1931 Indianapolis 500

19th running of the Indianapolis 500 February 2025 19th Indianapolis 500 1931 500 program cover.jpg AAA May 30, 1931 Louis Schneider B. L. Schneider Jigger Johnson 5:10:27.93 96.629 mi/h km/h on Russ Snowberger 112.796 mi/h km/h on Billy Arnold (155) Cadillac 370 Twelve Willard "Big Boy" Rader Barney OldfieldFox Jack C. The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994 Carl Hungness Publishing 4th 1994 22 en 0-915088-05-3 William S. Knudsen 165,000Crowd Estimated at 165,000 Watches Race from Grand Stands, Boxes, Field https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11445290/the_indianapolis_star/ The Indianapolis Star 12 Newspapers.com May 31, 1931 June 3, 2017 1930 1932 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.500-Mile Auto Race Is Won By Schneider. Ex-Motorcycle Policeman Is First at Indianapolis as 150,000 Look On. https://www.nytimes.com/1931/05/31/archives/500mile-auto-race-is-won-by-schneider-exmotorcycle-policeman-is.html Many Spills Mark Event. Arnold, 1930 Champion, Crashes at 400 Miles When Leading by About 7 Miles. Frame Gets Second Place. Hepburn, Meyer and Snowberger Next Across. Drizzle Adds to the Drivers' Perlis. Arnold's Car Catches Fire. Averages 96,629 Miles an Hour. Arnold Sets New Mark. Schneider's Patience Rewarded. Drivers Resume Breakneck Speed. Fate catapulted Louie Schneider, onetime Indianapolis motorcycle policeman, into a winner in a stunning upset at the 500-mile automobile race over the Indianapolis Motor Speedway today. The New York Times May 31, 1931 2012-10-08 The start of the race was delayed two hours due to rain.Indianapolis Star/News 2002 Record & Fact Book Defending race winner Billy Arnold charged from 18th starting position to lead the race by lap 7. Arnold, who had dominated the 1930 race (led 198 laps), proceeded to lead the next 155 laps, and built up a five-lap lead over second place. His rear axle broke on lap 162. He spun in turn four, was hit by another car, driven by Luther Johnson, and went over the outside wall. One of his errant wheels bounced across Georgetown Road, and struck and killed an 11-year-old boy, Wilbur C. Brink. Arnold suffered a broken pelvis, and his riding mechanic, Spider Matlock, broke his shoulder.Speedway Accident Costs Life of Youth https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eckxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Y-IFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3369%2C5858647 The Reading Eagle May 31, 1931 Associated Press The race was part of the 1931 AAA Championship Car season. Race schedule Race schedule — May 1931SunMonTueWedThuFriSat           1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23Time Trials24Time Trials25Time Trials26Time Trials27Time Trials28 29 30Indy 50031              Color Notes Green Track Available for Practice Dark Blue Time trials Silver Race day Blank No track activity Practice The deadline for entries to be received was midnight on Friday May 1.Entry List of Cars In Annual 500-Mile Race is Largest in History of Speedway https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2157177/1931_indianapolis_500_entry_list/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 14 Newspapers.com May 2, 1931 April 7, 2015 A record 72 cars were entered, for 40 starting positions.Battle Royal of Cylinders to Feature Big Race Trials https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2157287/1931_indianapolis_500_entry_list/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 18 Newspapers.com May 4, 1931 April 7, 2015 The track was made available for practice at the beginning of the month, and most entries were expected to arrive mid-month. Week 1 Tuesday May 5: A total of seven complete cars had arrived to the garage area. Tony Gulotta was one of few cars to take to the track during the first few days, turning in laps around 100 mph.Cylinders Heard Clicking at Speedway https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2161049/1931_indianapolis_practice_may_6_1931/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 21 Newspapers.com May 6, 1931 April 7, 2015 Thursday May 7: breakups in the track surface were being repaired. Floyd "Sparky" Sparks practiced during the repair work, turning laps around 75-80 mph.Shipment of Speedy Race Jobs Arrives at Speedway https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2161201/1931_indianapolis_500_practice_may_8/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 32 Newspapers.com May 8, 1931 April 7, 2015 By the end of the first full week of practice, track activity had been sparse.Elimination Trials to Be Held at Speedway May 23 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2161324/1931_indianapolis_500_practice_may_9/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 15 Newspapers.com May 9, 1931 April 7, 2015 Several of the top teams were expected to arrive within the next week. In addition, rain and cold weather kept drivers off the track over the weekend and into Monday.Big Leon Duray Hopes to Give Race