The 38th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 31, 1954. The event was part of the 1954 AAA National Championship Trail, and was also race 2 of 9 in the 1954 World Championship of Drivers.

Time trials

Time trials was scheduled for four days. *Saturday May 15 – Pole Day time trials *Sunday May 16 – Second day time trials *Saturday May 22 – Third day time trials *Sunday May 23 – Fourth day time trials

Starting grid

= Indianapolis 500 rookie; = Former Indianapolis 500 winner

Alternates

*First alternate: Eddie Johnson (#26) — Johnson drove relief during the race

Failed to qualify

Henry Banks Henry Banks (June 14, 1913 – December 18, 1994) was an American midget car and "big car" driver. "Married Roseanne Eisamann, two children, John Allen Banks, and Kathryn Roseanne Banks, three grandchildren Allen Edwin Banks, Jeffrey Henry Banks ...

(#26) - Retired *

Joe Barzda Joseph John "Joe" Barzda (May 22, 1915 – October 11, 1993) was an American racing driver from New Brunswick, New Jersey. Barzda was primarily a midget car racing, midget racing and sprint car racing driver but made ten starts in the United Sta ...

(#54) * Bill Boyd (#47) * Wally Campbell (#66, #81) - Failed rookie test * Bob Christie (#66) * George Connor (#27, #32) - Retired * Ray Crawford (#32) - Entry declined *

Jimmy Davies James Richard Davies (August 8, 1929 – June 11, 1966) was an American racecar driver in Champ cars and midgets. He was the second man to win three USAC National Midget Championships.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 ...

(#93) *

Duke Dinsmore J. Carlyle "Duke" Dinsmore (April 10, 1913 – October 13, 1985) was an American racecar driver. Complete AAA/USAC Championship Car results Indianapolis 500 results * Shared drive with Rodger Ward and Andy Linden. Dinsmore drove ten ...

(#62, #67) *

Walt Faulkner Walt Faulkner (February 16, 1918 – April 22, 1956) was an American racing driver from Tell, Texas. He moved to Milledgeville, Georgia at the age of two-and-a-half, and to Lake Wales, Florida at the age of eight. He then moved to San Diego, Cal ...

(#44, #97) * Pat Flaherty (#39, #76, #89) *

Johnny Fedricks Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John (given name), John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly ...

(#89) *

George Fonder George Thomas Fonder (June 22, 1917 Elmhurst, Pennsylvania – June 14, 1958 Hatfield, Pennsylvania) was an American racecar driver. He made four Championship Car starts, including two in the Indianapolis 500 and drove as a relief driver in ...

(#33, #36) * Potsy Goacher (#67) *

Cliff Griffith Cliff Griffith (February 6, 1916 in Nineveh, Indiana – January 23, 1996 in Rochester, Indiana) was an American racecar driver. Griffith drove in the American Automobile Association, AAA and United States Automobile Club, USAC Championship Car s ...

(#22) * Al Herman (#36) *

Bill Holland Willard Holland (December 18, 1907 – May 19, 1984)) was an American race car driver from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1949 and finished second in 1947, 1948 and 1950. He also was runner up in the 1947 American ...

(#38) *

Frank Mundy Frank "Rebel" Mundy (born June 18, 1918 in Atlanta, Georgia, as Francisco Eduardo Menendez – died May 15, 2009) was an American stock car racer. He competed in the American Automobile Association (AAA) stock cars, winning the 1955 national champ ...

(#41) *

Duke Nalon Dennis "Duke" Nalon (March 2, 1913 – February 26, 2001) was an American midget car, sprint car, and Indy 500 driver from Chicago, Illinois, United States. Racing career Nalon began as a pit crew member for Wally Zale. Nalon occasionally warmed u ...

(#8) *

Danny Oakes Danny Oakes (July 18, 1911 – January 13, 2007) was an American midget car hall of fame driver. Early life Daniel G. Oakes became interested in racing when he delivered morning and evening newspapers in his hometown of Santa Barbara, Califor ...

(#47, #49) * Eddie Russo (#37) *

Eddie Sachs Edward Julius Sachs Jr, (May 28, 1927 – May 30, 1964) was a United States Auto Club driver who was known as the "Clown Prince of Auto Racing". He coined the phrase "If you can't win, be spectacular". Early life Sachs was born May 28, 1927 in A ...

(#54) * Bob Scott (#18, #21) * Joe Sostilio (#45) * Marshall Teague (#3) * George Tichenor (#22) * Johnnie Tolan (#69) *

Lee Wallard Lee Wallard (September 7, 1910 Schenectady, New York – November 29, 1963 St. Petersburg, Florida ) was an American race car driver. In the 1951 Indianapolis 500 Wallard drove the Number 99 Belanger Special to victory, at age 40. Tony Bett ...

