1921 Indianapolis 500

9th Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning body	AAA
Date	May 30, 1921
Winner	Tommy Milton
Winning Entrant	Louis Chevrolet
Average speed	89.621 mph (144.231 km/h)
Pole position	Ralph DePalma
Pole speed	100.750 mph (162.141 km/h)
Most laps led	Ralph DePalma (108)
Pre-race
Pace car	H.C.S. 6
Pace car driver	Harry C. Stutz
Starter	Thomas J. Hay
Honorary referee	David Beecroft
Estimated attendance	135,000-150,000 ("last year was 125k")
Chronology
1920	1922

Last updated April 28, 2024

The 9th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 30, 1921.

Ralph DePalma dominated another early running of the 500, but again failed to win. He led 109 laps, and had a two-lap lead at the halfway point. A connecting rod broke, and he dropped out on lap 112. DePalma retired with one win, and 612 laps led in the "500." His laps led record would not be matched for 66 years until Al Unser, Sr. reached it in 1987.

Tommy Milton won the first of two 500 victories. He was accompanied by riding mechanic Harry Franck. The only European car to finish was a 1921 Grand Prix Sunbeam driven by Ora Haibe who was placed fifth.

Time trials

Time trials was scheduled for five days, May 25–29. Four-lap (10 mile) qualifying runs were utilized. A short field of only 26 cars submitted entries, but only 23 cars arrived and prepared to qualify. Mervin Headley's entry was disallowed because only half the entry fee was paid.^[3]^[4] Two other entries were no-shows.

Ralph DePalma completed his qualifying run on Wednesday May 25, at an average speed of 100.75 mph. He won the pole position as the only driver over the 100 mph mark. None of his four laps matched the track record (104.78 mph) set in 1919.

This would be the first 500 that featured the familiar starting grid of rows of cars three-abreast.

Date	Driver	Lap 1 (mph)	Lap 2 (mph)	Lap 3 (mph)	Lap 4 (mph)	Average Speed (mph)
Qualifying Results
5/26/1921	Ralph DePalma	100.89	100.53	100.56	101.00	100.75

Starting grid

Row	Inside		Middle		Outside
1	4	Ralph DePalma W	6	Roscoe Sarles	7	Joe Boyer
2	1	Eddie Hearne	22	Jules Ellingboe R	19	Jean Chassagne
3	18	Louis Fontaine R	23	Percy Ford R	5	Eddie Miller R
4	3	Ira Vail	14	André Boillot	10	Howdy Wilcox W
5	16	Ora Haibe	9	Albert Guyot	21	Bennett Hill
6	17	Riley Brett R	15	René Thomas W	27	Tom Alley
7	24	Jimmy Murphy	2	Tommy Milton	8	Ralph Mulford
8	25	Joe Thomas	28	C. W. Van Ranst R

