The 30th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes 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 Sta ...
on Thursday, May 30, 1946. This was the first Indianapolis 500 presided over by new track owner
Tony Hulman
Anton "Tony" Hulman Jr. (February 11, 1901 – October 27, 1977) was an American businessman from Terre Haute, Indiana, who bought the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1945 and brought racing back to the famous race course after a four-year hiatus ...
. The track had closed in late 1941 due to
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, and over the next four years, the facility fell into a terrible
state of disrepair. Hulman purchased the Speedway in November 1945, and quickly went to work cleaning up the grounds, which had become overwhelmed by overgrowth and
weeds. The Speedway re-opened, and the 1946 race was considered a rousing success.
Race winner
George Robson would be killed
in a racing crash just months after the victory.
The 1946 running of the 500 was the first of sixty-one consecutive years (1946-2006) that featured popular fixture
Tom Carnegie
Tom or TOM may refer to:
* Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name)
Characters
* Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head''
* Tom Beck, a character ...
on the Speedway public address system.
During the pre-race ceremonies,
James Melton performed the song "
Back Home Again in Indiana." It was the first time the
traditional
A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...
song had been performed before the start of the race.
Sale of the Speedway
On December 7, 1941, the
attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...
launched the United States into
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. On December 29, 1941, then-president of 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 Sta ...
Eddie Rickenbacker announced that the
1942 Indianapolis 500 was cancelled,
and the race would remain suspended throughout the duration of the war.
The Speedway gates were locked, and the facility was abandoned. The race would not be held from 1942 to 1945. During the period in which the track was closed, it fell into a terrible state of disrepair. Grass and weeds overwhelmed the brick racing surface,
and the old wooden grandstands became frail and unsuitable and inhospitable.
Tony Hulman
Anton "Tony" Hulman Jr. (February 11, 1901 – October 27, 1977) was an American businessman from Terre Haute, Indiana, who bought the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1945 and brought racing back to the famous race course after a four-year hiatus ...
announced the Indianapolis 500 would resume on its traditional date of
Memorial Day
Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...
for 1946.
The
AAA Contest Board
AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to:
Airports
* Anaa Airport in French Polynesia (IATA airport code AAA)
* Logan County Airport (Illinois) (FAA airport code AAA)
Arts, entertainment, and m ...
subsequently announced that the specifications and rules would remain largely unchanged from
1941
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar E ...
.
In mid-December, Indiana Lieutenant Governor
Richard T. James
Richard Thompson James (March 27, 1918 – July 13, 1974) was an American naval engineer, best known for inventing the Slinky spring toy with his wife Betty James in Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania in 1943.
Education
James was born on March 27, ...
, while on an official trip to Europe, formally extended invitations to European racing teams to enter for the 500.
Race schedule
The deadline for entries to be received was midnight on May 1, along with a $125 entry fee.
As had been customary, the track was made available for practice beginning May 1. Some teams, however, began arriving and setting up at the track as early as mid-March. Due to the ongoing renovations and construction, spectators were not allowed through the gates until May 11; only participants and press were allowed to enter the gates before then. In addition, practice over the first ten days of May was limited to 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily. On May 11, the track was opened to spectators for the first time during the month for a charge of 50¢ per person. Also on May 11, practice time was extended from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Time trials was tentatively scheduled for five days - the two weekends leading up to race day, along with the Tuesday two days before the race.
However, rain and the lingering shortage of necessary parts kept many of the cars off the track. Eventually, eight total days were made available for qualifying in order to fill the field to the traditional 33 cars.
Race preparations
January
The rules announced were largely carried over from
1941
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar E ...
, with few changes. Prize money was set at $20,000 for first place, and the traditional 33 cars would make up the starting grid.
February
Tickets for the 1946 Indianapolis 500 officially went on sale on February 1.
Mail orders had been pouring steadily in since the track was sold in November. Some eager fans sent requests for tickets as early as August (shortly after
V-J Day) anticipating the track would reopen.
Even though at the time there were no plans yet in place to reopen the track, much less hold the race.
