Maude Yagle

[Pelican Joe]

The story of Maude Yagle, presumed owner of Ray Keech’s 1929 Indy winner, keeps popping up in that Indy 500 FB group.

It’s claimed that she is the only female car owner to win the race (I’ve even read an Indy Star article that makes the same claim).

Please correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the true story that her husband, Philly real restate mogul Ed Yagle actually owned the car and had made a habit of entering his cars under her name to dodge the IRS?

[Doctorindy]

IIRC, Mike said he and Donald once dug up the original entry forms, and Maude (“M.A.”) Yagle is definitely listed as the owner. It’s also well reported in contemporary newspaper articles (some erroneously assuming “M.A.” was a man’s initials).

Was Ed the “real” owner? There’s no clear evidence. And honestly, I’ve actually never encountered that angle. Keech is even quoted as saying she was the owner, which was said to be how her cover was blown.

Until I see something of substance, I for one am sticking with her being the true owner. I’m aghast at how much misinformation is going around on Indy Facebook groups lately.

[Pelican Joe]

IIRC, Mike said he and Donald once dug up the original entry forms, and Maude (“M.A.”) Yagle is definitely listed as the owner. It’s also well reported in contemporary newspaper articles (some erroneously assuming “M.A.” was a man’s initials).

Was Ed the “real” owner? There’s no clear evidence. And honestly, I’ve actually never encountered that angle. Keech is even quoted as saying she was the owner, which was said to be how her cover was blown.

Until I see something of substance, I for one am sticking with her being the true owner. I’m aghast at how much misinformation is going around on Indy Facebook groups lately.

Thanks for the info. I'd been going off the info that Michael shared.

[Pelican Joe]

IIRC, Mike said he and Donald once dug up the original entry forms, and Maude (“M.A.”) Yagle is definitely listed as the owner. It’s also well reported in contemporary newspaper articles (some erroneously assuming “M.A.” was a man’s initials).

Was Ed the “real” owner? There’s no clear evidence. And honestly, I’ve actually never encountered that angle. Keech is even quoted as saying she was the owner, which was said to be how her cover was blown.

Until I see something of substance, I for one am sticking with her being the true owner. I’m aghast at how much misinformation is going around on Indy Facebook groups lately.

There is a lot of cutting and pasting going on.

[dalz]

Was Ed the “real” owner? There’s no clear evidence. And honestly, I’ve actually never encountered that angle. Keech is even quoted as saying she was the owner, which was said to be how her cover was blown.

Would the Speedway and the motorsports fraternity in general have had a problem with a legit woman car owner back then? I wouldn't see any reason for it.

[Michael Ferner]

There's no doubt Maude's name was on the entry form, and the press gave it some attention - you'd normally not read about team owners in newspapers. Was she really the owner? Few women at the time had the financial independence to sink that much money into an 'extramarital' business deal, but she may well have had for all I know. The problem with that view is that Ed Yagle had been running a team of racing cars for years, and why would she all of a sudden decide to start a rivalry with her own husband? I don't have any more hard facts, but it's easy to see the advantages of bringing in your spouse as a decoy when you're very much involved with another racing organisation - Ed was running one of the most successful teams in the National Motor Racing Association at the time, and was likely also involved with the day-to-day running of that organization, something the AAA was not overly keen to acknowledge. Maybe there was an IRS angle, too, but in truth I don't know - and it will be pretty darn difficult to find out all those details after that much time has passed. Make of it what you will.

[Doctorindy]

Would the Speedway and the motorsports fraternity in general have had a problem with a legit woman car owner back then? I wouldn't see any reason for it.

Well, we're talking about a vastly different time here. Almost 100 years ago. Women were not even allowed in the pits at Indy until 1971. When Janet first arrived in 1976, there was all sorts of misogynistic talk going around. To the old timers, the race track was supposed to be a "man's domain". There was definitely some rumblings in the racing fraternity at Yagle's time. Although AAA and IMS apparently did nothing to stop her from entering - they did still prohibit her from entering the pits/garages. She was relegated to the grandstands, which apparently she did what she could from there.

But it is understood that the entry was listed as "M.A." Yagle, with the intent of trying to avoid excess attention from the press, etc. And Yagle actually wasn't the only female owner from that time. Norman Batten and Earl DeVore died in the sinking of the SS Vestris in 1928. Norman had on some occasions had his car entered under his wife's name. Batten's widow Marion Batten (who survived the sinking) entered the car in the 1929 "500" with driver Wes Crawford.