The Wheeler-Schebler Trophy Race was an automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in each of the two years prior to the first

Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...

. The trophy was sponsored by the Wheeler-Schebler Carburetor Company. Frank Wheeler, one of the four co-founders of the

Speedway Speedway may refer to: Racing Race tracks *Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta *Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a motor raceway in Speedway, Indiana Types of races and race cours ...

, was also the president and co-founder of Wheeler-Schebler. The 1909 race was originally scheduled for 300 miles, but was ended at 235 miles due to deteriorating track conditions.

Race results

Wheeler-Schebler Trophy in later years

In 1911, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway management ceased holding multiple racing events per year, in favor of a single major race annually – the

. As a result, the Wheeler-Schebler Trophy race was discontinued. In 1914 the trophy reappeared, now as an award given to the owner of the car leading the Indianapolis 500 at the 400-mile mark (lap 160). On numerous occasions, the leader at lap 160 went on to win the race. For the 1916 race only, the trophy was presented to the leader at lap 100 (250 miles) since the race was scheduled for only 300 miles. The trophy was retired and given permanently to car owner

Harry Hartz Harry Hartz (24 December 1896 – 26 September 1974) was an American auto mechanic and race car driver. Career Harry Hartz was born in Pomona, California, and grew up in the Los Angeles area. At age eighteen, he began to drive in support e ...

after his cars claimed the trophy in three consecutive years (1930, 1931, 1932). The original rules in 1909 stipulated that the trophy became the permanent possession of the individual to win it three times. Many years later, in 1956, the trophy was re-acquired by the

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is an automotive museum on the grounds of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, which houses the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame. It is intrinsically linked to the Ind ...

Trophy winners (1914–1932)

*1914:

Louis Delâge Louis Delâge (22 March 1874 – 14 December 1947) was a French pioneer automotive engineer and manufacturer. Born Pierre Louis Delâge to a family of modest means in Cognac. As an infant he lost the sight in one eye. At the age of 16 he went ...

( Rene Thomas) ''Race winner'' *1915: E.C. Patterson (

Ralph DePalma Raffaele "Ralph" De Palma (December 19, 1882 – March 31, 1956) was an Italian-American racecar driving champion who won the 1915 Indianapolis 500. His entry at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame estimates that he won about 2, ...

) ''Race winner'' *1916: Peugot Auto Racing Co. (

Dario Resta Dario Resta (17 August 1882 – 3 September 1924), nicknamed "Dolly", was an Italian Briton race car driver. He was the winner of the 1916 Indianapolis 500. Early years Dario Resta was born in Faenza, Italy but was raised in England from the a ...

) ''Race winner'' *1919:

Howdy Wilcox Howard Samuel Wilcox (June 24, 1889 – September 4, 1923) was an American racecar driver active in the formative years of auto racing. Biography He was born in Crawfordsville, Indiana on June 24, 1889. Wilcox won the 1919 Indianapolis 500 ...

(

) ''Race winner'' *1920:

(

) ''finished 5th'' *1921:

Louis Chevrolet Louis-Joseph Chevrolet (; December 25, 1878 – June 6, 1941) was a Swiss-American race car driver, mechanic and entrepreneur who co-founded the Chevrolet Motor Car Company in 1911. Early life Louis-Joseph Chevrolet was born on December 25, 18 ...

(

Tommy Milton Thomas Milton (November 14, 1893 – July 10, 1962) was an American race car driver best known as the first two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. He was notable for having only one functional eye, a disability that would have disqualified him ...

) ''Race winner'' *1922: Jimmy Murphy ( Jimmy Murphy) ''Race winner'' *1923:

Harry C. Stutz Harry Clayton Stutz (September 12, 1876 in Ohio – June 26, 1930) was an American automobile manufacturer, entrepreneur, self-taught engineer, and innovator in the automobile industry. He was born in 1876 about east of Indianapolis, near An ...

(

) ''Race winner'' *1924:

Earl Cooper Earl Cooper (2 December 1886 Broken Bow, Nebraska – 22 October 1965 Atwater, California) was an American racecar driver. Racing career He began his racing career in 1908 in San Francisco in a borrowed car. He won the race, but lost his ...

(

) ''finished 2nd'' *1925:

Cliff Durant Russell Clifford "Cliff" Durant (November 26, 1890 – October 31, 1937) was an American racecar driver. He was the son of William C. Durant, the founder of General Motors and Durant's first wife, Clara Pitt. Cliff Durant had four wives: Lena ...

( Dave Lewis) ''finished 2nd'' *1926:

Peter Kreis A. J. "Peter" Kreis (January 19, 1900 – May 25, 1934) was an American racecar driver. He and riding mechanic Robert Hahn were killed in a turn one accident while practicing for the 1934 Indianapolis 500. As he was entering the turn, a c ...

( Frank Lockhart) ''Race winner'' *1927: Cooper Engineering Co. (

Bob McDonogh Bob McDonogh (March 5, 1900, San Francisco, California – December 10, 1945, Columbus, Ohio) was an American racecar driver. McDonogh made 38 starts in AAA Championship racing from 1924 through 1932. Most of McDonogh's career was during t ...

Pete DePaolo Pete DePaolo (April 6, 1898 – November 26, 1980) was an American race car driver who won the 1925 Indianapolis 500. Biography Peter DePaolo was born on April 6, 1898, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pete saw his first race in 1919, where he w ...

) ''finished 6th'' *1928: J. R. Burgamy (

Tony Gulotta Tony Gulotta (August 4, 1903 New Orleans, Louisiana – March 2, 1981 Los Angeles, California) was an American racecar driver active in the 1920s and 1930s. He competed in American Championship Car Racing and finished eighth in the 1927 Natio ...

) ''finished 10th'' *1929: Maude "M. A." Yagle (

Ray Keech Charles Raymond Keech (May 1, 1900 - June 15, 1929) was an American board track and brick track racer in the 1920s. He is best remembered for winning the 1929 Indianapolis 500, and for setting a land speed record. Career Land speed record ...

) ''Race winner'' *1930:

( Billy Arnold) ''Race winner'' *1931:

( Billy Arnold) ''finished 19th'' *1932:

(

Fred Frame Fredrick William Frame (June 3, 1894 – April 25, 1962) was an American race car driver. One of the leading AAA Championship Car drivers of the late 1920s and early 1930s, Frame is best remembered for his victory at the 1932 Indianapolis 500. B ...

) ''Race winner''

References

*Scott, D. Bruce; ''INDY: Racing Before the 500''; Indiana Reflections; 2005; {{ISBN, 0-9766149-0-1. *Galpin, Darren; ''A Record of Motorsport Racing Before World War I.''
1909 AAA National Championship Trail
Auto races in the United States Motorsport in Indianapolis BorgWarner