1951 Indianapolis 500
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox Indy500 1911to1941
The 35th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday, May 30, 1951. The event was part of the 1951 AAA National Championship Trail, and was also race 2 of 8 in the 1951 World Championship of Drivers. For the second year in a row, no European Formula One-based teams entered the race.
Duke Nalon, who had suffered serious burns in a crash in 1949, and who missed the 1950 race, made a comeback at Indy by winning the pole position in a Novi. Heavy attrition saw only eight cars running at the finish. Winner Lee Wallard's car lost its brakes, suffered a damaged exhaust pipe, and broke a shock absorber mounting.<ref>Van Camp's Pork & Beans Presents: Great Moments From the Indy 500 – Fleetwood Sounds, 1975</ref><ref name="TOGA">The Talk of Gasoline Alley – 1070-AM WIBC/Network Indiana, May 17, 2007</ref> In addition to the unbearably uncomfortable ride, Wallard had worn a fire retardant outfit, created by dipping his uniform in a mixture of borax crystals and water. Due to not wearing an undershirt, Wallard suffered serious chafing, and required treatment at the infield hospital after the victory lane celebration.<ref name="TOGA" /> It was estimated he lost 15 pounds during the race.<ref name="TOGA" />
Wallard's winning car had the smallest displacement in the field. About a week after winning the race, Wallard suffered severe burns in a crash at Reading, which effectively ended his professional racing career. Three-time winner Mauri Rose, in his 15th Indy start, crashed and flipped on lap 126. It was his final 500, as he retired from driving after the crash.
Wallard's improbable victory helped earn him the nickname "Cinderella Man".<ref name="Star05-13-2000pg31">Template:Cite newsTemplate:Open access</ref><ref name="Star05-13-2005pg71">Template:Cite newsTemplate:Open access</ref>
Time trials
Time trials were scheduled for six days. Rain, however, pushed qualifying into a seventh day.
- Saturday May 12 – Pole Day time trials
- Sunday May 13 – Second day time trials
- Saturday May 19 – Third day time trials
- Sunday May 20 – Fourth day time trials
- Saturday May 26 – Fifth day time trials
- Sunday May 27 – Sixth day time trials (rained out)
- Monday May 28 – Seventh day time trials (rain makeup day)
Starting grid
Template:Legend Template:Legend
Alternates
- First alternate: Bob Sweikert Template:Color box (#37)<ref>The Talk of Gasoline Alley – 1070-AM WIBC, May 14, 2004</ref>
Failed to qualify
All drivers from the United States unless stated. Template:Div col
- Jean Achard Template:Flagicon (real name – Jean-Jacques Grosman) <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (R) (#100) — Did not appear
- Frank Armi Template:Color box (#35, #58, #64)
- Manny Ayulo (#31)
- Joe Barzda Template:Color box (#49)
- Bill Boyd Template:Color box (#42)
- Jimmy Bryan Template:Color box (#72)
- Bill Cantrell (#62, #79)
- Jimmy Daywalt Template:Color box (#33, #47)
- Kenny Eaton Template:Color box (#66)
- Myron Fohr (#56)
- George Fonder (#29, #53, #63)
- Potsy Goacher Template:Color box (#45)
- Jackie Holmes (#24, #45)
- Norm Houser (#61)
- Jerry Hoyt (#14)
- Bill Johnson Template:Color box (#15)
- Danny Kladis (#89)
- Ray Knepper Template:Color box (#78)
- Bayliss Levrett (#46)
- Mark Light Template:Color box (#33)
- George Lynch (#36)
- Dick Page Template:Color box (#64)
- Roscoe Rann Template:Color box (#14)
- Gordon Reid Template:Color box (#67)
- Paul Russo (#7)
- Mike Salay (#41)
- Bob Scott Template:Color box (#82)
- Bud Sennett Template:Color box (#51)
- Doc Shanebrook Template:Color box (#77)
- Roy Sherman Template:Color box (#57)
- Joel Thorne (#88)
- Johnnie Tolan Template:Color box (#34)
- Leroy Warriner Template:Color box (#75)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Box score
Template:Color box Former Indianapolis 500 winner
Template:Color box Indianapolis 500 Rookie
All entrants utilized Firestone tires.
