The 15th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the

Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon 200, and and formerly the home of the United State ...

on Monday, May 30, 1927. First-time starter

George Souders George R. Souders (September 11, 1900 - July 26, 1976) was an American race car driver who won the 1927 Indianapolis 500. Born in Lafayette, Indiana, George Souders led the last 51 laps of the 1927 race after starting in 22nd position as a race ro ...

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 A riding mechanic was a mechanic that rode along with a race car during races, and who was tasked with maintaining, monitoring, and repairing the car during the race. The various duties included manually pumping oil and fuel, checking tire wear, ...

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

Race summary and results

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 Pete DePaolo (April 6, 1898 – November 26, 1980) was an American race car driver who won the 1925 Indianapolis 500. Biography Peter DePaolo was born on April 6, 1898, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pete saw his first race in 1919, where he w ...

took the lead, driving in relief for

Bob McDonogh Bob McDonogh (March 5, 1900, San Francisco, California – December 10, 1945, Columbus, Ohio) was an American racecar driver. McDonogh made 38 starts in AAA Championship racing from 1924 through 1932. Most of McDonogh's career was during t ...

after his own car dropped out. But a supercharger problem required an extended, unscheduled pit stop to repair. With 60 laps to go,

first took the lead. He steadily pulled away from

Babe Stapp Elbert "Babe" Stapp (February 26, 1904 in San Antonio, Texas – September 17, 1980 in Indianapolis, Indiana) was an American racecar driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involv ...

, both in

Duesenberg Duesenberg Automobile and Motors Company, Inc. was an American race car, racing and luxury car, luxury automobile manufacturer founded in Indianapolis, Indiana, by brothers Fred Duesenberg, Fred and August Duesenberg in 1920. The company is ...

s, and cruised to victory by over 12 minutes. Stapp, on his way to second place, broke a rear axle with a lap and a half to go, and finished out of the top-10. Book "The Indianapolis 500: A Complete Pictorial History" p. 72-75

Race details

For 1927,

s were optional; 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

{{Indy 500 Indianapolis 500 races

Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...