1953 Indianapolis 500
The 37th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 30, 1953. The event was part of the 1953 AAA National Championship Trail, and was race 2 of 9 in the 1953 World Championship of Drivers.
 | |||||
| Indianapolis Motor Speedway | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis 500 | |||||
| Sanctioning body | AAA | ||||
| Date | May 30, 1953 | ||||
| Winner | Bill Vukovich | ||||
| Winning Entrant | Howard B. Keck | ||||
| Average speed | 128.740 mph (207.187 km/h) | ||||
| Pole position | Bill Vukovich | ||||
| Pole speed | 138.392 mph (222.720 km/h) | ||||
| Most laps led | Bill Vukovich (195) | ||||
| Pre-race | |||||
| Pace car | Ford Crestline Sunliner | ||||
| Pace car driver | William Clay Ford | ||||
| Starter | Seth Klein[1] | ||||
| Honorary referee | Henry Ford II[1] | ||||
| Estimated attendance | 190,000[2] | ||||
| Chronology | |||||
| |||||
Bill Vukovich, after falling short a year before, earned the first of two consecutive Indy 500 victories. With the temperature in the high 90s (°F), and the track temperature exceeding 130 °F (54 °C), this race is often known as the "Hottest 500." Driver Carl Scarborough dropped out the race, and later died at the infield hospital due to heat prostration.[3]
Due to the extreme heat conditions, several drivers in the field required relief drivers, and some relief drivers even required additional relief. Vukovich, however, as well as second-place finisher Art Cross, both ran the full 500 miles solo.
Race details
Practice
Sixteen-year race veteran Chet Miller died in an accident in practice on May 15.[4]
Qualifying
Time trials were scheduled for four days.
- Saturday May 16 – Pole Day time trials (rained out)
- Sunday May 17 – Second day time trials
- Saturday May 23 – Third day time trials
- Sunday May 24 – Fourth day time trials
Vukovich qualified on pole, with a speed of 138.392 mph (222.720 km/h).
Race
Polesitter Bill Vukovich dominated the race, leading 195 laps and also recording fastest lap.
- The race is commonly known as the "Hottest 500", with track temperatures exceeding 130 °F (54 °C). Recent research, however, has suggested that the 1937 race actually had higher recorded temperatures. Half the drivers in the field used relief help,[4] including:
- Duane Carter (49 laps) took over from Sam Hanks (151)
- Paul Russo (96) took over from Fred Agabashian (104)
- Eddie Johnson (88) took over from Jim Rathmann (112)
- Gene Hartley (37) and Chuck Stevenson (44) took over from Tony Bettenhausen (115)
- Bob Scott (121) took over from Carl Scarborough (69)[5]
- Jim Rathmann (36) took over from Bill Holland (141)
- Duke Dinsmore (10) and Andy Linden (29) took over from Rodger Ward (138)
- Johnny Mantz (42) took over from Walt Faulkner (134)
- Jackie Holmes (9) and Johnny Thomson (45) took over from Spider Webb (112)
- Andy Linden (12) and Chuck Stevenson (13) took over from Jerry Hoyt (82)
Carl Scarborough retired from the race due to heat exhaustion, and died later at the infield hospital.[3]
Box score
| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Constructor | Qual | Rank | Laps | Led | Time/retired | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 14 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Bill Vukovich |
Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 138.39 | 1 | 200 | 195 | 3:53:01.69 | 91 |
| 2 | 12 | 16 | Art Cross |
Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 137.31 | 8 | 200 | 0 | +3:30.87 | 6 |
| 3 | 9 | 3 | Sam Hanks (relieved by Duane Carter) |
Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 137.53 | 5 | 200 | 3 | +4:11.50 | 2 2 |
| 4 | 2 | 59 | Fred Agabashian (relieved by Paul Russo) |
Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 137.54 | 4 | 200 | 1 | +4:39.24 | 1.5 1.5 |
