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1920 Indianapolis 500

{{short description|Eighth running of the Indianapolis 500}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox Indy500 1911to1941

| race_name = 8th Indianapolis 500

| race_logo = 1920 Indianapolis 500 program cover.jpg

| sanction = AAA

| date = May 31, 1920

| winner = Gaston Chevrolet

| team = William Small Company

| mph = {{convert|88.618|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}}

| pole = Ralph DePalma

| pole_speed = {{convert|99.150|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}}

| leader = Joe Boyer (93)

| pace_car = Marmon 6 (Model 34)

| pace_driver = Barney Oldfield

| starter = E. C. Patterson{{cite book|last=Fox|first=Jack C.|title =The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994|publisher =Carl Hungness Publishing|edition=4th|date=1994|pages=22|language=en|isbn=0-915088-05-3}}

| honorary = Clifford C. Ireland

| attendance = 120,000{{cite news|title=Crowd Put at 120,000, New Record Mark|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11445882/|newspaper=The Indianapolis Star|page=1|via=Newspapers.com|date=June 1, 1920|access-date=June 3, 2017}}{{Open access}} (up 10k from previous year)

| previous = 1919

| next = 1921

}}

The 8th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 31, 1920.

Ralph DePalma held a two lap lead when the car stalled on lap 187. His riding mechanic Pete DePaolo ran to the pits to get a can of gasoline, thinking they were out of fuel. DePalma was able to get the car rolling again, and the two rejoined the race. However, during the delay, the lead went to Gaston Chevrolet. Chevrolet himself ran out of fuel on lap 197, but he was able to coast to the pits and refuel. Chevrolet held on to win. About six months later, he was fatally injured in a crash at Beverly Hills.

Chevrolet won the race without a single tire change, a remarkable feat at the time. Chevrolet was accompanied by riding mechanic John Bresnahan. Chevrolet's victory was the last by a driver born outside of the United States until George Robson's victory in the 1946 running.

Time trials

Image:Indy500winningcar1920.jpg

Four-lap ({{convert|10|mile}}) qualifying runs were introduced in 1920. Previously one-lap runs were used. Ralph DePalma won the pole position at {{convert|99.65|mph|abbr=on}}. None of his four laps matched the track record ({{convert|104.78|mph|abbr=on}}) set the previous year.

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
align="center"

|colspan=7|Qualifying Results

align="center"

! Date !! Driver !! Lap 1
(mph) !! Lap 2
(mph) !! Lap 3
(mph) !! Lap 4
(mph) !! Average Speed
(mph)

align="center"

|5/26/1920

Ralph DePalma98.199.499.599.9599.65

Starting grid

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"

!Row

!colspan=2 width="195"|Inside

!colspan=2 width="195"|Inside Center

!colspan=2 width="195"|Outside Center

!colspan=2 width="195"|Outside

1

| colspan=2| Pace car position

| align="center" width="20"|2

| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Ralph DePalma {{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}

| align="center" width="20"|6

| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Joe Boyer

| align="center" width="20"|3

| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Louis Chevrolet

2

| align="center" width="20"|26

| {{flagicon|FRA}} Jean Chassagne

| align="center" width="20"|8

| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Art Klein

| align="center" width="20"|4

| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Gaston Chevrolet

| align="center" width="20"|5

| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Roscoe Sarles

3

| align="center" width="20"|7

| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Bennett Hill {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}

| align="center" width="20"|31

| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Eddie Hearne

| align="center" width="20"|9

| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Ray Howard

| align="center" width="20"|10

| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Tommy Milton

4

| align="center" width="20"|29

| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Eddie O'Donnell

| align="center" width="20"|34

| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Willie Haupt

| align="center" width="20"|32

| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} John Boling {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}

| align="center" width="20"|12

| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Jimmy Murphy {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}

5

| align="center" width="20"|17

| {{flagicon|FRA}} André Boillot

| align="center" width="20"|15

| {{flagicon|CAN|1868}} Pete Henderson

| align="center" width="20"|25

| {{flagicon|FRA}} René Thomas {{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}

| align="center" width="20"|28

| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Joe Thomas {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}

6

| align="center" width="20"|18

| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Howdy Wilcox {{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}

| align="center" width="20"|16

| {{flagicon|FRA}} Jules Goux {{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}

| align="center" width="20"|19

| {{flagicon|FRA}} Jean Porporato

| align="center" width="20"|33

| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Ralph Mulford

{{legend|orange|text=R|Indianapolis 500 rookie|border=solid 1px darkgray}}

{{legend|gold|text=W|Indianapolis 500 winner|border=solid 1px darkgray}}

Box score

class="wikitable"

!Finish

!Start

!No

!Name

!Entrant

!Chassis

!Engine

!Qual

!Rank

!Laps

!Status

1

|6

|4

|{{Flagicon|USA|1912}} Gaston Chevrolet

|William Small Company

|Frontenac

|Frontenac

|91.550

|8

|200

|Running

2

|18

|25

|{{Flagicon|FRA}} René Thomas {{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}

|Ernest Ballot

|Ballot

|Ballot

|93.950

|5

|200

|Running

3

|11

|10

|{{Flagicon|USA|1912}} Tommy Milton

|Duesenberg Brothers

|Duesenberg

|Duesenberg

|90.200

|11

|200

|Running

4

|15

|12

|{{Flagicon|USA|1912}} Jimmy Murphy {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}

|Duesenberg Brothers

|Duesenberg

|Duesenberg

|88.700

|13

|200

|Running

5

|1

|2

|{{Flagicon|USA|1912}} Ralph DePalma {{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}

