# 1913 Indianapolis 500

The Third International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday, May 30, 1913. Frenchman Jules Goux became the first foreign-born, and first European winner of the Indianapolis 500. His margin of victory of 13 minutes, 8 seconds (approximately 7 laps) over second place Spencer Wishart still stands, as of 2024, as the largest margin of victory in Indianapolis 500 history.

## Race Summary

After the entries in the first two years of the Indianapolis 500 had been almost exclusively American, 1913 saw six drivers travel to the United States from Europe to enter, likely attracted by the impressive $20,000 first prize (equivalent to $616,566 in 2023). A total of 27 cars would meet the 75 mile per hour qualifying speed, led by Jack Tower at 88.230 mph. The starting grid was determined by a random draw of names, and Caleb Bragg would be given the pole.
Tower's car turned over on the southwest turn on lap 51, causing him to sustain a broken leg and his riding mechanic, Lee Dunning, to break three ribs. Bob Burman started the race as the favorite, and led 41 laps early, before his car caught fire on lap 55. Burman was able to repair his car and continue, however continuing problems led to several more stops and a replacement driver, who brought the car home in eleventh (unfortunately only the top ten finishers received prize money).
French-born Jules Goux, driving a car owned and manufactured by Peugeot (where his father was the factory Supervisor) would lead the race on four occasions. Bob Evans dueled with Goux, leading laps 125–135, but would be forced out of the race on lap 158 due to a mechanical problem. Goux would dominate the remainder of the race, leading 138 laps en route to a victory of a more than 13 minute margin, making him the first non-American winner of the 500. The car contained a four-cylinder dual overhead camshaft engine, which would serve as a model for many future entries. Goux would state after the race that his manager forced him stay below the car's top speed, feeling the lead was safe. Spencer Wishart was the top finishing American in second, while two of the other European cars would finish fourth and fifth.
Rules at the time required the top ten drivers to finish the full 500 miles to receive prize money. This led to an interesting sight for spectators who remained after Goux's finish. Charlie Merz, in contention for second place, would have his car catch fire towards the end of lap 199. Merz, not wishing to surrender the prize money, drove the final lap on fire, while Harry Martin, his riding mechanic, crawled out on top of the hood of the still moving car to beat at the flames and release the straps the held the engine cover to allow the fire to be extinguished faster. Merz finished third. Martin would unfortunately be killed while helping test a car on the speedway less than two months later.

### Champagne

Urban legends claim that race winner Jules Goux consumed "six bottles of champagne" en route to victory. However, that claim is believed to be exaggerated. Instead, during Goux's six pit stops, only four bottles (each 4⁄5 pint) were shared between himself and his riding mechanic Emil Begin, with each taking some sips, but likely not enough to become intoxicated. Other swigs were spit out using the champagne as a mouthwash. It was a hot day, and given the punishing conditions, during his first pit stop Goux was quoted as saying "Rustle me a pint of wine or I'll blow" After the race, in victory lane, Goux stated "The heat was terrible. I suffered and but for the wine, I should have been unable to drive this race." In subsequent years, AAA officials banned the consumption of alcohol during competition.

