Did Eddie Rickenbacker, WWI flying ace from Columbus, officially name the Indianapolis 500? Yes, he did. Sort of.

The Indianapolis ... of the 20th century. After the plan of hosting multiple races at the venue per year proved unsuccessful, the track's owners decided to host a single massive 500-mile race ...

113 years ago | May 30, 1911: Ray Harroun, 32, driving a bright yellow, single-seat Marmon Wasp, a racecar he helped design, wins the first Indianapolis 500. Harroun’s six-cylinder 110-hp Wasp ...