1951 Indianapolis 500#World Drivers' Championship

Time trials were scheduled for six days. Rain, however, pushed qualifying into a seventh day.

• Saturday May 12 – Pole Day time trials
• Sunday May 13 – Second day time trials
• Saturday May 19 – Third day time trials
• Sunday May 20 – Fourth day time trials
• Saturday May 26 – Fifth day time trials
• Sunday May 27 – Sixth day time trials (rained out)
• Monday May 28 – Seventh day time trials (rain makeup day)

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

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

• First alternate: Bob Sweikert {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}} (#37)The Talk of Gasoline Alley – 1070-AM WIBC, May 14, 2004

All drivers from the United States unless stated.

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• Jean Achard {{flagicon|FRA}} (real name – Jean-Jacques Grosman) {{cite web|url=http://www.statsf1.com/en/jean-achard.aspx|title=Jean ACHARD|website=StatsF1.com|access-date=November 12, 2018}} (R) (#100) — Did not appear
• Frank Armi {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}} (#35, #58, #64)
• Manny Ayulo (#31)
• Joe Barzda {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}} (#49)
• Bill Boyd {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}} (#42)
• Jimmy Bryan {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}} (#72)
• Bill Cantrell (#62, #79)
• Jimmy Daywalt {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}} (#33, #47)
• Kenny Eaton {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}} (#66)
• Myron Fohr (#56)
• George Fonder (#29, #53, #63)
• Potsy Goacher {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}} (#45)
• Jackie Holmes (#24, #45)
• Norm Houser (#61)
• Jerry Hoyt (#14)
• Bill Johnson {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}} (#15)
• Danny Kladis (#89)
• Ray Knepper {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}} (#78)
• Bayliss Levrett (#46)
• Mark Light {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}} (#33)
• George Lynch (#36)
• Dick Page {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}} (#64)
• Roscoe Rann {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}} (#14)
• Gordon Reid {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}} (#67)
• Paul Russo (#7)
• Mike Salay (#41)
• Bob Scott {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}} (#82)
• Bud Sennett {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}} (#51)
• Doc Shanebrook {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}} (#77)
• Roy Sherman {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}} (#57)
• Joel Thorne (#88)
• Johnnie Tolan {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}} (#34)
• Leroy Warriner {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}} (#75){{cite web|title=1951 International 500 Mile Sweepstakes|url=http://www.champcarstats.com/races/195101.htm|website=ChampCarStats.com}}

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

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

All entrants utilized Firestone tires.

• {{Note|1|1}} – Includes 1 point for fastest lead lap

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• Pole position: Duke Nalon – 4:23.74 (136.498 mph)
• Fastest Lead Lap: Lee Wallard – 1:07.26 (133.809 mph){{cite book | last = Lang | first = Mike | title = Grand Prix! Vol 1 | publisher = Haynes Publishing Group | year = 1981 | isbn = 0-85429-276-4 | page = 29 }}
• Ayulo (100 laps) and McGrath (100) shared the same car. Points for 3rd position were shared between the drivers.
• First Indianapolis 500 to be completed in under four hours.
• Roger Penske stated in a live interview on WRTV on November 4, 2019, when the Penske Corporation was announcing the purchased of all the IMS assets, that 1951 was the first race he attended at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

{{Infobox Grand Prix race report

| Type = F1

| Country = USA

| Grand Prix = Indianapolis 500

| GP_Suffix =

| Fulldate = {{Start date|1951|5|30}}

| Year =1951

| Race_No =2

| Season_No =8

| Previous_round =1951 Swiss Grand Prix

| Next_round =1951 Belgian Grand Prix

| Image =File:Indianapolis Motor Speedway 1909-1956.svg

| Location = Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Speedway, Indiana

| Course_mi = 2.500

| Course_km = 4.023

| Distance_laps = 200

| Distance_mi = 500.000

| Distance_km = 804.672

}}

The Indianapolis 500 was included in the FIA World Championship of Drivers from 1950 through 1960. The race was sanctioned by AAA through 1955, and then by USAC beginning in 1956. At the time the new world championship was announced and first organized by the CSI, the United States did not yet have a Grand Prix. Indianapolis Motor Speedway vice president and general manager Theodore E. "Pop" Meyers lobbied that the Indianapolis 500 be selected as the race to represent the country and to pay points towards the world championship.{{cite episode|series=The Talk of Gasoline Alley|station=1070 WIBC-AM|airdate=May 23, 2007}}{{cite episode|series=The Talk of Gasoline Alley|station=WFNI|airdate=May 19, 2016}}

