The Champion Spark Plug 100 Mile an Hour Club was a group formed to honor drivers who completed the

Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...

at an average speed of 100

miles per hour Miles per hour (mph, m.p.h., MPH, or mi/h) is a British imperial and United States customary unit of speed expressing the number of miles travelled in one hour. It is used in the United Kingdom, the United States, and a number of smaller cou ...

or faster. It was formed in 1935, and continued to be recognized through

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

. It was sponsored by Champion Spark Plugs, and was the brainchild of M.C. deWitt, the company's advertising manager. During its heyday, it was considered one of the most prestigious honors in motorsports (the

Indy car INDYCAR, LLC, is an American-based auto racing sanctioning body for Indy car racing and other disciplines of open wheel car racing. The organization sanctions five racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with its centerpiece the Indianapolis ...

counterpart to

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

's famous Darlington Record Club), and membership was highly sought after by drivers. A total of 124 drivers were inducted as members, with 1930 winner Billy Arnold named the club's first member.

History

The first driver to complete the Indianapolis 500 at an average speed of 100 mph was

Pete DePaolo Pete DePaolo (April 6, 1898 – November 26, 1980) was an American race car driver who won the 1925 Indianapolis 500. Biography Peter DePaolo was born on April 6, 1898, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pete saw his first race in 1919, where he w ...

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. However,

Norman Batten Norman Batten (April 30, 1893 – November 12, 1928) was an American racecar driver active in the 1920s. He is one of two drivers that won the Indy500 the year before becoming a Rookie in the Indy500, when Norman provided relief help for Peter D ...

drove 21 laps of relief (laps 106–127) while DePaolo had his hands bandaged due to blisters and bruises. Thus DePaolo did not accomplish the feat solo. Five years later in

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will b ...

, Billy Arnold won the race with an average speed of 100.488 mph. He was the second driver to complete the race in under five hours, but the first ever to do so without relief help. In 1934, M.C. deWitt, the advertising manager for

Champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, a ...

, had a conversation with driver Dave Evans. Evans had finished 6th in the 1934 Indianapolis 500. In doing so, Evans had become the twelfth driver in history to complete the full 500 miles solo, at an average speed of over 100 mph. Immediately deWitt envisioned an idea to create an honorary "club" for the drivers who had accomplished the noteworthy feat. In 1935, the Champion Spark Plugs 100 mph Club was born. The inaugural class would consist of the 12 drivers who had accomplished the feat thus far. The first member retroactively being Billy Arnold, along with

Fred Frame Fredrick William Frame (June 3, 1894 – April 25, 1962) was an American race car driver. One of the leading AAA Championship Car drivers of the late 1920s and early 1930s, Frame is best remembered for his victory at the 1932 Indianapolis 500. B ...

, Howdy Wilcox II,

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, Bob Carey,

Russ Snowberger Russell Snowberger (October 8, 1901 – September 28, 1968) was an American racecar driver and owner active from the 1920s through the 1950s. After his lengthy Indianapolis career, Snowberger continued his affiliation with the "500" by sponsori ...

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, Stubby Stubblefield, and Dave Evans. An annual banquet would be held in the drivers' honor, and each inductee would receive a leather jacket. Carey and Stubblefield were deceased, and Arnold did not attend, but all of the other nine living members were present at the first banquet.

Membership qualifications

The requirements to qualify for the 100 mph Club were fairly straightforward. A driver was required to complete the

at an average speed of 100 mph or faster, driving the entire race without any relief help. It was permissible to be accompanied by a

riding mechanic A riding mechanic was a mechanic that rode along with a race car during races, and who was tasked with maintaining, monitoring, and repairing the car during the race. The various duties included manually pumping oil and fuel, checking tire wear, ...

. However, the period in which riding mechanics were utilized at Indianapolis overlapped only briefly from when the club was formed. The 100 mph average speed equated to finishing the race in five hours or less. The driver was not required to win the race, but a strict requirement was to complete the full 500 miles (200 laps). Rain-shortened races, or drivers that were flagged off the track before completing all 200 laps (even if their average speed was over 100 mph at the time) would not qualify. Drivers were inducted for lifetime memberships, but drivers were separately honored each time they accomplished the feat. Many drivers broke the 100 mph barrier multiple times during the career.

