253:
249:, the trio organized the record run again at the Indiana State Fairgrounds for November 17–18. Two Nationals, again driven by Merz and Clemens, began the run, this time with Clemens setting the early pace. Clemens' car blew a tire on mile 152, crashing through the wooden fence. As with Merz on November 4, he was unscathed. As night fell, Prest-O-Lite lamps provided by Allison and Fisher illuminated the track.
29:
366:, a short-lived Indianapolis automobile company founded by Carl G. Fisher. He drove in two minor sprint races, with a best finish of second. In September 1910 Merz was back with National and ran in nine races. All but one, the Remy Grand Brassard 100-mile (160 km) race, were sprint contests of five to 10 miles (16 km). In the
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Merz did pick up one victory at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the track's seventh auto race in August 1909. The race was a four-lap (10 miles) affair for stock chassis with engines of 301 to 450 cubic inch displacement. Only four cars started the race, with Jap Clemens retiring almost immediately.
268:
The men struggled through the night, rarely driving longer than 30 minute stints. The cold, exacerbated by their exposure in open cockpit cars, was debilitating. Goggles were useless because they frosted over within minutes. Stiff with cold and bloodshot eyes, both
Clemens and Merz warmed themselves
351:
Merz was directly involved with another fatal accident when, at 175 miles (282 km), the right front tire on his
National blew out and sent him through the track's outer fence and into a cluster of spectators. Merz was lucky to escape injury as his riding mechanic, Claude Kellum was killed. Two
403:
for second place when his engine burst into flames just before starting the last of the race's 200 laps. Instead of stopping, Merz pushed on, gambling he could finish one more lap. Coming down the front stretch to the checkered flag, spectators saw Merz's mechanic, Harry Martin, leaning out of the
284:
race, the first major race in the United States on
October 30, 1909. Again, the 21-year-old was at the wheel of a National stock car. He ran well in the early going, working his way into third by the halfway point. A bent crankshaft ended his day on lap 12 of the 22-lap race. He finished the
446:
and served as its president until his retirement in 1946. The company, under the leadership of Miklos
Sperling, sponsored an Indy 500 team from 1950 to 1955. Merz served as Chief Steward for the Indianapolis 500, the top official of the race, from 1935 to 1939.
269:
with a bonfire and hot coffee when they stopped. In the end, at 2:45 p.m. on
November 18, 1905 Merz and his teammate set a new world record for distance covered in 24 hours at 1,094.19 miles (1,760.93 km).
818:
272:
Merz loved motorized competition. In addition to competing in automobile races, he also rode motorcycles and was entered in the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway's first motorcycle meet in 1909.
355:
Following these deaths, the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, initially using a crushed stone surface, was paved with brick to produce a safer track. The first full race meet for the new "
359:," came in May 1910. Merz competed in seven events in that race meet. The most noteworthy was his second-place drive for National in the 100-mile (160 km) Prest-O-Lite Trophy.
382:
Merz finished the
Indianapolis 500 in the top 10 in three of his four starts. He was seventh in the first "500" in 1911, again driving for National. In 1912 he changed to the
325:
More significant, perhaps, were two other races Merz competed in during the same 1909 race meet. They were the longest races of the 1909 race meet, the 250-mile (400 km)
439:, in mid-1919. There, he held the position of assistant to the president until 1925, when he was appointed receiver for the company until it was liquidated in 1927.
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praised his driving skill through the
Speedway's banked turns, noting that it was in the turns that he picked up time on his competitors. Merz finished fourth.
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four times, but also competed in the races held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway prior to the first running of the Indianapolis 500 in 1911.
407:
Merz did not race at Indianapolis in 1914 or 1915, but returned in 1916 for his final attempt to win the "500." A loss of oil pressure in his
227:
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team, impressing observers with his ability to keep a car with the second smallest engine (390 cubic inches) in contention. The
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Merz's best finish was third in 1913. It also proved to be his most spectacular. Merz, driving a Stutz again, was chasing
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241:, saw the opportunity to promote American automobiles by staging a 24-hour distance record run. Working with Newby and
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in a Buick. The race also produced the first fatalities at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when 30-year-old driver
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431:, the forerunner of the US Army Air Corps, from 1917 to 1919 reaching the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He joined
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stock cars against some of the top competitors in the United States at a 100-mile (160 km) race at the
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and his 23-year-old riding mechanic Harry Holcomb struck a fence post. The incident destroyed their
202:, military officer, engineering entrepreneur, and racing official. Active in the early years of the
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Merz died in his home just outside Indianapolis at age 64 on July 8, 1952. He is buried at
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one-mile (1.6 km) dirt oval on November 4, 1905. Merz led the race over his teammate
8:
905:, "Dawson in National Wins Thrilling 500-Mile Indianapolis Race," June 5, 1912, page 980.
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until lap 80 when his right rear tire blew and sent him crashing through a wooden fence.
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318:. His victory was met with applause from local fans as both driver and car were from
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At just 17, Merz demonstrated impressive skill as a race driver when he was hired by
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218:(one of the future founders of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway) to drive one of his
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242:
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782:"Indianapolis Auto Greats: Celebrating Automotive Heritage at Crown Hill Cemetery"
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374:, to the finish only to lose by nine seconds. Wilcox won and Merz was second.
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spectators died in the incident and several more sustained minor injuries.
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The Prest-O-Lite race yielded a third-place finish for Merz behind winner
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881:, "Twenty-four-hour Record Broken at Indianapolis," November 23, 1905.
