Ralph Kirkman Mulford (December 28, 1884 – October 23, 1973) was an American racing driver who participated in the 1911 Indianapolis 500. In 1911 he won the Vanderbilt Cup in Savannah, Georgia.[1]
| Ralph Mulford | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Mulford, circa 1911 | |||||||
| Born | Ralph Kirkman Mulford December 28, 1884 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | October 23, 1973 (aged 88) Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S. | ||||||
| Championship titles | |||||||
| Major victories Vanderbilt Cup (1911) | |||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 87 races run over 15 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 8th (1920) | ||||||
| First race | 1910 Elgin National Trophy (Elgin) | ||||||
| Last race | 1922 Kansas City 300 (Kansas City) | ||||||
| First win | 1910 Elgin National Trophy (Elgin) | ||||||
| Last win | 1919 40-mile Race (Tacoma) | ||||||
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Biography
editMulford was born on December 28, 1884, in Brooklyn, New York. He once served as a Sunday school teacher.[2]
Mulford won the Elgin Trophy on August 26, 1910.[3] He then finished second in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 1911. While contemporary newspaper accounts and substantiated research, including by Indianapolis Motor Speedway historian Donald Davidson, have produced no credible evidence to support a claim to the contrary,[2][4][5][6] there is an urban myth that Mulford, driving a Lozier, was the actual winner over Ray Harroun.[7] However, Mulford himself never supported such a claim.
Mulford was retroactively declared the National Driving Champion for 1911 and 1918. He retired from racing on tracks after 1922, but continued to compete for several more years in hill climbs, and – at one time – held the record for both the Mount Washington and Pikes Peak climbs.
Mulford died on October 23, 1973, in Worcester, Massachusetts. At the time of his death, he was the last surviving participant of the inaugural, 1911 Indianapolis 500.
Motorsports career results
editIndianapolis 500 results
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References
edit
- ^ "Ralph Mulford In Lozier Wins Vanderbilt Trophy". Christian Science Monitor. November 28, 1911. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
Motor enthusiasts who are now in this city are looking forward to the running of the big grand prize automobile race over the local course here Thanksgiving day with much interest, following the opening of the big road meet Monday when the Vanderbilt, Tiedeman and Savannah...
- ^ a b The Talk of Gasoline Alley. May 18, 2010. WFNI.
- ^ "Elgin National Road Races History". kalracing.com. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
- ^ The Talk of Gasoline Alley. July 27, 2008. WFNI.
- ^ "The History of the 500 – Episode 10 (Mythbusters)", WIBC 93.1, April 14, 2013
- ^ The Talk of Gasoline Alley. May 25, 2011. WFNI.
- ^ Jaslow, Russell (1997). "Who Really Won The First Indy 500?". The North American Motorsports Journal. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
External links
edit- Ralph Mulford driver statistics at Racing-Reference
- Ralph Mulford at Champ Car Stats
- Ralph Mulford at Find a Grave