1931 Indianapolis 500

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Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates

Template:Infobox Indy500 1911to1941 The 19th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 30, 1931. Race winner Louis Schneider, who led the final 34 laps, was accompanied by riding mechanic Jigger Johnson.[1]

The start of the race was delayed two hours due to rain.[2] Defending race winner Billy Arnold charged from 18th starting position to lead the race by lap 7. Arnold, who had dominated the 1930 race (led 198 laps), proceeded to lead the next 155 laps, and built up a five-lap lead over second place. His rear axle broke on lap 162. He spun in turn four, was hit by another car, driven by Luther Johnson, and went over the outside wall. One of his errant wheels bounced across Georgetown Road, and struck and killed an 11-year-old boy, Wilbur C. Brink. Arnold suffered a broken pelvis, and his riding mechanic, Spider Matlock, broke his shoulder.[3]

The race was part of the 1931 AAA Championship Car season.

Race schedule

Race schedule — May 1931
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
          1
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3
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  		8
  		9
 
10
  		11
  		12
  		13
  		14
  		15
  		16
 
17
  		18
  		19
  		20
  		21
  		22
  		23
Time Trials
24
Time Trials 		25
Time Trials 		26
Time Trials 		27
Time Trials 		28
  		29
  		30
Indy 500
31
  		           
Color Notes
Green Track Available for Practice
Dark Blue Time trials
Silver Race day
Blank No track activity

Practice

The deadline for entries to be received was midnight on Friday May 1.[4] A record 72 cars were entered, for 40 starting positions.[5] The track was made available for practice at the beginning of the month, and most entries were expected to arrive mid-month.

Week 1

  • Tuesday May 5: A total of seven complete cars had arrived to the garage area. Tony Gulotta was one of few cars to take to the track during the first few days, turning in laps around 100 mph.[6]
  • Thursday May 7: breakups in the track surface were being repaired. Floyd "Sparky" Sparks practiced during the repair work, turning laps around 75-80 mph.[7]

By the end of the first full week of practice, track activity had been sparse.[8] Several of the top teams were expected to arrive within the next week. In addition, rain and cold weather kept drivers off the track over the weekend and into Monday.[9][10]

Week 2

  • Tuesday May 12: Joe Russo, Jerry Houck, and L. L. Corum, were among at least four cars that took practice laps. Houck lost a wheel on the backstretch, but suffered no other damage to the car.[10]
  • Wednesday May 13: Track activity picked up in earnest on Wednesday, owing much to the fair weather. Leon Duray took to the track for the first time in his supercharged two-cycle, 16-cylinder, Stutz Bearcat, after much anticipation. But Duray suffered a stuck piston, sometime after running a lap of 112 mph. Other drivers taking laps included Tony Gulotta (103 mph) and Phil Pardee (90 mph). Billy Arnold and Harry Hartz took turns in Arnold's car, with laps reported in the 109-110 mph range.[11] Joe Russo, repeating a stunt he performed a year earlier, took a lap around the Speedway blindfolded.[11][12]
  • Thursday May 14: Billy Arnold turned the fastest practice lap of the month at 110 mph. Owner Harry Hartz also took some test laps in Arnold's car. Russ Snowberger was the second-fastest of the day, clocking in at 106 mph. Other drivers on the track included, Ernie Triplett (103 mph), Buddy Marr (100 mph), L. L. Corum (93 mph), Joe Caccia (96 mph), Tony Gulotta, Howard Seecomb, and Phil Pardee. Louis Schneider took some initial laps with his riding mechanic Jigger Johnson, but an oil leak persisted. Johnson tried to plug the hole with his fingers, so the pair could complete at least a handful of laps, to no avail.[13]
  • Friday May 15: Stubby Stubblefield (109 mph) led the practice speeds on a fairly light day of track activity. Ernie Triplett (109 mph), Chet Miller (100 mph), L. L. Corum (94 mph), and Jerry Houck (over 90 mph), were among others that took to the track. Some participants left the grounds to attend the Kentucky Derby.[14]
  • Saturday May 16: Louis Meyer ran his first laps of the month in the 16-cylinder Sampson Special. Meyer completed a lap of 113.63 mph. Milton Jones fishtailed his car exiting turn three, and made contact with the inside wall. The cars was expected to be repaired.[15]

