34

38th Indianapolis International Motor Sweepstakes

31 May 1954Indianapolis804.675 km (4.023 km x 200 Laps) = 500 Miles (2.5 Miles x 200 Laps)

 Pole Position: Jack McGrath, Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser, 4:15.26 (226.92 km/h = 141.03 mph) Fastest Lap: Jack McGrath, Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser, 1:04.04 (226.12 km/h = 140.54 mph lap 29) Race Results: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed Money 1 14 Bill Vukovich Kurtis KK500A-Offenhauser 3:49:17.27 130.840 $74,935 (210.55 km/h) 2 9 Jimmy Bryan Kuzma-Offenhauser 3:50:27.22 130.178 $35,885 3 2 Jack McGrath Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser 3:50:37.00 130.086 $27,410 4 34 Troy Ruttmam/ 130 laps Duane Carter Kurtis KK500A-Offenhauser 3:52:09.95 129.218 $12,710 70 laps 5 73 Mike Nazaruk Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser 3:52:41.82 128.923 $10,935 6 77 Freddie Agabashian Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser 3:53:04.82 128.711 $8,035 7 7 Don Freeland Phillips-Offenhauser 3:53:30.62 128.474 $6,885 8 5 Paul Russo/ 150 laps Jerry Hoyt Kurtis KK500A-Offenhauser 3:54:18.44 128.037 $6,260 50 laps 9 28 Larry Crocket Kurtis KK3000-Offenhauser 3:56:24.51 126.899 $6,985 10 24 Cal Niday Stevens-Offenhauser 3:56:24.96 126.895 $6,310 11 45 Art Cross/ 120 laps Johnnie Parsons/ 22 laps Sam Hanks/ 11 laps Andy Linden/ 17 laps Jimmy Davies Kurtis KK4000-Offenhauser 3:57:39.42 126.232 $5,255 30 laps 12 98 Chuck Stevenson/ 82 laps Walt Faulkner Kuzma-Offenhauser 199 Flagged $3,710 117 laps 13 88 Manuel Ayulo Kuzma-Offenhauser 197 Flagged $3,465 14 17 Bob Sweikert Kurtis KK4000-Offenhauser 197 Flagged $3,445 15 16 Duane Carter/ 76 laps Marshall Teague/ 29 laps Jimmy Jackson/ 57 laps Tony Bettenhausen Kurtis KK4000-Offenhauser 196 Flagged $3,225 34 laps 16 32 Ernie McCoy Kurtis KK500B-Offenhauser 196 Flagged $3,105 17 25 Jimmy Reece Pankratz-Offenhauser 196 Flagged $2,985 18 27 Ed Elisian/ 148 laps Bob Scott Stevens-Offenhauser 193 Flagged $2,865 45 laps 19 71 Frank Armi/ 169 laps George Fonder Curtis-Offenhauser 193 Flagged $2,835 24 laps (141-164) Did Not Finish: 20 1 Sam Hanks/ 112 laps Jimmy Davies/ 36 laps Jim Rathmann Kurtis KK4000-Offenhauser 191 Spun FS $2,955 43 laps 21 35 Pat O'Connor Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser 181 Spun 2 $3,275 22 12 Rodger Ward/ 105 laps Eddie Johnson Pawl-Offenhauser 172 Stalled BS $2,945 67 laps 23 31 Gene Hartley/ 151 laps Marshall Teague Kurtis KK4000-Offenhauser 168 Engine trouble $2,815 17 laps 24 43 Johnny Thompson/ 113 laps Andy Linden/ 27 laps Bill Homeier Nichels-Offenhauser 165 Stalled $2,885 25 laps 25 74 Andy Linden/ 113 laps Bob Scott Schroeder-Offenhauser 165 Torsion bar $3,655 52 laps 26 99 Jerry Hoyt Kurtis-Offenhauser 130 Engine trouble $2,625 27 19 Jimmy Daywalt Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser 111 Crash 4 $4,445 28 38 Jim Rathmann/ 95 laps Pat Flaherty Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser 110 Crash 4 $2,765 15 laps 29 10 Tony Bettenhausen Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser 105 Bearing $2,535 30 65 Spider Webb/ 54 laps Danny Kladis Bromme-Offenhauser 104 Oil Leak $2,605 50 laps 31 33 Len Duncan/ 43 laps George Fonder Schroeder-Offenhauser 101 Cylinder $2,875 58 laps 32 15 Johnnie Parsons Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser 79 Stalled in pits $2,745 33 51 Bill