World Something New https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2161416/1931_indianapolis_500_practice_may_11/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 21 Newspapers.com May 11, 1931 April 7, 2015Speedway Appetizers https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2164950/1931_indianapolis_500_practice_may_13/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 23 Newspapers.com May 13, 1931 April 8, 2015 Week 2 Tuesday May 12: Joe Russo, Jerry Houck, and L. L. Corum, were among at least four cars that took practice laps. Houck lost a wheel on the backstretch, but suffered no other damage to the car. Wednesday May 13: Track activity picked up in earnest on Wednesday, owing much to the fair weather. Leon Duray took to the track for the first time in his supercharged two-cycle, 16-cylinder, Stutz Bearcat, after much anticipation. But Duray suffered a stuck piston, sometime after running a lap of 112 mph. Other drivers taking laps included Tony Gulotta (103 mph) and Phil Pardee (90 mph). Billy Arnold and Harry Hartz took turns in Arnold's car, with laps reported in the 109-110 mph range.Fair Weather Sends Speed Jobs Breezing Over Bricks https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2165055/1931_indianapolis_500_practice_may_14/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 27 Newspapers.com May 14, 1931 April 8, 2015 Joe Russo, repeating a stunt he performed a year earlier, took a lap around the Speedway blindfolded.http://speednet.starnews.com/speednet/irl/99/may/0524sn_ddrusso.html Even blindfolded, Joe Russo could find his way around IMS SpeedNet Donald Davidson May 24, 1999 April 14, 2015 dead https://web.archive.org/web/19990827184903/http://speednet.starnews.com/speednet/irl/99/may/0524sn_ddrusso.html August 27, 1999 Thursday May 14: Billy Arnold turned the fastest practice lap of the month at 110 mph. Owner Harry Hartz also took some test laps in Arnold's car. Russ Snowberger was the second-fastest of the day, clocking in at 106 mph. Other drivers on the track included, Ernie Triplett (103 mph), Buddy Marr (100 mph), L. L. Corum (93 mph), Joe Caccia (96 mph), Tony Gulotta, Howard Seecomb, and Phil Pardee. Louis Schneider took some initial laps with his riding mechanic Jigger Johnson, but an oil leak persisted. Johnson tried to plug the hole with his fingers, so the pair could complete at least a handful of laps, to no avail.Super-Charged Cars of 1929 Faster Than Present Crop https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2165224/1931_indianapolis_500_practice_may_15/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 34 Newspapers.com May 15, 1931 April 8, 2015 Friday May 15: Stubby Stubblefield (109 mph) led the practice speeds on a fairly light day of track activity. Ernie Triplett (109 mph), Chet Miller (100 mph), L. L. Corum (94 mph), and Jerry Houck (over 90 mph), were among others that took to the track. Some participants left the grounds to attend the Kentucky Derby.World-Wide Interest Will Focus on Cummins Diesel https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2165399/1931_indianapolis_500_practice_may_16/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 17 Newspapers.com May 16, 1931 April 8, 2015 Saturday May 16: Louis Meyer ran his first laps of the month in the 16-cylinder Sampson Special. Meyer completed a lap of 113.63 mph. Milton Jones fishtailed his car exiting turn three, and made contact with the inside wall. The cars was expected to be repaired.Speedway Appetizers https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2165553/1931_indianapolis_500_practice_may_18/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 21 Newspapers.com May 18, 1931 April 8, 2015 Week 3 Sunday May 17: Cliff Durant took laps in Leon Duray's supercharged 16-cylinder car, hitting top speeds of 125 mph on the straights. The car, which had been suffering from overheating problems for the past few days, blew the top off the radiator. The team went to work to install a new radiator and water pump in time for qualifying. Louis Schneider and Tony Gulotta were both over 103 mph, while Joe Russo, and Chet Miller both hit laps of 100 mph. L. L. Corum (96 mph) was steadily increasing his speed as the days passed. Monday May 18: Cliff Durant was forced to fly to Michigan to tend to urgent business, leaving Leon Duray as the driver remaining behind to qualify their supercharged 16-cylinder machine. The team was still waiting for a replacement radiator from Detroit. Durant was expected to return and drive relief in the race if needed. Cliff Bergere was named to the Elco Royale entry, having tested it at around 102-104 mph. Babe Stapp also arrived at the track.Drivers Tune Steel Mounts for Qualification Tests https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2169378/1931_indianapolis_500_practice_may_19/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 21 Newspapers.com May 19, 1931 April 8, 2015 Tuesday May 19: By Tuesday, at least 30 cars had arrived at the track. Arriving at the track were car