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1925 Indianapolis 500

13th running of the Indianapolis 500

Field	Value
race_name	13th Indianapolis 500
race_logo	1925 Indianapolis 500 program cover.jpg
sanction	AAA
date	May 30, 1925
winner	Peter DePaolo
team	Duesenberg
mph	101.127 mi/h
pole	Leon Duray
pole_speed	113.196 mi/h
leader	Peter DePaolo (115)
pace_car	Rickenbacker 8
pace_driver	Eddie Rickenbacker
starter	Seth Klein
honorary	Charles M. Schwab
attendance	150,000
previous	[1924](1924-indianapolis-500)
next	[1926](1926-indianapolis-500)

The 13th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 30, 1925.

Race winner Peter DePaolo became the first driver to complete the 500 miles in under five hours, and have an average over 100 mph. Norman Batten drove 21 laps of relief (laps 106–127) while DePaolo had his hands bandaged due to blisters and bruises.

Time trials

Four-lap (10 mile) qualifying runs were utilized. Leon Duray won the pole position with a 4-lap track record of 113.196 mph. Peter DePaolo, who qualified second, set the 1-lap track record at 114.285 mph.

Date	Driver	Lap 1
(mph)	Lap 2
(mph)	Lap 3
(mph)	Lap 4
(mph)	Average Speed
(mph)
5/26/1925	Leon Duray	113.22	113.44	113.44	113.41	113.196

Starting grid

Row	Inside	Middle	Outside	1	2
28	USA Leon Duray	12	USA Pete DePaolo	6	USA Harry Hartz
2	USA Earl Cooper	1	USA Dave Lewis	17	USA Ralph Hepburn
10	USA Jules Ellingboe	22	ITA Pietro Bordino	38	USA Pete Kreis
27	USA Frank Elliott	4	USA Tommy Milton	5	USA Fred Comer
3	USA Bennett Hill	15	USA W. E. Shattuc	24	USA Earl Devore
23	USA Wade Morton	29	USA Herbert Jones	8	USA Ralph DePalma
19	USA Ira Vail	14	USA Bob McDonogh	7	USA Melville Jones (*)
9	USA Phil Shafer

Note: (*) Car qualified by Harold J. Skelly

Race summary

DePaolo jumped into the lead at the start, with Earl Cooper close behind. Phil Shafer led briefly, but DePaolo returned to the lead by half-distance. On lap 106, DePaolo came in for relief from Norman Batten while his bloody, blistered hands were bandaged. Dave Lewis then took over the lead in a front-wheel-drive Miller. The front wheels providing good grip in the turns, Lewis began to pull away. Batten soon pitted and DePaolo returned to the cockpit, and set his sights on Lewis.

At about 400 miles, Lewis began to slow, physically exhausted from the grind over the bricks. His crew called him in, but he overshot his pit stall and had to continue for another lap. When he finally stopped, crewmen lifted him out and Bennett Hill climbed in, now 1 1/2 laps behind DePaolo after the botched pit entry and eventual stop.

Hill sped after DePaolo, unlapping himself with about 25 laps to go and gaining several seconds with each lap. But DePaolo crossed the finish line with a record sub-5-hour 500 57 seconds ahead of Hill.

