Saturday 31st May 1919

With the track reopened after the war, local Indiana-born driver Howdy Wilcox driving a Peugeot broke a four-race winning streak by European drivers at the ‘500’. 19 rookies started the race, the most newcomers in one Indy 500 field (if one discounts the “all-rookie” field of 1911). It was also the first Indy 500 win for Goodyear tyres and the first playing of the song “Back Home Again in Indiana” at the 500.