Indianapolis Motor Speedway | |||||
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Indianapolis 500 | |||||
Sanctioning body | AAA | ||||
Date | May 30, 1927 | ||||
Winner | George Souders | ||||
Winning Entrant | William S. White | ||||
Average speed | 97.545 mph (156.983 km/h) | ||||
Pole position | Frank Lockhart | ||||
Pole speed | 120.100 mph (193.282 km/h) | ||||
Most laps led | Frank Lockhart (110) | ||||
Pre-race | |||||
Pace car | LaSalle V-8 Series 303 | ||||
Pace car driver | Willard "Big Boy" Rader | ||||
Starter | George Townsend [1] | ||||
Honorary referee | Charles F. Kettering [1] | ||||
Estimated attendance | 135,000 [2] | ||||
Chronology | |||||
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The 15th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 30, 1927.
First-time starter George Souders won by eight laps, the largest margin since 1913. Souders became the first driver to win the full-500 mile race solo, with neither help from a relief driver, nor accompanied by a riding mechanic.
Four-lap (10 mile) qualifying runs were utilized. Frank Lockhart won the pole position with a speed of 120.10 mph. Lockhart set a new 1-lap track record on his final lap.
For the first time, all 33 qualifiers exceeded 100 mph for average speed. [3]
Qualifying Results | ||||||
Date | Driver | Lap 1 (mph) | Lap 2 (mph) | Lap 3 (mph) | Lap 4 (mph) | Average Speed (mph) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5/26/1927 | Frank Lockhart | 120.192 | 119.474 | 119.824 | 120.918 | 120.100 |
At the start, polesitter Lockhart took the lead and dominated the first half of the race. At the halfway point, he had won almost $10,000 in lap prize money. But on lap 120, his Miller broke a connecting rod, and he was out of the race. He reportedly stepped out, shrugged, smiled, and asked for a hot dog. [4]
After Lockhart's retirement, Pete DePaolo took the lead, driving in relief for Bob McDonogh after his own car dropped out. But a supercharger problem required an extended, unscheduled pit stop to repair. With 60 laps to go, George Souders first took the lead. He steadily pulled away from Babe Stapp, both in Duesenbergs, and cruised to victory by over 12 minutes. Stapp (driving relief for Benny Shoaff), seemingly on his way to second place, broke a rear axle with a lap and a half to go, and the car finished out of the top ten. [5]
Finish | Start | No | Name | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | Qual | Rank | Laps | Led | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 22 | 32 | George Souders R | William S. White | Duesenberg | Duesenberg | 111.551 | 12 | 200 | 51 | Running |
2 | 15 | 10 | Earl Devore | F. P. Cramer | Miller | Miller | 107.497 | 23 | 200 | 0 | Running |
3 | 27 | 27 | Tony Gulotta | Anthony Gulotta | Miller | Miller | 107.765 | 22 | 200 | 0 | Running |
4 | 19 | 29 | Wilbur Shaw R | Fred Clemons | Miller | Miller | 104.465 | 32 | 200 | 0 | Running |
5 | 28 | 21 | Dave Evans R | David E. Evans | Duesenberg | Duesenberg | 107.360 | 25 | 200 | 0 | Running |
6 | 7 | 14 | Bob McDonogh | Cooper Engineering Company | Cooper | Miller | 113.175 | 8 | 200 | 0 | Running |
7 | 18 | 16 | Eddie Hearne | Harry Hartz | Miller | Miller | 105.115 | 31 | 200 | 0 | Running |
8 | 25 | 6 | Tommy Milton W | Tommy Milton | Detroit | Miller | 108.758 | 20 | 200 | 0 | Running |
9 | 14 | 25 | Cliff Bergere R | Muller Brothers | Miller | Miller | 108.820 | 19 | 200 | 0 | Running |
10 | 13 | 5 | Frank Elliott | Frank Elliott | Miller | Miller | 109.682 | 17 | 200 | 0 | Running |
11 | 33 | 31 | Fred Frame R | O. B. Dolfinger | Miller | Miller | 106.859 | 27 | 199 | 0 | Flagged |
12 | 32 | 42 | Jim Hill R | Earl Devore | Miller | Miller | 107.392 | 24 | 197 | 0 | Flagged |
13 | 31 | 24 | Benny Shoaff R | Duesenberg Brothers | Duesenberg | Duesenberg | 110.152 | 13 | 198 | 0 | Rear end gears |
14 | 26 | 41 | Wade Morton | Duesenberg Brothers | Duesenberg | Duesenberg | 108.075 | 21 | 152 | 0 | Crash |
15 | 20 | 44 | Al Melcher R | Charles Haase | Miller | Miller | 102.918 | 33 | 144 | 0 | Supercharger |
16 | 23 | 43 | Louis Schneider R | Fred Lecklider | Miller | Miller | 109.910 | 15 | 137 | 0 | Timing gears |
17 | 12 | 9 | Pete Kreis | Cooper Engineering Company | Cooper | Miller | 109.900 | 16 | 123 | 0 | Front axle |
18 | 1 | 2 | Frank Lockhart W | Frank S. Lockhart | Miller | Miller | 120.100 | 1 | 120 | 110 | Rod |
19 | 6 | 15 | Cliff Woodbury | Cliff Woodbury | Miller | Miller | 113.200 | 7 | 108 | 0 | Supercharger |
20 | 17 | 26 | Dutch Bauman R | Harry S. Miller | Miller | Miller | 106.078 | 29 | 90 | 9 | Pinion shaft |
