Indianapolis 500 (left) and riding mechanic Harry Martin (visible on the right of the cockpit) winning the
1912 Indianapolis 500 Riding mechanics were used by most cars in the
Indianapolis 500 from 1911 to 1922, and again from 1930 to 1937. In the
first 500, driver
Ray Harroun notably drove solo, the only car in the field without a riding mechanic. He famously affixed a
rear-view mirror to the car, in order to see cars behind him (a task normally assigned to the mechanic). Harroun is famously regarded as the first driver to utilize a rear view mirror on a race car, however, he said he got the idea from seeing a mirror used for the same purpose on a
horse-drawn vehicle in 1904. Starting in 1912, the
AAA Contest Board declared that riding mechanics were mandatory for all races of 100 miles or longer (which included Indianapolis). In 1923 riding mechanics were made optional, and only one team utilized them. Some cars, however, did have the positions reversed, with the riding mechanic on the inside. Due to the close quarters, many were of short stature and small build. Some notable riding mechanics are Harry Holcomb, Robert Bandini, and Monk Jordan. The last living Indy 500 riding mechanic, Joseph F. Kennelly, died in September 2011. A small handful of riding mechanics were also drivers in their own right. The 1922 Indianapolis 500 winner
Jimmy Murphy started his racing career as a riding mechanic.
1935 winner
Kelly Petillo served as mechanician, as did
1925 winner
Pete DePaolo who was actually the riding mechanic for his maternal Uncle
Ralph DePalma when he won the 500 in
1919. While accurate records are incomplete and spotty overall, the identification of riding mechanics from the history of the Indianapolis 500 is mostly complete and fairly reliable.
Grand Prix Riding mechanics were also required in the classic era of
grand prix. Riding mechanics were banned in Europe after the death of
Tom Barrett in 1924. ==Indianapolis 500 winning riding mechanics==