1951 Indianapolis 500: Full Weekend Report & Highlights

The 1951 Indianapolis 500 was the second round of the eight-race World Championship season. However, as it took place just three days after the 1951 Swiss Grand Prix, it failed to attract any regular Grand Prix competitors, as participation was logistically impractical.

Lee Wallard emerged as the race winner, earning 9 points towards the World Championship—8 for victory and 1 for setting the fastest lap. Despite not competing in any other World Championship rounds that season, he finished seventh in the final standings.

Mike Nazaruk secured second place, while third was shared between Jack McGrath, who led the first 100 laps, and Manny Ayulo, who took over for the second half of the race.

Qualifying

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Time
1	18	Duke Nalon	Kurtis Kraft Novi	4:23.740
2	99	Lee Wallard	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:26.590
3	9	Jack McGrath	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:28.050
4	27	Duane Carter	Deidt Offenhauser	4:29.160
5	16	Mauri Rose	Deidt Offenhauser	4:29.820
6	98	Troy Ruttman	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:32.080
7	83	Mike Nazaruk	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:32.350
8	3	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:32.410
9	5	Tony Bettenhausen	Deidt Offenhauser	4:32.830
10	4	Cecil Green	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:32.950
11	59	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:26.610
12	25	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:30.680
13	44	Walt Brown	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:32.920
14	2	Walt Faulkner	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:23.020
15	73	Carl Scarborough	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:25.460
16	10	Bill Schindler	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:28.590
17	1	Henry Banks	Moore Offenhauser	4:28.860
18	23	Cliff Griffith	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:28.980
19	8	Chuck Stevenson	Marchese Offenhauser	4:29.310
20	81	Bill Vukovich	Trevis Offenhauser	4:29.210
21	22	George Connor	Moore Offenhauser	4:29.960
22	69	Gene Force	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:30.470
23	19	Mack Hellings	Deidt Offenhauser	4:30.830
24	68	Carl Forberg	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:30.900
25	48	Rodger Ward	Bromme Offenhauser	4:26.930
26	12	Johnny McDowell	Maserati-Offenhauser	4:31.750
27	76	Jimmy Davies	Pawl Offenhauser	4:29.630
28	32	Chet Miller	Kurtis Kraft Novi	4:25.100
29	52	Bobby Ball	Schroeder Offenhauser	4:28.460
30	26	Joe James	Watson Offenhauser	4:28.820
31	57	Andy Linden	Sherman Offenhauser	4:32.260
32	6	Duke Dinsmore	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:32.780
33	71	Bill Mackey	Hall Offenhauser	4:33.820

1951 Indianapolis 500 Starting Grid

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Time
1	18	Duke Nalon	Kurtis Kraft Novi	4:23.740
2	99	Lee Wallard	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:26.590
3	9	Jack McGrath	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:28.050
4	27	Duane Carter	Deidt Offenhauser	4:29.160
5	16	Mauri Rose	Deidt Offenhauser	4:29.820
6	98	Troy Ruttman	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:32.080
7	83	Mike Nazaruk	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:32.350
8	3	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:32.410
9	5	Tony Bettenhausen	Deidt Offenhauser	4:32.830
10	4	Cecil Green	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:32.950
11	59	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:26.610
12	25	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:30.680
13	44	Walt Brown	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:32.920
14	2	Walt Faulkner	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:23.020
15	73	Carl Scarborough	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:25.460
16	10	Bill Schindler	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:28.590
17	1	Henry Banks	Moore Offenhauser	4:28.860
18	23	Cliff Griffith	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:28.980
19	8	Chuck Stevenson	Marchese Offenhauser	4:29.310
20	81	Bill Vukovich	Trevis Offenhauser	4:29.210
21	22	George Connor	Moore Offenhauser	4:29.960
22	69	Gene Force	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:30.470
23	19	Mack Hellings	Deidt Offenhauser	4:30.830
24	68	Carl Forberg	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:30.900
25	48	Rodger Ward	Bromme Offenhauser	4:26.930
26	12	Johnny McDowell	Maserati-Offenhauser	4:31.750
27	76	Jimmy Davies	Pawl Offenhauser	4:29.630
28	32	Chet Miller	Kurtis Kraft Novi	4:25.100
29	52	Bobby Ball	Schroeder Offenhauser	4:28.460
30	26	Joe James	Watson Offenhauser	4:28.820
31	57	Andy Linden	Sherman Offenhauser	4:32.260
32	6	Duke Dinsmore	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:32.780
33	71	Bill Mackey	Hall Offenhauser	4:33.820

1951 Indianapolis 500 Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	99	Lee Wallard	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200	3:57:38.050	9
2	83	Mike Nazaruk	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200	+107.243s	6
3	9	Manny Ayulo	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		2
3	9	Jack McGrath	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	2
4	57	Andy Linden	Sherman Offenhauser	200		3
5	52	Bobby Ball	Schroeder Offenhauser	200		2
6	1	Henry Banks	Moore Offenhauser	200		0
7	68	Carl Forberg	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	193	+7 laps	0
8	27	Duane Carter	Deidt Offenhauser	180	+20 laps	0
9	5	Tony Bettenhausen	Deidt Offenhauser	178	DNF	0
10	18	Duke Nalon	Kurtis Kraft Novi	151	DNF	0
11	69	Gene Force	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	142	DNF	0
12	25	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	135	DNF	0
13	10	Bill Schindler	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	129	DNF	0
14	16	Mauri Rose	Deidt Offenhauser	126	DNF	0
15	2	Walt Faulkner	Kuzma Offenhauser	123	DNF	0
16	76	Jimmy Davies	Pawl Offenhauser	110	DNF	0
17	59	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	109	DNF	0
18	73	Carl Scarborough	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	100	DNF	0
19	71	Bill Mackey	Hall Offenhauser	97	DNF	0
20	8	Chuck Stevenson	Marchese Offenhauser	93	DNF	0
21	3	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	87	DNF	0
22	4	Cecil Green	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	80	DNF	0
23	98	Troy Ruttman	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	78	DNF	0
24	6	Duke Dinsmore	Schroeder Offenhauser	73	DNF	0
25	32	Chet Miller	Kurtis Kraft Novi	56	DNF	0
26	44	Walt Brown	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	55	DNF	0
27	48	Rodger Ward	Bromme Offenhauser	34	DNF	0
28	23	Cliff Griffith	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	30	DNF	0
29	81	Bill Vukovich	Trevis Offenhauser	29	DNF	0
30	22	George Connor	Lesovsky Offenhauser	29	DNF	0
31	19	Mack Hellings	Deidt Offenhauser	18	DNF	0
32	12	Johnny McDowell	Maserati-Offenhauser	15	DNF	0
33	26	Joe James	Watson Offenhauser	8	DNF	0

1951 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

Pos	Driver	Points
1	Juan Manuel Fangio	9
2	Lee Wallard	9
3	Piero Taruffi	6
4	Mike Nazaruk	6
5	Nino Farina	4

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Ben is a staff writer specialising in F1 from the 1990s to the modern era. Ben has been following Formula 1 since 1986 and is an avid researcher who loves understanding the technology that makes it one of the most exciting motorsport on the planet. He listens to podcasts about F1 on a daily basis, and enjoys reading books from the inspirational Adrian Newey to former F1 drivers.