builder Harry Miller and car owner William S. White. Their two cars, a 301-cubic inch, 16-cylinder machine to be driven by Shorty Cantlon, and a four-cylinder for Bert Karnatz, were en route from Los Angeles, expected for delivery on Wednesday. Miller and White kept the details of the much-anticipated 16-cylinder machine guarded. Of the cars on the track, Lou Moore in the twin 4-cylinder Coleman Special, raised eyebrows with a 104 mph lap.Harry Miller and Bill White Silent on 16-Cylinder Car https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2169686/1931_indianapolis_500_practice_may_20/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 23 Newspapers.com May 20, 1931 April 8, 2015 Wednesday May 20: Track activity was bustling by Wednesday, with many cars, mechanics, and representatives in the garage area. Russ Snowberger got some attention after he turned a lap of 113 mph in his nearly-stock motor Studebaker. Also fast for the day was Ernie Triplett (111 mph). The Bill White/Harry Miller 16-cylinder car was delivered to the track at noontime, and driver Shorty Cantlon immediately took to the track for some shakedown laps.Much Rushing and Worry With Idle Gossip at Track https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2169721/1931_indianapolis_500_practice_21_may/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 27 Newspapers.com May 21, 1931 April 8, 2015 Thursday May 21: One day after arriving at the track, Shorty Cantlon's Bill White/Harry Miller 16-cylinder machine broke a connecting rod and blew a hole in the crankcase. The catastrophic engine failure was traced to an error during assembly. Cantlon was out of contention for the pole position, and now had to wait for replacement parts and an engine rebuild. Also on the sidelines was Leon Duray, still waiting for delivery of a replacement radiator for the Durant 16-cylinder machine. At about 5 p.m., the steering failed on Frank Brisko's car, causing him to lose control in turn 4 and hit the inside wall. The car then rebounded and hit the outside wall, coming to rest in the middle of the track. The car suffered heavy damage to the front end and front axle. Brisko and his riding mechanic Fred Winnai were not seriously injured, and planned to make repairs.Cantlon's Fast Car Out of First Trials With Accident https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2169903/1931_indianapolis_500_practice_may_22/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 30 Newspapers.com May 22, 1931 April 8, 2015 Friday May 22: The much-anticipated and much-talked about Cummins Diesel Special, entered by Clessie Cummins, arrived at the Speedway on Friday. Dave Evans took the diesel to the track and ran off laps of about 96-97 mph.Wednesday Is Time Limit Placed by Track Officials https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2173539/1931_indianapolis_500_practice_may_23/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 14 Newspapers.com May 23, 1931 April 9, 2015 Earlier in the month, officials had announced a special exemption rule for diesel-powered entries, to encourage their participation. Any diesel that completed the four-lap qualifying attempt in excess of 80 mph average, would qualify for the field, regardless of overall speed rank."The Talk of Gasoline Alley" - WIBC-AM, May 20, 2002Three Drivers Are Expected to Stage Thrilling Duel to Decide Fastest Car https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2161129/1931_indianapolis_500_practice_may_7/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 20 Newspapers.com May 7, 1931 April 7, 2015 The other gasoline-powered engines had a minimum speed of 90 mph in time trials. Time trials thumb|1931 Cummins Diesel Four-lap (10 mile) qualifying runs were utilized, with 90 mph set as the required minimum speed. Diesel entries were allowed a special rules exception, given them a guaranteed starting position provided they complete their run at a speed of greater than 80 mph. Riding mechanics were required to accompany the drivers on all cars during qualifying. Saturday May 23 The first day of time trials was held Saturday May 23, with the track available for qualifying from 10:00 a.m. to 7:01 p.m. (sundown). The minimum qualifying speed for gasoline powered engines was set at 90 mph. Dave Evans was the first car out to qualify, in the Cummins Diesel Special. Evans completed his run at 96.871 mph, well above the 80 mph minimum speed required for diesel-powered entries. Russ Snowberger won the pole position with a four-lap average speed of 112.796 mph. A total of 19 cars took to the track, but only 17 cars officially qualified. Rounding out the front row was Bill Cummings and first year driver Paul Bost. Snowberger winning the pole was a surprise, not only because his nearly-stock motor Studebaker outperformed Cummings and others, but three of the favorites for the pole did not even get to put in a time. Cummings first attempt early in the day started out with a lap of 115.001 mph, but he suffered a failed clutch. Cumming's second attempt run