Ted Horn Ted Horn (February 27, 1909 – October 10, 1948), born Eylard Theodore Von Horn, was an American racecar driver. He won the AAA National Championship in 1946, 1947 and 1948 and collected 24 wins, 12 second-place finishes and 13 third-place ...

accomplished the feat a record total of eight times in his career. Each subsequent membership was rewarded with being seated at the head table during the next annual banquet. Prior to the 1960s, the drivers were permitted ample time to complete the full 500 mile distance, even if it meant remaining on the track for several minutes or over an hour after the winner crossed the finish line. In the very early years, completing the full 500 miles was even a requirement to receive any prize money. For a time, it was the norm for officials to wait until at least 10-12 cars completed the 500 miles before waving the cars off the track. However, that was not a hard-and-fast rule. Officials often just used judgement to decide when it prudent to stop. A total of 16 cars went the distance in 1959, while only five did so in 1938. In 1940, only the top three were permitted to finish, due to a rain shower. The honor of joining the prestigious 100 mph Club was considered motivation to continue racing, even if the chance to win the race had already gone away. In most cases, several cars would complete the distance, and numerous drivers might be added to the Club annually.

Champion Highway Safety Program

Around 1954, Champion formed as part of their public relations efforts, a Driver's education program geared towards teenagers and young adults. The Champion Highway Safety Program traveled around the country giving presentations at high schools and military bases about driving safety tips. For many years, a team of drivers from the 100 mph Club were used to give the lectures, and some were used in

Educational film An educational film is a film or movie whose primary purpose is to educate. Educational films have been used in classrooms as an alternative to other teaching methods. History Determining which videos should count as the first educational fil ...

s. The lectures were popular and well-received, and were usually sponsored by a local newspaper or radio station. The appearances were also used as promotional tool for automobile racing, and offered the drivers work during the off-season.

Demise

In 1964, when the race started airing live on MCA closed-circuit television, the rules were changed which limited the time drivers were allotted to finish the race once the winner crossed the finish line. Roughly five minutes were allowed for the other cars on the track to complete the 200 laps. This had the effect of substantially limiting the chances of joining the 100 mph Club, and only a handful of drivers earned the honor after 1964. Also perhaps contributing to the club's demise was the evolving times. By the mid-1960s, speeds at Indy had risen considerably since the club's formation - and were poised to rise substantially over the next few years. Covering the full 500 miles at an average speed of 100 mph was nay considered a noteworthy accomplishment any longer. Most winners were finishing the race with as much as an hour and a half to spare to fulfill the 100 mph Club's qualifications. Apropos to that, membership in the drivers' eyes was still highly coveted. In 1964,

Autolite Autolite or Auto-Lite is an American brand of spark plugs and ignition wire sets. Autolite products are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Australia. Until 2011, the Autolite brand was a part of Honeywell's automotive Consumer Pro ...

created the "Pacemakers Club," which recognized drivers who had led at least one lap during the race. It began to rise in stature and popularity, and became a more period-relevant "club," associated with the Indianapolis 500. In its favor, it was not linked to changes in equipment, conditions, or perceived obsolete speed milestones. During the 1969 race, no new members were inducted into the 100 mph Club, since all four drivers who completed the 500 miles that year were already part of the club. In 1970, Dick McGeorge, Champion's public relations representative, retired from his position. McGeorge was considered the key fixture in organizing the club, dating back to 1946. He died in 1971, and the 100 mph Club quietly folded. In retrospect, the 1968 inductees (led by

race Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to: * Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species * Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...

winner

Bobby Unser Robert William Unser (February 20, 1934 – May 2, 2021) was an American automobile racer. At his induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994, he had the fourth most IndyCar Series wins at 35 (behind his brother Al, A. J. F ...

) would be the final names added to the membership.

Al Unser

One of the more notable omissions from the 100 mph Club was Al Unser Sr. He first arrived at Indianapolis in 1965, finishing 9th, flagged after 196 laps. He crashed out in 1966, but in

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

, he was running second in the waning laps. As leader

A. J. Foyt Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American retired auto racing driver who has raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes United States Automobile Club Champ cars, sprint cars, and midget cars. H ...

was coming out of turn four to take the checkered flag, a crash occurred on the front stretch. Foyt weaved his way through the wreck to win, but officials immediately thereafter put out the red flag to stop the race. Al Unser was about a lap and a half away from the finish line when he was flagged off and was officially credited with only 198 laps in the final scoring. Unser crashed out of the 1968 race. His brother

Bobby Bobby or Bobbie may refer to: People * Bobby (given name), a list of names * Bobby (actress), from Bangladesh * Bobby (rapper) (born 1995), from South Korea * Bobby (screenwriter) (born 1983), Indian screenwriter * Bobby, old slang for a constabl ...

won, and incidentally joined the 100 mph Club for himself. Al Unser missed the 1969 race due to a broken leg suffered in a motorcycle crash earlier in the month. In

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (''Extreme''). Between 10,000 and ...

