Wikipedia

1933 Indianapolis 500

The 21st International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, May 30, 1933. Louis Meyer defeated Wilbur Shaw by a time of 401.89 seconds (6.69 minutes). The average speed of the race was 104.162 miles per hour (167.632 km/h) while Bill Cummings achieved the pole position with a speed of 118.521 miles per hour (190.741 km/h). The race was part of the 1933 AAA Championship Car season.

21st Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning bodyAAA
DateMay 30, 1933
WinnerLouis Meyer
Winning EntrantTydol-Meyer
Average speed104.162 mph
Pole positionBill Cummings
Pole speed118.530 mph
Most laps ledLouis Meyer (71)
Pre-race
Pace carChrysler Imperial
Pace car driverByron Foy
StarterRoscoe Turner[1]
Honorary refereeLarry P. Fisher[1]
Estimated attendance100,000[2]
Chronology
Previous Next
1932 1934

Meyer was accompanied by riding mechanic Lawson Harris.

The 1933 month of May at Indianapolis was the deadliest running of the 500. Five participants were fatally injured. During practice, Bill Denver and his riding mechanic Bob Hurst were killed in a crash. On race day, Mark Billman was killed in a crash on lap 79 while Lester Spangler and his riding mechanic G.L. "Monk" Jordan were killed in a crash on lap 132. It was the fifth straight year at least one competitor died in a crash during the month.

Time trials

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Ten-lap (25 mile) qualifying runs were utilized. 42 cars averaged faster than the designated 100mph mark, making for the largest starting field in the race's history.

Starting grid

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Row Inside Middle Outside
1 5   Bill Cummings 58   Frank Brisko 12   Fred Frame  W 
2 37   Lou Moore 16   Ernie Triplett 36   Louis Meyer  W 
3 15   Lester Spangler  R  10   Ira Hall 6   Cliff Bergere
4 8   Stubby Stubblefield 2   Pete Kreis 34   Tony Gulotta
5 25   Shorty Cantlon 26   Deacon Litz 21   Chet Gardner
6 9   Zeke Meyer 4   Russ Snowberger 47   L. L. Corum  W 
7 68   Bennett Hill 46   Luther Johnson 22   Louis Schneider  W 
8 64   Mark Billman  R  17   Wilbur Shaw 19   Al Miller
9 27   Kelly Petillo 32   Wesley Crawford 14   Raúl Riganti
10 29   Gene Haustein 45   Babe Stapp 57   Malcolm Fox
11 18   Joe Russo 28   Chet Miller 24   Paul Bost
12 53   Johnny Sawyer  R  65   Freddie Winnai 38   Dave Evans
13 59   Ray Campbell 61   Rick Decker 51   Doc MacKenzie
14 49   Willard Prentiss  R  23   Ralph Hepburn 3   Mauri Rose  R 
R Indianapolis 500 rookie
W Indianapolis 500 winner

Alternates

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Failed to Qualify

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Race summary

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Bill Cummings led early on from the pole, turning laps of 113 mph. He faded from the front and dropped out with mechanical problems. Louis Meyer came from 7th starting position to first lead at 325 miles. By 400 miles, he had a commanding lead and was signaled "E-Z" by his pit crew to slow from his 110 mph pace. He cruised to the checkered with a lead of over 5 laps over Wilbur Shaw, with a new record average speed. [6]

