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1927 Indianapolis 500

15th running of the Indianapolis 500

Field	Value
race_name	15th Indianapolis 500
race_logo	1927 Indianapolis 500 program cover.jpg
sanction	AAA
date	May 30, 1927
winner	George Souders
team	William S. White
mph	97.545 mi/h
pole	Frank Lockhart
pole_speed	120.100 mi/h
leader	Frank Lockhart (110)
pace_car	LaSalle V-8 Series 303
pace_driver	Willard "Big Boy" Rader
starter	George Townsend
honorary	Charles F. Kettering
attendance	135,000
previous	[1926](1926-indianapolis-500)
next	[1928](1928-indianapolis-500)

The 15th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 30, 1927.

First-time starter George Souders won by eight laps, the largest margin since 1913. Souders became the first driver to win the full-500 mile race solo, with neither help from a relief driver, nor accompanied by a riding mechanic.

Time trials

Four-lap (10 mile) qualifying runs were utilized. Frank Lockhart won the pole position with a speed of 120.10 mph. Lockhart set a new 1-lap track record on his final lap.

For the first time, all 33 qualifiers exceeded 100 mph for average speed.

Date	Driver	Lap 1
(mph)	Lap 2
(mph)	Lap 3
(mph)	Lap 4
(mph)	Average Speed
(mph)
5/26/1927	Frank Lockhart	120.192	119.474	119.824	120.918	120.100

Starting grid

Row	Inside	Middle	Outside	1	2
2	USA Frank Lockhart	3	USA Pete DePaolo	12	USA Leon Duray
1	USA Harry Hartz	19	USA Ralph Hepburn	15	USA Cliff Woodbury
14	USA Bob McDonogh	7	USA Dave Lewis	4	USA Bennett Hill
8	USA Norman Batten	22	USA Jack Petticord	9	USA Pete Kreis
5	USA Frank Elliott	25	USA Cliff Bergere	10	USA Earl Devore
17	USA W. E. Shattuc	26	USA Dutch Baumann	16	USA Eddie Hearne
29	USA Wilbur Shaw	44	USA Al Melcher	18	USA Jules Ellingboe
32	USA George Souders	43	USA Louis Schneider	38	USA Babe Stapp
6	USA Tommy Milton	41	USA Wade Morton	27	USA Tony Gulotta
21	USA Dave Evans	35	USA Al Cotey	23	USA Fred Lecklider
24	USA Benny Shoaff	42	USA Jim Hill	31	USA Fred Frame

Race summary

At the start, polesitter Lockhart took the lead and dominated the first half of the race. At the halfway point, he had won almost $10,000 in lap prize money. But on lap 120, his Miller broke a connecting rod, and he was out of the race. He reportedly stepped out, shrugged, smiled, and asked for a hot dog.

After Lockhart's retirement, Pete DePaolo took the lead, driving in relief for Bob McDonogh after his own car dropped out. But a supercharger problem required an extended, unscheduled pit stop to repair. With 60 laps to go, George Souders first took the lead. He steadily pulled away from Babe Stapp, both in Duesenbergs, and cruised to victory by over 12 minutes. Stapp (driving relief for Benny Shoaff), seemingly on his way to second place, broke a rear axle with a lap and a half to go, and the car finished out of the top ten.