Week 3

  • Sunday May 17: Cliff Durant took laps in Leon Duray's supercharged 16-cylinder car, hitting top speeds of 125 mph on the straights. The car, which had been suffering from overheating problems for the past few days, blew the top off the radiator. The team went to work to install a new radiator and water pump in time for qualifying. Louis Schneider and Tony Gulotta were both over 103 mph, while Joe Russo, and Chet Miller both hit laps of 100 mph. L. L. Corum (96 mph) was steadily increasing his speed as the days passed.[15]
  • Monday May 18: Cliff Durant was forced to fly to Michigan to tend to urgent business, leaving Leon Duray as the driver remaining behind to qualify their supercharged 16-cylinder machine. The team was still waiting for a replacement radiator from Detroit. Durant was expected to return and drive relief in the race if needed. Cliff Bergere was named to the Elco Royale entry, having tested it at around 102-104 mph. Babe Stapp also arrived at the track.[16]
  • Tuesday May 19: By Tuesday, at least 30 cars had arrived at the track. Arriving at the track were car builder Harry Miller and car owner William S. White. Their two cars, a 301-cubic inch, 16-cylinder machine to be driven by Shorty Cantlon, and a four-cylinder for Bert Karnatz, were en route from Los Angeles, expected for delivery on Wednesday. Miller and White kept the details of the much-anticipated 16-cylinder machine guarded. Of the cars on the track, Lou Moore in the twin 4-cylinder Coleman Special, raised eyebrows with a 104 mph lap.[17]
  • Wednesday May 20: Track activity was bustling by Wednesday, with many cars, mechanics, and representatives in the garage area. Russ Snowberger got some attention after he turned a lap of 113 mph in his nearly-stock motor Studebaker. Also fast for the day was Ernie Triplett (111 mph). The Bill White/Harry Miller 16-cylinder car was delivered to the track at noontime, and driver Shorty Cantlon immediately took to the track for some shakedown laps.[18]
  • Thursday May 21: One day after arriving at the track, Shorty Cantlon's Bill White/Harry Miller 16-cylinder machine broke a connecting rod and blew a hole in the crankcase. The catastrophic engine failure was traced to an error during assembly. Cantlon was out of contention for the pole position, and now had to wait for replacement parts and an engine rebuild. Also on the sidelines was Leon Duray, still waiting for delivery of a replacement radiator for the Durant 16-cylinder machine. At about 5 p.m., the steering failed on Frank Brisko's car, causing him to lose control in turn 4 and hit the inside wall. The car then rebounded and hit the outside wall, coming to rest in the middle of the track. The car suffered heavy damage to the front end and front axle. Brisko and his riding mechanic Fred Winnai were not seriously injured, and planned to make repairs.[19]
  • Friday May 22: The much-anticipated and much-talked about Cummins Diesel Special, entered by Clessie Cummins, arrived at the Speedway on Friday. Dave Evans took the diesel to the track and ran off laps of about 96-97 mph.[20] Earlier in the month, officials had announced a special exemption rule for diesel-powered entries, to encourage their participation. Any diesel that completed the four-lap qualifying attempt in excess of 80 mph average, would qualify for the field, regardless of overall speed rank.[21][22] The other gasoline-powered engines had a minimum speed of 90 mph in time trials.

Time trials

File:1931CumminsDieselIndy500.jpg
1931 Cummins Diesel

Four-lap (10 mile) qualifying runs were utilized, with 90 mph set as the required minimum speed. Diesel entries were allowed a special rules exception, given them a guaranteed starting position provided they complete their run at a speed of greater than 80 mph.[22] Riding mechanics were required to accompany the drivers on all cars during qualifying.

Saturday May 23

The first day of time trials was held Saturday May 23, with the track available for qualifying from 10:00 a.m. to 7:01 p.m. (sundown). The minimum qualifying speed for gasoline powered engines was set at 90 mph. Dave Evans was the first car out to qualify, in the Cummins Diesel Special. Evans completed his run at 96.871 mph, well above the 80 mph minimum speed required for diesel-powered entries.

Russ Snowberger won the pole position with a four-lap average speed of 112.796 mph. A total of 19 cars took to the track, but only 17 cars officially qualified. Rounding out the front row was Bill Cummings and first year driver Paul Bost. Snowberger winning the pole was a surprise, not only because his nearly-stock motor Studebaker outperformed Cummings and others, but three of the favorites for the pole did not even get to put in a time. Cummings first attempt early in the day started out with a lap of 115.001 mph, but he suffered a failed clutch. Cumming's second attempt run managed only a 112.563 mph, just 0.66 seconds shy of bumping Snowberger from the pole.

