Wikipedia

1935 Indianapolis 500

The 23rd International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday, May 30, 1935. Despite attempts to improve participant safety by requiring crash helmets and installing green and yellow lights around the track, the event that year would prove to be one of the worst in terms of fatalities.[3]

23rd Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning bodyAAA
DateMay 30, 1935
WinnerKelly Petillo
Winning EntrantKelly Petillo
Average speed106.240 mph
Pole positionRex Mays
Pole speed120.736 mph
Most laps ledKelly Petillo (102)
Pre-race
Pace carFord V8
Pace car driverHarry Mack
StarterSeth Klein[1]
Honorary refereeAmelia Earhart[1]
Estimated attendance157,000[2]
Chronology
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1934 1936

Kelly Petillo won the race, accompanied by riding mechanic Jimmy Dunham. Pete DePaolo, the 1925 winner, was the team principal, becoming the first individual to win the race separately as a driver and an owner.

The race was part of the 1935 AAA Championship Car season.

Pre-race and qualifying

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Ten-lap (25 mile) qualifying runs were utilized.

On May 21, nine days before the race, three prospective participants lost their lives. Rookie Johnny Hannon, on just his first lap at racing speed, had his car go over the outside retaining wall and was killed from a fractured skull. Later that day, driver Hartwell "Stubby" Stubblefield also had his car go over the outside wall, and both he and his riding mechanic Leo Whitaker died from injuries they received being thrown from the vehicle.[4] Kelly Petillo, the eventual winner, had his own difficulties getting into the field. His initial qualifying run (a record-breaking 121.687 mph) was voided when his car was ruled to have exceeded the fuel limit. Returning to the track, he had an engine blow, before finally having a qualifying run of 115.095 that placed him 22nd in the field.[5]

Qualifying Results
Date Driver Lap 1
(mph)		 Lap 2
(mph)		 Lap 3
(mph)		 Lap 4
(mph)		 Lap 5
(mph)		 Lap 6
(mph)		 Lap 7
(mph)		 Lap 8
(mph)		 Lap 9
(mph)		 Lap 10
(mph)		 Average Speed
(mph)
Sat 5/18/1935 Rex Mays 121.310 121.425 121.819 120.773 121.212 121.359 120.208 119.936 119.506 119.856 120.736

Starting grid

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Row Inside Middle Outside
1 33 United States  Rex Mays 6 United States  Al Gordon 22 United States  Floyd Roberts  R 
2 36 United States  Louis Meyer  W  1 United States  Bill Cummings  W  44 United States  Tony Gulotta
3 21 United States  Ralph Hepburn 19 United States  Fred Frame  W  18 United States  Chet Gardner
4 2 United States  Mauri Rose 3 United States  Russ Snowberger 17 United States  Babe Stapp
5 16 United States  Deacon Litz 37 United States  George Connor  R  8 United States  Doc MacKenzie
6 15 United States  Cliff Bergere 34 United States  Chet Miller 66 United States  Harry McQuinn
7 9 United States  Shorty Cantlon 14 United States  Wilbur Shaw 4 United States  Al Miller
8 5 United States  Kelly Petillo 7 United States  Lou Moore 41 United States  Frank Brisko
9 45 United States  Clay Weatherly  R  43 United States  Ted Horn  R  42 United States  Johnny Seymour
10 27 United States  Freddie Winnai 35 United States  George Bailey 39 United States  Jimmy Snyder  R 
11 62 United States  Harris Insinger  R  26 United States  Louis Tomei  R  46 United States  Bob Sall  R 
R Indianapolis 500 rookie
W Indianapolis 500 winner

Alternates

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Failed to Qualify

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Race

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Driver Clay Weatherly would beg Leon Duray, the owner of Hannon's crashed car, to allow him to drive it in the race. The car would prove no luckier for Weatherly, who would be killed when the car crashed through the inner guard rail coming out of turn four on lap nine. Rex Mays would lead most of the first 300 miles (480 km) before being forced out with mechanical failure. Petillo had climbed to second, and after Mays' departure led most of the remainder other than briefly following a pit stop. Petillo easily broke the record for the fastest average speed (106.240 mph) despite being slowed somewhat by rain near the end of the race.[8] Petillo received approximately $33,000 in winnings for the race.

Aftermath

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The driver deaths in 1935 caused the Speedway to develop what is now known as the Rookie Orientation Program, which has been required for first-time drivers since 1936. Adjustments were also made to the configuration of the turns.[5] Petillo would race in five more 500s, never again finishing higher than 18th. Six of the thirty-three drivers who started the race would end up having their lives ended in accidents at the Indy Speedway.