| 5 | 3 | 5 | Jack McGrath |
Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 136.60 | 13 | 200 | 0 | +7:49.64 | 2 |
| 6 | 21 | 48 | Jimmy Daywalt R |
Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 135.74 | 23 | 200 | 0 | +8:10.21 | |
| 7 | 25 | 2 | Jim Rathmann (relieved by Eddie Johnson) |
Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 135.66 | 27 | 200 | 1 | +8:46.02 | |
| 8 | 20 | 12 | Ernie McCoy R |
Stevens-Offenhauser | 135.92 | 22 | 200 | 0 | +10:04.55 | |
| 9 | 6 | 98 | Tony Bettenhausen (relieved by Chuck Stevenson) (relieved by Gene Hartley) |
Kuzma-Offenhauser | 136.02 | 20 | 196 | 0 | Accident | |
| 10 | 32 | 53 | Jimmy Davies |
Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 135.26 | 31 | 193 | 0 | +7 laps | |
| 11 | 26 | 9 | Duke Nalon |
Kurtis Kraft-Novi | 135.46 | 30 | 191 | 0 | Accident | |
| 12 | 19 | 73 | Carl Scarborough ✝ (relieved by Bob Scott) |
Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 135.93 | 21 | 190 | 0 | +10 laps | |
| 13 | 4 | 88 | Manny Ayulo |
Kuzma-Offenhauser | 136.38 | 15 | 184 | 0 | Engine | |
| 14 | 31 | 8 | Jimmy Bryan |
Schroeder-Offenhauser | 135.50 | 29 | 183 | 0 | +17 laps | |
| 15 | 28 | 49 | Bill Holland W (relieved by Jim Rathmann) |
Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 137.86 | 2 | 177 | 0 | Magneto | |
| 16 | 10 | 92 | Rodger Ward (relieved by Andy Linden) (relieved by Duke Dinsmore) |
Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 137.46 | 6 | 177 | 0 | Axle | |
| 17 | 14 | 23 | Walt Faulkner (relieved by Johnny Mantz) |
Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 137.11 | 10 | 176 | 0 | +24 laps | |
| 18 | 22 | 22 | Marshall Teague R |
Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 135.72 | 25 | 169 | 0 | Oil Leak | |
| 19 | 18 | 62 | Spider Webb (relieved by Johnny Thomson) (relieved by Jackie Holmes) |
Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 136.16 | 17 | 166 | 0 | Oil Leak | |
| 20 | 29 | 51 | Bob Sweikert |
Kuzma-Offenhauser | 136.87 | 11 | 151 | 0 | Suspension | |
| 21 | 23 | 83 | Mike Nazaruk |
Turner-Offenhauser | 135.70 | 26 | 146 | 0 | Transmission | |
| 22 | 24 | 77 | Pat Flaherty |
Kuzma-Offenhauser | 135.66 | 28 | 115 | 0 | Accident | |
| 23 | 7 | 55 | Jerry Hoyt (relieved by Chuck Stevenson) (relieved by Andy Linden) |
Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 135.73 | 24 | 107 | 0 | Overheating | |
| 24 | 27 | 4 | Duane Carter |
Lesovsky-Offenhauser | 135.26 | 32 | 94 | 0 | Ignition | |
| 25 | 17 | 7 | Paul Russo |
Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 136.21 | 16 | 89 | 0 | Magneto | |
| 26 | 8 | 21 | Johnnie Parsons W |
Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 137.66 | 3 | 86 | 0 | Engine | |
| 27 | 15 | 38 | Don Freeland R |
Watson-Offenhauser | 136.86 | 12 | 76 | 0 | Accident | |
| 28 | 13 | 41 | Gene Hartley |
Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 137.26 | 9 | 53 | 0 | Accident | |
| 29 | 16 | 97 | Chuck Stevenson |
Kuzma-Offenhauser | 136.56 | 14 | 42 | 0 | Fuel Leak | |
| 30 | 30 | 99 | Cal Niday R |
Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 136.09 | 18 | 30 | 0 | Magneto | |
| 31 | 11 | 29 | Bob Scott |
Bromme-Offenhauser | 137.43 | 7 | 14 | 0 | Oil Leak | |
| 32 | 33 | 56 | Johnny Thomson R |
Del Roy-Offenhauser | 135.26 | 33 | 6 | 0 | Ignition | |
| 33 | 5 | 32 | Andy Linden |
Stevens-Offenhauser | 136.06 | 19 | 3 | 0 | Accident |
- Notes
- ^1 – Includes 1 point for fastest lead lap
Alternates
- First alternate: Eddie Johnson (#26)[6]
Failed to qualify
- Frank Armi R (#79)
- Alberto Ascari (#97) – Did not appear
- Henry Banks (#10)
- Buzz Barton R (#35)
- Joe Barzda R (#69)
- Bill Boyd R (#86)
- Billy Cantrell R (#42)
- Neal Carter R (#23)
- George Connor (#25)
- Ray Crawford R (#49)
- Jorge Daponte R (#95)