Numerous announcements were made with regard to officials and personnel. Seth Klein returned as the chief starter,
Chester Ricker returned as the director of timing and scoring,
and
Henry Ford II
Henry Ford II (September 4, 1917 – September 29, 1987), sometimes known as "Hank the Deuce", was an American businessman in the automotive industry. He was the oldest son of Edsel Ford I and oldest grandson of Henry Ford I. He was president ...
was named the driver of the
Lincoln Continental
The Lincoln Continental is a series of mid-sized and full-sized luxury cars produced by Lincoln, a division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. The model line was introduced following the construction of a personal vehicle for Ed ...
pace car.
Kirkpatrick studio was signed on as the official photographers of the 500-mile race.
The
Indiana State Police
The Indiana State Police is the statewide law enforcement agency for the U.S. state of Indiana. Indiana was the 12th state to offer protection to its citizens with a state police force.
Its headquarters are in the Indiana Government Center No ...
was assigned to crowd control duties.
Entries slowly began to arrive, bringing the total to six by the end of the month.
Cliff Bergere and
Joie Chitwood
George Rice Chitwood (April 14, 1912 – January 3, 1988), nicknamed "Joie", was an American racecar driver and businessman. He is best known as a daredevil in the Joie Chitwood Thrill Show.
Background
Chitwood was born in Denison, Texas; he was ...
were the first two drivers to be entered. Cars were entered for
Russ Snowberger
Russell Snowberger (October 8, 1901 – September 28, 1968) was an American racecar driver and owner active from the 1920s through the 1950s. After his lengthy Indianapolis career, Snowberger continued his affiliation with the "500" by sponsori ...
,
Ted Horn and
George Connor.
On February 7,
Harry McQuinn
Harry McQuinn (December 13, 1905–January 1, 1986 ) was an American racecar driver active in the 1930s and 1940s.
Born in Nineveh, Indiana, McQuinn raced in a Bob Wilke/Leader Card-sponsored midget car owned by the Marchese Brothers from Mi ...
flew into the Speedway, landing his
Aeronca Champion
The Aeronca Model 7 Champion, commonly known as the "Champ", or "Airknocker",Bellanca Aircraft Corp, " d: "The Champ only $4,995"" ''Flying Annual & Pilots' Guide,'' 1971 ed., pp.36–37 iff-Davis NY is a single-engine light airplane with a ...
airplane on the backstretch, arriving to personally deliver his entry for the race. Construction workers at the track briefly halted work to watch the plane land.
Though not yet entered, driver
Al Putnam
Adelbert William "Al" Putnam (9 October 1908 Salt Lake City, Utah – 15 September 1946 Indianapolis, Indiana) was an American racecar driver
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport invo ...
was preparing for the race.
March
Speedway officials continued to rebuild staff for the race. Clifford M. Rigsbee was appointed head of a new technical group at the Speedway.
A welcoming committee with the local chamber of commerce was formed, in order to re-acclimate spectators to the event after the hiatus during the war. In addition, the Speedway announced Dr. E. Rogers Smith as the chief of the track medical staff.
The $300,000 renovation project at the track was reported to be on-schedule. The grounds were now mostly cleaned up, and the biggest item of work was the pouring of concrete for the new Paddock grandstand across from the Pagoda. Excavation for the new G grandstand was underway, and many new parquet seats were already in place behind the pit area. The old diner adjacent to Gasoline Alley had been razed and a new restaurant was to be built in its place.
With less than two months until race day, advanced reserved tickets sales were reported as brisk.
By the end of the month, the entry list was up to 15 cars. Cars were entered for
Al Putnam
Adelbert William "Al" Putnam (9 October 1908 Salt Lake City, Utah – 15 September 1946 Indianapolis, Indiana) was an American racecar driver
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport invo ...
, Steve Truchan, and Arthur M. Sims entered the machine that
Wilbur Shaw drove to victory in the
1937 race, but a driver was not yet named. One other car was entered by Ed Walsh without a driver named.
Three-time pole position holder and
1941 National Champion Rex Mays
Rex Houston Mays Jr. (March 10, 1913 – November 6, 1949) was a AAA Championship Car race driver. He was a two-time AAA champion and won 8 points-scoring races.
He made his Indianapolis 500 debut in 1934 and won the pole in 1935, 1936, and ag ...
was slated to drive the ''Bowes Seal Fast Special'', the same car he drove to second place in
1941
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar E ...
