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1926 Indianapolis 500
14th running of the Indianapolis 500
14th running of the Indianapolis 500
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| race_name | 14th Indianapolis 500 |
| race_logo | 1926 Indianapolis 500 program cover.jpg |
| sanction | AAA |
| date | May 31, 1926 |
| winner | Frank Lockhart |
| team | Pete Kreis |
| mph | 95.904 mi/h |
| pole | Earl Cooper |
| pole_speed | 111.735 mi/h |
| leader | Frank Lockhart (95) |
| pace_car | Chrysler Imperial 80 |
| pace_driver | Louis Chevrolet |
| starter | Seth Klein |
| honorary | Arthur Brisbane |
| attendance | 135,000 |
| previous | [1925](1925-indianapolis-500) |
| next | [1927](1927-indianapolis-500) |
The 14th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 31, 1926. Louis Chevrolet drove the Chrysler pace car for the start.
Rain halted the race at lap 72, and officials waited for the track to dry out. The race was resumed over an hour later. Rain fell again, and the race was called at the 400 mile mark (160 laps).
Rookie Frank Lockhart moved up from 20th to fifth by lap 5, having had passed 14 cars on that lap alone. He moved up to second on Lap 16. Lockhart then stretched out a two-lap lead when the race was called, and he was declared the winner. It was the first rain-shortened race in "500" history, and Lockhart was the fourth rookie to win the race. Lockhart may have actually completed as many as 163 laps (407.5 miles), but official scoring results reverted to the completion of lap 160.
Time trials
Four-lap (10 mile) qualifying runs were utilized. Earl Cooper won the pole position. Frank Lockhart set a new 1-lap track record during his first attempt at 115.488 mph, but the run was aborted after a tire failure on the second lap. He later blew an engine during another attempt, and finally put a car in the field 20th on the grid.
| Date | Driver | Lap 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (mph) | Lap 2 | |||||
| (mph) | Lap 3 | |||||
| (mph) | Lap 4 | |||||
| (mph) | Average Speed | |||||
| (mph) | ||||||
| 5/27/1926 | Earl Cooper | 113.68 | 112.97 | 111.32 | 109.09 | **111.735** |
Starting grid
| Row | Inside | Middle | Outside | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | USA Earl Cooper | 3 | USA Harry Hartz | 10 | USA Leon Duray | ||||||||
| 1 | USA Dave Lewis | 4 | USA Phil Shafer | 7 | USA Jules Ellingboe | ||||||||
| 16 | USA Bennett Hill | 6 | USA Frank Elliott | 34 | CAN Bon MacDougall | ||||||||
| 22 | USA W. E. Shattuc | 9 | USA Cliff Durant | 31 | USA Tony Gulotta | ||||||||
| 8 | USA Fred Comer | 36 | USA Cliff Woodbury | 19 | USA Ralph Hepburn | ||||||||
| 14 | USA Norman Batten | 27 | GBR Douglas Hawkes | 29 | USA Ben Jones | ||||||||
| 29 | FRA Albert Guyot | 15 | USA Frank Lockhart | 33 | USA Thane Houser | ||||||||
| 24 | USA Steve Nemesh | 43 | GBR Ernest Eldridge | 23 | USA L. L. Corum | ||||||||
| 28 | USA Jack McCarver | 17 | USA Fred Lecklider | 12 | USA Pete DePaolo | ||||||||
| 18 | CAN John Duff |
Box score
| Finish | Start | No | Name | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | Qual | Rank | Laps | Status | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 15 | USA Frank Lockhart **** | Pete Kreis | Miller | Miller | 95.780 | 19 | 160 | Running | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | 3 | USA Harry Hartz | Harry Hartz | Miller | Miller | 109.542 | 2 | 158 | Flagged | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | 36 | USA Cliff Woodbury **** | Cliff R. Woodbury | Miller | Miller | 105.109 | 10 | 158 | Flagged | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | 8 | USA Fred Comer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Wade Morton 71–139) | Harry Hartz | Miller | Miller | 100.612 | 16 | 155 | Flagged | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 27 | 12 | USA Pete DePaolo **** | Duesenberg Brothers | Duesenberg | Duesenberg | 96.709 | 18 | 153 | Flagged | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | 6 | USA Frank Elliott | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Leon Duray Laps 76–104) | Frank Elliott | Miller | Miller | 105.873 | 8 | 152 | Flagged | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | 14 | USA Norman Batten **** | Norman Batten | Miller | Miller | 101.428 | 15 | 151 | Flagged | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | 19 | USA Ralph Hepburn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Bob McDonogh Laps 25–65) | Ralph Hepburn | Miller | Miller | 102.517 | 14 | 151 | Flagged | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28 | 18 | CAN John Duff **** | Al Cotey | Miller | Miller | 95.549 | 20 | 147 | Flagged | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | 4 | USA Phil Shafer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Fred Lecklider Laps 52–54) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Fred Lecklider Laps 113–146) | Phil Shafer | Miller | Miller | 106.647 | 5 | 146 | Flagged | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | 31 | USA