## Starting grid

Entries were required to complete one lap in excess of 75 mph in order to qualify. However, starting positions were determined by blind draw held the night preceding the race.
| Driver | Driver | Far Inside | Far Inside | Inside Center | Inside Center | Outside Center | Outside Center | Far Outside | Far Outside |
| Time | (mph) | Far Inside | Far Inside | Inside Center | Inside Center | Outside Center | Outside Center | Far Outside | Far Outside |
| Row 1 | Row 1 | Caleb Bragg | Caleb Bragg | Albert Guyot R | Albert Guyot R | Billy Leisaw | Billy Leisaw | Robert Evans R | Robert Evans R |
| Row 1 | Row 1 | 1:43.05 | 87.34 | 1:51.46 | 80.75 | 1:55.36 | 78.02 | 1:49.74 | 82.01 |
| Row 2 | Row 2 | Don Herr R | Don Herr R | Harry Grant | Harry Grant | Jules Goux R | Jules Goux R | Teddy Tetzlaff | Teddy Tetzlaff |
| Row 2 | Row 2 | 1:48.64 | 82.84 | 1:58.48 | 75.96 | 1:44.62 | 86.03 | 1:52.14 | 80.26 |
| Row 3 | Row 3 | Bill Endicott | Bill Endicott | Harry Endicott | Harry Endicott | Billy Knipper | Billy Knipper | Ralph DePalma | Ralph DePalma |
| Row 3 | Row 3 | 1:45.02 | 85.70 | 1:57.88 | 76.35 | 1:52.14 | 80.26 | 1:57.96 | 76.30 |
| Row 4 | Row 4 | Théodore Pilette R | Théodore Pilette R | Gil Andersen | Gil Andersen | Willie Haupt R | Willie Haupt R | Charlie Merz | Charlie Merz |
| Row 4 | Row 4 | 1:59.17 | 75.52 | 1:48.92 | 82.63 | 1:51.49 | 80.72 | 1:46.56 | 84.46 |
| Row 5 | Row 5 | John Jenkins | John Jenkins | Vincenzo Trucco R | Vincenzo Trucco R | Spencer Wishart | Spencer Wishart | Howdy Wilcox | Howdy Wilcox |
| Row 5 | Row 5 | 1:48.643 | 82.84 | 1:49.84 | 81.94 | 1:49.77 | 81.99 | 1:50.48 | 81.46 |
| Row 6 | Row 6 | Bob Burman | Bob Burman | Ralph Mulford | Ralph Mulford | Louis Disbrow | Louis Disbrow | Joe Nikrent R | Joe Nikrent R |
| Row 6 | Row 6 | 1:46.93 | 84.17 | 1:51.40 | 80.79 | 1:48.75 | 82.76 | 1:54.08 | 78.89 |
| Row 7 | Row 7 | Jack Tower | Jack Tower | Paul Zuccarelli R | Paul Zuccarelli R | George Clark R | George Clark R | | |
| Row 7 | Row 7 | 1:41.93 | 88.23 | 1:44.86 | 85.83 | 1:58.56 | 75.91 | | |