.
Despite facing financial and transportation difficulties, at least five European drivers were inquiring about submitting entries.
Early in the month, a minor controversy loomed. It was reported some drivers, particularly those from the U.S. West Coast, were expressing concern about the perceived low purse announced for the race.
April
With less than a month to go before the track officially opened for practice, entries continued to pour in. Cars were entered for
Harry O'Reilly Schell,
"Raph",
Emil Andres,
George Barringer
George Barringer (May 2, 1906 – September 2, 1946) was an American racecar driver, active during the 1930s and 1940s. Barringer made 17 Championship Car starts with a best finish of second at Springfield in August 1935 and Milwaukee in August ...
,
Joel Thorne
Joel W. Thorne (16 October 1914 New York City – 17 October 1955 North Hollywood, California) was an American racecar driver, engineer, and playboy. He died when he crashed his private plane, after what witnesses described as "stunting", into ...
,
Cliff Bergere,
Rudolf Caracciola
Otto Wilhelm Rudolf CaracciolaBolsinger and Becker (2002), p. 63 (30 January 1901 – 28 September 1959) was a racing driver from Remagen, Germany. He won the European Drivers' Championship, the pre-1950 equivalent of the modern Formula One Wo ...
,
Tazio Nuvolari
Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari (; 16 November 1892 – 11 August 1953) was an Italian racing driver. He first raced motorcycles and then concentrated on sports cars and single-seaters. A resident of Mantua, he was known as 'Il Mantovano Volante' ( ...
,
Chet Miller
Chester Miller (July 19, 1902 – May 15, 1953) was an American racecar driver. He was killed in a crash in the south turn of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during practice for the 1953 Indianapolis 500. Yates, Brock W. "The Indianapolis 500 ...
,
and several others.
By the end of the month, the entry list was up to 44 cars.
Refurbishment of the facility continued, including the near-completion of new grandstands.
On April 6, the Speedway Golf Course opened for business.
Officials announced that a small number of tickets were still available.
George Barringer
George Barringer (May 2, 1906 – September 2, 1946) was an American racecar driver, active during the 1930s and 1940s. Barringer made 17 Championship Car starts with a best finish of second at Springfield in August 1935 and Milwaukee in August ...
arrived with his car on April 22,
and two days later on April 24, Barringer became the first driver to take to the track for the year. Barringer's supercharged rear-engined machine completed laps over 115 mph.
Track president Wilbur Shaw,
George Connor, Chet Miller, and others were on hand to watch. The following day, April 25,
Tony Bettenhausen
Melvin Eugene "Tony" Bettenhausen (September 12, 1916 – May 12, 1961) was an American racing driver, who won the National Championship in 1951 and 1958.
Bettenhausen was nicknamed the "Tinley Park Express" in honor of his hometown. He was ...
became the second driver to take laps.
Off the track, Roy E. Cole, vice-president in charge of engineering at
Studebaker, was named the chairman of the technical committee for the race.
Also, the Lap Prize Fund was accumulating,
and the prize fund was announced at $60,000, quelling some of the concern about a low purse.
Practice
The track officially opened for practice on Wednesday May 1. However, practice time was limited to 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm for the first ten days in order to allow construction crews extra time to finish refurbishing the facility. In addition, spectators were not allowed inside the gates until May 11. The deadline for entries to be received was midnight on May 1, and any entries postmarked on or before May 1 were accepted. Numerous entries came in just before the deadline,
bringing the total to 56 cars.
During the first week, many drivers and mechanics had arrived at the track,
often seen hanging out at the restaurant in Gasoline Alley,
and working on cars.
However, few cars took to the track yet. At least ten cars were already in the garage area by Saturday May 4, with more arriving each day.
At the end of the first week,
Tazio Nuvolari
Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari (; 16 November 1892 – 11 August 1953) was an Italian racing driver. He first raced motorcycles and then concentrated on sports cars and single-seaters. A resident of Mantua, he was known as 'Il Mantovano Volante' ( ...
announced he was withdrawing from the race, due to the death of his son.
Achille Varzi was named his replacement, but the car would ultimately fail to qualify.
Practice started in earnest beginning on May 11. The track was now open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and spectators were allowed to attended.