managed only a 112.563 mph, just 0.66 seconds shy of bumping Snowberger from the pole. Shorty Cantlon was kept off the track for the whole weekend, still awaiting an engine rebuild. He was expected to qualify on Tuesday. Louis Meyer, another favorite, took to the track to make an attempt in the 16-cylinder Sampson Special. He came down the mainstretch, but lost control in turn one, brushing the inside and outside wall. He drove back to the pits with a bent frame, and would be forced to make repairs. Defending pole position and race winner Billy Arnold was having trouble finding speed over the past couple of days, but scrambled to make an attempt late in the day on Saturday. He wheeled to the line at 7:08 p.m., past the deadline for the track to close. Officials decided to allow the run, and his four-lap average of 113.848 mph tentatively took the pole position. After the run, some drivers protested, and during a post-qualifying inspection, it was found that Arnold's brake cables were not connected. During the rush to get the car on the track, the crew had neglected to connect the brake cables, and technical committee chairman Louis Schwitzer disallowed the run. Pos Position No. Car Number Name Lap 1(mph) Lap 2(mph) Lap 3(mph) Lap 4(mph) Average Speed(mph)14USA 1912 Russ Snowberger112.542112.542113.023113.080112.79623USA 1912 Bill Cummings111.579112.824112.938112.923112.563331USA 1912 Paul Bost orange R silver111.510112.164112.374112.458112.12545USA 1912 Deacon Litz110.947111.386111.635112.164111.531525USA 1912 Ernie Triplett112.191110.592111.193110.294111.034639USA 1912 Babe Stapp110.429110.105110.375109.596110.125717USA 1912 Speed Gardner109.556109.569110.335109.676109.820834USA 1912 Fred Frame110.524108.696109.329108.565109.273936USA 1912 Stubby Stubblefield orange R silver108.985108.486108.630109.091108.7971019USA 1912 Ralph Hepburn107.656107.810108.643107.630107.9331132USA 1912 Phil Pardee orange R silver107.591107.746108.134107.617107.7721257USA 1912 Luther Johnson orange R silver106.257108.056107.940108.382107.6521323USA 1912 Louis Schneider107.901107.527106.952106.471107.2101428USA 1912 Cliff Bergere106.207106.749107.130107.041106.7811527USA 1912 Chet Miller106.193106.458105.845106.245106.1851641USA 1912 Joe Russo orange R silver105.461105.758105.312102.810104.822178USA 1912 Dave Evans96.57796.26797.21397.46496.871 7USA 1912 Louis Meyer gold W silverHit wall   IncompleteDQ1USA 1912 Billy Arnold gold W silver113.536114.242113.910113.708113.848* * Disqualified Source: The Indianapolis NewsOil-Burning Car Qualifies at 96 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2173549/1931_indianapolis_500_time_trials_may/ The Indianapolis News 1 Newspapers.com May 23, 1931 April 9, 2015Qualification Trials To Continue Through Wednesday At Speedway Track https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2177648/1931_indianapolis_500_time_trials_may/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 18 Newspapers.com May 25, 1931 April 9, 2015 Sunday May 24 The second day of time trials was held on Sunday May 24. The track was for available for qualifying from 1 p.m. to 7:01 p.m. (sundown). Only two cars completed qualifying runs. One day after having his run disallowed, Billy Arnold put his car in the field at 116.080 mph. He became the fastest qualifier in the field. During a practice run, the car of Floyd "Sparky" Sparks caught on fire down the backstretch, ignited from an oil or gasoline leak. Attempting to close off the fuel line, he hit the retaining wall in turn three. The car was badly burned. Sparks would not be able to qualify. Tony Gulotta was the only other driver to complete a qualifying attempt. Gulotta left the Bowes Seal Fast team and instead moved over to the Hunt Special entered by Ab Jenkins. Freddie Winnai took his old seat. Gulotta would have been fast enough for the second row, but as a second day qualifier, he would line up 19th on the grid. Lou Moore tried to qualify Pete DePaolo's Boyle Valve Special, but a broken clutch prevented the attempt. At the end of the day, the field was filled to 19 cars, with 21 spots remaining. Pos Position No. Car Number Name Lap 1(mph) Lap 2(mph) Lap 3(mph) Lap 4(mph) Average Speed(mph)181USA 1912 Billy Arnold gold W silver116.009116.294116.505115.518116.0801937USA 1912 Tony Gulotta110.497111.885112.122112.416111.725 Source: The Indianapolis News Monday May 25 The third day of qualifying was held Monday May 25, with the track available from 2 p.m. to 7:02 p.m. (sundown). The day was marred by the fatal accident of Joe Caccia and his riding mechanic Clarence Grover. Caccia was on the track in the morning for a practice run, when the car skidded out of control entering turn 2. The car slid about 150 feet, and then slid into the outside barrier. The car ripped a hole through the outside retaining wall, hurtled 100 feet down the embankment, and crashed into a tree. Both drivers were likely thrown from the car, landed next to it, and the car had burst into flames. Both drivers were killed instantly, and were enveloped by