1953 Indianapolis 500: Full Weekend Report & Highlights

The 1953 Indianapolis 500 was the second round of the nine-race 1953 World Championship season. However, as in previous years, the event failed to attract any regular Grand Prix competitors.

Season: 1953 F1 World Championship
Race date: 30 May 1953
Circuit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Laps: 200
Circuit length: 4.023 km (2.500 miles)

Bill Vukovich dominated the race, securing victory and earning 9 points toward the World Championship—8 for the win and 1 for setting the fastest lap. Despite not participating in any other World Championship rounds, his victory was enough to place him seventh in the final season standings.

Art Cross finished second, while third place was shared between Sam Hanks and Duane Carter, with Carter taking over driving duties for the final 48 laps of the race.

Carl Scarborough, 39, collapsed from heat exhaustion after the Indy 500, highlighting the extreme conditions drivers face.

Qualifying

POS.	NO.	DRIVER	TEAM	TIME
1	14	Bill Vukovich	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:20.130
2	59	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:21.730
3	5	Jack McGrath	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:23.540
4	88	Manny Ayulo	Kuzma Offenhauser	4:23.960
5	32	Andy Linden	Stevens Offenhauser	4:24.590
6	98	Tony Bettenhausen	Kuzma Offenhauser	4:24.660
7	55	Jerry Hoyt	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:25.230
8	21	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:21.500
9	3	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:21.760
10	92	Rodger Ward	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:21.880
11	29	Bob Scott	Bromme Offenhauser	4:21.950
12	16	Art Cross	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:22.180
13	41	Gene Hartley	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:22.270
14	23	Walt Faulkner	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:22.550
15	38	Don Freeland	Watson Offenhauser	4:23.030
16	97	Chuck Stevenson	Kuzma Offenhauser	4:23.620
17	7	Paul Russo	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:24.280
18	62	Spider Webb	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:24.380
19	73	Carl Scarborough	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:24.830
20	12	Ernie McCoy	Stevens Offenhauser	4:24.850
21	48	Jimmy Daywalt	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:25.200
22	22	Marshall Teague	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:25.250
23	83	Mike Nazaruk	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:25.280
24	77	Pat Flaherty	Kuzma Offenhauser	4:25.350
25	2	Jim Rathmann	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:25.360
26	9	Duke Nalon	Kurtis Kraft Novi	4:25.760
27	4	Duane Carter	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:26.140
28	49	Bill Holland	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:21.120
29	51	Bob Sweikert	Kuzma Offenhauser	4:23.020
30	99	Cal Niday	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:24.520
31	8	Jimmy Bryan	Schroeder Offenhauser	4:25.670
32	53	Jimmy Davies	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:26.070
33	56	Johnny Thomson	Del Roy Offenhauser	4:26.150

1953 Indianapolis 500 Starting Grid

POS.	NO.	DRIVER	TEAM	TIME
1	14	Bill Vukovich	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:20.130
2	59	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:21.730
3	5	Jack McGrath	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:23.540
4	88	Manny Ayulo	Kuzma Offenhauser	4:23.960
5	32	Andy Linden	Stevens Offenhauser	4:24.590
6	98	Tony Bettenhausen	Kuzma Offenhauser	4:24.660
7	55	Jerry Hoyt	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:25.230
8	21	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:21.500
9	3	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:21.760
10	92	Rodger Ward	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:21.880
11	29	Bob Scott	Bromme Offenhauser	4:21.950
12	16	Art Cross	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:22.180
13	41	Gene Hartley	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:22.270
14	23	Walt Faulkner	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:22.550
15	38	Don Freeland	Watson Offenhauser	4:23.030
16	97	Chuck Stevenson	Kuzma Offenhauser	4:23.620
17	7	Paul Russo	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:24.280
18	62	Spider Webb	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:24.380
19	73	Carl Scarborough	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:24.830
20	12	Ernie McCoy	Stevens Offenhauser	4:24.850
21	48	Jimmy Daywalt	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:25.200
22	22	Marshall Teague	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:25.250
23	83	Mike Nazaruk	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:25.280
24	77	Pat Flaherty	Kuzma Offenhauser	4:25.350
25	2	Jim Rathmann	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:25.360
26	9	Duke Nalon	Kurtis Kraft Novi	4:25.760
27	4	Duane Carter	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:26.140
28	49	Bill Holland	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:21.120
29	51	Bob Sweikert	Kuzma Offenhauser	4:23.020
30	99	Cal Niday	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:24.520
31	8	Jimmy Bryan	Schroeder Offenhauser	4:25.670
32	53	Jimmy Davies	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:26.070
33	56	Johnny Thomson	Del Roy Offenhauser	4:26.150

1953 Indianapolis 500 Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	14	Bill Vukovich	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200	3:53:01.690	9
2	16	Art Cross	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200	+210.872s	6
3	3	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	2
3	3	Duane Carter	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		2
4	59	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	1.5
4	59	Paul Russo	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		1.5
5	5	Jack McGrath	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		2
6	48	Jimmy Daywalt	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
7	2	Jim Rathmann	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	0
7	2	Eddie Johnson	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
8	12	Ernie McCoy	Stevens Offenhauser	200		0
9	98	Tony Bettenhausen	Kuzma Offenhauser		SHC	0
9	98	Chuck Stevenson	Kuzma Offenhauser		SHC	0
9	98	Gene Hartley	Kuzma Offenhauser	196	DNF	0
10	53	Jimmy Davies	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	193	+7 laps	0
11	9	Duke Nalon	Kurtis Kraft Novi	191	DNF	0
12	73	Carl Scarborough	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	0
12	73	Bob Scott	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	190	+10 laps	0
13	88	Manny Ayulo	Kuzma Offenhauser	184	DNF	0
14	8	Jimmy Bryan	Schroeder Offenhauser	183	+17 laps	0
15	49	Bill Holland	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	0
15	49	Jim Rathmann	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	177	DNF	0
16	92	Rodger Ward	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	177	DNF	0
16	92	Andy Linden	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	0
16	92	Duke Dinsmore	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	0
17	23	Walt Faulkner	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	0
17	23	Johnny Mantz	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	176	+24 laps	0
18	22	Marshall Teague	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	169	DNF	0
19	62	Spider Webb	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	0
19	62	Johnny Thomson	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	0
19	62	Jackie Holmes	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	166	DNF	0
20	51	Bob Sweikert	Kuzma Offenhauser	151	DNF	0
21	83	Mike Nazaruk	Turner Offenhauser	146	DNF	0
22	77	Pat Flaherty	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	115	DNF	0
23	55	Jerry Hoyt	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	0
23	55	Chuck Stevenson	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	0
23	55	Andy Linden	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	107	DNF	0
24	4	Duane Carter	Lesovsky Offenhauser	94	DNF	0
25	7	Paul Russo	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	89	DNF	0
26	21	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	86	DNF	0
27	38	Don Freeland	Watson Offenhauser	76	DNF	0
28	41	Gene Hartley	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	53	DNF	0
29	97	Chuck Stevenson	Kuzma Offenhauser	42	DNF	0
30	99	Cal Niday	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	30	DNF	0
31	29	Bob Scott	Bromme Offenhauser	14	DNF	0
32	56	Johnny Thomson	Del Roy Offenhauser	6	DNF	0
33	32	Andy Linden	Stevens Offenhauser	3	DNF	0

1953 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

Pos	Driver	Points
1	Alberto Ascari	9
2	Bill Vukovich	9
3	Luigi Villoresi	6
4	Art Cross	6
5	Jose Froilan Gonzalez	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.