Time trials
Time trials was originally scheduled for five days (May 18–19, 25–26, and 28), but rain delays took away available track time. In addition, post-war shortages of certain replacement parts delayed some cars from being able to participate in practice sessions. Officials eventually would make the track available for qualifying on three additional days in order to fill the field to the traditional 33 cars. The minimum speed to qualify was set at 115 mph. Approximately 56 entries were expected to make attempts to qualify.
Officials retained the four lap (10-mile) qualifying runs that were traditional from 1920–1933 and from 1939–1941. The fastest qualifier on the first day of time trials ("pole day") would win the
pole position. Cars that qualified on the second day would line up behind the first qualifiers, and so on. Prior to
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, on time trials days the track would typically be open until "
sundown." But for 1946, the times were standardized such that the track would close each day at 5:30 p.m., except for the final day
- unless weather interfered.
Saturday May 18
The first day of time trials was scheduled for Saturday May 18. The track would be open from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The favorites for the front row included
Harry McQuinn
Harry McQuinn (December 13, 1905–January 1, 1986 ) was an American racecar driver active in the 1930s and 1940s.
Born in Nineveh, Indiana, McQuinn raced in a Bob Wilke/Leader Card-sponsored midget car owned by the Marchese Brothers from Mi ...
,
Cliff Bergere,
Rex Mays
Rex Houston Mays Jr. (March 10, 1913 – November 6, 1949) was a AAA Championship Car race driver. He was a two-time AAA champion and won 8 points-scoring races.
He made his Indianapolis 500 debut in 1934 and won the pole in 1935, 1936, and ag ...
, and
Ted Horn. Since many teams were lacking practice time, and some lacking parts, less than a dozen cars were expected to take to the track on Saturday.
Over 20,000 spectators arrived for the first significant track action in nearly five years. However, rain threatened most of the afternoon, and allowed only six cars to complete runs. During a practice run,
Frank McGurk in the ''Shoof Special'' spun coming out of turn four and hit the outside wall. The car hit the outside rail a second time, then slid across the track hitting the inside guardrail. McGurk was not seriously injured. The car was not seriously damaged, and was expected to be repaired. Pole favorites
Rex Mays
Rex Houston Mays Jr. (March 10, 1913 – November 6, 1949) was a AAA Championship Car race driver. He was a two-time AAA champion and won 8 points-scoring races.
He made his Indianapolis 500 debut in 1934 and won the pole in 1935, 1936, and ag ...
and
Ted Horn suffered engine problems, preventing them from going out Saturday. Horn broke a water pump, while Mays suffered broken connecting rods and bearings.
Indy veteran
Cliff Bergere won the pole position with a speed of 126.471 mph. At age 49, Bergere became the oldest pole winner in Indy history up to that point.
Paul Russo
Paul Russo (April 10, 1914 in Kenosha, Wisconsin – February 13, 1976 in Clearwater, Florida) was an American racecar driver.
Midget car career
He started racing midget cars in 1934. He went with a contingent of midget-car drivers to Hawa ...
, driving a unique twin-
four-cylinder engine
The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized.
Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categorize ...
machine, qualified second to sit in the middle of the front row. On Russo's car, one engine drove the front axle, and the second engine drove the rear axle. Russo was on pace to take the pole through three laps, but on his fourth and final lap, one of his superchargers got too hot, and dropped the speed down.
Sam Hanks
Samuel Dwight "Sam" Hanks (July 13, 1914 – June 27, 1994) was an American race car driver who won the 1957 Indianapolis 500. He was a barnstormer, and raced midget and Championship cars.
Racing career
Hanks was born in Columbus, Ohio and l ...
rounded out the front row, despite leaking oil which obscured his goggles.
Rear-wheel drive cars swept two spots on the front row, with
Jimmy Jackson (5th) the highest front-wheel-drive-only machine.
Rain closed the track for nearly two hours, prompting officials to extend qualifying until 7:30 p.m. Still, only seven cars made runs, and only six were completed.
Mauri Rose
Maurice "Mauri" Rose (May 26, 1906 – January 1, 1981) was an American racecar driver.
He started from the pole position driving a Maserati in the 1941 Indianapolis 500, but spark plug problems put him out of the race after sixty laps. He then t ...
had a fast first lap that could have put him on the front row, but the engine threw a rod on lap two.