the flames.Speedway Crash Kills Driver And Mechanic https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2181363/1931_indianapolis_500_practice_may_26/ The Indianapolis News 1 Newspapers.com May 26, 1931 April 10, 2015 Five cars completed qualification runs, filling the field to 24 cars. Jimmy Gleason (111.400 mph) was the fastest car of the day. Frank Farmer, formerly of the M.A. Yagle entry, took over the Jones-Miller Special, and was the second-fastest car of the day. Still yet to qualify was Shorty Cantlon, who practiced unofficially over 118 mph, but suffered a broken universal joint during the day. Pos Position No. Car Number Name Lap 1(mph) Lap 2(mph) Lap 3(mph) Lap 4(mph) Average Speed(mph)2033USA 1912 Jimmy Gleason111.386111.372111.180111.663111.4002167USA 1912 Francis Quinn orange R silver110.633110.375112.122112.177111.3212235USA 1912 Frank Farmer106.952108.382108.604109.290108.3032312USA 1912 Phil Shafer105.325105.461104.676104.956105.1032448USA 1912 John Boling102.214103.842102.215103.187102.860 Source: The Indianapolis NewsDrivers Scramble For Sixteen Remaining Places In Lineup At Speedway https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2181309/1931_indianapolis_500_time_trials_may/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 18 Newspapers.com May 26, 1931 April 10, 2015 Tuesday May 26 The fourth day of qualifying was held Tuesday May 26, with the track available from 2 p.m. to 7:02 p.m. (sundown). Nine cars completed runs, led by Louis Meyer in the Samson Special. Meyer was qualified comfortably, though probably below his potential speed, said to be playing it safe after his crash on Saturday. After considerable delay, Shorty Cantlon put his 16-cylinder machine in the field, as did Leon Duray. Duray had been suffering from overheating issues all week, and observers noted he qualified with water boiling from the radiator, indicating the problems were still not solved. Pos Position No. Car Number Name Lap 1(mph) Lap 2(mph) Lap 3(mph) Lap 4(mph) Average Speed(mph)257USA 1912 Louis Meyer gold W silver113.953113.236113.536113.364113.522262USA 1912 Shorty Cantlon111.331110.281109.743110.146110.3722716USA 1912 Frank Brisko106.107106.032106.345106.660106.2862824USA 1912 Freddie Winnai104.408105.870106.245107.066105.8992954USA 1912 Leon Duray103.365103.579102.987102.611103.1343044USA 1912 George Howie orange R silver102.857103.199103.128102.354102.8443172USA 1912 Al Aspen orange R silver102.203102.951102.308102.576102.5093258USA 1912 George Wingerter orange R silver99.580100.200100.503100.279100.1393349USA 1912 Harry Butcher99.13099.91399.39399.53699.343 45USA 1912 Marion Trexler9494  Incomplete 9USA 1912 Gordon Condon    Incomplete Source: The Indianapolis NewsMany Drivers Scurry For Positions on Last Day of Qualification Trials https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2185090/1931_indianapolis_500_time_trials_may/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 20 Newspapers.com May 26, 1931 April 10, 2015 Wednesday May 27 The final day of qualifying was held Wednesday May 26, with the track available from 2 p.m. to 7:04 p.m. (sundown). The day opening with seven spots remaining in the grid. Out of a total of 72 entries, upwards of twenty cars were considered available for time trials. During a busy day of track activity, a total of eight cars qualified for the starting field, filling the grid to 40 cars. At least twelve other cars attempted to qualify, but were too slow or failed to complete their run. The fastest car of the day was Gene Haustein (107.823 mph), followed by Myron Stevens. Car owner Fred Clemmons managed to get both of his Hoosier Pete entries qualified, despite the cars only arriving at the track for the first time Wednesday morning. Billy Winn and Herman Schurch both took to the track for shake down laps at slow speed, and practiced for only about 45 minutes. The cars were brought to the garage for adjustments to the springs and shock absorbers, and later in the afternoon were safely qualified to the grid with only about 20 laps of practice each. Wilbur Shaw and Ralph DePalma were both at the track Wednesday, looking to qualify. Officials deemed that DePalma had not arrived in enough time to qualify, and the car he was to drive had not shown sufficient speed. Shaw took to the track for a qualifying attempt late in the day, but he pulled off with a broken crankshaft before starting the run. With less than fifteen minutes remaining in the day, Joe Huff was the final qualifier. Huff would have "crowded out" Harry Butcher, the slowest qualifier. After qualifying was over, however, Pete Kreis in the Coleman Special withdrew due to handling problems. As a result, Harry Butcher in the Butcher Brothers Special was restored to the starting field. The track was to be available on Thursday for final "carburation tests." No track activity was scheduled for Friday. Pos Position No. Car Number Name Lap 1(mph) Lap 2(mph) Lap 3(mph) Lap 4(mph) Average Speed(mph) Notes3426USA 1912 Gene Haustein orange R silver107.823 