Shorty Cantlon was kept off the track for the whole weekend, still awaiting an engine rebuild. He was expected to qualify on Tuesday. Louis Meyer, another favorite, took to the track to make an attempt in the 16-cylinder Sampson Special. He came down the mainstretch, but lost control in turn one, brushing the inside and outside wall. He drove back to the pits with a bent frame, and would be forced to make repairs.

Defending pole position and race winner Billy Arnold was having trouble finding speed over the past couple of days, but scrambled to make an attempt late in the day on Saturday. He wheeled to the line at 7:08 p.m., past the deadline for the track to close. Officials decided to allow the run, and his four-lap average of 113.848 mph tentatively took the pole position. After the run, some drivers protested, and during a post-qualifying inspection, it was found that Arnold's brake cables were not connected. During the rush to get the car on the track, the crew had neglected to connect the brake cables, and technical committee chairman Louis Schwitzer disallowed the run.

Pos No. Name Lap 1
(mph)		 Lap 2
(mph)		 Lap 3
(mph)		 Lap 4
(mph)		 Average Speed
(mph)
1 4 Template:Flagicon Russ Snowberger 112.542 112.542 113.023 113.080 112.796
2 3 Template:Flagicon Bill Cummings 111.579 112.824 112.938 112.923 112.563
3 31 Template:Flagicon Paul Bost Template:Color box 111.510 112.164 112.374 112.458 112.125
4 5 Template:Flagicon Deacon Litz 110.947 111.386 111.635 112.164 111.531
5 25 Template:Flagicon Ernie Triplett 112.191 110.592 111.193 110.294 111.034
6 39 Template:Flagicon Babe Stapp 110.429 110.105 110.375 109.596 110.125
7 17 Template:Flagicon Speed Gardner 109.556 109.569 110.335 109.676 109.820
8 34 Template:Flagicon Fred Frame 110.524 108.696 109.329 108.565 109.273
9 36 Template:Flagicon Stubby Stubblefield Template:Color box 108.985 108.486 108.630 109.091 108.797
10 19 Template:Flagicon Ralph Hepburn 107.656 107.810 108.643 107.630 107.933
11 32 Template:Flagicon Phil Pardee Template:Color box 107.591 107.746 108.134 107.617 107.772
12 57 Template:Flagicon Luther Johnson Template:Color box 106.257 108.056 107.940 108.382 107.652
13 23 Template:Flagicon Louis Schneider 107.901 107.527 106.952 106.471 107.210
14 28 Template:Flagicon Cliff Bergere 106.207 106.749 107.130 107.041 106.781
15 27 Template:Flagicon Chet Miller 106.193 106.458 105.845 106.245 106.185
16 41 Template:Flagicon Joe Russo Template:Color box 105.461 105.758 105.312 102.810 104.822
17 8 Template:Flagicon Dave Evans 96.577 96.267 97.213 97.464 96.871
  7 Template:Flagicon Louis Meyer Template:Color box Hit wall       Incomplete
DQ 1 Template:Flagicon Billy Arnold Template:Color box 113.536 114.242 113.910 113.708 113.848*

* Disqualified

Sunday May 24

The second day of time trials was held on Sunday May 24. The track was for available for qualifying from 1 p.m. to 7:01 p.m. (sundown).[20] Only two cars completed qualifying runs. One day after having his run disallowed, Billy Arnold put his car in the field at 116.080 mph. He became the fastest qualifier in the field.

During a practice run, the car of Floyd "Sparky" Sparks caught on fire down the backstretch, ignited from an oil or gasoline leak. Attempting to close off the fuel line, he hit the retaining wall in turn three. The car was badly burned. Sparks would not be able to qualify.

Tony Gulotta was the only other driver to complete a qualifying attempt. Gulotta left the Bowes Seal Fast team and instead moved over to the Hunt Special entered by Ab Jenkins. Freddie Winnai took his old seat. Gulotta would have been fast enough for the second row, but as a second day qualifier, he would line up 19th on the grid. Lou Moore tried to qualify Pete DePaolo's Boyle Valve Special, but a broken clutch prevented the attempt. At the end of the day, the field was filled to 19 cars, with 21 spots remaining.