*
Source: ''The Indianapolis Star''
Sunday May 19
Time trials was scheduled for 12:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. A crowd of 40,000-60,000 spectators
arrived but not a single car made a qualifying attempt. High winds kept most cars off the track early on, and later rain washed out most of remainder of the afternoon. Some cars did practice, but when the rains came, most spectators departed. Officials announced that Monday May 20 would be designated for qualifying, in order to make up for lost track time over the weekend.
Monday May 20
After weather interfered on Sunday, officials made Monday May 20 available for qualifications. Three cars completed runs in front of a small crowd of only 3,000 spectators.
Ted Horn (driving Wilbur Shaw's 1940 winning car) was the fastest of the day. Horn's car, prepared by "Cotton" Henning, ran two identical laps, and put him on the inside of row three.
Officials announced that Tuesday May 21 would not be available for qualifications.
Tuesday May 21
Charles VanAcker crashed. Duke Nalon made an exhibition run.
Wednesday May 22
Qualifying resumed on Wednesday May 22. Approximately 20,000 spectators saw five cars complete runs, and the field was filled to 14 cars.
Mauri Rose
Maurice "Mauri" Rose (May 26, 1906 – January 1, 1981) was an American racecar driver.
He started from the pole position driving a Maserati in the 1941 Indianapolis 500, but spark plug problems put him out of the race after sixty laps. He then t ...
, who threw a rod on his first attempts, returned Wednesday with a different engine, was the fastest car of the day.
During a practice run for his driver's test,
Hal Robson
Harold Robson (August 16, 1911 – July 2, 1996) was a Canadian-American racecar driver active in the 1940s. He was the brother of 1946 Indianapolis 500
The 30th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedwa ...
broke an axle in turn two, lost a wheel, and spun out. Robson was not injured, and completed the test later on in a different car.
Saturday May 25
After two days of practice only, time trials resumed on Saturday May 25. With a speed of 128.861 mph,
Rex Mays
Rex Houston Mays Jr. (March 10, 1913 – November 6, 1949) was a AAA Championship Car race driver. He was a two-time AAA champion and won 8 points-scoring races.
He made his Indianapolis 500 debut in 1934 and won the pole in 1935, 1936, and ag ...
tentatively became the fastest qualifier in the field. As a qualifier on the fourth day, however, Mays would line up in 14th starting position. Mays was followed by
George Robson and
Jimmy Wilburn, both over 125 mph. Wilburn had passed his rookie driver's test just two hours prior to making his attempt. A crowd of about 12,500 witnessed the afternoon.
Sunday May 26
Ralph Hepburn
Ralph R. Hepburn (April 11, 1896 – May 16, 1948) was a pioneer American motorcycle racing champion and an Indianapolis 500 racecar driver.
Born in Somerville, Massachusetts, Hepburn's family moved to Los Angeles, California when he was ten ...
shattered the one-lap and four-lap track records and became the fastest qualifier in the field. Hepburn returned to the track a day after his car quit during his first attempt. Under cold weather and threatening skies, about 22,500 spectators saw fours drivers complete runs, and the field was filled to 22 cars.
Hepburn's fourth lap was the fastest, a track record , and his four-lap average was a record . Hepburn drove the 8-cylinder front-wheel drive ''Novi Governor Special'', entered by W.S. Winfield.
Monday May 27
At the request of many teams, time trials was extended into yet another day, with the track open from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Four cars completed runs, tentatively filling the field to 27 cars.
Hal Robson
Harold Robson (August 16, 1911 – July 2, 1996) was a Canadian-American racecar driver active in the 1940s. He was the brother of 1946 Indianapolis 500
The 30th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedwa ...
joined his brother
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...
in the field, but the speeds were noticeably down from Sunday's record-breaking efforts.
With only one day remaining to qualify, six positions were tentatively left to be filled.
Tuesday May 28
The deadline for qualifications was set at sundown (8:08 p.m.) on Tuesday May 28. When the day opened, six spots were left open in the field.
Tony Bettenhausen
Melvin Eugene "Tony" Bettenhausen (September 12, 1916 – May 12, 1961) was an American racing driver, who won the National Championship in 1951 and 1958.