R Indianapolis 500 rookie

W Indianapolis 500 winner

Box score

Finish	Start	No	Name	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	Qual	Rank	Laps	Time/Retired
1	20	2	Tommy Milton	Louis Chevrolet	Frontenac	Frontenac	93.050	11	200	5:34:44.65
2	2	6	Roscoe Sarles	Duesenberg Brothers	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	98.350	2	200	5:38:34.03
3	8	23	Percy Ford R (Jules Ellingboe) (Andy Burt)	Stanley Kandul	Frontenac	Frontenac	87.000	19	200	5:52:15.30
4	9	5	Eddie Miller R (Jimmy Murphy)	Duesenberg Brothers	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	83.850	20	200	5:54:24.98
5	13	16	Ora Haibe	Sunbeam Motor Car Company	Sunbeam	Sunbeam	93.500	10	200	5:57:45.83
6	14	9	Albert Guyot (Joe Boyer) (Eddie Miller)	Duesenberg Brothers	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	87.800	16	200	6:01:17.07
7	10	3	Ira Vail	Ira Vail	Leach	Miller	82.350	22	200	6:14:17.47
8	15	21	Bennett Hill (Jerry Wunderlich)	John Thiele	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	87.780	17	200	6:19:06.74
9	21	8	Ralph Mulford	Louis Chevrolet	Frontenac	Frontenac	91.700	12	177	Flagged
10	17	15	René Thomas W	Sunbeam Motor Car Company	Sunbeam	Sunbeam	83.750	21	144	Water hose
11	18	27	Tom Alley	L. L. Corum	Frontenac	Frontenac	80.500	23	133	Rod
12	1	4	Ralph DePalma W	Ralph DePalma	Ballot	Ballot	100.750	1	112	Rod
13	4	1	Eddie Hearne	E. A. Hearne	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	96.180	6	111	Oil line
14	19	24	Jimmy Murphy (Eddie Pullen)	Duesenberg Brothers	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	93.600	9	107	Crash T4
15	16	17	Riley Brett R (Harry Thicksten)	George L. Wade	Brett	Brett	87.750	18	91	Hit wall
16	23	28	C. W. Van Ranst R	C. W. Van Ranst	Frontenac	Frontenac	88.350	14	87	Water hose
17	3	7	Joe Boyer	Duesenberg Brothers	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	96.650	4	74	Rear axle
18	6	19	Jean Chassagne	Jean Chassagne	Peugeot	Peugeot	91.000	13	65	Lost hood
19	5	22	Jules Ellingboe R	Jules Ellingboe	Frontenac	Frontenac	95.400	8	49	Steering
20	11	14	André Boillot	Louis Coatalen	Sunbeam	Sunbeam	97.600	3	41	Rod bearing
21	7	18	Louis Fountaine R	George L. Wade	Brett	Brett	88.300	15	33	Crash FS
22	22	25	Joe Thomas	Duesenberg Brothers	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	96.250	5	25	Crash T3
23	12	10	Howdy Wilcox W	Jules Goux	Peugeot	Peugeot	96.000	7	22	Rod
^[5]^[6]^[7]

Note: Relief drivers in parentheses^[8]

W Former Indianapolis 500 winner

R Indianapolis 500 Rookie

Statistics

Lap Leaders
Laps	Leader
1	Ralph DePalma
2	Joe Boyer
3–5	Ralph DePalma
6	Roscoe Sarles
7–110	Ralph DePalma
111–200	Tommy Milton

Total laps led
Leader	Laps
Ralph DePalma	108
Tommy Milton	90
Joe Boyer	1
Roscoe Sarles	1

Race details

For 1921, riding mechanics were required.^[9]
First alternate: none^[10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1959 Indianapolis 500</span> 43rd running of the Indianapolis 500

The 43rd International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 30, 1959. The event was part of the 1959 USAC National Championship Trail and was also race 2 of 9 in the 1959 World Championship of Drivers.

The 44th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Monday, May 30, 1960. The event was race 2 of 12 of the 1960 USAC National Championship Trail and was also race 3 of 10 in the 1960 World Championship of Drivers. It would be the final time World Championship points would be awarded at the Indy 500.

The 49th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Monday, May 31, 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1912 Indianapolis 500</span> Second running of the Indianapolis 500

The 1912 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, or International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race, the second such race in history, was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday, May 30, 1912. Indiana-born driver Joe Dawson won the race, leading only the final two laps. Ralph DePalma dominated the race, leading 196 of the 200 laps, and pulling out to an over 5-lap lead. But with just over two laps to go, his car failed with a broken connecting rod.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1916 Indianapolis 500</span> Sixth running of the Indianapolis 500

The 6th International 300-Mile Sweepstakes Race was the sixth running of the Indianapolis 500. It was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, May 30, 1916. The management scheduled the race for 120 laps, 300 miles (480 km), the only Indianapolis 500 scheduled for less than 500 miles (800 km).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1919 Indianapolis 500</span> Seventh running of the Indianapolis 500

The 7th Liberty 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 31, 1919.

The 26th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 30, 1938. For 1938, riding mechanics were made optional; however, no teams utilized them in the race. In addition, after seven years, the engine specifications were changed again. The 1930 "Junk" formula was eliminated. Normally aspirated engines were allowed 4.5 liters, and superchargers would be permitted again, with a maximum displacement of 3.0 liters. Any fuel was allowed, which directly affected the race.

The 25th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 31, 1937. With temperatures topping out at 92 °F (33 °C), it is one of the hottest days on record for the Indy 500.

