Motorsports career results

Indianapolis 500 results

References

1890 births 1918 deaths American casualties of World War I Indianapolis 500 drivers Racing drivers from Des Moines, Iowa Civilians killed in World War I American Red Cross personnel {{US-autoracing-bio-stub