Box score

Finish	Start	No	Name	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	Qual	Rank	Laps
22	32	USA George Souders ****	William S. White	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	111.551	12	200	Running
15	10	USA Earl Devore
(Zeke Meyer Laps 97–152)	F. P. Cramer	Miller	Miller	107.497	23	200	Running
27	27	USA Tony Gulotta
(Pete DePaolo Laps 86–92)	Anthony Gulotta	Miller	Miller	107.765	22	200	Running
19	29	USA Wilbur Shaw ****
(Louis Meyer Laps 77–129)	Fred Clemons	Miller	Miller	104.465	32	200	Running
28	21	USA Dave Evans ****
(Steve Nemesh Laps 57–82)	David E. Evans	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	107.360	25	200	Running
7	14	USA Bob McDonogh
(Pete DePaolo Laps 113–200)	Cooper Engineering Company	Cooper	Miller	113.175	8	200	Running
18	16	USA Eddie Hearne
(Harry Hartz Laps 47–81)
(Leon Duray Laps 116–130)
(Ira Vail Laps 131–154)	Harry Hartz	Miller	Miller	105.115	31	200	Running
25	6	USA Tommy Milton ****
(C. W. Van Ranst Laps 82–106)
(Ralph Hepburn Laps 107–200)	Tommy Milton	Detroit	Miller	108.758	20	200	Running
14	25	USA Cliff Bergere ****
(Wesley Crawford Laps 96–108)
(Wesley Crawford Laps 147–176)	Muller Brothers	Miller	Miller	108.820	19	200	Running
13	5	USA Frank Elliott
(Fred Frame Laps 54–100)	Frank Elliott	Miller	Miller	109.682	17	200	Running
33	31	USA Fred Frame ****
(George Fernic Laps 6–68)
(George Abell Laps 69–76)
(George Fernic Laps 77–123)
(George Abell Laps 124–127)
(George Fernic Laps 128–199)	O. B. Dolfinger	Miller	Miller	106.859	27	199	Flagged
32	42	USA Jim Hill ****
(Don Ostrander Laps 30–87)
(Don Ostrander Laps 108–115)
(Don Ostrander Laps 176–197)	Earl Devore	Miller	Miller	107.392	24	197	Flagged
31	24	USA Benny Shoaff ****
(Babe Stapp Laps 69–103)
(Babe Stapp Laps 173–198)	Duesenberg Brothers	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	110.152	13	198	Rear end gears
26	41	USA Wade Morton
(Ralph Holmes Laps 34–63)
(Freddie Winnai Laps 64–131)
(Ralph Holmes Laps 140–152)	Duesenberg Brothers	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	108.075	21	152	Crash
20	44	USA Al Melcher ****
(Jack Petticord Laps 44–129)
(Fred Lecklider Laps 130–143)
(Jack Petticord Laps 143–144)	Charles Haase	Miller	Miller	102.918	33	144	Supercharger
23	43	USA Louis Schneider ****
(L. L. Corum Laps 88–97)
(Dutch Baumann Laps 125–135)	Fred Lecklider	Miller	Miller	109.910	15	137	Timing gears
12	9	USA Pete Kreis	Cooper Engineering Company	Cooper	Miller	109.900	16	123	Front axle
1	2	USA Frank Lockhart ****
(Harry Hartz Laps 101–123)	Frank S. Lockhart	Miller	Miller	120.100	1	120	Rod
6	15	USA Cliff Woodbury
(Ralph Hepburn Laps 71–80)	Cliff Woodbury	Miller	Miller	113.200	7	108	Supercharger
17	26	USA Dutch Baumann ****	Harry S. Miller	Miller	Miller	106.078	29	90	Pinion shaft
29	35	USA Al Cotey ****
(Eddie Burbach Laps 63–87)	Al Cotey	Miller	Miller	106.295	28	87	Universal joint
16	17	USA W. E. Shattuc	Dr. W. E. Shattuc, M.D.	Miller	Miller	107.060	26	83	Valve
30	23	USA Fred Lecklider
(Henry Kohlert Laps 17–49)	Henry Kohlert	Miller	Miller	105.729	30	49	Crash T1
5	19	USA Ralph Hepburn	Cliff Woodbury	Miller	Miller	114.209	5	39	Fuel tank leak
4	1	USA Harry Hartz	Harry Hartz	Miller	Miller	116.739	4	38	Crankshaft
2	3	USA Peter DePaolo ****	Peter DePaolo	Miller	Miller	119.510	2	31	Supercharger
3	12	USA Leon Duray	Leon Duray	Miller	Miller	118.788	3	26	Fuel tank leak
9	4	USA Bennett Hill	Cooper Engineering Company	Miller	Miller	112.013	10	26	Shackle bolt
21	18	USA Jules Ellingboe	Earl Cooper	Miller	Miller	113.239	6	25	Crash T4
10	8	USA Norman Batten	Norman K. Batten	Fengler	Miller	111.940	11	24	Caught fire
24	38	USA Babe Stapp ****	Duesenberg Brothers	Duesenberg	Duesenberg	109.555	18	24	Universal joint
11	22	USA Jack Petticord ****	Cliff Woodbury	Miller	Miller	109.920	14	22	Supercharger
8	7	USA Dave Lewis	Dave Lewis	Miller	Miller	112.275	9	21	Front axle

Note: Relief drivers in parentheses

**** Former Indianapolis 500 winner

**** Indianapolis 500 Rookie

Race statistics

Lap Leaders	Laps	Leader
1-81	Frank Lockhart
82–90	Dutch Baumann
91–119	Frank Lockhart
120–149	Pete DePaolo
150–200	George Souders

Total laps led	Leader	Laps
Frank Lockhart	110
George Souders	51
Pete DePaolo	30
Dutch Baumann	9

Race details

For 1927, riding mechanics were optional;{{cite book

Eddie Hearne was the only driver in the field who had competed at the inaugural Indy 500. This would be the final time a driver from the inaugural race would compete.

References

References

Fox, Jack C.. (1994). "The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994". Carl Hungness Publishing.
Patton, W. Blaine. (May 31, 1927). "Hoosier Averages 97.45 Miles An Hour In 500-Mile Grind". The Indianapolis Star.
Book "The Indianapolis 500: A Complete Pictorial History" p. 72
Book "The Indianapolis 500: A Complete Pictorial History" p.72
Book "The Indianapolis 500: A Complete Pictorial History" p. 72-75
"Indianapolis 500 1927". Ultimate Racing History.
(1998). "The Indianapolis 500 Chronicle". Publications International, Ltd..
"International 500 Mile Sweepstakes – May 30, 1927". ChampCarStats.com.

Info: Wikipedia Source

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