Box score

Finish	Start	No	Name	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	Qual	Rank	Laps
2	12	USA Peter DePaolo
(Norman Batten Laps 106–127)	Duesenberg Brothers	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	113.083	2	200	Running
5	1	USA Dave Lewis
(Bennett Hill Laps 174–200)	R. Cliff Durant	Miller	Miller	109.061	5	200	Running
22	9	USA Phil Shafer ****
(Wade Morton Laps 160–200)	Duesenberg Brothers	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	103.523	16	200	Running
3	6	USA Harry Hartz	Harry Hartz	Miller	Miller	112.433	3	200	Running
11	4	USA Tommy Milton ****	Tommy Milton	Miller	Miller	104.366	13	200	Running
1	28	USA Leon Duray
(Fred Comer Laps 105–155)	Harry Hartz	Miller	Miller	113.196	1	200	Running
18	8	USA Ralph DePalma ****
(L. L. Corum Laps 106–145)	Ralph DePalma	Miller	Miller	108.607	6	200	Running
9	38	USA Pete Kreis ****
(Norman Batten Laps 136–200)	Duesenberg Brothers	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	106.338	10	200	Running
14	15	USA W. E. Shattuc ****	Dr. W. E. Shattuc, M.D.	Miller	Miller	102.070	17	200	Running
8	22	ITA Pietro Bordino ****
(Antoine Mourre Laps 74–179)	Pietro Bordino	Fiat	Fiat	107.661	9	200	Running
12	5	USA Fred Comer
(Ira Vail Laps 86–132)	Harry Hartz	Miller	Miller	104.296	14	200	Running
10	27	USA Frank Elliott
(Ora Haibe Laps 81–130)	Richard G. Doyle	Miller	Miller	104.910	11	200	Running
15	24	USA Earl Devore ****
(Glenn Shultz Laps 92–115)
(L. L. Corum Laps 170–198)	Bancroft & Pope	Miller	Miller	97.799	19	198	Flagged
20	14	USA Bob McDonogh
(Bennett Hill Laps 129–140)	Tommy Milton	Miller	Miller	101.931	18	188	Truss rod
16	23	USA Wade Morton
(Jimmy Gleason Laps 110–156)	Duesenberg Brothers	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	95.821	20	156	Crash BS
6	17	USA Ralph Hepburn ****	Earl Cooper	Miller	Miller	108.489	7	144	Gas tank
4	2	USA Earl Cooper	R. Cliff Durant	Miller	Miller	110.487	4	127	Crash T1
13	3	USA Bennett Hill
(Jules Ellingboe Laps 30–52)
(Ray Cariens Laps 57–68)
(Jerry Wunderlich Laps 69)	Harry A. Miller	Miller	Miller	104.167	15	69	Rear spring
17	29	USA Herbert Jones ****
(Alfred Moss Laps 13–58)
(Alfred Moss Laps 66–68)	Herbert Jones	Miller	Miller	89.401	21	69	Crash T1
19	19	USA Ira Vail	R. J. Johnson	Miller	Miller	104.785	12	63	Rod
21	7	USA Melville Jones ****
(Fred Harder Laps 11–13)	H. J. Skelly	Ford T	Fronty-Ford	88.478	22	33	Transmission
7	10	USA Jules Ellingboe	Jerry Wunderlich	Miller	Miller	107.832	8	24	Steering

Note: Relief drivers in parentheses

**** Former Indianapolis 500 winner

**** Indianapolis 500 Rookie

Race statistics

Lap Leaders	Laps	Leader
1–54	Pete DePaolo
55–67	Phil Shafer
68–85	Pete DePaolo
86–88	Harry Hartz
89–104	Pete DePaolo
105–107	Dave Lewis
108–122	Ralph Hepburn
123–126	Earl Cooper
127–173	Dave Lewis
174–200	Pete DePaolo

Total laps led	Leader	Laps
Pete DePaolo	115
Dave Lewis	50
Ralph Hepburn	15
Phil Shafer	13
Earl Cooper	4
Harry Hartz	3

Race details

For 1925, riding mechanics were optional,{{cite book
First alternate: none
Ralph DePalma would be the only driver in the race who had competed in the first Indy 500 in 1911.
Though Pete DePaolo is widely recognized as the first driver to complete (and win) the Indianapolis 500 in under five hours (over 100 mph average speed), he was not eligible for the prestigious Champion Spark Plug 100 mph Club founded in 1935. Since DePaolo briefly received relief help from Norman Batten during the race, DePaolo failed the strict criteria for the club. He never managed to complete the full 500 miles again, and accomplish the feat solo.
The race marked the first appearance of a front-wheel-drive car. Harry Miller built the car on the suggestion of driver Jimmy Murphy, who thought the concept would be quick on Indy's bricks while having less tire wear. The "Junior 8", without a driveshaft to the rear wheels, was only 36 inches tall, and a flyweight sub-1500 lbs. It showed its effectiveness and began a wave of front-drive cars for the next quarter-century. Murphy never got to drive it; he was killed in a crash at Syracuse the previous September. Miller hired Dave Lewis for the 500.

Gallery

File:1925 Miller Junior Eight.JPG|1925 Miller File:Indy500pacecar1925.jpg|1925 Indianapolis 500 pace car

References

| Previous_year's_race = 1924 Indianapolis 500 | Next_year's_race = 1926 Indianapolis 500 (1924 Indianapolis 500) (1932 Indianapolis 500)

References

Fox, Jack C.. (1994). "The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994". Carl Hungness Publishing.
Patton, W. Blaine. (May 31, 1925). "DePaolo Wins Sweepstakes In Indianapolis-Made Car At Dazzling Speed of 101.13". The Indianapolis Star.
Book "The Indianapolis 500: A Complete Pictorial History" p. 63-65
"Indianapolis 500 1925". Ultimate Racing History.
(1998). "The Indianapolis 500 Chronicle". Publications International, Ltd..
"International 500 Mile Sweepstakes – May 30, 1925". ChampCarStats.com.
''[[Donald Davidson (historian). The Talk of Gasoline Alley]]'' - [[WIBC (FM). 1070-AM WIBC]], May 14, 2004
Book "The Indianapolis 500: A Complete Pictorial History" p. 63

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