Homeier Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser 74 Crash pits $2,415 Lap Leaders: Car# Driver Car Laps Total 2 Jack McGrath Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser 1-44 47 19 Jimmy Daywalt Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser 45-50 8 45 Art Cross Kurtis KK4000-Offenhauser 51-54 8 19 Jimmy Daywalt Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser 55 45 Art Cross Kurtis KK4000-Offenhauser 56-59 19 Jimmy Daywalt Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser 60 14 Bill Vukovich Kurtis KK500A-Offenhauser 61 90 1 Sam Hanks Kurtis KK4000-Offenhauser 62 1 9 Jimmy Bryan Kuzma-Offenhauser 63-88 46 2 Jack McGrath Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser 89-91 14 Bill Vukovich Kurtis KK500A-Offenhauser 92-129 9 Jimmy Bryan Kuzma-Offenhauser 130-149 14 Bill Vukovich Kurtis KK500A-Offenhauser 150-200 Qualifying Times: Jack McGrath Jimmy Daywalt Jimmy Bryant Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser #2 Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser #19 Kuzma-Offenhauser #9 Jack B. Hinkle Sumar/Chapman Root Dean Van Lines 4:15.26 4:17.53 4:17.76 141.03 mph 139.79 mph 139.67 mph Johnny Thompson Chuck Stevenson Don Freeland Nichels-Offenhauser #43 Kuzma-Offenhauser #98 Phillips-Offenhauser #7 H.A. Chapman J.C. Agajanian Bob Estes 4:19.39 4:19.41 4:20.23 138.79 mph 138.78 mph 138.34 mph Jimmy Reece Duane Carter Bob Sweikert Pankratz-Offenhauser #25 Kurtis KK4000-Offenhauser #16 Kurtis KK4000-Offenhauser #17 Emmett Malloy Automobile Shippers/Casaroll Lutes/Francis Bardazon 4:20.28 4:20.42 4:20.48 138.31 mph 138.24 mph 138.21 mph Sam Hanks Troy Ruttman Pat O'Connor Kurtis KK4000-Offenhauser #1 Kurtis KK500A-Offenhauser #34 Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser #35 Bardahl/Ed Walsh Automobile Shippers/Casaroll Hopkins/Motor Racers 4:20.88 4:21.37 4:20.71 137.99 mph 137.74 mph 138.08 mph Cal Niday Mike Nazaruk Johnnie Parsons Stevens-Offenhauser #24 Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser #73 Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser #15 Jim Robbins McNamara/Lee Elkins Belond Equa-Flow/Calif. Muffler 4:17.46 4:17.90 4:17.92 139.83 mph 139.59 mph 139.58 mph Roger Ward Gene Hartley Bill Homeier Pawl-Offenhauser #12 Kurtis KK4000-Offenhauser #31 Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser #51 Dr. R.N. Sabourin, D.C. John Zink Jones & Maley/Cars, Inc. 4:18.44 4:18.88 4:19.09 139.30 mph 139.06 mph 138.95 mph Bill Vukovich Ernie McCoy Tony Bettenhausen Kurtis KK500A-Offenhauser #14 Kurtis KK500B-Offenhauser #32 Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser #10 Fuel Injection/Howard Keck Ray Crawford Mel Wiggers 4:19.97 4:20.08 4:20.35 138.48 mph 138.42 mph 138.28 mph Manuel Ayulo Andy Linden Fred Agabashian Kuzma-Offenhauser #88 Schroeder-Offenhauser #74 Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser #77 Peter Schmidt Brown Motor Merz Engineering/Sperling 4:20.56 4:21.21 4:21.35 138.16 mph 137.82 mph 137.75 mph Larry Crockett Len Duncan Art Cross Kurtis KK3000-Offenhauser #28 Schroeder-Offenhauser #33 Kurtis KK4000-Offenhauser #45 Federal Engineering Ray Brady Bardahl/Ed Walsh 4:17.96 4:18.59 4:19.60 139.56 mph 139.22 mph 138.68 mph Jim Rathmann Spider Webb Jerry Hoyt Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser #38 Bromme-Offenhauser #65 Kurtis-Offenhauser #99 Bardahl/Ed Walsh Advance Muffler/Bruce Bromme Murrell Belanger 4:20.44 4:20.91 