107.953108.551109.263108.395 3521USA 1912 Myron Stevens orange R silver108.084107.258107.501107.092107.463 3655USA 1912 Billy Winn orange R silver103.878105.522105.345106.408105.405 3759USA 1912 Sam Ross106.070104.846104.603103.093104.642Bumped Decker3814USA 1912 Lou Moore100.435101.420105.845107.540103.725 3910USA 1912 Herman Schurch103.914104.034102.041101.443102.845Bumped Chamberlain4069USA 1912 Joe Huff101.660102.145102.857102.592102.386 Failed to qualifyWD USA 1912 Pete Kreis102.599102.110103.022103.722102.386Withdrew 68USA 1912 Ted Chamberlain99.07599.29499.59198.77199.182Bumped by Schurch USA 1912 Rick Decker96.71799.09797.22497.23498.061Bumped by Ross 29USA 1912 L. L. Corum97.82698.20097.25596.29897.389Too slow 46USA 1912 Bill Denver96.16496.63096.14495.67396.085Bumped by Decker 45USA 1912 C. C. Reeder95.59296.01095.69495.27895.643  53USA 1912 Joe Thomas89.29592.03492.27092.08191.403  66USA 1912 Benny Brandfon89.04789.09188.11488.00288.561Below 90 mph minimum speed 15USA 1912 Bert Karnatz102.203100.773100.919 IncompleteBurned bearing 63USA 1912 Malcolm Fox102.203102.529  IncompleteBroken connecting rod 56USA 1912 Jimmy Patterson93.09193.950  IncompleteEngine failure 6USA 1912 Wilbur Shaw    IncompletePulled off track Source: The Indianapolis NewsForty Cars, Meeting Qualification Tests, Make Ready For Start of 500-Mile Race https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2185266/1931_indianapolis_500_time_trials_may/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 28 Newspapers.com May 28, 1931 April 10, 2015 Starting grid RowInsideMiddleOutside1USA 1912 Russ SnowbergerUSA 1912 Bill CummingsUSA 1912 Paul Bost orange R silver2USA 1912 Deacon LitzUSA 1912 Ernie TriplettUSA 1912 Babe Stapp3USA 1912 Speed GardnerUSA 1912 Fred FrameUSA 1912 Stubby Stubblefield orange R silver4USA 1912 Ralph HepburnUSA 1912 Phil Pardee orange R silverUSA 1912 Luther Johnson orange R silver5USA 1912 Louis Schneider USA 1912 Cliff BergereUSA 1912 Chet Miller6USA 1912 Joe Russo orange R silverUSA 1912 Dave EvansUSA 1912 Billy Arnold gold W silver7USA 1912 Tony GulottaUSA 1912 Jimmy GleasonUSA 1912 Francis Quinn orange R silver8USA 1912 Frank FarmerUSA 1912 Phil ShaferUSA 1912 John Boling9USA 1912 Louis Meyer gold W silverUSA 1912 Shorty CantlonUSA 1912 Frank Brisko10USA 1912 Freddie WinnaiUSA 1912 Leon DurayUSA 1912 George Howie orange R silver11USA 1912 Al Aspen orange R silverUSA 1912 George Wingerter orange R silverUSA 1912 Harry Butcher12USA 1912 Gene Haustein orange R silverUSA 1912 Myron Stevens orange R silverUSA 1912 Billy Winn orange R silver13USA 1912 Sam RossUSA 1912 Lou MooreUSA 1912 Herman Schurch14USA 1912 Joe Huff   Alternates First alternate: Ted ChamberlainThe Talk of Gasoline Alley - 1070-AM WIBC, May 14, 2004 Failed to qualify 28em Pete Kreis (withdrew) Rick Decker (bumped) Bill Denver (bumped) Lora L. Corum (too slow; drove relief during the race) C.C. Reeder (too slow) Joe Thomas (too slow) Ben Brandfon (too slow) Bert Karnatz (incomplete attempt) Malcolm Fox (incomplete attempt) James Patterson (incomplete attempt) Marion Trexler (incomplete attempt) Gordon Condon (incomplete attempt) Wilbur Shaw (incomplete attempt; drove relief during race) Joe Caccia (fatal practice crash) Wesley Crawford Bryan Saulpaugh Eddie Burbach Ralph DePalma (insufficient speed) Dusty Fahrnow Norske Larson Charles Moran Milt Marion Rollin May Zeke Meyer Wally Zale Roy Painter Carl Smith Floyd "Sparky" Sparks (car fire) Johnny Seymour Ab Jenkins (illness) Jerry Houck Milton Jones Peter DePaolo Race recap Start Overnight and morning rain delayed the start from 10:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Indianapolis Drum and Bugle Corps. paraded and entertained the early arriving fans, including Governor Harry G. Leslie and his entourage of seven other state governors. At noon, pace car driver Willard "Big Boy" Rader guided the field in the Cadillac 370 V-12 pace car for one unscored pace lap. Speedway general manager Theodore E. Meyers rode as a passenger. Rader and Meyers pulled over on the mainstretch, and the green flag was displayed for the flying start. The race began with Paul Bost grabbing the lead from the outside of the front row. Bost led the first two laps. Bill Cummings took the lead for laps 3–6.Showers Fail To Stop Event Despite Delay https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2221232/1931_indianapolis_500_report_start/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 20 Newspapers.com May 30, 1931 April 15, 2015 Defending winner Billy Arnold, who started 18th (and was the fastest qualifier), went on a tear through the field at the start. He passed 17 cars, and took the lead on lap 7. He picked up where he left off a year earlier, and started pulling out to about a 15-second lead. After suffering constant overheating problems during practice and time trials, Leon Duray pitted his car after only six laps. The overheating problems persisted and he finished 37th. First half On lap 33,Speedway Officials Hope Yellow Flag Will Not Wave