(#99) - Retired *

Leroy Warriner Leroy Warriner (March 1, 1919 – January 2, 2003) was an American racing driver from Indianapolis who attempted to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 every year from 1951 to 1958 without succeeding. Warriner only managed to qualify for a single Cha ...

(#67) - Withdrew, injured * Chuck Weyant (#52)

Race summary

Bill Vukovich William John Vukovich Sr. (; December 13, 1918 – May 30, 1955) was an American automobile racing driver of Serbian descent. He won the 1953 and 1954 Indianapolis 500, plus two more American Automobile Association National Championship races, ...

had to work much harder in this race due to his car was now 2 years old and the team had trouble getting it up to speed leading to a 19th place starting spot inside of row 7 for the race. Vukovich did not see the lead until lap 61 when he led 1 lap. He then after losing positions during pitstops worked his way forward, seeing the lead again on lap 92 leading for the next 38 laps until falling back due to another round of pitstops. Then Vukovich took the lead for good on 150 to win his second consecutive 500, setting a record (at the time) 130.840 mph average race speed. The record would stand until the

1957 Indianapolis 500 The 41st International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday, May 30, 1957. The event was part of the 1957 USAC National Championship Trail and it was race 3 of 8 in the 1957 World Championship of Drivers. ...

. Sadly Vukovich died the following year attempting to win his third consecutive Indy 500. The race reportedly went 110 laps before the first yellow light."Heroes of the 500: The 1954 Indianapolis 500 Radio Broadcast" – WIBC, May 2014

Box score

;Notes * – Includes 1 point for fastest lead lap

Additional stats

* Pole position: Jack McGrath – 4:15.26 (4 laps) * Pole Speed: 141.033 mph (average for 4 laps) * Fastest Lead Lap: Jack McGrath – 1:04.04 (140.540 mph) * Relief drivers: ** Troy Ruttman (130 laps) & Duane Carter (70) shared car no 34. Shared points for 4th position. ** Paul Russo (150) & Jerry Hoyt (50) shared car no 5. ** Art Cross (120), Jimmie Davies (30), Johnnie Parsons (22), Andy Linden (17) & Sam Hanks (11) shared car no 45. ** Chuck Stevenson (82), Walt Faulkner (117) shared car no 98. ** Duane Carter (76), Jimmy Jackson (57), Tony Bettenhausen (34) & Marshall Teague (29) shared car no 16. ** Ed Elisian (148) & Bob Scott (45) shared car no 27. ** Frank Armi (179) & George Fonder (14) shared car no 71. ** Sam Hanks (112), Jimmie Davies (36) & Jim Rathmann (43) shared car no 1. ** Rodger Ward (105) & Eddie Johnson (67) shared car no 12. ** Gene Hartley (151) & Marshall Teague (17) shared car no 31. ** Andy Linden (113) & Bob Scott (52) shared car no 74. ** Johnny Thomson (113), Andy Linden (27) & Jimmy Daywalt (25) shared car no 43. ** Jim Rathmann (95) & Pat Flaherty (15) shared car no 38. ** Spider Webb (54) & Danny Kladis (50) shared car no 65. ** Len Duncan (43) & George Fonder (58) shared car no 33.

Broadcasting

Radio

The race was carried live flag-to-flag on the

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network (known typically as the IMS Radio Network or the INDYCAR Radio Network), is an in-house radio syndication arrangement which broadcasts the Indianapolis 500, the NTT IndyCar Series, and Indy Lights to ...

. It was the second time the race was carried in its entirety. The broadcast was anchored by Sid Collins, his third as chief announcer, and seventh year overall with the crew.

Charlie Brockman Charles Thurston Brockman (December 8, 1927 – January 18, 2005) was an American broadcaster and was a president of the United States Auto Club from 1969 to 1972. Biography Brockman worked as a sportscaster on WXLW, WIRE and worked as sports ...

served as booth analyst and statistician, and also reported from victory lane. Of note, the network expanded its coverage to include four qualifying wrap-up shows during time trials weekends. The network expanded to include four qualifying wrap-up shows, and the number of affiliate stations increased to 210. All five major radio stations in Indianapolis carried the broadcast. The 1954 broadcast is notable in that it featured for the first time the famous phrase "Stay tuned for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing." Due to the increased number of affiliates at the time, the network needed a scripted "out-cue" to alert producers when to manually insert local commercials. A young WIBC marketing staff member named Alice Greene (née Bunger) is credited with inventing the phrase, and chief announcer Sid Collins coined it on-air. It has been used ever since, with all of the chief announcers proudly reciting it during their respective tenures.

Championship standings after the race

;World Drivers' Championship standings *Note: Only the top five positions are included.

Gallery

File:Indy500winningcar1953-1954.JPG, 1954 winning car

References

External links

Indianapolis 500 History: Race & All-Time Stats
– Official Site
1954 Indianapolis 500 at RacingReference.info
(Relief driver statistics) {{F1GP 50-59

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 races

1954 in American motorsport