The 24th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 30, 1936. The race was part of the 1936 AAA Championship Car season. The race is remembered for three noteworthy Indy traditions getting their start.

The 23rd International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday, May 30, 1935. Despite attempts to improve participant safety by requiring crash helmets and installing green and yellow lights around the track, the event that year would prove to be one of the worst in terms of fatalities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1934 Indianapolis 500</span> 22nd running of the Indianapolis 500

The 22nd International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 30, 1934. The winner was the number seven car driven by Bill Cummings, an Indianapolis native, at an average speed of 104.863 miles per hour. Cummings led for 57 laps total, including the last 26. Of the 33 cars that began the race, only 12 were running at the finish, although there were no crashes resulting in serious injuries. One serious incident involved George Bailey, whose car went over the outside wall, but resulted in only a broken wrist to the driver. The finish was the closest in the history of the race to that point, with second-place finisher Mauri Rose within 100 yards of Cummings at the finish. Rose would also file a protest that Cummings had illegally gained ground during a "slow-down" period following a crash.

The 21st International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, May 30, 1933. Louis Meyer defeated Wilbur Shaw by a time of 401.89 seconds. The average speed of the race was 104.162 miles per hour (167.632 km/h) while Bill Cummings achieved the pole position with a speed of 118.521 miles per hour (190.741 km/h). The race was part of the 1933 AAA Championship Car season.

The 19th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 30, 1931. Race winner Louis Schneider, who led the final 34 laps, was accompanied by riding mechanic Jigger Johnson.

The 18th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday, May 30, 1930. The race was part of the 1930 AAA Championship Car season.

The 14th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 31, 1926. Louis Chevrolet drove the Chrysler pace car for the start.

The 13th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 30, 1925.

The 12th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday, May 30, 1924.

The 11th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday, May 30, 1923. After winning previously in 1921, Tommy Milton became the first multiple winner of the Indianapolis 500. Howdy Wilcox drove relief for Milton in laps 103–151. During the break, Milton had to have his hands bandaged due to blisters, and changed his shoes due to crimping of his toes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1922 Indianapolis 500</span> Tenth running of the Indianapolis 500

The 10th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, May 30, 1922.

The 8th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 31, 1920.

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.
↑ "Race Throngs Upset Records". The Indianapolis Star. May 31, 1921. p. 1. Retrieved June 3, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
↑ The Talk of Gasoline Alley - 1070-AM WIBC, May 5, 2004
↑ Local Indy 500 links from long ago
↑ "Indianapolis 500 1921". Ultimate Racing History. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
↑ Ikert, B. M. (1921-06-02). Motor Age: American Cars Dominate 500-Mile Race. Class Journal Company. p. 1.
↑ Popely, Rick; Riggs, L. Spencer (1998). The Indianapolis 500 Chronicle. Lincolnwood, Illinois: Publications International, Ltd. ISBN 0-7853-2798-3.
↑ "International 500 Mile Sweepstakes – May 30, 1921". ChampCarStats.com.
↑ Blazier, John E.; Rollings, Tom (1994). Forgotten Heroes of the Speedways: The Riding Mechanics.
↑ The Talk of Gasoline Alley - 1070-AM WIBC, May 14, 2004

1920 Indianapolis 500 Gaston Chevrolet	1921 Indianapolis 500 Tommy Milton	1922 Indianapolis 500 Jimmy Murphy

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[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] "Race Throngs Upset Records". The Indianapolis Star. May 31, 1921. p. 1. Retrieved June 3, 2017– via Newspapers.com.

[3] The Talk of Gasoline Alley - 1070-AM WIBC, May 5, 2004

[4] Local Indy 500 links from long ago

[5] "Indianapolis 500 1921". Ultimate Racing History. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2012.

[6] Ikert, B. M. (1921-06-02). Motor Age: American Cars Dominate 500-Mile Race. Class Journal Company. p. 1.

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

[8] "International 500 Mile Sweepstakes – May 30, 1921". ChampCarStats.com.

[Riding_Mechanics-9] Blazier, John E.; Rollings, Tom (1994). Forgotten Heroes of the Speedways: The Riding Mechanics.

[10] The Talk of Gasoline Alley - 1070-AM WIBC, May 14, 2004

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]