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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.
Time trials
[edit]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 |
Starting grid
[edit]Row | Inside | Middle | Outside | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | ![]() |
3 | ![]() |
12 | ![]() |
2 | 1 | ![]() |
19 | ![]() |
15 | ![]() |
3 | 14 | ![]() |
7 | ![]() |
4 | ![]() |
4 | 8 | ![]() |
22 | ![]() |
9 | ![]() |
5 | 5 | ![]() |
25 | ![]() |
10 | ![]() |
6 | 17 | ![]() |
26 | ![]() |
16 | ![]() |
7 | 29 | ![]() |
44 | ![]() |
18 | ![]() |
8 | 32 | ![]() |
43 | ![]() |
38 | ![]() |
9 | 6 | ![]() |
41 | ![]() |
27 | ![]() |
10 | 21 | ![]() |
35 | ![]() |
23 | ![]() |
11 | 24 | ![]() |
42 | ![]() |
31 | ![]() |
Race summary
[edit]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]
Box score
[edit]Finish | Start | No | Name | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | Qual | Rank | Laps | Status | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 22 | 32 | ![]() |
William S. White | Duesenberg | Duesenberg | 111.551 | 12 | 200 | Running | |
2 | 15 | 10 | ![]() (Zeke Meyer Laps 97–152) |
F. P. Cramer | Miller | Miller | 107.497 | 23 | 200 | Running | |
3 | 27 | 27 | ![]() (Pete DePaolo Laps 86–92) |
Anthony Gulotta | Miller | Miller | 107.765 | 22 | 200 | Running | |
4 | 19 | 29 | ![]() (Louis Meyer Laps 77–129) |
Fred Clemons | Miller | Miller | 104.465 | 32 | 200 | Running | |
5 | 28 | 21 | ![]() (Steve Nemesh Laps 57–82) |
David E. Evans | Duesenberg | Duesenberg | 107.360 | 25 | 200 | Running | |
6 | 7 | 14 | ![]() (Pete DePaolo Laps 113–200) |
Cooper Engineering Company | Cooper | Miller | 113.175 | 8 | 200 | Running | |
7 | 18 | 16 | ![]() (Harry Hartz Laps 47–81) (Leon Duray Laps 116–130) (Ira Vail Laps 131–154) |
Harry Hartz | Miller | Miller | 105.115 | 31 | 200 | Running | |
8 | 25 | 6 | ![]() (C. W. Van Ranst Laps 82–106) (Ralph Hepburn Laps 107–200) |
Tommy Milton | Detroit | Miller | 108.758 | 20 | 200 | Running | |
9 | 14 | 25 | ![]() (Wesley Crawford Laps 96–108) (Wesley Crawford Laps 147–176) |
Muller Brothers | Miller | Miller | 108.820 | 19 | 200 | Running | |
10 | 13 | 5 | ![]() (Fred Frame Laps 54–100) |
Frank Elliott | Miller | Miller | 109.682 | 17 | 200 | Running | |
11 | 33 | 31 | ![]() (George Fernic Laps 6–68) (George Abell Laps 69–76) (George Fernic Laps 77–123) (George Abell Laps 124–127) (George Fernic Laps 128–199) |
O. B. Dolfinger | Miller | Miller | 106.859 | 27 | 199 | Flagged | |
12 | 32 | 42 | ![]() (Don Ostrander Laps 30–87) (Don Ostrander Laps 108–115) (Don Ostrander Laps 176–197) |
Earl Devore | Miller | Miller | 107.392 | 24 | 197 | Flagged | |
13 | 31 | 24 | ![]() (Babe Stapp Laps 69–103) (Babe Stapp Laps 173–198) |
Duesenberg Brothers | Duesenberg | Duesenberg | 110.152 | 13 | 198 | Rear end gears | |
14 | 26 | 41 | ![]() (Ralph Holmes Laps 34–63) (Freddie Winnai Laps 64–131) (Ralph Holmes Laps 140–152) |
Duesenberg Brothers | Duesenberg | Duesenberg | 108.075 | 21 | 152 | Crash | |
