1927 Indianapolis 500

15th running of the Indianapolis 500 February 2025 15th Indianapolis 500 1927 Indianapolis 500 program cover.jpg AAA May 30, 1927 George Souders William S. White Jean Marcenac2011 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Official Media Guide Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation/IMS Public Relations 2011 Statistics 176 English https://doctorindy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2011-Indy-500-Media-Guide.pdf 97.545 mi/h km/h on 5:07:33.08 Frank Lockhart 120.100 mi/h km/h on Frank Lockhart (110) LaSalle V-8 Series 303 Willard "Big Boy" Rader George TownsendFox Jack C. The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994 Carl Hungness Publishing 4th 1994 22 en 0-915088-05-3 Charles F. Kettering 135,000Hoosier Averages 97.45 Miles An Hour In 500-Mile Grind https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11445496/ W. Blaine Patton The Indianapolis Star 1 Newspapers.com May 31, 1927 June 3, 2017 1926 1928 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 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.Book "The Indianapolis 500: A Complete Pictorial History" p. 72 Qualifying Results Date Driver Lap 1(mph) Lap 2(mph) Lap 3(mph) Lap 4(mph) Average Speed(mph)5/26/1927 Frank Lockhart120.192119.474119.824120.918120.100 Starting grid RowInsideMiddleOutside 12 USA 1912 Frank Lockhart gold W silver3 USA 1912 Pete DePaolo gold W silver12 USA 1912 Leon Duray 21 USA 1912 Harry Hartz19 USA 1912 Ralph Hepburn15 USA 1912 Cliff Woodbury 314 USA 1912 Bob McDonogh7 USA 1912 Dave Lewis4 USA 1912 Bennett Hill 48 USA 1912 Norman Batten22 USA 1912 Jack Petticord orange R silver9 USA 1912 Pete Kreis 55 USA 1912 Frank Elliott25 USA 1912 Cliff Bergere orange R silver10 USA 1912 Earl Devore 617 USA 1912 W. E. Shattuc26 USA 1912 Dutch Baumann orange R silver16 USA 1912 Eddie Hearne 729 USA 1912 Wilbur Shaw orange R silver44 USA 1912 Al Melcher orange R silver18 USA 1912 Jules Ellingboe 832 USA 1912 George Souders orange R silver43 USA 1912 Louis Schneider orange R silver38 USA 1912 Babe Stapp orange R silver 96 USA 1912 Tommy Milton gold W silver41 USA 1912 Wade Morton27 USA 1912 Tony Gulotta 1021 USA 1912 Dave Evans orange R silver35 USA 1912 Al Cotey orange R silver23 USA 1912 Fred Lecklider 1124 USA 1912 Benny Shoaff orange R silver42 USA 1912 Jim Hill orange R silver31 USA 1912 Fred Frame orange R silver orange R Indianapolis 500 rookie solid 1px darkgray gold W Indianapolis 500 winner solid 1px darkgray Race summary 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.Book "The Indianapolis 500: A Complete Pictorial History" p.72 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.Book "The Indianapolis 500: A Complete Pictorial History" p. 72-75 Box score FinishStartNoNameEntrantCarQualRankLapsStatus12232USA 1912 George Souders orange R silverWilliam S. WhiteDuesenberg111.55112200 97.545 mph21510USA 1912 Earl Devore(Zeke Meyer Laps 97–152)F. P. CramerMiller107.49723200 +12:02.8732727USA 1912 Tony Gulotta(Pete DePaolo Laps 86–92)Anthony GulottaMiller107.76522200 +14:32.8041929USA 1912 Wilbur Shaw orange R silver(Louis Meyer Laps 77–129)Fred ClemonsMiller104.46532200 +14:38.9752821USA 1912 Dave Evans orange R silver(Steve Nemesh Laps 57–82)David E. EvansDuesenberg107.36025200 +22:54.636714USA 1912 Bob McDonogh(Pete DePaolo Laps 113–200)Cooper Engineering CompanyCooper–Miller113.1758200 +24:16.2671816USA 1912 Eddie Hearne(Harry Hartz Laps 47–81)(Leon Duray Laps 116–130)(Ira Vail Laps 131–154)Harry HartzMiller105.11531200 +25:32.668256USA 1912 Tommy Milton gold W silver(C. W. Van Ranst Laps 82–106)(Ralph Hepburn Laps 107–200)Tommy MiltonDetroit–Miller108.75820200 +45:03.1391425USA 1912 Cliff Bergere orange R silver(Wesley Crawford Laps 96–108)(Wesley