https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2257812/1932_indianapolis_500_practice_may_17/ The Indianapolis News Sturm William F. 17 Newspapers.com May 17, 1932 April 20, 2015 rain returned to the area, and brought out the yellow flag. The race was slowed and run under the yellow flag for about the next 28 laps. Drivers were required to slow down to about an 80 mph pace, and passing was not allowed unless except those cars that entered the pit area.Blanchard Harold F. 8 Semi-Stock Cars Finish 500-mile Grind MoToR - Reprinted in Floyd Clymer's Indianapolis 500 Mile Race History (1946) 1931 The drizzling stopped, and the green flag came back out on the 61st lap. Only a few laps later, the yellow flag came out again when Wilbur Shaw (driving relief for Phil Pardee) wrecked spectacularly in turn three. The car leaped over the outside wall, and down the embankment. Shaw was uninjured, and walked back to the pits, ready to relieve another driver. While the crash was being cleaned up, more rain began to fall, and the yellow remained out for several minutes more. By lap 70, the rain had stopped and the green flag was back out with Billy Arnold still leading. Ralph Hepburn was running second, Tony Gulotta third, Russ Snowberger fourth, and Fred Frame fifth. Bill Cummings dropped out after completing 70 laps due to an oil leak. On lap 94, Cummins took over the car of Deacon Litz. Also dropping out early with an oil leak was Louis Meyer (28 laps). He got back in the race on lap 73, taking over as relief for Myron Stevens. Billy Arnold continued to lead at the halfway point. Second half Louis Schneider made his first and only pit stop on lap 106, taking on gasoline and oil, as well as changing the right rear tire. After surviving a spectacular crash in the first half, Wilbur Shaw was back in the race on lap 118, this time driving a stint of relief for Jimmy Gleason.Official Statistics Compiled on Running of 500-Mile Race at Speedway https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2221313/1931_indianapolis_500_official/ The Indianapolis News 20 Newspapers.com June 1, 1931 April 15, 2015 After leading 155 laps, Billy Arnold crashed on lap 162. In turn four, Arnold spun, and lost a wheel. He was hit by the car of Luther Johnson. Arnold's car burst into flames, and hit the concrete wall. It slid for about 200 feet, and Arnold and his riding mechanic Spider Matlock were thrown from the machine. A wheel from Arnold's wrecked car bounced over the wall and across the street, striking and killing an 11-year-old boy playing in his yard. Johnson's car flipped over, but he was not seriously injured. Louis Schneider took the lead after Arnold's crash. Five laps later Tony Gulotta crashed in nearly the same spot as Arnold. Gulotta's car slid into the inside wall, then bounced up to the outside guardrail, ripping a portion of the barrier out, Neither Gulotta nor his riding mechanic were seriously injured. With 30 laps to go, Schneider and second place Bill Cummings were nose-to-tail, battling for the lead. Cummings had taken over the car of Deacon Litz. Cummings hit the wall in the south short chute on lap 177, leaving Schneider all alone out in front. Schneider led the final 39 laps en route to victory, and won by 43.19 seconds over second place Fred Frame. At the time, it was the second-closest margin of victory in Indianapolis 500 history. Polesitter Russ Snowberger was one of three drivers in the top five to complete the race without relief help. The car of Myron Stevens, with Louis Meyer driving relief for most of the race, charged from 35th starting position to 4th place, a remarkable gain of 31 positions at the finish. Box score FinishStartNoNameEntrantChassisEngineQualRankLapsStatus11323USA 1912 Louis SchneiderB. L. SchneiderStevensMiller107.21022200 96.629 mph2834USA 1912 Fred FrameHarry HartzDuesenbergDuesenberg109.27314200Running31019USA 1912 Ralph Hepburn(Pete Kreis Laps 90–143)Ralph HepburnMillerMiller107.93318200Running43521USA 1912 Myron Stevens orange R silver(Louis Meyer Laps 73–200)Louis MeyerStevensMiller107.46321200Running514USA 1912 Russ SnowbergerRussell SnowbergerSnowbergerStudebaker112.7963200Running62033USA 1912 Jimmy Gleason(Wilbur Shaw Laps 118–169)Denny DusenbergDuesenbergDuesenberg111.4008200Running7525USA 1912 Ernie TriplettJames H. BoothDuesenbergDuesenberg111.03410200Running8936USA 1912 Stubby Stubblefield orange R silverMilton JonesWillys-KnightMiller108.79715200Running91428USA 1912 Cliff BergereElco Grease & Oil CompanyReoReo106.78123200Running101527USA 1912 Chet Miller(Bryan Saulpaugh Laps 104–152)R. G. "Buddy" MarrHudsonHudson106.18525200Running113044USA 1912 George Howie orange R silver(L. L. Corum Laps 86–112)(Herman Schurch Laps 113–200)George N. HowieDodgeChrysler102.84435200Running122312USA 1912 Phil ShaferPhil ShaferRiglingBuick105.10328200Running13178USA 1912 Dave EvansCummins Engine CompanyDuesenbergCummins96.87140200Running143172USA 1912 Al Aspen orange R silver(Bill Denver Laps 112–161)William AlbertiDuesenbergDuesenberg102.50936200Running153759USA 1912 