## Box score

| Finish | No. | Driver | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | Cyl | Displ (in$^3$) | Color | Qual (mph) | Rank | Grid | Laps | Time/Status |
| 1 | 16 | Jules Goux R | Peugeot | Peugeot | Peugeot | 4 | 448 | blue/white | 86.03 | 3 | 7 | 200 | 6:35:05.00 |
| 2 | 22 | Spencer Wishart (Ralph DePalma) | Mercer Automobile Company | Mercer | Mercer | 4 | 300 | yellow | 81.99 | 13 | 19 | 200 | +13:08.40 |
| 3 | 2 | Charlie Merz (Earl Cooper) | Ideal Motor Car Company | Stutz | Wisconsin | 4 | 400 | white/red | 84.46 | 6 | 16 | 200 | +13:44.25 |
| 4 | 9 | Albert Guyot R | Sunbeam Motor Car Company | Sunbeam | Sunbeam | 6 | 368 | gray | 80.75 | 18 | 2 | 200 | +27:53.95 |
| 5 | 23 | Théodore Pilette R | E.C. Patterson | Mercedes | Knight | 4 | 251 | gray/white | 75.52 | 27 | 13 | 200 | +45:08.00 |
| 6 | 12 | Howdy Wilcox (Frank Fox) | Frank Fox | Pope-Hartford | Pope-Hartford | 4 | 390 | gray | 81.46 | 15 | 20 | 200 | +48:21.55 |
| 7 | 29 | Ralph Mulford | E. J. Schroeder | Mercedes | Mercedes | 4 | 449 | gray | 80.79 | 17 | 22 | 200 | +53:00.50 |
| 8 | 31 | Louis Disbrow (H. J. Kilpatrick) | J. I. Case T. M. Company | Case | Case | 4 | 449 | gray/red | 82.76 | 10 | 23 | 200 | +54:04.00 |
| 9 | 35 | Willie Haupt R (Lee Oldfield) | Mason Motor Company | Duesenberg | Duesenberg | 4 | 350 | dark tan | 80.72 | 19 | 15 | 200 | +1:17:30.10 |
| 10 | 25 | George Clark R (Tom Alley) | Tulsa Auto Manufacturing Company | Tulsa | Wisconsin | 4 | 340 | red/black | 75.91 | 26 | 27 | 200 | +1:21:09.25 |
| 11 | 4 | Bob Burman (Hughie Hughes) | Keeton Motor Company | Keeton | Wisconsin | 4 | 449 | green/white | 84.17 | 7 | 21 | 190 | Flagged |
| 12 | 3 | Gil Andersen (Earl Cooper) | Ideal Motor Car Company | Stutz | Wisconsin | 4 | 400 | white/red | 82.63 | 11 | 14 | 187 | Camshaft gears |
| 13 | 5 | Robert Evans R (Lee Oldfield) | Mason Motor Company | Duesenberg | Duesenberg | 4 | 350 | dark tan | 82.01 | 12 | 4 | 158 | Clutch |
| 14 | 17 | Billy Leisaw (Lee Oldfield) | Will Tompson | Buick | Buick | 4 | 318 | orange/black | 78.02 | 22 | 3 | 148 | Loose rods |
| 15 | 19 | Caleb Bragg (Ralph DePalma) | Mercer Automobile Company | Mercer | Mercer | 4 | 424 | yellow | 87.34 | 2 | 1 | 128 | Pump shaft |
| 16 | 10 | Billy Knipper (Harry Grant) | Henderson Motor Car Company | Knipper | Duesenberg | 4 | 350 | azure blue | 80.26 | 20 | 11 | 125 | Clutch |
| 17 | 27 | Teddy Tetzlaff | Isotta Fraschini | Isotta Fraschini | Isotta Fraschini | 4 | 444 | red/green | 81.30 | 16 | 8 | 118 | Drive train |
| 18 | 32 | Joe Nikrent R (Eddie Hearne) | J. I. Case T. M. Company | Case | Case | 4 | 449 | gray/red | 78.89 | 21 | 24 | 67 | Burned bearing |
| 19 | 6 | Jack Tower | Mason Motor Company | Duesenberg | Duesenberg | 4 | 350 | dark tan | 88.23 | 1 | 25 | 51 | Crash T1 |
| 20 | 28 | Vincenzo Trucco R | Isotta Fraschini | Isotta Fraschini | Isotta Fraschini | 4 | 444 | red/green | 81.94 | 14 | 18 | 39 | Loose gas tank |
| 21 | 1 | Harry Endicott (Ed Madden) | Nyberg Auto Company | Nyberg | Nyberg | 6 | 377 | red | 76.35 | 23 | 10 | 23 | Transmission |
| 22 | 45* | Paul Zuccarelli R | Peugeot | Peugeot | Peugeot | 4 | 448 | blue/white | 85.83 | 4 | 26 | 18 | Main bearing |
| 23 | 21 | Ralph DePalma | Mercer Automobile Company | Mercer | Mercer | 4 | 340 | yellow | 76.30 | 24 | 12 | 15 | Burned bearing |
| 24 | 26 | Harry Grant | Isotta Fraschini | Isotta Fraschini | Isotta Fraschini | 4 | 444 | red/green | 75.96 | 25 | 6 | 14 | Gas tank |
| 25 | 18 | John Jenkins | Schacht Motor Car Company | Schacht | Schacht | 4 | 299 | red/white | 82.84 | 9 | 17 | 13 | Crankshaft |
| 26 | 8 | Don Herr R | Ideal Motor Car Company | Stutz | Wisconsin | 4 | 400 | white/red | 82.84 | 8 | 5 | 7 | Clutch shaft |
| 27 | 33 | Bill Endicott | J. I. Case T. M. Co. | Case | Case | 6 | 448 | gray/red | 85.70 | 5 | 9 | 1 | Drive shaft |
| Sources: ||||||||||||||
R Indianapolis 500 Rookie
Note: Several sources claim Zuccarelli's entry to have carried the numerical designation #15. Photographs taken of entries qualified for the 1913 race, however, exhibit #45 prominently displayed on the Peugeot's front-facing engine grill.

### Race statistics

Lap Leaders :
| Laps | Leader |
| 1 | Caleb Bragg |
| 2–3 | Bob Evans |
| 4–14 | Jules Goux |
| 15–55 | Bob Burman |
| 56–95 | Jules Goux |
| 96–102 | Gil Andersen |
| 103–124 | Jules Goux |
| 125–135 | Gil Andersen |
| 136–200 | Jules Goux |
Total laps led :
| Laps | Leader |
| Jules Goux | 138 |
| Bob Burman | 41 |
| Gil Andersen | 18 |
| Bob Evans | 2 |
| Caleb Bragg | 1 |

## Race details

* For 1913, riding mechanics were required.