Pos No. Name Lap 1
(mph)		 Lap 2
(mph)		 Lap 3
(mph)		 Lap 4
(mph)		 Average Speed
(mph)
18 1 Template:Flagicon Billy Arnold Template:Color box 116.009 116.294 116.505 115.518 116.080
19 37 Template:Flagicon Tony Gulotta 110.497 111.885 112.122 112.416 111.725
  • Source: The Indianapolis News[24]

Monday May 25

The third day of qualifying was held Monday May 25, with the track available from 2 p.m. to 7:02 p.m. (sundown).[20] The day was marred by the fatal accident of Joe Caccia and his riding mechanic Clarence Grover. Caccia was on the track in the morning for a practice run, when the car skidded out of control entering turn 2. The car slid about 150 feet, and then slid into the outside barrier. The car ripped a hole through the outside retaining wall, hurtled 100 feet down the embankment, and crashed into a tree. Both drivers were likely thrown from the car, landed next to it, and the car had burst into flames. Both drivers were killed instantly, and were enveloped by the flames.[25]

Five cars completed qualification runs, filling the field to 24 cars. Jimmy Gleason (111.400 mph) was the fastest car of the day. Frank Farmer, formerly of the M.A. Yagle entry, took over the Jones-Miller Special, and was the second-fastest car of the day.

Still yet to qualify was Shorty Cantlon, who practiced unofficially over 118 mph, but suffered a broken universal joint during the day.

Pos No. Name Lap 1
(mph)		 Lap 2
(mph)		 Lap 3
(mph)		 Lap 4
(mph)		 Average Speed
(mph)
20 33 Template:Flagicon Jimmy Gleason 111.386 111.372 111.180 111.663 111.400
21 67 Template:Flagicon Francis Quinn Template:Color box 110.633 110.375 112.122 112.177 111.321
22 35 Template:Flagicon Frank Farmer 106.952 108.382 108.604 109.290 108.303
23 12 Template:Flagicon Phil Shafer 105.325 105.461 104.676 104.956 105.103
24 48 Template:Flagicon John Boling 102.214 103.842 102.215 103.187 102.860
  • Source: The Indianapolis News[26]

Tuesday May 26

The fourth day of qualifying was held Tuesday May 26, with the track available from 2 p.m. to 7:02 p.m. (sundown).[20] Nine cars completed runs, led by Louis Meyer in the Samson Special. Meyer was qualified comfortably, though probably below his potential speed, said to be playing it safe after his crash on Saturday. After considerable delay, Shorty Cantlon put his 16-cylinder machine in the field, as did Leon Duray. Duray had been suffering from overheating issues all week, and observers noted he qualified with water boiling from the radiator, indicating the problems were still not solved.

Pos No. Name Lap 1
(mph)		 Lap 2
(mph)		 Lap 3
(mph)		 Lap 4
(mph)		 Average Speed
(mph)
25 7 Template:Flagicon Louis Meyer Template:Color box 113.953 113.236 113.536 113.364 113.522
26 2 Template:Flagicon Shorty Cantlon 111.331 110.281 109.743 110.146 110.372
27 16 Template:Flagicon Frank Brisko 106.107 106.032 106.345 106.660 106.286
28 24 Template:Flagicon Freddie Winnai 104.408 105.870 106.245 107.066 105.899
29 54 Template:Flagicon Leon Duray 103.365 103.579 102.987 102.611 103.134
30 44 Template:Flagicon George Howie Template:Color box 102.857 103.199 103.128 102.354 102.844
31 72 Template:Flagicon Al Aspen Template:Color box 102.203 102.951 102.308 102.576 102.509
32 58 Template:Flagicon George Wingerter Template:Color box 99.580 100.200 100.503 100.279 100.139
33 49 Template:Flagicon Harry Butcher 99.130 99.913 99.393 99.536 99.343
  45 Template:Flagicon Marion Trexler 94 94     Incomplete
  9 Template:Flagicon Gordon Condon         Incomplete
  • Source: The Indianapolis News[27]

Wednesday May 27

The final day of qualifying was held Wednesday May 26, with the track available from 2 p.m. to 7:04 p.m. (sundown).[20] The day opening with seven spots remaining in the grid. Out of a total of 72 entries, upwards of twenty cars were considered available for time trials.

