Indianapolis 500 1954
Racing data | ||
---|---|---|
2nd of 9 races in the 1954 World Automobile Championship | ||
Surname: | XXXVIIIth Indianapolis Motor Sweepstakes | |
Date: | May 31, 1954 | |
Place: | Indianapolis | |
Course: | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | |
Length: | 804.6 km in 200 laps of 4.023 km
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|
Weather: | very hot | |
Pole position | ||
Driver: | Jack McGrath | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser |
Time: | min | |
Fastest lap | ||
Driver: | Jack McGrath | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser |
Time: | 1: 04.04 min (lap 29) | |
Podium | ||
First: | Bill Vukovich | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser |
Second: | Jimmy Bryan | Kuzma-Offenhauser |
Third: | Jack McGrath | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser |
The 38th Indianapolis 500 took place on May 31, 1954 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway . It was the second of nine races in the 1954 World Cup .
background
The 500 miles from Indianapolis were included in the Formula 1 drivers' championship between 1950 and 1960. However, the race was never linked to the European racing series and was held in a completely different mode. It was probably never intended to bring about such an integration, because overlapping training and race dates made it practically impossible for a driver to start in all races for the drivers' world championship and in Indianapolis.
training
The best starting places in Indianapolis are awarded according to an unusual mode. The fastest driver on the first day is on pole position , regardless of whether drivers achieve faster lap times on further training days. Since there are very good overtaking opportunities in Indianapolis, the disadvantage of a rear starting position is not that serious. In training in 1954, the fastest driver on the first day was also the fastest overall and so Jack McGrath took pole position. In the four qualifying laps he was over two seconds faster than the next fastest, Cal Niday , who was only allowed to start in the fifth row. Next to McGrath in the front row were Jimmy Daywalt (3rd time) and Jimmy Bryan (4th time).
run
It was very hot on race day. As a result, numerous drivers were relieved. The best start was McGrath, who used his pole position to take the lead, followed by Bryan and Thomson and Carter . Vukovich was in sixth place. As a result, McGrath managed to extend his lead, which he held until his first pit stop after 43 laps. In the following 17 laps, Daywalt and Cross fought for the lead. In the first yellow phase, triggered by a spin from Ruttman , both drove into the pit and let Bryan take the lead until he stopped on lap 87. Up to this point, only two drivers had retired, Parsons and Homeier . After that, last year's winner Bill Vukovich was ahead and extended his lead to almost one lap. The first serious incident occurred on lap 111 when Daywalt drove into the boundary wall at turn 3. Pat Flaherty , who was driving Rathmann's car, also got off the track while trying to avoid him and had to give up. Both remained unharmed. Leading Vukovich pitted for the last time on lap 128. In order to save time and probably because another vehicle was already parked in his box, he only had the right (outer) wheels changed. Still, he had to wait until Bryan's last stop on lap 140 to take the lead again. Vukovich, who now had to be very careful with his tires, lost some of his lead, but still took his second Indianapolis victory in a row.
Registration list
Starting grid
run
Item | driver | constructor | Round | time | km / h | Residue | failure | Fastest lap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Bill Vukovich | Kurti's power | 200 | 3: 49: 17.270 | 210.57 | |||
2. | Jimmy Bryan | Kuzma | 200 | 3: 50: 27.220 | 209.50 | +1: 09.95 min | ||
3. | Jack McGrath | Kurti's power | 200 | 3: 50: 37,000 | 209.36 | +1: 19.73 min | 1: 04.040 | |
4th | Troy Ruttman | Kurti's power | 131 | 3: 52: 09.950 | 207.96 | +2: 52.68 min | Handover to Carter for Rd. 101–170 | |
Duane Carter | 69 | drove Ruttman's car; Rd. 101-170 | ||||||
5. | Mike Nazaruk | Kurti's power | 200 | 3: 52: 41.820 | 207.48 | +3: 24.55 min | ||
6th | Fred Agabashian | Kurti's power | 200 | 3: 53: 04.820 | 207.14 | +3: 47.55 min | ||
7th | Don Freeland | Watson | 200 | 3: 53: 30.620 | 206.76 | +4: 13.35 min | ||
