27th Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning bodyAAA
DateMay 30, 1939
WinnerWilbur Shaw
Winning EntrantBoyle Racing Headquarters
Average speed115.035 mph (185.131 km/h)
Pole positionJimmy Snyder
Pole speed130.138 mph (209.437 km/h)
Most laps ledLouis Meyer (79)
Pre-race
Pace carBuick Roadmaster 80
Pace car driverCharles Chayne
StarterSeth Klein[1]
Honorary refereePaul G. Hoffman[1]
Estimated attendance145,000[2]
Chronology
Previous Next
1938 1940

The 27th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 30, 1939. The race was won by the number two car of Wilbur Shaw, who started in the third position, driving a Maserati 8CTF.[3] The race was notable for a three car accident on lap 109, when Floyd Roberts, the reigning champion, was killed when his car went through the wooden outer wall at over 100 miles (160 km) an hour at the backstretch.[4] In Louis Meyer's final Indy 500, he too would crash at the backstretch at over 100 miles (160 km) an hour, but he walked away unharmed.

Time trials

Ten-lap qualifying runs were eliminated for 1939, and the distance reverted to four-lap (10 mile) runs. This change was made permanent, and four-lap runs have been used ever since.

Floyd Roberts crash

With Roberts on lap 109, the car driven by Bob Swanson lost control and went sideways. Roberts' car contacted Swanson's, causing Swanson's car to eject Swanson, flip over, and catch fire, while Roberts' car went through the outer wall. Attempting to avoid the accident, Chet Miller swerved into the debris field. His car flipped, and went into the inner wall. Two spectators were also injured by flying debris. The three drivers were taken to hospitals, while it took over 30 minutes to clear the burning wreck of Swanson's car from the track. Roberts death due to brain injuries was announced before the race was completed.[5]

First rear-engined car

George Bailey became the first driver to compete with a rear-engined car in the Indianapolis 500 when he contested the 1939 race in a Gulf-Miller.[6]