4:21.20 138.23 mph 137.98 mph 137.83 mph Ed Elisian Paul Russo Frank Armi Stevens-Offenhauser #27 Kurtis KK500A-Offenhauser #5 Curtis-Offenhauser #71 H.A. Chapman Ansted Rotary/Hoosier Racing T.W. & W.T. Martin 4:21.26 4:21.48 4:21.49 137.79 mph 137.68 mph 137.67 mph Did Not Qualify: Car# Driver Car Entrant 3 Marshall Teague Kurtis KK4000-Offenhauser Hart Fullerton 137.55 mph; too slow 6 Art Cross Kurtis KK4000-Offenhauser Springfield Welding/Paoli 137.36 mph; too slow 8 Duke Nalon Kurtis-Novi Novi Pure Oil/Lewis Welch 136.40 mph; too slow 18 Bob Scott Kurtis KK4000-Offenhauser Ray Brady 21 Bob Scott Kurtis KK500A-Offenhauser Travelon Trailer / Ernest Ruiz 137.50 mph; too slow 22 George Tichenor Kurtis KK2000-Offenhauser Tom Sarafoff 22 Cliff Griffith Kurtis KK2000-Offenhauser Tom Sarafoff 23 Jerry Hoyt Kurtis KK3000-Offenhauser Sumar/Chapman Root 26 Henry Banks Lesovsky-Offenhauser Hopkins/Motor Racers Retired 36 George Fonder Kurtis KK3000-Offenhauser Edgar S. Stone 36 Al Herman Kurtis KK3000-Offenhauser Edgar S. Stone 37 Eddie Russo Kurtis KK4000-Offenhauser Federal Engineering 38 Bill Holland Kurtis KK500C-Offenhauser Bardahl/Ed Walsh 39 Pat Flaherty Kurtis 500A-Chrysler Shouse Motors 41 Frank Mundy Schroeder-Offenhauser McDowell/Roger Wolcott 44 Walt Faulkner Kuzma-Offenhauser Peter Schmidt 137.06 mph; too slow 47 Danny Oakes Ferrari 375S Marian A. Chinetti 49 Danny Oakes Kurtis KK4000-Offenhauser Micro-Nut/John C. Balch 137.24 mph; too slow 52 Chuck Weyant Silnes-Offenhauser Parks Motors 53 Jimmy Davies Kurtis KK500A-Offenhauser Pat Clancy 137.58 mph; too slow 54 Eddie Sachs Kurtis KK2000-Offenhauser Marion Engineering 59 Jim Rathmann Kurtis KK500A-Offenhauser Elgin Piston Pin 137.13 mph; too slow 62 Duke Dinsmore Ewing-Offenhauser Commercial Motor Freight 137.10 mph; too slow 66 Bob Christie Lesovsky-Offenhauser Bob Christie 67 Duke Dinsmore Moore-Offenhauser D-A Lubricants Racing 67 Potsy Goacher Moore-Offenhauser D-A Lubricants Racing Crash BS 68 Ed Elisian Kurtis KK4000-Offenhauser Peter Wales Trucking 136.58 mph; too slow 69 Johnny Tolan Kurtis KK500A-Offenhauser Hoosier Racing Team 83 Eddie Johnson Turner-Offenhauser McNamara/Lee Elkins 137.60 mph; too slow 89 Pat Flaherty Kurtis KK500A-Offenhauser Dunn Engineering 93 Billy DeVore Kurtis KK3000-Offenhauser Youngstown White Truck 97 Walt Faulkner Lesovsky-Offenhauser Belanger Motors 99 Lee Wallard Kurtis-Offenhauser Belanger Motors Retired Notes:
  • Promoter: Indianapolis Motor Speedway. AAA Sanction No. 1R54
  • Engine Specifications (cubic inches) and Restrictions:
    Normally Aspirated - 274.6
    Supercharged - 183.1
    Stock-Block - 274.6
    Minimum Qualifing Speed - 115 mph
  • Yellow flags totalled 0:21:09
  • Average qualifying speed: 138.63 mph
  • Weather: Very hot.
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    Race Review:

    Although irrelevant to the World Championship, the Indianapolis 500 remained part of the Formula 1 World Championship although in 1954 no European teams entered the event. Jack McGrath was fastest in qualifying in his Hinkle Special, becoming the first man to break the 140mph barrier. In the early laps he was chased by Jimmy Bryan in his Dean Van Lines Special. In the early laps Bill Vukovich worked his way through the field and he took the lead in the mid-race and he went on to win by nearly a lap, recording his second straight Indianapolis 500 victory in his Fuel Injection Special.