Bettenhausen was nicknamed the "Tinley Park Express" in honor of his hometown. He was ...
withdrew his previously-qualified car due to a broken crankshaft. He would re-qualify a new car to be the fastest driver of the day.
During a practice run,
Caracciola, in one of the ''Thorne Engineering Special''s, lost control and crashed in turn two. He was thrown from the machine, which was badly damaged. Caracciola was seriously injured, and rushed to the hospital. After his release from the hospital, track owner
Tony Hulman
Anton "Tony" Hulman Jr. (February 11, 1901 – October 27, 1977) was an American businessman from Terre Haute, Indiana, who bought the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1945 and brought racing back to the famous race course after a four-year hiatus ...
invited Caracciola to recuperate at his home in
Terre Haute
Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...
.
Danny Kladis
Danny Kladis (February 10, 1917 – April 26, 2009) was an American racecar driver. He was born in Crystal City, Missouri and died at Joliet, Illinois. 92-year-old Kladis was the oldest living Indy 500 starter at the time of his death.
Racin ...
was the first driver to complete a run during the afternoon, at a relatively slow pace of . He slipped down the standings as the day progressed, but his speed would hold up and he barely held on to qualify 33rd. Late in the afternoon,
Charles Van Acker
Charles Van Acker (14 March 1912 Brussels – 31 May 1998 South Bend, Indiana) was a Belgian-American racecar driver. He first attempted to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in 1946 but was too slow. In 1947 he made the race and finished in 29t ...
completed his required four laps at an average of 115.666 mph to fill the field at 33 cars. Buddy Rusch was now "on the bubble", the slowest car in the field. Steve Truchan was the next car out, but he pulled into the pits after only three laps.
Just minutes before sundown, three cars took to the track in an effort to bump their way into the field. Tony Bettenhausen,
Billy Devore
Louis Wiley "Billy" Devore (12 September 1910, St. John, Kansas – 12 August 1985, Indianapolis, Indiana) was an American racecar driver
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving th ...
and
George Connor all took to the track at the same time in order to make it in before the deadline. Bettenhausen earned a new spot in the field after withdrawing his previous car. Connor and Devore bumped Buddy Rusch and Charles Van Acker, respectively. One final car,
Freddy Winnai
Freddie Winnai (April 8, 1905 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – September 4, 1977 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was an American racecar driver during the AAA
AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer t ...
made a last-ditch effort to make the field, but the car quit before completing a lap.
Starting grid
Alternates
*First alternate:
Buddy Rusch (#37) – Bumped ()
Failed to Qualify
*
Charles Van Acker
Charles Van Acker (14 March 1912 Brussels – 31 May 1998 South Bend, Indiana) was a Belgian-American racecar driver. He first attempted to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in 1946 but was too slow. In 1947 he made the race and finished in 29t ...
(#62) – Bumped ()
*
Steve Truchan (#28) – Incomplete run
*
Freddy Winnai
Freddie Winnai (April 8, 1905 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – September 4, 1977 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was an American racecar driver during the AAA
AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer t ...
(#71) – Incomplete run
*
Robert Arbuthnot (#57)
*
Zora Arkus-Duntov
Zora Arkus-Duntov (December 25, 1909 – April 21, 1996) was a Belgian-born American engineer whose work on the Chevrolet Corvette earned him the nickname "Father of the Corvette." He is sometimes erroneously referred to as the inventor of the Co ...
(#49)
*
Harold Bailey
Sir Harold Walter Bailey, (16 December 1899 – 11 January 1996), who published as H. W. Bailey, was an English scholar of Khotanese, Sanskrit, and the comparative study of Iranian languages.
Life
Bailey was born in Devizes, Wiltshire, and rai ...
(#58)
*
Bud Bardowski (#37)
*
Gerald Brisko (#18)
*
Jim Brubaker (#68)
*
Arvol Brunmeier (#67)
*
Rudolf Caracciola
Otto Wilhelm Rudolf CaracciolaBolsinger and Becker (2002), p. 63 (30 January 1901 – 28 September 1959) was a racing driver from Remagen, Germany. He won the European Drivers' Championship, the pre-1950 equivalent of the modern Formula One Wo ...