- Billy DeVore (#28)
- Duke Dinsmore (#52)
- Bill Doster R
- Len Duncan R (#31, #81)
- Edgar Elder R (#49)
- Johnny Fedricks R (#46)
- John Fitch R (#49, #74)
- George Fonder (#76)
- Gene Force (#48)
- Potsy Goacher R (#36)
- Cliff Griffith (#24)
- Red Hamilton R (#91)
- Allen Heath R (#65)
- Al Herman R (#93)
- Jackie Holmes (#71)
- Bill Homeier R (#84, #87)
- Johnny Kay R (#67)
- Jud Larson R (#96)
- Jim Mayes R (#34)
- Johnny Mauro (#47) – Did not appear
- Chet Miller (#15) – Fatal accident
- Roy Newman R (#43)
- Danny Oakes R (#63)
- Pat O'Connor R (#28, #64, #74)
- Jimmy Reece (#16)
- Johnny Roberts R (#82)
- Hal Robson (#57)
- Troy Ruttman (#2)
- Eddie Sachs R (#34)
- Wayne Selser R (#75)
- Joe Sostilio R (#17)
- Harry Stockman R (#84)
- Bill Taylor R (#39)
- George Tichenor R (#65)
- Johnnie Tolan R (#66, #85)
- Leroy Warriner R (#44)
- Ebe Yoder R [7]
Race notes
Broadcasting
Radio
The race was carried live flag-to-flag on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network. Instead of being produced by 1070 WIBC-AM, the network pooled together talent and technical staff from all five of the major radio stations in Indianapolis. The broadcast was anchored by Sid Collins, and featured on-air talent from WIBC, WFBM, WISH, WIRE, and WXLW.[11]
The broadcast signed on at 10:45 a.m. local time, and carried live through the conclusion, until 3:45 p.m. local time. The broadcast was carried on 135 stations in at least 35 states across the country, and on Armed Forced Network to Europe and Asia.
| Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| Booth Announcers | Turn Reporters | Pit/garage reporters |
|
Chief Announcer: Sid Collins |
South Turns: Bill Frosch |
Luke Walton (north pits) Al Vare (south pits) Sid Collins (victory lane) |
Championship standings after the race
- World Drivers' Championship standings
| Pos | Driver | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
1 |  Alberto Ascari |
9 |
 16 |
2 | Bill Vukovich |
9 |
 1 |
3 | Luigi Villoresi |
6 |
| 14 |
4 | Art Cross |
6 |
| 2 |
5 |  José Froilán González |
4 |
| Source:[12] | |||
- Note: Only the top five positions are included. Only the best 4 results counted towards the Championship.
References
- 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.
- Lamm, Corky (May 31, 1953). "Californian Leads Al But Two Laps; 5 Cars Crack Up". The Indianapolis Star. p. 1. Retrieved June 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- Yates, Brock (2005). Against Death and Time: One Fatal Season in Racing's Glory Years. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-1-56025-770-7. Retrieved 2011-06-23.
- Yates, Brock (1961). The Indianapolis 500: The Story of the Motor Speedway. Harper. p. 67.
- Davidson, Donald (2011-02-03). "Pit Lane before the 1953 Indianapolis 500". Blog.indianapolismotorspeedway.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2011-06-23.
- The Talk of Gasoline Alley – 1070-AM WIBC, May 14, 2004
- "1953 International 500 Mile Sweepstakes". ChampCarStats.com. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
- Yates, Brock (1961). The Indianapolis 500: The Story of the Motor Speedway. Harper. p. 68.
- 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- The Talk of Gasoline Alley – 1070-AM WIBC, May 13, 2004
- "5 Stations To Handle 500-Mile". The Indianapolis Star. May 24, 1953. p. 63. Retrieved March 7, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Indianapolis 1953 – Championship". StatsF1.com. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
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
- 1953 Indianapolis 500 Radio Broadcast, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network: Re-broadcast on "The History of the 500" – WFNI (May 12, 2013)
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