Box score

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Finish Start No Name Entrant Chassis Engine Qual Rank Laps Status
1 6 36   Louis Meyer  W  Louis Meyer Miller Miller 116.977 7 200 Running
2 23 17   Wilbur Shaw Leon Duray Stevens Miller 115.497 12 200 Running
3 4 37   Lou Moore Maley & Scully Duesenberg Miller 117.843 4 200 Running
4 15 21   Chet Gardner Alden Sampson II Stevens Miller 112.319 22 200 Running
5 10 8   Stubby Stubblefield Phil Shafer Rigling Buick 114.784 13 200 Running
6 36 38   Dave Evans Arthur E. Rose Rigling Studebaker 109.448 36 200 Running
7 12 34   Tony Gulotta The Studebaker Corporation Rigling Studebaker 113.578 15 200 Running
8 17 4   Russ Snowberger
(George Howie Laps 110–115)
(Mauri Rose Laps 116–200) 		Russell Snowberger Snowberger Studebaker 110.769 27 200 Running
9 16 9   Zeke Meyer The Studebaker Corporation Rigling Studebaker 111.099 25 200 Running
10 20 46   Luther Johnson
(Ralph Hepburn Laps 116–147)
(Sam Palmer Laps 148–200) 		The Studebaker Corporation Rigling Studebaker 110.097 31 200 Running
11 9 6   Cliff Bergere
(Sam Palmer Laps 83–120) 		The Studebaker Corporation Rigling Studebaker 115.643 11 200 Running
12 18 47   L. L. Corum  W  The Studebaker Corporation Rigling Studebaker 110.465 29 200 Running
13 40 49   Willard Prentiss  R 
(Harold Shaw Laps 145–146) 		J. W. Kleinschmidt Rigling Duesenberg 107.776 41 200 Running
14 27 14   Raúl Riganti
(Juan Gaudino Laps 120–140)
(Juan Gaudino Laps 158–174) 		Raúl Riganti Chrysler Chrysler 108.081 39 200 Running
15 28 29   Gene Haustein Lawrence J. Martz Hudson Hudson 107.603 42 197 Flagged
16 14 26   Deacon Litz
(Louis Schneider Laps 50–97)
(Louis Schneider Laps 153–197) 		A. B. Litz Miller Miller 113.138 17 197 Flagged
17 31 18   Joe Russo F. P. Duesenberg Duesenberg Duesenberg 112.531 20 192 Flagged
18 39 51   Doc MacKenzie Ray T. Brady Duesenberg Studebaker 108.073 40 192 Rear axle
19 25 27   Kelly Petillo William M. Yahr Smith Miller 113.037 18 168 Spun & stalled
20 32 28   Chet Miller
(Shorty Cantlon Laps 102–145) 		R. G. "Buddy" Marr Hudson Hudson 112.025 23 163 Rod
21 24 19   Al Miller R. G. "Buddy" Marr Hudson Hudson 109.799 35 161 Rod
22 19 68   Bennett Hill
(Frank Brisko Laps 110–130) 		S. C. Goldberg Cooper Cooper 110.264 30 158 Rod
23 29 45   Babe Stapp M. J. Boyle Miller Miller 116.626 9 156 Out of gas
24 26 32   Wesley Crawford
(Billy Winn Laps 122–147) 		Frank Brisko Stevens Miller 109.862 33 147 Crash T1
25 1 5   Bill Cummings
(Frank Brisko Laps 113–120) 		M. J. Boyle Miller Miller 118.521 1 136 Radiator
26 7 15   Lester Spangler  R  ✝ Harry Hartz Miller Miller 116.903 8 132 Died in crash at T1
27 35 65   Freddie Winnai
(Terry Curley Laps 100–104) 		James Kemp Duesenberg Duesenberg 111.018 26 125 Engine trouble
28 30 57   Malcolm Fox William Richards Studebaker Studebaker 112.922 19 121 Crash T1
29 3 12   Fred Frame  W  Harry Hartz Wetteroth Miller 117.864 3 85 Valve
30 22 64   Mark Billman  R  ✝ James Kemp Duesenberg Duesenberg 112.410 21 79 Died in crash at T2
31 34 53   Johnny Sawyer  R  Lencki & Unger Miller Miller 110.590 28 77 Clutch
32 11 2   Pete Kreis Fred Frame Summers Miller 114.370 14 63 Universal joint
33 5 16   Ernie Triplett William S. White Weil Miller 117.685 5 61 Piston
34 13 25   Shorty Cantlon William Cantlon Stevens Miller 113.384 16 50 Rod
35 42 3   Mauri Rose  R  Joe Marks Stevens Miller 117.649 6 48 Timing gears
36 2 58   Frank Brisko F.W.D. Auto Company Miller Miller 118.388 2 47 Oil too hot
37 8 10   Ira Hall Denny Duesenberg Stevens Duesenberg 115.739 10 37 Piston
38 41 23   Ralph Hepburn S. C. Goldberg Cooper Cooper 110.001 32 33 Rod bearing
39 37 59   Ray Campbell Tulio Gulotta Hudson Hudson 108.650 37 24 Oil leak
40 33 24   Paul Bost Fred Frame Duesenberg Miller 111.330 24 13 Oil line
41 38 61   Rick Decker Bessie Decker Miller Miller 108.280 38 13 Manifold
42 21 22   Louis Schneider  W  W. R. Blackburn Stevens Miller 109.850 34 1 Stalled
[7][8]

