1947 Indianapolis 500

Time trials & ASPAR boycott

Time trials was scheduled for five days. The minimum speed to qualify was set at 115 mph. In the months leading up to the race, several top drivers that were members of a union, the American Society of Professional Auto Racing (ASPAR), threatened to boycott the race over the purse size.{{cite news

• Saturday May 17 (Pole Day): Intermittent showers, and the holdout of several ASPAR drivers, meant that only four cars completed qualifying runs. Ted Horn claimed the pole position with a speed of 126.564 mph. Novi teammates Cliff Bergere and Doc Williams both suffered spins during the afternoon. Both rebounded to qualify, with Bergere taking the middle of the front row. Williams completed a rather slow run (120.733 mph), not noticing his crew, who was trying to signal him to abort the run. Williams would be replaced by Herb Ardinger on race day.
• Sunday May 18: Three cars qualified, bringing the field to seven cars. Shorty Cantlon (121.462 mph) was the fastest of the day.
• Saturday May 24
• Sunday May 25
• Wednesday May 28: The final scheduled day of qualifying closed with 28 cars in the field.

When qualifying closed at 6 p.m. on Wednesday May 28, the field had only been filled to 28 cars. Duke Dinsmore was the final qualifier, completing his run amidst some scoring confusion by the officials, just as the time had run out. Race officials initially stressed that Wednesday would be the final day available to qualify. However, a day later, they re-opened qualifying for one hour late on Thursday May 29 in an effort to fill the field. Mel Hansen and Emil Andres were the only two cars to complete attempts, and after approval by the other entries, were added to the grid to bring the field to 30 cars.

The heartbreak story of the day belonged to driver Billy Devore. After failing to make the field on Wednesday, the Bill Schoof crew worked diligently to make repairs to their car, hoping that officials would re-open qualifying. When word was announced that additional time trials would be held Thursday, the crew scrambled to get the car prepared. Late in the evening, with about 20 minutes left until closing, the crew drove the race car from their garage about six miles away to the track with a police escort. When they arrived at the gate at 6:58 p.m., however, officials closed time trials, and DeVore was not permitted to qualify.

Starting grid

Failed to Qualify

• United StatesWalt Ader **** (#6)
• BelgiumZora Arkus-Duntov **** (#49)
• United StatesBud Bardowski ****
• United StatesTommy Boggs **** (#23)
• United StatesFrank Brisko
• Great BritainLeslie Brooke **** (#35)
• United StatesJim Brubaker **** (#86)
• United StatesRed Byron **** (#22)
• United StatesDuane Carter **** (#32)
• United StatesHal Cole - Withdrew due to ASPAR dispute
• United StatesCharles Crawford (#67)
• United StatesBilly Devore (#17)
• United StatesLouis Durant (#23)
• United StatesSam Grecco **** (#51)
• United StatesSam Hanks (#54)
• United StatesTommy Hinnershitz (#5) - Did not arrive
• United StatesNorm Houser **** (#69)
• United StatesDanny Kladis - Withdrew due to ASPAR dispute
• United StatesJohnny Mauro **** (#64)
• United StatesHarry McQuinn
• United StatesGeorge Metzler **** (#55)
• United StatesChet Miller - Withdrew due to ASPAR dispute
• United StatesWally Mitchell **** - Withdrew due to ASPAR dispute
• United StatesOverton Phillips - Withdrew due to ASPAR dispute
• United StatesBuddy Rusch ****
• United StatesArt Scovell ****
• United StatesBill Sheffler - Withdrew due to ASPAR dispute
• United StatesHal Stetson **** - Did not appear
• United StatesJoel Thorne - Withdrew due to ASPAR dispute
• United StatesLouis Tomei (#44, #57)
• United StatesSteve Truchan **** (#28)
• United StatesGeorge Weaver **** (#44)
• United StatesDoc Williams (#54)

Race summary

Late in the race, Lou Moore teammates Bill Holland and Mauri Rose were running 1st and 2nd. The pit crew displayed a confusing chalkboard sign with the letters "EZY" to Holland, presumably meaning for him to take the final laps at a reduced pace to safely make it to the finish. Mauri Rose ignored the board, and charged to catch up to Holland. Holland believed he held a lap lead over Rose, and allowed him to catch up. The two drivers waved as Rose passed Holland, with Holland believing it was not more than a congratulatory gesture.

In reality, the pass Rose made was for the lead, and he led the final 8 laps to take the controversial victory. The race was marred by a 41st lap crash that claimed the life of Shorty Cantlon.

Rose's distance finish time of 4:17:52.17 was the second fastest finish of the Indianapolis 500 ever, at the time. Only the 1938 Indianapolis 500 had been completed in a faster total time as of 1947. After Rose completed the 500 mile distance, approximately 40 minutes was given for additional drivers to finish, before any remaining drivers who had not completed the distance by then were flagged off the track. The 1947 race was also the coldest on record, with an average temperature of 50 degrees and morning low of 37.

Box score

Note: Relief drivers in parentheses

**** Former Indianapolis 500 winner

**** Indianapolis 500 Rookie

All entrants utilized Firestone tires.

Race statistics

Broadcasting

Radio

The race was carried live on the Mutual Broadcasting System, the precursor to the IMS Radio Network. The broadcast was sponsored by Perfect Circle Piston Rings and Bill Slater served as the anchor. The broadcast feature live coverage of the start, the finish, and live updates throughout the race.

Barry Lake served as "roving reporter," stationed on an Army Jeep. Larry Richardson was stationed in the new Press Paddock (constructed underneath the Paddock Penthouse upper deck) on the outside of the mainstretch, relaying scoring and official information.

Notes

Works cited

• 1947 Indianapolis 500 Radio Broadcast, Mutual: Re-broadcast on "The All-Night Race Party" - WIBC-AM (May 29, 2004)

References

References

1. Fox, Jack C.. (1994). "The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994". Carl Hungness Publishing.
2. Brooks, Ralph L.. (May 31, 1947). "165,000 See Race Classic". The Indianapolis Star.
3. (May 18, 1947). "126.564 Tops For Field of 4 (Part 1)". The Indianapolis Star.
4. (May 18, 1947). "126.564 Tops For Field of 4 (Part 2)". The Indianapolis Star.
5. (May 19, 1947). "Cantlon Paces 3 New Qualifiers (Part 1)". The Indianapolis Star.
6. (May 19, 1947). "Cantlon Paces 3 New Qualifiers (Part 2)". The Indianapolis Star.
7. ""1947 International 500 Mile Sweepstakes".
8. Wire Dispatches. (May 31, 1947). "Rose Wins 2d 500 Miler; Cantlon Killed In Spill". The Courier-Journal.
9. Sainsbury, Ed. (May 31, 1947). "Rose Wins '500', Holland 2d; Auto Race Crash Kills Cantlon". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
10. (June 25, 2019). "Indianapolis 500".
11. "Indianapolis 500 1947". Ultimate Racing History.
12. "International 500 Mile Sweepstakes – May 30, 1947". ChampCarStats.com.
13. (May 30, 1947). "Driver Killed In 500-Mile Auto Race". Evansville Press.
14. Kern, C.L.. (May 31, 1947). "Victory Was First For Lou Moore Creation". [[The Indianapolis Star]].