15 | 20 | 44 | ![]() (Jack Petticord Laps 44–129) (Fred Lecklider Laps 130–143) (Jack Petticord Laps 143–144) |
Charles Haase | Miller | Miller | 102.918 | 33 | 144 | Supercharger | |
16 | 23 | 43 | ![]() (L. L. Corum Laps 88–97) (Dutch Baumann Laps 125–135) |
Fred Lecklider | Miller | Miller | 109.910 | 15 | 137 | Timing gears | |
17 | 12 | 9 | ![]() |
Cooper Engineering Company | Cooper | Miller | 109.900 | 16 | 123 | Front axle | |
18 | 1 | 2 | ![]() (Harry Hartz Laps 101–123) |
Frank S. Lockhart | Miller | Miller | 120.100 | 1 | 120 | Rod | |
19 | 6 | 15 | ![]() (Ralph Hepburn Laps 71–80) |
Cliff Woodbury | Miller | Miller | 113.200 | 7 | 108 | Supercharger | |
20 | 17 | 26 | ![]() |
Harry S. Miller | Miller | Miller | 106.078 | 29 | 90 | Pinion shaft | |
21 | 29 | 35 | ![]() (Eddie Burbach Laps 63–87) |
Al Cotey | Miller | Miller | 106.295 | 28 | 87 | Universal joint | |
22 | 16 | 17 | ![]() |
Dr. W. E. Shattuc, M.D. | Miller | Miller | 107.060 | 26 | 83 | Valve | |
23 | 30 | 23 | ![]() (Henry Kohlert Laps 17–49) |
Henry Kohlert | Miller | Miller | 105.729 | 30 | 49 | Crash T1 | |
24 | 5 | 19 | ![]() |
Cliff Woodbury | Miller | Miller | 114.209 | 5 | 39 | Fuel tank leak | |
25 | 4 | 1 | ![]() |
Harry Hartz | Miller | Miller | 116.739 | 4 | 38 | Crankshaft | |
26 | 2 | 3 | ![]() |
Peter DePaolo | Miller | Miller | 119.510 | 2 | 31 | Supercharger | |
27 | 3 | 12 | ![]() |
Leon Duray | Miller | Miller | 118.788 | 3 | 26 | Fuel tank leak | |
28 | 9 | 4 | ![]() |
Cooper Engineering Company | Miller | Miller | 112.013 | 10 | 26 | Shackle bolt | |
29 | 21 | 18 | ![]() |
Earl Cooper | Miller | Miller | 113.239 | 6 | 25 | Crash T4 | |
30 | 10 | 8 | ![]() |
Norman K. Batten | Fengler | Miller | 111.940 | 11 | 24 | Caught fire | |
31 | 24 | 38 | ![]() |
Duesenberg Brothers | Duesenberg | Duesenberg | 109.555 | 18 | 24 | Universal joint | |
32 | 11 | 22 | ![]() |
Cliff Woodbury | Miller | Miller | 109.920 | 14 | 22 | Supercharger | |
33 | 8 | 7 | ![]() |
Dave Lewis | Miller | Miller | 112.275 | 9 | 21 | Front axle | |
[6][7] |
Note: Relief drivers in parentheses[8]
W Former Indianapolis 500 winner
R Indianapolis 500 Rookie
Race statistics
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Race details
[edit]For 1927, riding mechanics were optional;[9] 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.
References
[edit]- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Patton, W. Blaine (May 31, 1927). "Hoosier Averages 97.45 Miles An Hour In 500-Mile Grind". The Indianapolis Star. p. 1. Retrieved June 3, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Book "The Indianapolis 500: A Complete Pictorial History" p. 72
- ^ Book "The Indianapolis 500: A Complete Pictorial History" p.72
- ^ Book "The Indianapolis 500: A Complete Pictorial History" p. 72-75
- ^ "Indianapolis 500 1927". Ultimate Racing History. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
- ^ 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, 1927". ChampCarStats.com.
- ^ Blazier, John E.; Rollings, Tom (1994). Forgotten Heroes of the Speedways: The Riding Mechanics.