Note: Relief drivers in parentheses[9]

 W  Former Indianapolis 500 winner

 R  Indianapolis 500 Rookie

Race statistics

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Race details

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For 1933, riding mechanics were required.[10]

Despite the deadly month, three rules were installed to make the racing safer. Cars were allowed a maximum of 6 quarts of oil, and could not add oil during the race (a rule still in place today). These changes meant to send "leakers" to the garage and not make the track slippery. Also, fuel tanks were a maximum of 15 gallons, instead of 40 gallons or more. Cars would have to pit more often for fuel and crews could inspect tire wear and other problems. [11]

"Will Overhead"

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In 1933, one of the more famous bits of Indy 500 nostalgia occurred. Telegraph was still being used to transmit race information to newspapers and other outlets across the United States. George Zanaon, a typesetter for The World-Independent newspaper in the town of Walsenburg, Colorado was preparing a story for that day's Indianapolis 500. Since Memorial Day was a holiday, his young editor John B. Kirkpatrick was alone monitoring the Associated Press wire for race updates. The race took several hours to complete, and the AP wire was shut down prior to the finish. Kirkpatrick had nearly the entire story ready for print, minus the winner of the race. A helpful AP editor in Denver advised him that he would send the name of the winner via Western Union telegraph.

The telegraph Kirkpatrick received, in typical newspaper shorthand lingo was: "WILL OVERHEAD WINNER OF INDIANAPOLIS 500," meaning that he would send the information by telegraph when the information was available. The young editor misunderstood the jargon in the message, and interpreted it as saying a driver named Will Overhead was the winner. The headline read "Will Overhead won the Indianapolis Memorial Day race today. At the two hundred fifty mile post Babe Stapp was leading the string of racing cars, but gave way to Overhead on the last half of the 500 mile grind." The true winner was Louis Meyer. The gaffe put the town of Walsenburg, and The World-Independent newspaper (now known as the Huerfano World Journal), on the map in racing circles.[12][13][14]

References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "Race Gets Late Start First Time In History; Drivers Threaten "Strike"". The Indianapolis Star. May 31, 1933. p. 9. Retrieved June 3, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  3. ^ The Talk of Gasoline Alley - 1070-AM WIBC, May 14, 2004
  4. ^ "Wheeling, dealing for final spot in Indy 500 is under way". St. Joseph Gazette. 1984-05-24. Retrieved 2012-04-02.
  5. ^ "1933 International 500 Mile Sweepstakes". ChampCarStats.com. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  6. ^ Book "The Indianapolis 500: A Complete Pictorial History" p.99-100
  7. ^ "Indianapolis 500 1933". Ultimate Racing History. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  8. ^ Popely, Rick; Riggs, L. Spencer (1998). The Indianapolis 500 Chronicle. Lincolnwood, Illinois: Publications International, Ltd. ISBN 0-7853-2798-3.
  9. ^ "International 500 Mile Sweepstakes – May 30, 1933". ChampCarStats.com.
  10. ^ Blazier, John E.; Rollings, Tom (1994). Forgotten Heroes of the Speedways: The Riding Mechanics.
  11. ^ Book "The Indianapolis 500: A Complete Pictorial History" p.98
  12. ^ "Will Overhead, a real no-name, once 'won' Indy 500 race". Wilington Morning Star. May 23, 1983. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
  13. ^ The Talk of Gasoline Alley. May 5, 2003. 1070 WIBC-AM.
  14. ^ The Talk of Gasoline Alley. May 12, 2008. WFNI.


1932 Indianapolis 500
Fred Frame 		1933 Indianapolis 500
Louis Meyer 		1934 Indianapolis 500
Bill Cummings
Preceded by
104.144 mph
(1932 Indianapolis 500)
 Record for the fastest average speed
104.162 mph 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1933_Indianapolis_500&oldid=1226006407"