- Template:Note – Includes 1 point for fastest lead lap
Race statistics
Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break
| Lap Leaders | |
|---|---|
| Laps | Leader |
| 1–2 | Lee Wallard |
| 3–4 | Jack McGrath |
| 5–6 | Lee Wallard |
| 7–15 | Jack McGrath |
| 16–26 | Lee Wallard |
| 27 | Cecil Green |
| 28–51 | Lee Wallard |
| 52–76 | Jimmy Davies |
| 77–80 | Cecil Green |
| 81–200 | Lee Wallard |
| Total laps led | |
|---|---|
| Driver | Laps |
| Lee Wallard | 159 |
| Jimmy Davies | 25 |
| Jack McGrath | 11 |
| Cecil Green | 5 |
| Yellow Lights: 1 minute, 30 seconds | |
|---|---|
| Laps* | Reason |
| 126 | Mauri Rose crash in turn 3 |
| * – Approximate lap counts<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Open access</ref><ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Open access</ref> | |
Notes
- Pole position: Duke Nalon – 4:23.74 (136.498 mph)
- Fastest Lead Lap: Lee Wallard – 1:07.26 (133.809 mph)<ref name="LangP29">Template:Cite book</ref>
- Ayulo (100 laps) and McGrath (100) shared the same car. Points for 3rd position were shared between the drivers.
- First Indianapolis 500 to be completed in under four hours.
- Roger Penske stated in a live interview on WRTV on November 4, 2019, when the Penske Corporation was announcing the purchased of all the IMS assets, that 1951 was the first race he attended at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
World Drivers' Championship
Template:Infobox Grand Prix race report
Background
The Indianapolis 500 was included in the FIA World Championship of Drivers from 1950 through 1960. The race was sanctioned by AAA through 1955, and then by USAC beginning in 1956. At the time the new world championship was announced and first organized by the CSI, the United States did not yet have a Grand Prix. Indianapolis Motor Speedway vice president and general manager Theodore E. "Pop" Meyers lobbied that the Indianapolis 500 be selected as the race to represent the country and to pay points towards the world championship.<ref name="TOGA 5-23-07">Template:Cite episode</ref><ref name="TOGA 5-19-16">Template:Cite episode</ref>
Drivers competing at the Indianapolis 500 in 1950 through 1960 were credited with participation in and earned points towards the World Championship of Drivers.<ref name="TOGA 5-05-12">Template:Cite episode</ref> However, the machines competing at Indianapolis were not necessarily run to Formula One specifications and regulations.<ref name="Capps 2000">Template:Cite journal</ref> The drivers also earned separate points (on a different scale) towards the respective AAA or USAC national championships. No points, however, were awarded by the FIA towards the World Constructors' Championship.
Summary
The 1951 Indianapolis 500 was round 2 of 8 on the 1951 World Championship. The event, however, failed to attract interest from any of the regular competitors on the Grand Prix circuit, particularly since it was held only three day after the Swiss Grand Prix. Race winner Lee Wallard earned 9 points towards the World Championship (8 points for first place, and 1 point for the fastest lap). Despite not competing in any of the other World Championship events, he finished seventh in the final season standings.
World Drivers' Championship standings after the race
| Pos | Driver | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 | Template:Flagicon Juan Manuel Fangio | 9 |
 20
|
2 | Template:Flagicon Lee Wallard | 9 |
 1
|
3 | Template:Flagicon Piero Taruffi | 6 |
| 18
|
4 | Template:Flagicon Mike Nazaruk | 6 |
| 2
|
5 | Template:Flagicon Nino Farina | 4 |
| Source:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |||
Broadcasting
Radio
The race was carried live on the radio through a network arrangement set up by 1070 WIBC-AM of Indianapolis. Mutual, which had carried the race for several years, had raised its advertising rates for 1951, and lost its primary sponsor for the event, Perfect Circle Piston Rings. As a result, Mutual dropped the coverage altogether. Local station WIBC stepped in to cover the race, and provided its feed to various Mutual affiliates.<ref name="IMS 60th">Template:Cite news</ref> A total of 26 stations carried the broadcast.
WIBC personality Sid Collins served as the chief announcer in the booth, and the remainder of the crew consisted mostly of WIBC talent. Jim Shelton reported from his familiar turn four location, and Bill Fox was also in the booth. Easy Gwynn was also to be part of the crew. Collins interviewed the winner in victory lane, leaving Fox to call the actual finish of the race. Like the Mutual broadcasts, WIBC featured live coverage of the start (30 minutes), the finish (30 minutes), and 15-minute live updates throughout the race. The on-air crew was smaller than normal. There were not turn and pit reporters stationed around the entire track, instead recorded interviews were played back during later broadcast segments.<ref name="Star05-30-1951pg36">Template:Cite newsTemplate:Open access</ref>
References
External links
- Indianapolis 500 History: Race & All-Time Stats – Official Site
- Van Camp's Pork & Beans Presents: Great Moments From the Indy 500 – Fleetwood Sounds, 1975
- 1951 Indianapolis 500 at RacingReference.info (Relief driver statistics)
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