(#44, #72)
*
Bruce Denslow (#56)
*
Louis Gerard (#36)
*
Tommy Hinnershitz
Thomas Paul Hinnershitz (April 6, 1912 – August 1, 1999) was an American race car driver.
Hinnershitz was active through the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s on dirt, asphalt and boards, driving "Big Cars" (later Sprint Cars), at that time slightly ...
(#34)
*
Joe Langley (#55)
*
Frank McGurk (#17)
*
Al Miller (#9)
*
Wally Mitchell (#43)
*
Ray Richards
Raymond William Richards (July 16, 1906 – September 18, 1974) was an American football player and coach on both the college and professional levels, including head coach for the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL).
Richard ...
(#27)
*
Bud Rose (#69)
*
Harry Schell
Henry O'Reilly "Harry" Schell (June 29, 1921 – May 13, 1960) was an American Grand Prix motor racing driver. He was the first American driver to start a Formula One Grand Prix.
Early life
Schell was born in Paris, France, the son of expatri ...
(#46)
*
Joel Thorne
Joel W. Thorne (16 October 1914 New York City – 17 October 1955 North Hollywood, California) was an American racecar driver, engineer, and playboy. He died when he crashed his private plane, after what witnesses described as "stunting", into ...
(#44)
*
Achille Varzi (#53)
*
Bus Wilbert
Edward Clifford "Bus" Wilbert, Jr. (September 2, 1915 – August 11, 1946) was an American racecar driver. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was killed at the age of 31 on August 11, 1946, while in the middle of a race in Indiana.
Ca ...
*
Doc Williams
*
Dioscoride Lanza (#74) - Did not appear
*
"Raph" (#35) - Did not arrive
*
Joe Silvia - Did not appear
Race summary
At the start,
Mauri Rose
Maurice "Mauri" Rose (May 26, 1906 – January 1, 1981) was an American racecar driver.
He started from the pole position driving a Maserati in the 1941 Indianapolis 500, but spark plug problems put him out of the race after sixty laps. He then t ...
tied an Indy record by leading the first lap from the 9th starting position. Attrition was high in the first race after World War II, as three of the first four cars on the grid were out before the 50 mile mark.
George Robson took the lead for good on lap 93. His six-cylinder Sparks was the first 6-cylinder winning car since
Ray Harroun
Ray Harroun (January 12, 1879 – January 19, 1968) was an American racecar driver and pioneering constructor most famous for winning the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911. He is the inventer of the open-wheel car.
Biography
He was born on Janua ...
in 1911. Rookie
Jimmy Jackson finished second, at the relatively close margin of 44 seconds.
Ted Horn made two lengthy pit stops and fell seven laps behind the last running car. Horn returned to the track, and charged all the way up to third place at the finish. Horn was the fastest car on the track in the second half, and he completed the entire 500 miles, but was 12 minutes behind Robson.
A mild controversy came about after the race, as race winner Robson was accused of breaking the rules by not exiting the cockpit of the car during pit stops. A protest was filed, but it was later dismissed.
Box score
Statistics
Broadcasting
Radio
The race was carried live on the
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System (commonly referred to simply as Mutual; sometimes referred to as MBS, Mutual Radio or the Mutual Radio Network) was an American commercial radio network in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the Old-time radio, golden ...
. The broadcast was sponsored by
Perfect Circle Piston Rings and
Bill Slater served as the anchor.
The broadcast featured live coverage of the start, the finish, and live updates throughout the race.
See also
*
1946 AAA Championship Car season
The 1946 AAA Championship Car season was the first season of American Championship car racing following World War II. After four years without racing in the United States, the AAA Contest Board was initially concerned about having enough races, en ...
Works cited
Indianapolis 500 History: Race & All-Time Stats– Official Site
*1946 Indianapolis 500 Radio Broadcast,
Mutual: ''Re-broadcast'' on "The All-Night Race Party" -
WFNI
WFNI (1070 AM) is a commercial radio station in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is owned by locally based Emmis Communications and carries a sports radio format, featuring ESPN Radio programming. The studios and offices are located at 40 Monu ...
(May 28, 2011)
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 ...
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 ...
1946 in American motorsport
May 1946 sports events in the United States