During a busy day of track activity, a total of eight cars qualified for the starting field, filling the grid to 40 cars. At least twelve other cars attempted to qualify, but were too slow or failed to complete their run. The fastest car of the day was Gene Haustein (107.823 mph), followed by Myron Stevens.

Car owner Fred Clemmons managed to get both of his Hoosier Pete entries qualified, despite the cars only arriving at the track for the first time Wednesday morning. Billy Winn and Herman Schurch both took to the track for shake down laps at slow speed, and practiced for only about 45 minutes. The cars were brought to the garage for adjustments to the springs and shock absorbers, and later in the afternoon were safely qualified to the grid with only about 20 laps of practice each.

Wilbur Shaw and Ralph DePalma were both at the track Wednesday, looking to qualify. Officials deemed that DePalma had not arrived in enough time to qualify, and the car he was to drive had not shown sufficient speed. Shaw took to the track for a qualifying attempt late in the day, but he pulled off with a broken crankshaft before starting the run.

With less than fifteen minutes remaining in the day, Joe Huff was the final qualifier. Huff would have "crowded out" Harry Butcher, the slowest qualifier. After qualifying was over, however, Pete Kreis in the Coleman Special withdrew due to handling problems. As a result, Harry Butcher in the Butcher Brothers Special was restored to the starting field.

The track was to be available on Thursday for final "carburation tests." No track activity was scheduled for Friday.

Pos No. Name Lap 1
(mph)		 Lap 2
(mph)		 Lap 3
(mph)		 Lap 4
(mph)		 Average Speed
(mph)		 Notes
34 26 Template:Flagicon Gene Haustein Template:Color box 107.823 107.953 108.551 109.263 108.395  
35 21 Template:Flagicon Myron Stevens Template:Color box 108.084 107.258 107.501 107.092 107.463  
36 55 Template:Flagicon Billy Winn Template:Color box 103.878 105.522 105.345 106.408 105.405  
37 59 Template:Flagicon Sam Ross 106.070 104.846 104.603 103.093 104.642 Bumped Decker
38 14 Template:Flagicon Lou Moore 100.435 101.420 105.845 107.540 103.725  
39 10 Template:Flagicon Herman Schurch 103.914 104.034 102.041 101.443 102.845 Bumped Chamberlain
40 69 Template:Flagicon Joe Huff 101.660 102.145 102.857 102.592 102.386  
Failed to qualify
WD Template:Flagicon Pete Kreis 102.599 102.110 103.022 103.722 102.386 Withdrew
68 Template:Flagicon Ted Chamberlain 99.075 99.294 99.591 98.771 99.182 Bumped by Schurch
Template:Flagicon Rick Decker 96.717 99.097 97.224 97.234 98.061 Bumped by Ross
29 Template:Flagicon L. L. Corum 97.826 98.200 97.255 96.298 97.389 Too slow
46 Template:Flagicon Bill Denver 96.164 96.630 96.144 95.673 96.085 Bumped by Decker
45 Template:Flagicon C. C. Reeder 95.592 96.010 95.694 95.278 95.643  
53 Template:Flagicon Joe Thomas 89.295 92.034 92.270 92.081 91.403  
66 Template:Flagicon Benny Brandfon 89.047 89.091 88.114 88.002 88.561 Below 90 mph minimum speed
15 Template:Flagicon Bert Karnatz 102.203 100.773 100.919   Incomplete Burned bearing
63 Template:Flagicon Malcolm Fox 102.203 102.529     Incomplete Broken connecting rod
56 Template:Flagicon Jimmy Patterson 93.091 93.950     Incomplete Engine failure
6 Template:Flagicon Wilbur Shaw         Incomplete Pulled off track
  • Source: The Indianapolis News[28]