Crawford Laps 147–176)Muller BrothersMiller108.82019200 +1:07:46.9910135USA 1912 Frank Elliott(Fred Frame Laps 54–100)Frank ElliottMiller109.68217200 +1:15:52.61113331USA 1912 Fred Frame orange R silver(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. DolfingerMiller106.85927199Flagged123242USA 1912 Jim Hill orange R silver(Don Ostrander Laps 30–87)(Don Ostrander Laps 108–115)(Don Ostrander Laps 176–197)Earl DevoreMiller107.39224197Flagged133124USA 1912 Benny Shoaff orange R silver(Babe Stapp Laps 69–103)(Babe Stapp Laps 173–198)Duesenberg BrothersDuesenberg110.15213198Rear end gears142641USA 1912 Wade Morton(Ralph Holmes Laps 34–63)(Freddie Winnai Laps 64–131)(Ralph Holmes Laps 140–152)Duesenberg BrothersDuesenberg108.07521152Crash152044USA 1912 Al Melcher orange R silver(Jack Petticord Laps 44–129)(Fred Lecklider Laps 130–143)(Jack Petticord Laps 143–144)Charles HaaseMiller102.91833144Supercharger162343USA 1912 Louis Schneider orange R silver(L. L. Corum Laps 88–97)(Dutch Baumann Laps 125–135)Fred LeckliderMiller109.91015137Timing gears17129USA 1912 Pete KreisCooper Engineering CompanyCooper–Miller109.90016123Front axle1812USA 1912 Frank Lockhart gold W silver(Harry Hartz Laps 101–123)Frank S. LockhartMiller120.1001120Rod19615USA 1912 Cliff Woodbury(Ralph Hepburn Laps 71–80)Cliff WoodburyMiller113.2007108Supercharger201726USA 1912 Dutch Baumann orange R silverHarry S. MillerMiller106.0782990Pinion shaft212935USA 1912 Al Cotey orange R silver(Eddie Burbach Laps 63–87)Al CoteyMiller106.2952887Universal joint221617USA 1912 W. E. ShattucDr. W. E. Shattuc, M.D.Miller107.0602683Valve233023USA 1912 Fred Lecklider(Henry Kohlert Laps 17–49)Henry KohlertMiller105.7293049Crash T124519USA 1912 Ralph HepburnCliff WoodburyMiller114.209539Fuel tank leak2541USA 1912 Harry HartzHarry HartzMiller116.739438Crankshaft2623USA 1912 Peter DePaolo gold W silverPeter DePaoloMiller119.510231Supercharger27312USA 1912 Leon DurayLeon DurayMiller118.788326Fuel tank leak2894USA 1912 Bennett HillCooper Engineering CompanyMiller112.0131026Shackle bolt292118USA 1912 Jules EllingboeEarl CooperMiller113.239625Crash T430108USA 1912 Norman BattenNorman K. BattenFengler–Miller111.9401124Caught fire312438USA 1912 Babe Stapp orange R silverDuesenberg BrothersDuesenberg109.5551824Universal joint321122USA 1912 Jack Petticord orange R silverCliff WoodburyMiller109.9201422Supercharger3387USA 1912 Dave LewisDave LewisMiller112.275921Front axle Indianapolis 500 1927 http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/race.php?raceid=19986 Ultimate Racing History 16 January 2012 https://archive.today/20130205085914/http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/race.php?raceid=19986 5 February 2013 live The Indianapolis 500 Chronicle Publications International, Ltd. Rick Popely L. Spencer Riggs 1998 0-7853-2798-3 Lincolnwood, Illinois Note: Relief drivers in parentheseshttps://www.champcarstats.com/races/192703.htm International 500 Mile Sweepstakes – May 30, 1927 ChampCarStats.com gold W silver Former Indianapolis 500 winner orange R silver Indianapolis 500 Rookie Race statistics 30% Lap Leaders Laps Leader1-81 Frank Lockhart82–90 Dutch Baumann91–119 Frank Lockhart120–149 Pete DePaolo150–200 George Souders 70% Total laps led Leader LapsFrank Lockhart 110George Souders 51Pete DePaolo 30Dutch Baumann 9 Race details For 1927, riding mechanics were optional;Blazier, John E. Rollings, Tom Forgotten Heroes of the Speedways: The Riding Mechanics 1994 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 Indianapolis 500 1927 1926 Italian Grand Prix 1927 French Grand Prix 1926 Indianapolis 500 1928 Indianapolis 500 Category:Indianapolis 500 races Indianapolis 500 Indianapolis 500 Indianapolis 500 Category:May 1927 sports events in the United States