Drivers competing at the Indianapolis 500 in 1950 through 1960 were credited with participation in and earned points towards the World Championship of Drivers.{{cite episode|series=The Talk of Gasoline Alley|station=WFNI|airdate=May 5, 2012}} However, the machines competing at Indianapolis were not necessarily run to Formula One specifications and regulations.{{cite journal|last=Capps|first=Don|author2=Cameron Argetsinger|title=Where Upon Our Scribe, Sherman, & Mr. Peabody Once Again Crank Up The Way-Back Machine for 1961..|journal=AtlasF1|date=October 25, 2000|volume=6|series=Rear View Mirror|issue=43|url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/mal/mirror.html|access-date=May 1, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427115856/http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/mal/mirror.html|archive-date=April 27, 2012|url-status=dead}} The drivers also earned separate points (on a different scale) towards the respective AAA or USAC national championships. No points, however, were awarded by the FIA towards the World Constructors' Championship.

The 1951 Indianapolis 500 was round 2 of 8 on the 1951 World Championship. The event, however, failed to attract interest from any of the regular competitors on the Grand Prix circuit, particularly since it was held only three day after the Swiss Grand Prix. Race winner Lee Wallard earned 9 points towards the World Championship (8 points for first place, and 1 point for the fastest lap). Despite not competing in any of the other World Championship events, he finished seventh in the final season standings.

• Note: Only the top five positions are listed. Only the best 4 results counted towards the Championship.

The race was carried live on the radio through a network arrangement set up by 1070 WIBC-AM of Indianapolis. Mutual, which had carried the race for several years, had raised its advertising rates for 1951, and lost its primary sponsor for the event, Perfect Circle Piston Rings. As a result, Mutual dropped the coverage altogether. Local station WIBC stepped in to cover the race, and provided its feed to various Mutual affiliates.{{cite news |url=http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/indy500/news/show/51747-ims-radio-network-celebrates-60th-anniversary/|title=IMS Radio Network celebrates 60th anniversary|publisher=Indianapolis Motor Speedway|first=Donald|last=Davidson|author-link =Donald Davidson (historian)|date=May 24, 2012|access-date=August 13, 2012}} A total of 26 stations carried the broadcast.

WIBC personality Sid Collins served as the chief announcer in the booth, and the remainder of the crew consisted mostly of WIBC talent. Jim Shelton reported from his familiar turn four location, and Bill Fox was also in the booth. Easy Gwynn was also to be part of the crew. Collins interviewed the winner in victory lane, leaving Fox to call the actual finish of the race. Like the Mutual broadcasts, WIBC featured live coverage of the start (30 minutes), the finish (30 minutes), and 15-minute live updates throughout the race. The on-air crew was smaller than normal. There were not turn and pit reporters stationed around the entire track, instead recorded interviews were played back during later broadcast segments.{{cite news|title=Mike-Row-Scopes|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18285976/1951-indy-500-tv/|first=Beatrice|last=Hynes|newspaper=The Indianapolis Star|page=36|via=Newspapers.com|date=May 30, 1951|accessdate=August 12, 2022}}{{Open access}}

{{Reflist | 30em}}

{{commons category}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120427163136/https://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/indy500/history/stats/ Indianapolis 500 History: Race & All-Time Stats] – Official Site
• Van Camp's Pork & Beans Presents: Great Moments From the Indy 500 – Fleetwood Sounds, 1975
• [http://racing-reference.info/race/1951_Indianapolis_500/F 1951 Indianapolis 500 at RacingReference.info] (Relief driver statistics)

{{F1 race report

| Name_of_race = 1951 Indianapolis 500
Lee Wallard

| Year_of_race = 1951

| Previous_race_in_season = 1951 Swiss Grand Prix

| Next_race_in_season = 1951 Belgian Grand Prix

| Previous_year's_race = 1950 Indianapolis 500
Johnnie Parsons

| Next_year's_race = 1952 Indianapolis 500
Troy Ruttman

| Fastest_average_speed = 126.244

| Previous_fastest_average_speed = 124.002 {{nobold|mph
{{small|(1950 Indianapolis 500)}}}}

| Next_fastest_average_speed = 128.922 {{nobold|mph
{{small|(1952 Indianapolis 500)}}}}

}}

{{Indy 500}}

{{F1GP 50-59}}

Category:Indianapolis 500 races

Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis

Category:1951 in American motorsport