21 | 29 | 35 | Al Cotey R | Al Cotey | Miller | Miller | 106.295 | 28 | 87 | 0 | Universal joint |
22 | 16 | 17 | W. E. Shattuc | Dr. W. E. Shattuc, M.D. | Miller | Miller | 107.060 | 26 | 83 | 0 | Valve |
23 | 30 | 23 | Fred Lecklider | Henry Kohlert | Miller | Miller | 105.729 | 30 | 49 | 0 | Crash T1 |
24 | 5 | 19 | Ralph Hepburn | Cliff Woodbury | Miller | Miller | 114.209 | 5 | 39 | 0 | Fuel tank leak |
25 | 4 | 1 | Harry Hartz | Harry Hartz | Miller | Miller | 116.739 | 4 | 38 | 0 | Crankshaft |
26 | 2 | 3 | Peter DePaolo W | Peter DePaolo | Miller | Miller | 119.510 | 2 | 31 | 30 | Supercharger |
27 | 3 | 12 | Leon Duray | Leon Duray | Miller | Miller | 118.788 | 3 | 26 | 0 | Fuel tank leak |
28 | 9 | 4 | Bennett Hill | Cooper Engineering Company | Miller | Miller | 112.013 | 10 | 26 | 0 | Shackle bolt |
29 | 21 | 18 | Jules Ellingboe | Earl Cooper | Miller | Miller | 113.239 | 6 | 25 | 0 | Crash T4 |
30 | 10 | 8 | Norman Batten | Norman K. Batten | Fengler | Miller | 111.940 | 11 | 24 | 0 | Caught fire |
31 | 24 | 38 | Babe Stapp R | Duesenberg Brothers | Duesenberg | Duesenberg | 109.555 | 18 | 24 | 0 | Universal joint |
32 | 11 | 22 | Jack Petticord R | Cliff Woodbury | Miller | Miller | 109.920 | 14 | 22 | 0 | Supercharger |
33 | 8 | 7 | Dave Lewis | Dave Lewis | Miller | Miller | 112.275 | 9 | 21 | 0 | Front axle |
[6] [7] |
For 1927, riding mechanics were optional; [8] however, no teams utilized them.
Eddie Hearne was the only driver in the field who had competed at the inaugural Indy 500. This would be the final time a driver from the inaugural race would compete.
This article discusses the year-by-year history of the Indianapolis 500 race.
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.
Frank Stallworth Lockhart was an American racecar driver active in the 1920s, considered by many historians to be a legend in the sport on par with Jim Clark, 1960s British World Drivers' Champion. During a "remarkable if all too short" career, Lockhart won numerous races on both dirt and board tracks, and the 1926 Indianapolis 500. In all, he scored nine AAA championship race wins and two vice-championships in two years of competition. Having set a world land speed record at the Muroc dry lake in April 1927, Lockhart was killed during another speed record attempt at Daytona Beach a year later.
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.
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 20th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 30, 1932. Attrition was the story of the race, with 26 of the 40 cars dropping out due to crashes or mechanical failure. A record eight different drivers led laps during the race, with no driver seemingly able to hold the lead without experiencing some sort of trouble. For the third year in a row, Billy Arnold looked as if he would be the dominant car, but he sailed over the turn three wall on lap 59. Rookie Bob Carey also hit the wall while leading. Fred Frame took the lead for good on lap 152, and won from the 27th starting position - the furthest back of any winner except for Ray Harroun in 1911 and later, Louis Meyer in 1936. Frame was accompanied by riding mechanic Jerry Houck.
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 17th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday, May 30, 1929. Ray Keech, who finished fourth a year earlier, took the lead for the final time on lap 158 and won his first Indianapolis 500. Keech won for car owner Maude A. Yagle, the first and to-date, only female winning owner in Indy history. Only two weeks after winning the race, Ray Keech was fatally injured in a crash at Altoona Speedway on June 15, 1929. The race was part of the 1929 AAA Championship Car season.
The 16th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday, May 30, 1928. This was the first Indianapolis 500 presided over by new Speedway president Eddie Rickenbacker. Rain threatened to wash out the day, but the showers stopped and the race started on time. One brief shower slowed the race around the 400-mile mark, bringing out the yellow flag for a few laps.
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 9th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 30, 1921.
The 8th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 31, 1920.
The Third International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday, May 30, 1913. Frenchman Jules Goux became the first foreign-born, and first European winner of the Indianapolis 500. His margin of victory of 13 minutes, 8 seconds over second place Spencer Wishart still stands, as of 2022, as the largest margin of victory in Indy history.