8th. | Paul Russo | Kurti's power | 150 | 3: 54: 18.440 | 206.05 | +5: 01.17 min | Handover to Hoyt | |
Jerry Hoyt | 50 | drove Russo's car; Rd. 151-200 | ||||||
9. | Larry Crockett | Kurti's power | 200 | 3: 56: 24.510 | 204.23 | +6: 07.24 min | ||
10. | Cal Niday | Ansted | 200 | 3: 56: 24.960 | 204.22 | +6: 07.24 min | ||
11. | Art Cross | Kurti's power | 120 | 3: 57: 39.460 | 203.15 | +7: 22.19 min | Handover to Parsons | |
Johnnie Parsons | 22nd | drove Cross' car; Rd. 121–142 | ||||||
Sam Hanks | 11 | drove Cross' car; Rd. 143–153 | ||||||
Andy Linden | 17th | drove Cross' car; Rd. 154-170 | ||||||
Jim Davies | 30th | drove Cross' car; Rd. 171–200 | ||||||
12. | Chuck Stevenson | Kuzma | 83 | Handover to Faulkner; Rd. 1-55; 95-122 | ||||
Walt Faulkner | 116 | drove Stevenson's car; Rd. 56-94; 123-199 | ||||||
13. | Manuel Ayulo | Kuzma | 197 | |||||
14th | Bob Sweikert | Kurti's power | 197 | |||||
15th | Duane Carter | Kurti's power | 76 | Handover to Teague | ||||
Marshall Teague | 29 | drove Carter's car; Rd. 77-105 | ||||||
Jimmy Jackson | 57 | drove Carter's car; Rd. 106-120; 155-196 | ||||||
Tony Bettenhausen | 34 | drove Carter's car; Rd. 121–154 | ||||||
16. | Ernie McCoy | Kurti's power | 194 | |||||
17th | Jimmy Reece | Pan scratch | 194 | |||||
18th | Ed Elisian | Chapman | 148 | Delivery to Scott | ||||
Bob Scott | 45 | drove Elisian's car; Rd. 149–193 | ||||||
19th | Frank Armi | Silnes | 169 | Handover to Fonder | ||||
George Fonder | 24 | drove Armi's car; Rd. 141-164 | ||||||
20th | Sam Hanks | Kurti's power | 112 | Delivery to Davies | ||||
Jim Davies | 36 | drove Hanks car; Rd. 113–148 | ||||||
Richard Rathmann | 43 | drove Hanks car; Rd. 149-191; accident | ||||||
21st | Pat O'Connor | Kurti's power | 181 | accident | ||||
22nd | Rodger Ward | Pawl | 105 | Handed over to Johnson; Rd. 94-160; engine | ||||
Eddie Johnson | 67 | drove Ward's car; Rd. 94-160 | ||||||
23. | Gene Hartley | Kurti's power | 151 | Handover to Teague | ||||
Marshall Teague | 17th | drove Hartley's car; Rd. 152-168; engine | ||||||
24. | Johnny Thomson | Nichels | 113 | Handover to Linden | ||||
Andy Linden | 27 | drove Thomson's car; Rd. 114-140 | ||||||
Bill Homeier | 25th | drove Thomson's car; Rd. 141-165; steering | ||||||
25th | Andy Linden | Schroeder | 86 | Delivery to Scott; Rd. 87-138; suspension | ||||
Bob Scott | 52 | drove Linden's car; Rd. 87-138 | ||||||
26th | Jerry Hoyt | Kurti's power | 130 | engine | ||||
27. | Jimmy Daywalt | Kurti's power | 111 | accident | ||||
28. | Richard Rathmann | Kurti's power | 95 | Handover to Flaherty | ||||
Pat Flaherty | 15th | drove Rathmann's car; Rd. 96-110; accident | ||||||
29 | Tony Bettenhausen | Kurti's power | 105 | Wheel bearings | ||||
30th | Travis Webb | Bromme | 54 | Handover to Kladis | ||||
Danny Kladis | 50 | drove Webb's car; Rd. 55-104; Oil leak | ||||||
31. | Len Duncan | Schroeder | 43 | Handover to Fonder | ||||
George Fonder | 58 | drove Duncan's car; Rd. 44-101; engine | ||||||
32. | Johnnie Parsons | Kurti's power | 79 | engine | ||||
33. | Bill Homeier | Kurti's power | 74 | accident |
World Cup stand after the race
In 1954, points were awarded according to the following scheme:
1st place | place 2 | place 3 | 4th place | 5th place | Fastest lap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
8th | 6th | 4th | 3 | 2 | 1 |
- Only the five best results from nine races counted. Deleted results are shown in brackets.
- The numbers marked with * include the point for the fastest lap.
- Fields marked in the same color indicate shared vehicles.
Item | driver | constructor | Points | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Juan Manuel Fangio | Maserati | 8th | 8th | ||||||||
Bill Vukovich | Kurti's power | 8th | 8th | |||||||||
3. | Giuseppe Farina | Ferrari | 6th | 6th | ||||||||
Jimmy Bryan | Kuzma | 6th | 6th | |||||||||
5. | José Froilán González | Ferrari | 5 * | 5 | ||||||||
Jack McGrath | Kurti's power | 5 * | 5 | |||||||||
7th | Maurice Trintignant | Ferrari | 3 | 3 | ||||||||
8th. | Elie Bayol | Gordini | 2 | 2 | ||||||||
Mike Nazaruk | Kurti's power | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
10. | Troy Ruttman | Kurti's power | 1.5 | 1.5 | ||||||||
Duane Carter | Kurti's power | 1.5 | 1.5 |
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Unless otherwise stated, based on: Mike Lang: Grand Prix! Volume 1: 1950-1965. Haynes Publishing Group, Sparkford Sommerset 1981, ISBN 0-85429-276-4 , pp. 70 f. (English).