Starting grid

Row Inside Middle Outside
1 Template:Flagicon Russ Snowberger Template:Flagicon Bill Cummings Template:Flagicon Paul Bost Template:Color box
2 Template:Flagicon Deacon Litz Template:Flagicon Ernie Triplett Template:Flagicon Babe Stapp
3 Template:Flagicon Speed Gardner Template:Flagicon Fred Frame Template:Flagicon Stubby Stubblefield Template:Color box
4 Template:Flagicon Ralph Hepburn Template:Flagicon Phil Pardee Template:Color box Template:Flagicon Luther Johnson Template:Color box
5 Template:Flagicon Louis Schneider Template:Flagicon Cliff Bergere Template:Flagicon Chet Miller
6 Template:Flagicon Joe Russo Template:Color box Template:Flagicon Dave Evans Template:Flagicon Billy Arnold Template:Color box
7 Template:Flagicon Tony Gulotta Template:Flagicon Jimmy Gleason Template:Flagicon Francis Quinn Template:Color box
8 Template:Flagicon Frank Farmer Template:Flagicon Phil Shafer Template:Flagicon John Boling
9 Template:Flagicon Louis Meyer Template:Color box Template:Flagicon Shorty Cantlon Template:Flagicon Frank Brisko
10 Template:Flagicon Freddie Winnai Template:Flagicon Leon Duray Template:Flagicon George Howie Template:Color box
11 Template:Flagicon Al Aspen Template:Color box Template:Flagicon George Wingerter Template:Color box Template:Flagicon Harry Butcher
12 Template:Flagicon Gene Haustein Template:Color box Template:Flagicon Myron Stevens Template:Color box Template:Flagicon Billy Winn Template:Color box
13 Template:Flagicon Sam Ross Template:Flagicon Lou Moore Template:Flagicon Herman Schurch
14 Template:Flagicon Joe Huff    

Alternates

  • First alternate: Ted Chamberlain[29]

Failed to qualify

Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

Race recap

Start

Overnight and morning rain delayed the start from 10:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Indianapolis Drum and Bugle Corps. paraded and entertained the early arriving fans, including Governor Harry G. Leslie and his entourage of seven other state governors. At noon, pace car driver Willard "Big Boy" Rader guided the field in the Cadillac 370 V-12 pace car for one unscored pace lap. Speedway general manager Theodore E. Meyers rode as a passenger. Rader and Meyers pulled over on the mainstretch, and the green flag was displayed for the flying start. The race began with Paul Bost grabbing the lead from the outside of the front row. Bost led the first two laps. Bill Cummings took the lead for laps 3–6.[30]

Defending winner Billy Arnold, who started 18th (and was the fastest qualifier), went on a tear through the field at the start. He passed 17 cars, and took the lead on lap 7. He picked up where he left off a year earlier, and started pulling out to about a 15-second lead.

After suffering constant overheating problems during practice and time trials, Leon Duray pitted his car after only six laps. The overheating problems persisted and he finished 37th.

First half

On lap 33,[31] rain returned to the area, and brought out the yellow flag. The race was slowed and run under the yellow flag for about the next 28 laps. Drivers were required to slow down to about an 80 mph pace, and passing was not allowed unless except those cars that entered the pit area.[32]

The drizzling stopped, and the green flag came back out on the 61st lap. Only a few laps later, the yellow flag came out again when Wilbur Shaw (driving relief for Phil Pardee) wrecked spectacularly in turn three. The car leaped over the outside wall, and down the embankment. Shaw was uninjured, and walked back to the pits, ready to relieve another driver. While the crash was being cleaned up, more rain began to fall, and the yellow remained out for several minutes more.[31][32]

By lap 70, the rain had stopped and the green flag was back out with Billy Arnold still leading. Ralph Hepburn was running second, Tony Gulotta third, Russ Snowberger fourth, and Fred Frame fifth.[32] Bill Cummings dropped out after completing 70 laps due to an oil leak. On lap 94, Cummins took over the car of Deacon Litz. Also dropping out early with an oil leak was Louis Meyer (28 laps). He got back in the race on lap 73, taking over as relief for Myron Stevens.

Billy Arnold continued to lead at the halfway point.

Second half

Louis Schneider made his first and only pit stop on lap 106, taking on gasoline and oil, as well as changing the right rear tire. After surviving a spectacular crash in the first half, Wilbur Shaw was back in the race on lap 118, this time driving a stint of relief for Jimmy Gleason.[33]

After leading 155 laps, Billy Arnold crashed on lap 162. In turn four, Arnold spun, and lost a wheel. He was hit by the car of Luther Johnson. Arnold's car burst into flames, and hit the concrete wall. It slid for about 200 feet, and Arnold and his riding mechanic Spider Matlock were thrown from the machine. A wheel from Arnold's wrecked car bounced over the wall and across the street, striking and killing an 11-year-old boy playing in his yard. Johnson's car flipped over, but he was not seriously injured.