|Ralph DePalma

|Ballot

|Ballot

|99.150

|1

|200

|Running

6

|9

|31

|{{Flagicon|USA|1912}} Eddie Hearne

|Duesenberg Brothers

|Duesenberg

|Duesenberg

|88.050

|15

|200

|Running

7

|4

|26

|{{Flagicon|FRA}} Jean Chassagne

|Ernest Ballot

|Ballot

|Ballot

|95.450

|4

|200

|Running

8

|19

|28

|{{Flagicon|USA|1912}} Joe Thomas {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
(Art Klein Laps 105–115)
(Harry Thicksten Laps 116–125)

|William Small Company

|Frontenac

|Frontenac

|92.800

|6

|200

|Running

9

|23

|33

|{{Flagicon|USA|1912}} Ralph Mulford

|Ralph Mulford

|Mulford

|Duesenberg

|—

|—

|200

|Running

10

|17

|15

|{{Flagicon|CAN|1868}} Pete Henderson
(Tom Alley Laps 93–20)

|Revere Motor Car Corporation

|Duesenberg

|Duesenberg

|81.150

|21

|200

|Running

11

|14

|32

|{{Flagicon|USA|1912}} John Boling {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
(Riley Brett Laps 99–199)

|C. L. Richards

|Brett

|Brett

|81.850

|20

|199

|Flagged

12

|2

|6

|{{Flagicon|USA|1912}} Joe Boyer
(Ira Vail Laps 155–191)

|Frontenac Motor Corporation

|Frontenac

|Frontenac

|96.900

|2

|192

|Crash T3

13

|10

|9

|{{Flagicon|USA|1912}} Ray Howard
(Aldo Franchi Laps 41–90)

|Peugeot Auto Racing Company

|Peugeot

|Peugeot

|84.600

|18

|150

|Camshaft

14

|12

|29

|{{Flagicon|USA|1912}} Eddie O'Donnell

|Duesenberg Brothers

|Duesenberg

|Duesenberg

|88.200

|14

|149

|Oil line

15

|21

|16

|{{Flagicon|FRA}} Jules Goux {{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}

|Jules Goux

|Peugeot

|Peugeot

|84.300

|19

|148

|Engine trouble

16

|13

|34

|{{Flagicon|USA|1912}} Willie Haupt
(Wade Morton Laps 55–111)

|Meteor Motors Company

|Duesenberg

|Duesenberg

|85.480

|16

|146

|Rod

17

|8

|7

|{{Flagicon|USA|1912}} Bennett Hill {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
(Roscoe Sarles Laps 75–115)

|Frontenac Motor Corporation

|Frontenac

|Frontenac

|90.550

|10

|115

|Crash T4

18

|3

|3

|{{Flagicon|USA|1912}} Louis Chevrolet
(Salvatore Barbarino Laps 64–79)
(Jerry Wunderlich Laps 80–94)

|William Small Company

|Frontenac

|Frontenac

|96.300

|3

|94

|Steering

19

|20

|18

|{{Flagicon|USA|1912}} Howdy Wilcox {{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}

|Jules Goux

|Peugeot

|Peugeot

|88.820

|12

|65

|Engine trouble

20

|7

|5

|{{Flagicon|USA|1912}} Roscoe Sarles

|William Small Company

|Frontenac

|Frontenac

|90.750

|9

|58

|Crash T4

21

|5

|8

|{{Flagicon|USA|1912}} Art Klein

|Frontenac Motor Corporation

|Frontenac

|Frontenac

|92.700

|7

|40

|Crash

22

|22

|19

|{{Flagicon|FRA}} Jean Porporato

|Jean Porporato

|Grégoire

|Grégoire

|79.980

|22

|23

|Ruled off

23

|16

|17

|{{Flagicon|FRA}} André Boillot

|Jules Goux

|Peugeot

|Peugeot

|85.400

|17

|16

|Engine trouble

colspan=12 style="text-align:center"| {{cite web|title=Indianapolis 500 1920 |url=http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/race.php?raceid=19993 |work=Ultimate Racing History |access-date=15 January 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130205072003/http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/race.php?raceid=19993 |archive-date=5 February 2013 |url-status=live }}{{cite book|title=The Indianapolis 500 Chronicle|publisher=Publications International, Ltd.|first1=Rick|last1=Popely|first2=L. Spencer|last2=Riggs|date=1998|ISBN=0-7853-2798-3|location=Lincolnwood, Illinois}}

Note: Relief drivers in parentheses{{cite news|url=https://www.champcarstats.com/races/192005.htm|title=International 500 Mile Sweepstakes – May 30, 1920|publisher=ChampCarStats.com}}

{{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}} Former Indianapolis 500 winner

{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}} Indianapolis 500 Rookie

=Statistics=

{{col-begin}}

{{col-break|width=30%}}

class="wikitable"

!colspan=2|Lap Leaders

Laps

! Leader

1–11Joe Boyer
12Art Klein
13Jean Chassagne
14–37Joe Boyer
38–42Ralph DePalma
43–62Joe Boyer
63–69René Thomas
70–107Joe Boyer
108–112René Thomas
113–186Ralph DePalma
187–200Gaston Chevrolet

{{col-break|width=70%}}

class="wikitable"

!colspan=2|Total laps led

Leader

! Laps

Joe Boyer93
Ralph DePalma79
Gaston Chevrolet14
René Thomas12
Jean Chassagne1
Art Klein1

{{col-end}}

Race details

|last=Blazier, John E. |author2=Rollings, Tom

|title=Forgotten Heroes of the Speedways: The Riding Mechanics

|date=1994}}

References

{{reflist}}

{{

Indy 500 Walker|

Previous_race = 1919|

Previous_winner = Howdy Wilcox|

This_race = 1920|

This_winner = Gaston Chevrolet|

Next_race = 1921|

Next_winner = Tommy Milton|

}}

{{Indy 500}}

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Category:May 1920 in the United States