Results

Finish Start No Name Entrant Chassis Engine Qual Rank Laps Led Status
1 3 2 United States Wilbur Shaw  W  Boyle Racing Headquarters Maserati Maserati 128.977 4 200 51 Running
2 1 10 United States Jimmy Snyder Joel Thorne, Inc. Adams Sparks 130.138 1 200 65 Running
3 10 54 United States Cliff Bergere Lewis W. Welch Miller-Ford Offenhauser 123.835 15 200 0 Running
4 4 4 United States Ted Horn Boyle Racing Headquarters Miller Miller 127.723 6 200 4 Running
5 16 31 United States Babe Stapp Bill White Race Cars, Inc. Alfa Romeo-Weil Alfa Romeo 125.000 12 200 0 Running
6 15 41 United States George Barringer Bill White Race Cars, Inc. Weil Offenhauser 120.935 28 200 0 Running
7 20 8 United States Joel Thorne Joel Thorne, Inc. Adams Sparks 122.177 23 200 0 Running
8 8 16 United States Mauri Rose W. Wilbur Shaw Shaw Offenhauser 124.896 13 200 0 Running
9 17 14 United States Frank Wearne Moore & Roberts Wetteroth Offenhauser 125.074 11 200 0 Running
10 33 26 United States Billy Devore Leon Duray Weil Duray 116.527 33 200 0 Running
11 27 62 United States Tony Gulotta George Lyons Stevens Offenhauser 121.749 24 200 0 Running
12 2 45 United States Louis Meyer  W  Bowes Racing, Inc. Stevens Winfield 130.067 2 197 79 Crash BS
13 12 18 United States George Connor Joseph Marks Adams Offenhauser 123.208 19 195 0 Stalled
14 26 51 United States Tony Willman Joe Lencki Lencki Lencki 122.771 21 188 0 Fuel pump
15 30 58 United States Louis Tomei Frank T. Griswold Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo 118.426 30 186 0 Flagged
16 19 15 United States Rex Mays Thorne Engineering Corp. Adams Sparks 126.413 7 145 1 Rings
17 9 9 United States Herb Ardinger Harry Hartz Wetteroth Miller 124.125 14 141 0 Clutch
18 24 35 United States Kelly Petillo  W  Kelly Petillo Wetteroth Offenhauser 123.660 16 141 0 Pistons
19 14 49 United States Mel Hansen  R  Joel Thorne, Inc. Shaw Offenhauser 121.683 25 113 0 Crash Pits
20 32 38 United States Harry McQuinn F. Burren Blume Brisko 117.287 32 110 0 Ignition
21 5 3 United States Chet Miller Boyle Racing Headquarters Summers Miller 126.318 8 109 0 Crash BS
22 13 25 United States Ralph Hepburn Anthony Gulotta Stevens Offenhauser 122.204 22 107 0 Crash BS
23 23 1 United States Floyd Roberts  W  ✝ Lou Moore, Inc. Wetteroth Offenhauser 128.968 5 106 0 Crash BS
24 18 37 United States Ira Hall Magnee & Nowiak Nowiak Studebaker 121.188 27 89 0 Head gasket
25 25 21 United States Russ Snowberger Russell Snowberger Snowberger Miller 123.199 20 50 0 Radiator
26 6 17 United States George Bailey Harry A. Miller Miller Miller 125.821 9 47 0 Valve
27 29 56 United States Floyd Davis Ed Walsh Miller Offenhauser 119.375 29 43 0 Shock absorber
28 28 42 United States Al Miller Paul Weirick Adams Offenhauser 123.233 18 41 0 Accelerator
29 11 29 United States Frank Brisko Frank Brisko Stevens Brisko 123.351 17 38 0 Air pump
30 21 44 United States Emil Andres Jimmy Snyder Stevens Offenhauser 121.212 26 22 0 Spark plugs
31 22 32 United States Bob Swanson Sampson Motors, Inc. Stevens Sampson 129.431 3 19 0 Rear axle
32 7 47 United States Shorty Cantlon Assoc. Enterprises, Ltd. Stevens Offenhauser 125.567 10 15 0 Main bearing
33 31 53 United States Deacon Litz Richard T. Wharton Maserati Maserati 117.979 31 7 0 Valve
[7][8]

Alternates

Failed to Qualify

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Fox, Jack C. (1994). The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994 (4th ed.). Carl Hungness Publishing. p. 22. ISBN 0-915088-05-3.
  2. ↑ Brooks, Ralph L. (May 31, 1939). "Oh, Yes, the Crowd! It Was There Too; 145,000 of It and All Well-Red". The Indianapolis Star. p. 1. Retrieved June 3, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  3. ↑ "1939 Indianapolis 500 Official Box Score :: Indianapolis 500". Archived from the original on 2008-05-14. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
  4. ↑ "Wilbur Shaw Wins. Floyd Roberts Dies". Associated Press. May 31, 1939. Retrieved 2012-10-08. Shaw swept through a trail of death and destruction Tuesday to win the twenty-seventh running of the Indianapolis motor speedway 500 mile race and stand ...
  5. ↑ Reginald Cleveland (May 31, 1939). "Roberts, 1938 Victor, Dies in Triple Crash as Shaw Takes Indianapolis Race. Just After Accident At Indianapolis And Finish Of The Race". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-10-08. Death in the afternoon struck at the twenty-seventh running of the 500 mile Speedway race today as Wilbur Shaw of Indianapolis, who won in 1938 ... Floyd Roberts, last year's popular victor, died in the Methodist Hospital ....
  6. ↑ George Bailey, indymotorspeedway.com Retrieved 7 December 2015
  7. ↑ "Indianapolis 500 1939". Ultimate Racing History. Archived from the original on January 17, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  8. ↑ Popely, Rick; Riggs, L. Spencer (1998). The Indianapolis 500 Chronicle. Lincolnwood, Illinois: Publications International, Ltd. ISBN 0-7853-2798-3.
  9. ↑ The Talk of Gasoline Alley - 1070-AM WIBC, May 14, 2004
  10. ↑ "1939 International 500 Mile Sweepstakes". ChampCarStats.com. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
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