Louis Schneider took the lead after Arnold's crash. Five laps later Tony Gulotta crashed in nearly the same spot as Arnold. Gulotta's car slid into the inside wall, then bounced up to the outside guardrail, ripping a portion of the barrier out, Neither Gulotta nor his riding mechanic were seriously injured.[33]

With 30 laps to go, Schneider and second place Bill Cummings were nose-to-tail, battling for the lead. Cummings had taken over the car of Deacon Litz. Cummings hit the wall in the south short chute on lap 177, leaving Schneider all alone out in front. Schneider led the final 39 laps en route to victory, and won by 43.19 seconds over second place Fred Frame. At the time, it was the second-closest margin of victory in Indianapolis 500 history.

Polesitter Russ Snowberger was one of three drivers in the top five to complete the race without relief help. The car of Myron Stevens, with Louis Meyer driving relief for most of the race, charged from 35th starting position to 4th place, a remarkable gain of 31 positions at the finish.

Box score

Finish Start No Name Entrant Chassis Engine Qual Rank Laps Status
1 13 23 Template:Flagicon Louis Schneider B. L. Schneider Stevens Miller 107.210 22 200 Running
2 8 34 Template:Flagicon Fred Frame Harry Hartz Duesenberg Duesenberg 109.273 14 200 Running
3 10 19 Template:Flagicon Ralph Hepburn
(Pete Kreis Laps 90–143) 		Ralph Hepburn Miller Miller 107.933 18 200 Running
4 35 21 Template:Flagicon Myron Stevens Template:Color box
(Louis Meyer Laps 73–200) 		Louis Meyer Stevens Miller 107.463 21 200 Running
5 1 4 Template:Flagicon Russ Snowberger Russell Snowberger Snowberger Studebaker 112.796 3 200 Running
6 20 33 Template:Flagicon Jimmy Gleason
(Wilbur Shaw Laps 118–169) 		Denny Dusenberg Duesenberg Duesenberg 111.400 8 200 Running
7 5 25 Template:Flagicon Ernie Triplett James H. Booth Duesenberg Duesenberg 111.034 10 200 Running
8 9 36 Template:Flagicon Stubby Stubblefield Template:Color box Milton Jones Willys-Knight Miller 108.797 15 200 Running
9 14 28 Template:Flagicon Cliff Bergere Elco Grease & Oil Company Reo Reo 106.781 23 200 Running
10 15 27 Template:Flagicon Chet Miller
(Bryan Saulpaugh Laps 104–152) 		R. G. "Buddy" Marr Hudson Hudson 106.185 25 200 Running
11 30 44 Template:Flagicon George Howie Template:Color box
(L. L. Corum Laps 86–112)
(Herman Schurch Laps 113–200) 		George N. Howie Dodge Chrysler 102.844 35 200 Running
12 23 12 Template:Flagicon Phil Shafer Phil Shafer Rigling Buick 105.103 28 200 Running
13 17 8 Template:Flagicon Dave Evans Cummins Engine Company Duesenberg Cummins 96.871 40 200 Running
14 31 72 Template:Flagicon Al Aspen Template:Color box
(Bill Denver Laps 112–161) 		William Alberti Duesenberg Duesenberg 102.509 36 200 Running
15 37 59 Template:Flagicon Sam Ross William M. Yahr Rigling Miller 104.642 30 200 Running
16 40 69 Template:Flagicon Joe Huff
(Speed Gardner Laps 117–148) 		S. C. Goldberg Cooper Miller 102.386 37 180 Flagged
17 4 5 Template:Flagicon Deacon Litz
(Bill Cummings Laps 94–177) 		Henry Maley Duesenberg Duesenberg 111.531 7 177 Crash T1
18 19 37 Template:Flagicon Tony Gulotta D. A. "Ab" Jenkins Rigling Studebaker 111.725 6 167 Crash T4
19 18 1 Template:Flagicon Billy Arnold Template:Color box Harry Hartz Summers Miller 116.080 1 162 Crash T4
20 12 57 Template:Flagicon Luther Johnson Template:Color box William H. Richards Studebaker Studebaker 107.652 20 156 Crash T4
21 36 55 Template:Flagicon Billy Winn Template:Color box
(James Patterson Laps 55–121) 		F. E. Clemons Rigling Clemons 105.405 27 138 Flagged
22 27 16 Template:Flagicon Frank Brisko Frank Brisko Stevens Miller 106.286 24 138 Steering arm
23 34 26 Template:Flagicon Gene Haustein Template:Color box Fronty-Ford Sales of Michigan Ford T Fronty-Ford 108.395 16 117 Lost wheel
24 16 41 Template:Flagicon Joe Russo Template:Color box George A. Henry Rigling Duesenberg 104.822 29 109 Oil leak
25 7 17 Template:Flagicon Speed Gardner
(Wesley Crawford Laps 58–107) 		C. E. Ricketts Miller Miller 109.820 13 107 Frame
26 38 14 Template:Flagicon Lou Moore M. J. Boyle Miller Miller 103.725 31 103 Differential
27 26 2 Template:Flagicon Shorty Cantlon William S. White Miller Miller 110.372 11 88 Rod
28 2 3 Template:Flagicon Bill Cummings Empire State Gas Motors Cooper Miller 112.563 4 70 Oil line
29 28 24 Template:Flagicon Freddie Winnai B. L. Schneider Stevens Miller 105.899 26 60 Crash NC
30 11 32 Template:Flagicon Phil Pardee Template:Color box
(Wilbur Shaw Laps 27–60) 		Phil Pardee Duesenberg Duesenberg 107.772 19 60 Crash T3
31 3 31 Template:Flagicon Paul Bost Template:Color box Empire State Gas Motors Cooper Miller 112.125 5 35 Crankshaft
32 22 35 Template:Flagicon Frank Farmer Milton Jones Willys-Knight Miller 108.303 17 32 Rod bearing
33 32 58 Template:Flagicon George Wingerter Template:Color box George Wingerter Duesenberg Duesenberg 100.139 38 29 Fuel tank
34 25 7 Template:Flagicon Louis Meyer Template:Color box Alden Sampson II Stevens Miller 113.953 2 28 Oil leak
35 6 39 Template:Flagicon Babe Stapp Rigling & Henning Rigling Duesenberg 110.125 12 9 Oil leak/clutch
36 24 48 Template:Flagicon John Boling Grahpo Metal Packing Company M&B M&B 102.860 33 7 Rod
37 29 54 Template:Flagicon Leon Duray Leon Duray Stevens:Whippet Duray 103.134 32 6 Overheating
38 33 49 Template:Flagicon Harry Butcher Harry H. Butcher Buick Buick 99.343 39 6 Crash T4
39 39 10 Template:Flagicon Herman Schurch F. E. Clemons Rigling Clemons 102.845 34 5 Transmission
40 21 67 Template:Flagicon Francis Quinn Template:Color box James H. Wade Miller Ford A 111.321 9 3 Rear axle
[34][35]

