1915 Indianapolis 500

5th Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning body	AAA
Date	May 31, 1915
Winner	Ralph DePalma
Winning Entrant	E. C. Patterson
Average speed	89.840 mph (144.583 km/h)
Pole position	Howdy Wilcox
Pole speed	98.90 mph (159.16 km/h)
Most laps led	Ralph DePalma (132)
Pre-race
Pace car	Packard 6 (Model 5-48)
Pace car driver	Carl G. Fisher
Starter	Thomas J. Hay
Honorary referee	A. R. Pardington
Estimated attendance	60,000
Chronology
1914	1916

Last updated May 02, 2024

The 5th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 31, 1915. The traditional race date of May 30 fell on a Sunday, but race organizers declined to schedule the race for Sunday. The race was set for Saturday May 29, but heavy rains in the days leading up to the race flooded the grounds and made some roads leading to the track impassible. Officials decided to postpone the race until Monday May 31 in order to allow the grounds to dry out. Speedway management would maintain their policy to not race on Sundays until 1974.

Starting grid

Row	Inside		Inside Center		Outside Center		Outside
1	1	Howdy Wilcox	2	Ralph DePalma	3	Dario Resta R	4	Earl Cooper
2	5	Gil Andersen	6	Jean Porporato R	8	Bob Burman	9	Art Klein
3	10	Tom Alley R	14	Harry Grant	15	Eddie O'Donnell R	12	George C. Babcock R
4	17	John DePalma R	7	Noel van Raalte R	18	Joe Cooper R	19	Billy Carlson
5	21	Tom Orr R	22	Ralph Mulford	24	John A. Mais R	23	Eddie Rickenbacker
6	25	C. C. Cox R	26	George Hill R	27	Louis Chevrolet R	28	Willie Haupt

R Indianapolis 500 rookie

Box score

Finish	Start	No	Name	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	Qual	Rank	Laps	Status
1	2	2	Ralph DePalma ^[3]	E. C. Patterson	Mercedes	Mercedes	98.580	2	200	Running
2	3	3	Dario Resta R	Peugeot Auto Import Company	Peugeot	Peugeot	98.470	3	200	Running
3	5	5	Gil Andersen (Johnny Aitken)	Stutz Motor Car Company	Stutz	Stutz	95.140	5	200	Running
4	4	4	Earl Cooper (Johnny Aitken)	Stutz Motor Car Company	Stutz	Stutz	96.770	4	200	Running
5	11	15	Eddie O'Donnell R	Duesenberg Brothers	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	88.93	11	200	Running
6	7	8	Bob Burman	Bob Burman	Peugeot	Peugeot	92.400	7	200	Running
7	1	1	Howdy Wilcox	Stutz Motor Car Company	Stutz	Stutz	98.900	1	200	Running
8	9	10	Tom Alley R	Duesenberg Brothers	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	90.000	9	200	Running
9	16	19	Billy Carlson (Hughie Hughes)	United States Motor Company	Maxwell	Maxwell	84.110	16	200	Running
10	14	7	Noel van Raalte R	Sunbeam Motor Car Company	Sunbeam	Sunbeam	86.870	14	200	Running
11	24	28	Willie Haupt	R. E. Donaldson	Emden	Emden	80.360	24	200	Running
12	10	14	Harry Grant	Fortuna Racing Team, Inc.	Sunbeam	Sunbeam	89.29	10	184	Loose mud apron
13	17	21	Tom Orr R (Billy Carlson)	United States Motor Company	Maxwell	Maxwell	83.550	17	168	Axle bearing
14	6	6	Jean Porporato R	Sunbeam Motor Car Company	Sunbeam	Sunbeam	94.740	6	164	Piston
15	15	18	Joe Cooper R	E. E. Miles & J. W. Gwin	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	85.550	15	154	Crash SC
16	18	22	Ralph Mulford (Billy Chandler)	Duesenberg Brothers	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	82.720	18	124	Rod
17	12	12	George C. Babcock R	Peugeot Auto Import Company	Peugeot	Peugeot	89.46	12	117	Cylinder
18	8	9	Art Klein (Billy Chandler)	Art Klein	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	90.450	8	111	Smoking
19	20	23	Eddie Rickenbacker	United States Motor Company	Maxwell	Maxwell	81.970	20	103	Rod
20	23	27	Louis Chevrolet R	Louis Chevrolet	Cornelian	Sterling	81.010	23	76	Valve
21	13	17	John DePalma R	James E. Watson	Delage	Delage	87.040	13	41	Loose flywheel
22	19	24	John A. Mais R	John A. Mais	Mais	Mercer	81.970	19	23	Left course
23	22	26	George Hill R	C. W. Fuller	Bugatti	Bugatti	81.520	22	20	Water pump gear
24	21	25	C. C. Cox R	Edward D. McNay	Cino	Mercer	81.520	21	12	Timing gears
^[4]^[5]