Box score

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Finish Start No Name Entrant Chassis Engine Qual Rank Laps Status
1 22 5 United States  Kelly Petillo Kelly Petillo Wetteroth Offenhauser 115.095 15 200 Running
2 20 14 United States  Wilbur Shaw Gil Pirrung Shaw Offenhauser 116.854 7 200 Running
3 5 1 United States  Bill Cummings  W  H. C. Henning Miller Miller 116.901 6 200 Running
4 3 22 United States  Floyd Roberts  R  Earl Haskell Miller Miller 118.671 3 200 Running
5 7 21 United States  Ralph Hepburn
(Gene Haustein Laps 74–141) 		Ralph Hepburn Miller Miller 115.156 13 200 Running
6 19 9 United States  Shorty Cantlon
(Billy Winn Laps 67–129) 		William J. Cantlon Stevens Miller 118.205 4 200 Running
7 9 18 United States  Chet Gardner Alden Sampson II Stevens Miller 114.556 17 200 Running
8 13 16 United States  Deacon Litz
(Johnny Sawyer Laps 43–100)
(Babe Stapp Laps 101–200) 		A. B. Litz Miller Miller 114.488 18 200 Running
9 15 8 United States  Doc MacKenzie Gil Pirrung Rigling Miller 114.294 20 200 Running
10 17 34 United States  Chet Miller Fred Frame Summers Miller 113.552 24 200 Running
11 8 19 United States  Fred Frame  W 
(Frank Brisko Laps 120–200) 		Harry Hartz Wetteroth Miller 114.701 16 200 Running
12 4 36 United States  Louis Meyer  W  Louis Meyer Stevens Miller 117.938 5 200 Running
13 16 15 United States  Cliff Bergere Phil Shafer Rigling Buick 114.162 23 196 Out of gas
14 31 62 United States  Harris Insinger  R  Mikan & Carson Mikan-Carson Studebaker 111.729 30 185 Flagged
15 21 4 United States  Al Miller H. C. Henning Rigling Miller 115.303 12 178 Magneto
16 26 43 United States  Ted Horn  R  Harry A. Miller Miller-Ford Ford 113.213 27 145 Steering
17 1 33 United States  Rex Mays Paul Weirick Adams Miller 120.736 1 123 Spring shackle
18 23 7 United States  Lou Moore
(Tony Gulotta Laps 109–116) 		Lou Moore Miller Miller 114.180 22 116 Rod
19 14 37 United States  George Connor  R  Joe Marks Stevens Miller 114.321 19 112 Transmission
20 10 2 United States  Mauri Rose
(Paul Bost) 		Four Wheel Drive Auto Company Miller Miller 116.470 9 103 Studs
21 6 44 United States  Tony Gulotta Leon Duray Stevens Miller 115.459 11 102 Magneto
22 30 39 United States  Jimmy Snyder  R  Joel Thorne Snowberger Studebaker 112.249 29 97 Spring
23 24 41 United States  Frank Brisko Kenneth Schroeder Rigling Studebaker 113.307 26 79 Universal joint
24 27 42 United States  Johnny Seymour
(George Barringer Laps 61–71) 		Harry A. Miller Miller-Ford Ford 112.696 28 71 Grease leak
25 12 17 United States  Babe Stapp Joe Marks Adams Miller 116.736 8 70 Radiator
26 29 35 United States  George Bailey Harry A. Miller Miller-Ford Ford 113.432 25 65 Steering
27 11 3 United States  Russ Snowberger H. C. Henning Miller Miller 114.209 21 59 Exhaust pipe
28 32 26 United States  Louis Tomei  R  Joe Lencki Miller Lencki 110.794 32 47 Valve
29 33 46 United States  Bob Sall  R  Harry A. Miller Miller-Ford Ford 110.519 33 47 Steering
30 2 6 United States  Al Gordon William S. White Weil Miller 119.481 2 17 Crash T4
31 28 27 United States  Freddie Winnai Harry Hartz Duesenberg Miller 115.138 14 16 Rod
32 25 45 United States  Clay Weatherly  R  ✝ Leon Duray Stevens Miller 115.902 10 9 Fatal accident at T4
33 18 66 United States  Harry McQuinn Michael DeBaets Rigling Miller 111.111 31 4 Rod
[9][10]

Note: Relief drivers in parentheses[11]

 W  Former Indianapolis 500 winner

 R  Indianapolis 500 Rookie

Race statistics

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Race details

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For 1935, riding mechanics were required.[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b Fox, Jack C. (1994). The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994 (4th ed.). Carl Hungness Publishing. p. 22. ISBN 0-915088-05-3.
  2. ^ Kellum, Robert W. (May 31, 1935). "Ever See Such A Mob? -- Nobody Had". The Indianapolis Star. p. 1. Retrieved June 3, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon 
  3. ^ Fatalities – May 1935 Archived 2009-03-30 at the Wayback Machine, indymotorspeedway.com
  4. ^ Three Auto Racers Killed, One Injured, In Memorial Day Trials at Indianapolis Associated Press, May 22, 1935, as seen on page 1 of the New York Times
  5. ^ a b Reed, Terry Indy. The Race and Ritual of the Indianapolis 500. Potomac Books 2005. ISBN 1-57488-907-9.
  6. ^ The Talk of Gasoline Alley - 1070-AM WIBC, May 14, 2004
  7. ^ "1935 International 500 Mile Sweepstakes". ChampCarStats.com. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  8. ^ 155,000 See Petillo Capture Indianapolis Auto Race; One Driver Is Killed. Associated Press, May 31, 1935, as seen on sports page 19 of the New York Times
  9. ^ "Indianapolis 500 1935". Ultimate Racing History. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  10. ^ Popely, Rick; Riggs, L. Spencer (1998). The Indianapolis 500 Chronicle. Lincolnwood, Illinois: Publications International, Ltd. ISBN 0-7853-2798-3.
  11. ^ "International 500 Mile Sweepstakes – May 30, 1935". ChampCarStats.com.
  12. ^ Hoffman, John C. (May 31, 1935). "Wet Track Is No Detriment For Champion". The Times. p. 36. Retrieved April 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon 
  13. ^ Blazier, John E.; Rollings, Tom (1994). Forgotten Heroes of the Speedways: The Riding Mechanics.


1934 Indianapolis 500
Bill Cummings 		1935 Indianapolis 500
Kelly Petillo 		1936 Indianapolis 500
Louis Meyer
Preceded by
104.863 mph
(1934 Indianapolis 500)
 Record for the fastest average speed
106.240 mph 		Succeeded by
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