Note: Relief drivers in parentheses[36]

Template:Color box Former Indianapolis 500 winner

Template:Color box Indianapolis 500 Rookie

Race statistics

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Race details

  • For 1931, riding mechanics were required.[37]
  • Dave Evans drove the Cummins Diesel Special entered by Clessie Cummins. During time trials, a special exception rule was made for diesel-powered engines which stated that if a diesel entry completed the four-lap qualifying run in excess of 80 mph average, it would qualify for the field, regardless of overall speed rank.[21][22] Evans qualified at over 96 mph, but ranked 43rd overall. Evans was given the 40th and last starting position. On race day he finished 13th, performing the remarkable feat of completing the entire 500 miles without a pit stop.[38] At some point during the race, Evans and his riding mechanic Thane Houser noticed that the water temperature was running high. Houser signaled back to the pit area, but Jimmy Doolittle who was working as the pit communicator, could not understand the message. Doolittle had misplaced a piece of paper which contained the key to the hand signals. Evans continued, having received no instruction from the pit area. After the race, Doolittle found the paper stuffed in his belt of his coat.[39]

Notes

See also

Works cited

References

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1930 Indianapolis 500
Billy Arnold 		1931 Indianapolis 500
Louis Schneider 		1932 Indianapolis 500
Fred Frame

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Indianapolis Star/News 2002 Record & Fact Book
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
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  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  10. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  11. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  15. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  20. ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  21. ↑ a b "The Talk of Gasoline Alley" - WIBC-AM, May 20, 2002
  22. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  24. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  29. ↑ The Talk of Gasoline Alley - 1070-AM WIBC, May 14, 2004
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  31. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  32. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Open access
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  37. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  38. ↑ Kettlewell, Mike. "Indianapolis: The Richest Race in the World", in Northey, Tom, ed. World of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Volume 9, p.1015.
  39. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore
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