Tony Gulotta **** | Harry Hartz | Miller | Miller | 102.789 | 13 | 142 | Flagged | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | 16 | USA Bennett Hill | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Jules Ellingboe Laps 39–40) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Jules Ellingboe Laps 78–113) | Harry A. Miller | Miller | Miller | 105.876 | 7 | 136 | Flagged | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 21 | 33 | USA Thane Houser **** | George G. Abell | Miller | Miller | 93.672 | 22 | 102 | Flagged | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | 27 | GBR Douglas Hawkes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Ernest Eldridge Laps 57–73) | E. A. D. Eldridge | Eldridge | Anzani | 94.977 | 21 | 91 | Camshaft | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | 1 | USA Dave Lewis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Earl Cooper Laps 90–91) | Harry A. Miller | Miller | Miller | 107.009 | 4 | 91 | Valve | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 5 | USA Earl Cooper | Harry A. Miller | Miller | Miller | 111.735 | 1 | 73 | Transmission | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | 9 | USA Cliff Durant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Eddie Hearne 42–60) | R. Cliff Durant | Fengler | Locomobile | 104.855 | 12 | 60 | Fuel tank leak | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | 29 | USA Ben Jones **** | Duesenberg Brothers | Duesenberg | Duesenberg | 92.142 | 24 | 54 | Crash | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23 | 26 | GBR Ernest Eldridge **** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Herschel McKee Laps 22–32) | E. A. D. Eldridge | Eldridge | Anzani | 89.777 | 25 | 45 | Tie rod | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 24 | 23 | USA L. L. Corum **** | Albert Schmidt | Schmidt | Argyll | 88.849 | 26 | 44 | Shock absorbers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22 | 24 | USA Steve Nemesh **** | Albert Schmidt | Schmidt | Argyll | 92.937 | 23 | 41 | Transmission | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | 7 | USA Jules Ellingboe | F. P. Cramer | Miller | Miller | 106.376 | 6 | 39 | Supercharger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | 10 | USA Leon Duray | R. Cliff Durant | Fengler | Locomobile | 109.186 | 3 | 33 | Broken axle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26 | 17 | USA Fred Lecklider **** | Earl Devore | Miller | Miller | 100.398 | 17 | 24 | Rod | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25 | 28 | USA Jack McCarver **** | Chevrolet Brothers | Ford T | Fronty-Ford | 86.418 | 28 | 23 | Rod | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | 34 | CAN Bon MacDougall **** | R. G. McDougall | Miller | Miller | 105.180 | 9 | 19 | Valve | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | 22 | USA W. E. Shattuc | Dr. W. E. Shattuc, M.D. | Miller | Miller | 104.977 | 11 | 15 | Valve | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19 | 39 | FRA Albert Guyot | Albert Schmidt | Schmidt | Argyll | 88.580 | 27 | 8 | Piston |
Note: Relief drivers in parentheses
**** Former Indianapolis 500 winner
**** Indianapolis 500 Rookie
Race statistics
| Lap Leaders | Laps | Leader |
|---|---|---|
| 1-15 | Phil Shafer | |
| 16–21 | Dave Lewis | |
| 22 | Phil Shafer | |
| 23–59 | Dave Lewis | |
| 60–100 | Frank Lockhart | |
| 101–106 | Harry Hartz | |
| 107–160 | Frank Lockhart |
| Total laps led | Leader | Laps |
|---|---|---|
| Frank Lockhart | 95 | |
| Dave Lewis | 43 | |
| Phil Shafer | 16 | |
| Harry Hartz | 6 |
Race details
- For 1926, riding mechanics were optional,{{cite book
- First alternate: none
- This would be the first Indy 500 where a driver from the inaugural Indy 500 did not compete.
References
Name_of_race = Indianapolis 500 | Year_of_race = 1926 | Previous_race_in_season = 1925 Italian Grand Prix | Next_race_in_season = 1926 French Grand Prix | Previous_year's_race = 1925 Indianapolis 500 | Next_year's_race = 1927 Indianapolis 500
References
- Fox, Jack C.. (1994). "The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994". Carl Hungness Publishing.
- (June 1, 1926). "Youthful Driver Declared Victor After 400 Miles". The Indianapolis Star.
- ''Seattle Daily Times'', June 1, 1926, Page 18.
- [http://www.mshf.com/hall-of-fame/inductees/frank-lockhart.html Biography] at the [[Motorsports Hall of Fame of America]], Retrieved March 15, 2007
- After the rain delay, Lockhart and [[Dave Lewis (racing driver)
- [http://www.gordonkirby.com/categories/columns/archive/lockhart_legend.html The Lockhart Legend/ At the height of the Roaring Twenties Frank Lockhart was America's racing superstar]
- "Indianapolis 500 1926". Ultimate Racing History.
- (1998). "The Indianapolis 500 Chronicle". Publications International, Ltd..
- "International 500 Mile Sweepstakes - May 31, 1926". ChampCarStats.com.
- ''[[Donald Davidson (historian). The Talk of Gasoline Alley]]'' - [[WIBC (FM). 1070-AM WIBC]], May 14, 2004
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