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RACE: Sixth Indianapolis 500
DATE: May 30, 1916
WINNER: Dario Resta, Peugeot Auto Racing Company
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AVERAGE SPEED: 84.001 mph
WHAT HAPPENED: Organizers shortened the race to 300 miles, hoping to make it more appealing to fans. World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker led early before eventual winner Dario Resta took the lead. There were only 21 cars in the field in part because of the impending war, the smallest field in Indy 500 history
NOTABLE: The race was supposed to be 500 miles the following year, but the outbreak of war in Europe halted the Indy 500. For the next two years, the speedway became a landing strip and maintenance station for the military and a testing ground for experimental aircraft.
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