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322:. He finished second and third in two other handicap events as well.
893:, "Oldtime Race Driver Dies at New Augusta," July 9, 1952, page 12.
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863:, "National Stock Car Breaks World's Record," November 17, 1905.
899:, "C.C. Merz, Former Race Driver, Dies," July 9, 1952, page 18.
885:
Indy: Racing Before The 500, The Untold Story of the Brickyard
383:
315:
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206:, he later became Chief Steward of the Memorial Day Classic.
887:, D. Bruce Scott, Indiana Reflections, LLC, 2005, page 213.
869:, "Clemens Sets New 150-Mile Record," November 17, 1905.
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engine ended his day early, leaving him in 19th place.
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cockpit trying to bat the flames down with a jacket.
370:, Merz battled teammate and future Indy 500 winner,
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and Rick Shaffer, Crash Media Group, 2006, page 24.
362:At the Speedway's July 1910 meet, Merz drove for
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857:, Coward-McGann, Inc. New York, 1966, page 30.
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292:
198:(July 6, 1888 – July 8, 1952) was an American
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875:, "New Marks Are Made," November 23, 1905.
419:Merz took up the position of engineer for
305:Pre-Indianapolis 500 races at the Speedway
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423:in 1914, and served in France during the
310:Merz, driving another National, won over
839:Official History of the Indianapolis 500
251:
916:
819:"Charlie Merz Indianapolis 500 stats"
264:one-mile dirt oval, November 17, 1905
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435:when Stutz set up his new business,
297:Charlie Merz not only raced in the
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766:. London. March 1940. p. 39.
16:American racing driver (1888–1952)
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442:In 1927, at age 39, Merz founded
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934:Racing drivers from Indianapolis
770:from the original on 2022-01-17.
746:from the original on 2021-08-19.
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329:and the 300-mile (480 km)
949:Burials at Crown Hill Cemetery
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790:Crown Hill Heritage Foundation
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220:National Motor Vehicle Company
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823:IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com
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429:American Expeditionary Forces
944:AAA Championship Car drivers
855:500 Miles to Go, Al Bloemker
421:Rayfield Carburetter Company
7:
378:Indianapolis 500 highlights
293:Indianapolis Motor Speedway
239:Indianapolis Motor Speedway
233:After observing the event,
67:Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
10:
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463:Motorsports career results
437:H. C. S. Motor Car Company
130:St. Francis Hotel Trophy (
113:International Sweepstakes
849:National company brochure
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262:Indiana State Fairgrounds
224:Indiana State Fairgrounds
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84:18 races run over 6 years
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939:Indianapolis 500 drivers
897:Logansport Paros-Tribune
468:Indianapolis 500 results
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368:Remy Grand Brassard race
256:Merz and Clemens racing
237:, who later founded the
331:Wheeler-Schebler Trophy
793:. 2011. Archived from
399:in a New Jersey-built
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196:Charles Cleveland Merz
39:Charles Cleveland Merz
348:and killed both men.
289:in seventh position.
280:Merz competed in one
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51:Indianapolis, Indiana
909:First Super Speedway
758:"Indianapolis news"
457:Crown Hill Cemetery
327:Prest-O-Lite Trophy
228:W. F. "Jap" Clemens
96:Prest-O-Lite Trophy
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260:stock cars at the
867:Indianapolis Star
740:ChampCarStats.com
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459:in Indianapolis.
245:, his partner at
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145:Illinois Trophy (
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444:Merz Engineering
299:Indianapolis 500
243:James A. Allison
204:Indianapolis 500
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342:William Bourque
312:Louis Chevrolet
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216:Arthur C. Newby
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736:"Charles Merz"
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287:Vanderbilt Cup
282:Vanderbilt Cup
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276:Vanderbilt Cup
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235:Carl G. Fisher
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802:. Retrieved
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628:Lubrication
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415:Later career
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372:Howdy Wilcox
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320:Indianapolis
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247:Prest-O-Lite
232:
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195:
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100:Indianapolis
63:(1952-07-08)
61:July 8, 1952
48:July 6, 1888
22:Charlie Merz
929:1952 deaths
924:1888 births
763:Motor Sport
210:Early years
117:Sharonville
918:Categories
804:2012-09-10
722:References
670:Front Row
338:Bob Burman
89:First race
44:1888-07-06
873:Motor Age
357:Brickyard
124:First win
107:Last race
77:Champ Car
768:Archived
744:Archived
702:Retired
597:Running
566:Running
535:Running
523:—
520:—
504:Retired
258:National
139:Last win
694:Top 10
654:Starts
613:93.330
582:84.460
551:78.880
495:Finish
427:in the
409:Peugeot
161:Podiums
132:Portola
711:
686:Top 5
662:Poles
634:Totals
486:Start
401:Mercer
364:Empire
79:career
53:, U.S.
798:(PDF)
785:(PDF)
678:Wins
498:Laps
492:Rank
489:Qual
480:Year
451:Death
384:Stutz
316:Buick
314:in a
165:Poles
147:Elgin
638:625
603:1916
591:200
572:1913
560:200
541:1912
529:200
510:1911
501:Led
483:Car
346:Knox
158:Wins
143:1912
128:1911
111:1916
93:1909
58:Died
36:Born
622:25
619:19
607:19
579:16
554:18
548:22
545:28
517:18
514:20
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174:10
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98:(
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42:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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