, he came back to win the race in dominating fashion. His average speed of 155.749 mph was well over the requirement to be invited into the club, and he was expected by all to be honored as the next member. However, after McGeorge's retirement, and subsequent passing, the 1971 banquet never happened. The club was quietly abandoned and membership was closed without Al Unser ever being officially inducted. Incidentally, following the demise of the 100 mph Club, Al Unser would go on to complete the full 500 miles seven times (including four wins), all at better than a 100 mph average.

List of club members

''Membership list as of June 1, 1968''1969 Indianapolis 500 Press Information - 500 Daily track Summary *

Fred Agabashian Levon "Fred" Agabashian (August 21, 1913 – October 13, 1989) was an American racer of midget cars and Indy cars. Career Midget car racing Agabashian competed in his first midget car race in his teens. His first championship was the 1937 ...

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* Billy Arnold *

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* Tony Bettenhausen, Sr. *

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* Walt Brown *

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* Jim Clark *

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* George Connor *

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* Bill Cummings * Bob Christie *

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* Louis Durant * Dave Evans * Pat Flaherty *

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* Norm Hall *

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* Al Herman * Graham Hill *

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* Bill Homeier *

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* Chuck Hulse *

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* Eddie Johnson *

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* Andy Linden * Doc MacKenzie *

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* Ernie McCoy *

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* Jack McGrath * Jim McWithey *

* Zeke Meyer * Al Miller *

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* Jimmy Snyder *

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Membership records

Most memberships

*8 times **

(1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1946, 1947, 1948) *7 times **

(1933, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940) **

(1952, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962) **

(1956, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964) *6 times **

(1934, 1936, 1939, 1940, 1947, 1948) *5 times **

(1957, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1964) **

(1959, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1967) **

(1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1968)

Most memberships as a race winner

*3 times **

(1937, 1939, 1940) **

(1961, 1964, 1967) *2 times **

(1933, 1936) **

(1947, 1948) **

(1953, 1954) **

(1959, 1962)

Fastest average speed at the time the club was disbanded

*152.882 mph —

(1968)

Post award

From 1970 to 2016, a total of 108 additional drivers have unofficially joined the 100 mph Club. Although no official subcategories have ever been created, a total of 98 of them made it into a faster "150 mph Club." A total of 33 drivers have joined the very exclusive "185 mph Club". They are led by

Tony Kanaan Antoine Rizkallah "Tony" Kanaan Filho (born 31 December 1974), nicknamed TK, is a Brazilian racing driver. He currently competes full-time in the Brazilian Stock Car Pro Series, driving the No. 6 Toyota Corolla E210 for Full Time Bassani a ...

, who won the fastest 500 in 2013. Two additional drivers,

Rick Mears Rick Ravon Mears (born December 3, 1951) is a retired American race car driver. He is one of four men to win the Indianapolis 500 four times (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991) and is the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six (1 ...

and

Michael Andretti Michael Mario Andretti (born October 5, 1962) is an American semi-retired auto racing driver and current team owner. Statistically one of the most successful drivers in the history of American open-wheel car racing, Andretti won the 1991 CART PP ...

, managed to break the 175 mph barrier from the 1991 race. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, a separate award was created called the Marlboro 500 Mile Club. Sponsored by

Marlboro Marlboro (, ) is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by Philip Morris USA (a branch of Altria) within the United States and by Philip Morris International (now separate from Altria) outside the US. The largest Mar ...

, it was a cash prize of $75,000 split amongst the drivers who completed the full 500 miles each year.

Notes

Works cited

Dick Ralstin's Racing Home Page - Champion's Champions at 100 Miles an Hour
*1969 Indianapolis 500 Daily Trackside Report *'' The Talk of Gasoline Alley'' - 1070-AM WIBC, May 17, 2007

References

{{Indy 500 100 mph Club 1935 establishments in Indiana