Note: Relief drivers in parentheses^[6]

W Former Indianapolis 500 winner

R Indianapolis 500 Rookie

Race statistics

Lap Leaders
Laps	Leader
1	Dario Resta
2–6	Howdy Wilcox
7–32	Gil Andersen
33–61	Dario Resta
62–127	Ralph DePalma
128–134	Dario Resta
135–200	Ralph DePalma

Total laps led
Laps	Leader
Ralph DePalma	132
Dario Resta	37
Gil Andersen	26
Howdy Wilcox	5

Race details

For 1915, riding mechanics were required.^[7]
When about 2,000 unsuspecting fans showed up on May 29 for the race (which had already been rescheduled to May 31), Ralph DePalma entertained the fans with a tire changing exhibition.^[8]

Gallery

1915 winning car
Composite image showing the front row at the start of the 1915 Indianapolis 500
Ralph DePalma at the 1915 Indianapolis 500

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References

1 2 Fox, Jack C. (1994). The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994 (4th ed.). Carl Hungness Publishing. p. 22. ISBN 0-915088-05-3.
↑ Rankin, William H. (June 1, 1915). "Race Best Ever Says W.H. Rankin". The Indianapolis Star. p. 5. Retrieved June 3, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Ralph De Palma, Noted Racer, Dies. Driver Triumphed in 1915 at Indianapolis. Elected to Sport's Hall of Fame". The New York Times . Associated Press. April 1, 1956. Retrieved 2012-10-02. Ralph De Palma, pioneer auto racer who probably won more races than any other driver in history, died today of cancer. His age was 72. ... De Palma, winner of the Indianapolis classic in 1915 and twice national champion in the era of Barney Oldfield and Eddie Rickenbacker, had been ailing for ...
↑ "Indianapolis 500 1914". Ultimate Racing History. Archived from the original on 16 January 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
↑ Popely, Rick; Riggs, Spencer (1998). The Indianapolis 500 Chronicle. Lincolnwood, Illinois: Publications International, Ltd. ISBN 0-7853-2798-3.
↑ "International 500 Mile Sweepstakes – May 31, 1915". ChampCarStats.com.
↑ Blazier, John E.; Rollings, Tom (1994). Forgotten Heroes of the Speedways: The Riding Mechanics.
↑ Nussbaum, Lowell (June 1, 1967). "No Confusion In '15 Race Daly". The Indianapolis Star. p. 33. Retrieved June 19, 2019– via Newspapers.com.

1914 Indianapolis 500 Rene Thomas	1915 Indianapolis 500 Ralph DePalma	1916 Indianapolis 500 Dario Resta
Preceded by 82.474 mph (1914 Indianapolis 500)	Record for the fastest average speed 89.840 mph	Succeeded by 94.484 mph (1922 Indianapolis 500)

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[Illustrated-1] 1 2 Fox, Jack C. (1994). The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994 (4th ed.). Carl Hungness Publishing. p. 22. ISBN 0-915088-05-3.

[2] Rankin, William H. (June 1, 1915). "Race Best Ever Says W.H. Rankin". The Indianapolis Star. p. 5. Retrieved June 3, 2017– via Newspapers.com.

[3] "Ralph De Palma, Noted Racer, Dies. Driver Triumphed in 1915 at Indianapolis. Elected to Sport's Hall of Fame". The New York Times . Associated Press. April 1, 1956. Retrieved 2012-10-02. Ralph De Palma, pioneer auto racer who probably won more races than any other driver in history, died today of cancer. His age was 72. ... De Palma, winner of the Indianapolis classic in 1915 and twice national champion in the era of Barney Oldfield and Eddie Rickenbacker, had been ailing for ...

[4] "Indianapolis 500 1914". Ultimate Racing History. Archived from the original on 16 January 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2012.

[5] Popely, Rick; Riggs, Spencer (1998). The Indianapolis 500 Chronicle. Lincolnwood, Illinois: Publications International, Ltd. ISBN 0-7853-2798-3.

[6] "International 500 Mile Sweepstakes – May 31, 1915". ChampCarStats.com.

[Riding_Mechanics-7] Blazier, John E.; Rollings, Tom (1994). Forgotten Heroes of the Speedways: The Riding Mechanics.

[Star05-01-1967pg33-8] Nussbaum, Lowell (June 1, 1967). "No Confusion In '15 Race Daly". The Indianapolis Star. p. 33. Retrieved June 19, 2019– via Newspapers.com.

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