Sam RossWilliam M. YahrRiglingMiller104.64230200Running164069USA 1912 Joe Huff(Speed Gardner Laps 117–148)S. C. GoldbergCooperMiller102.38637180Flagged1745USA 1912 Deacon Litz(Bill Cummings Laps 94–177)Henry MaleyDuesenbergDuesenberg111.5317177Crash T1181937USA 1912 Tony GulottaD. A. "Ab" JenkinsRiglingStudebaker111.7256167Crash T419181USA 1912 Billy Arnold gold W silverHarry HartzSummersMiller116.0801162Crash T4201257USA 1912 Luther Johnson orange R silverWilliam H. RichardsStudebakerStudebaker107.65220156Crash T4213655USA 1912 Billy Winn orange R silver(James Patterson Laps 55–121)F. E. ClemonsRiglingClemons105.40527138Flagged222716USA 1912 Frank BriskoFrank BriskoStevensMiller106.28624138Steering arm233426USA 1912 Gene Haustein orange R silverFronty-Ford Sales of MichiganFord TFronty-Ford108.39516117Lost wheel241641USA 1912 Joe Russo orange R silverGeorge A. HenryRiglingDuesenberg104.82229109Oil leak25717USA 1912 Speed Gardner(Wesley Crawford Laps 58–107)C. E. RickettsMillerMiller109.82013107Frame263814USA 1912 Lou MooreM. J. BoyleMillerMiller103.72531103Differential27262USA 1912 Shorty CantlonWilliam S. WhiteMillerMiller110.3721188Rod2823USA 1912 Bill CummingsEmpire State Gas MotorsCooperMiller112.563470Oil line292824USA 1912 Freddie WinnaiB. L. SchneiderStevensMiller105.8992660Crash NC301132USA 1912 Phil Pardee orange R silver(Wilbur Shaw Laps 27–60)Phil PardeeDuesenbergDuesenberg107.7721960Crash T331331USA 1912 Paul Bost orange R silverEmpire State Gas MotorsCooperMiller112.125535Crankshaft322235USA 1912 Frank FarmerMilton JonesWillys-KnightMiller108.3031732Rod bearing333258USA 1912 George Wingerter orange R silverGeorge WingerterDuesenbergDuesenberg100.1393829Fuel tank34257USA 1912 Louis Meyer gold W silverAlden Sampson IIStevensMiller113.953228Oil leak35639USA 1912 Babe StappRigling & HenningRiglingDuesenberg110.125129Oil leak/clutch362448USA 1912 John BolingGrahpo Metal Packing CompanyM&BM&B102.860337Rod372954USA 1912 Leon DurayLeon DurayStevens:WhippetDuray103.134326Overheating383349USA 1912 Harry ButcherHarry H. ButcherBuickBuick99.343396Crash T4393910USA 1912 Herman SchurchF. E. ClemonsRiglingClemons102.845345Transmission402167USA 1912 Francis Quinn orange R silverJames H. WadeMillerFord A111.32193Rear axle Indianapolis 500 1931 http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/race.php?raceid=19558 Ultimate Racing History 16 January 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304094953/http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/race.php?raceid=19558 4 March 2016 live The Indianapolis 500 Chronicle Publications International, Ltd. Rick Popely L. Spencer Riggs 1998 0-7853-2798-3 Lincolnwood, Illinois Note: Relief drivers in parenthesesChampCarStats.com https://www.champcarstats.com/races/193101.htm International 500 Mile Sweepstakes – May 30, 1931 gold W silver Former Indianapolis 500 winner orange R silver Indianapolis 500 Rookie Race statistics Lap Leaders Laps Leader1–2 Paul Bost3–6 Bill Cummings7–161 Billy Arnold162–200 Louis Schneider Total laps led Driver LapsBilly Arnold 155Louis Schneider 39Bill Cummings 4Paul Bost 2 Race details For 1931, riding mechanics were required.Blazier, John E. Rollings, Tom Forgotten Heroes of the Speedways: The Riding Mechanics 1994 Dave Evans drove the Cummins Diesel Special entered by Clessie Cummins. During time trials, a special exception rule was made for diesel-powered engines which stated that if a diesel entry completed the four-lap qualifying run in excess of 80 mph average, it would qualify for the field, regardless of overall speed rank. Evans qualified at over 96 mph, but ranked 43rd overall. Evans was given the 40th and last starting position. On race day he finished 13th, performing the remarkable feat of completing the entire 500 miles without a pit stop.Kettlewell, Mike. "Indianapolis: The Richest Race in the World", in Northey, Tom, ed. World of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Volume 9, p.1015. At some point during the race, Evans and his riding mechanic Thane Houser noticed that the water temperature was running high. Houser signaled back to the pit area, but Jimmy Doolittle who was working as the pit communicator, could not understand the message. Doolittle had misplaced a piece of paper which contained the key to the hand signals. Evans continued, having received no instruction from the pit area. After the race, Doolittle found the paper stuffed in his belt of his coat.http://speednet.starnews.com/speednet/irl/99 Cummins team completed '31 race despite signal mix-up SpeedNet Donald Davidson May 16, 1999 April 14, 2015 June 2016 medicmedic See also 1931 AAA Championship Car season Works cited Indianapolis 500 Historical Stats: 1931 ChampCarStats.com - 1931 International 500 Mile Sweepstakes Hear the Indianapolis 500 As it Sounded 84 Years Ago References 2 1930 Billy Arnold 1931 Louis Schneider 1932 Fred Frame Category:Indianapolis 500 races Indianapolis 500 Indianapolis 500 Category:1931 in American motorsport Category:May 1931 sports events in the United States