# 1952 Indianapolis 500

The 36th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was a motor race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday, May 30, 1952. It was the opening race of the 1952 AAA National Championship Trail and was also race 2 of 8 in the 1952 World Championship of Drivers.
Troy Ruttman won the race for car owner J. C. Agajanian. Ruttman, aged 22 years and 80 days, set the record for the youngest 500 winner in history. It was also the last dirt track car to win at Indy. Ruttman's win also saw him become the youngest winner of a World Drivers' Championship race, a record he would hold for 51 years until the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix when Spanish driver Fernando Alonso won at the age of 22 years and 26 days.
Bill Vukovich led 150 laps, but with 9 laps to go, he broke a steering linkage while leading. He nursed his car to a stop against the outside wall, preventing other cars from getting involved in the incident.
In the third year that the 500 was included in the World Championship, Ferrari entered the race with Alberto Ascari driving a Ferrari 375 Indianapolis. The effort gained considerable attention, but Ascari was forced to retire after a few laps when the hub of a wheel on his car collapsed. He was classified 31st. It was the only World Championship race in 1952 that Ascari entered and did not win.
Fifth place finisher Art Cross was voted the Rookie of the Year. Though at least one rookie starter was in the field every year dating back to 1911, this was the first time the now-popular award was officially designated.

## Time trials

Time trials was scheduled for four days, but rain pushed qualifying into a fifth day.
* Saturday May 17 – Pole Day time trials
* Sunday May 18 – Second day time trials (rained out)
* Saturday May 24 – Third day time trials
* Sunday May 25 – Fourth day time trials (rained out)
* Monday May 26 – Fifth day time trials (rain make up day)

## Starting grid

| Row | Inside | Inside | Middle | Middle | Outside | Outside |
| 1 | 28 | Fred Agabashian | 9 | Andy Linden | 4 | Jack McGrath |
| 2 | 36 | Duke Nalon | 18 | Sam Hanks | 1 | Duane Carter |
| 3 | 98 | Troy Ruttman | 26 | Bill Vukovich | 22 | Cliff Griffith |
| 4 | 59 | Jim Rathmann | 16 | Chuck Stevenson | 2 | Henry Banks |
| 5 | 65 | George Fonder | 54 | George Connor | 7 | Bill Schindler |
| 6 | 14 | Joe James | 55 | Bobby Ball | 67 | Gene Hartley |
| 7 | 12 | Alberto Ascari R | 33 | Art Cross R | 77 | Jimmy Bryan R |
| 8 | 34 | Rodger Ward | 37 | Jimmy Reece R | 81 | Eddie Johnson R |
| 9 | 93 | Bob Scott R | 29 | Jim Rigsby R | 21 | Chet Miller |
| 10 | 8 | Manny Ayulo | 48 | Spider Webb | 27 | Tony Bettenhausen |
| 11 | 5 | Johnnie Parsons W | 73 | Bob Sweikert R | 31 | Johnny McDowell |

### Failed to qualify

* Frank Armi R (#39)
* George Armstrong R – Did not arrive
* Buzz Barton R (#58)
* Joe Barzda R (#53)
* Bill Boyd R (#92) – Did not arrive
* Bill Cantrell (#52)
* Neal Carter R (#25)
* Jimmy Daywalt R (#64)
* Duke Dinsmore (#68)
* Giuseppe Farina R – Withdrew
* Walt Faulkner (#3)
* Johnny Fedricks R (#82)
* Carl Forberg (#53)
* Gene Force (#96)
* Dick Fraizer R (#63)
* Potsy Goacher R (#93)
* Perry Grimm R (#55)
* Peter Hahn R (#74)
* Allen Heath R (#32, #97)
* Tommy Hinnershitz (#27)
* Jackie Holmes (#41)
* Jimmy Jackson (#61)
* Danny Kladis (#19)
* Jud Larson R (#39, #66)
* Bayliss Levrett (#69) – Wrecked practice, retired
* Frank Luptow R (#56)
* George Lynch R (#74)
* Johnny Mauro (#35)
* Mike Nazaruk (#5, #66)
* Danny Oakes R (#39)
* Puffy Puffer R
* Paul Russo (#10)
* Carl Scarborough (#33, #44)
* Albert Scully R (#62) – Did not arrive
* Doc Shanebrook R (#76)
* Ottis Stine R (#84)
* Bill Taylor R (#47)
* George Tichenor R (#88)
* Johnnie Tolan (#51) R
* Leroy Warriner (#27) R
* Chuck Weyant (#92) R – Did not arrive

## Box score

| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Constructor | Qual | Rank | Laps | Time/Retired | Points | WDC Points |
| 1 | 7 | 98 | Troy Ruttman | Kuzma-Offenhauser | 135.36 | 18 | 200 | 3:52:41.88 | 1000 | 8 |
| 2 | 10 | 59 | Jim Rathmann | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 136.34 | 7 | 200 | +4:02.33 | 800 | 6 |
| 3 | 5 | 18 | Sam Hanks | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 135.73 | 14 | 200 | +6:11.61 | 700 | 4 |
| 4 | 6 | 1 | Duane Carter | Lesovsky-Offenhauser | 135.52 | 16 | 200 | +6:48.34 | 600 | 3 |
| 5 | 20 | 33 | Art Cross R | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 134.28 | 26 | 200 | +8:40.15 | 500 | 2 |
| 6 | 21 | 77 | Jimmy Bryan R | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 134.14 | 27 | 200 | +9:24.32 | 400 | |
| 7 | 23 | 37 | Jimmy Reece R | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 133.99 | 29 | 200 | +10:35.24 | 300 | |
| 8 | 14 | 54 | George Connor | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 135.60 | 15 | 200 | +12:00.61 | 250 | |
| 9 | 9 | 22 | Cliff Griffith | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 136.61 | 6 | 200 | +12:23.76 | 200 | |
| 10 | 31 | 5 | Johnnie Parsons W | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 135.32 | 19 | 200 | +13:37.78 | 150 | |
| 11 | 3 | 4 | Jack McGrath | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 136.66 | 5 | 200 | +14:21.72 | 100 | |
| 12 | 26 | 29 | Jim Rigsby R | Watson-Offenhauser | 133.90 | 33 | 200 | +16:05.10 | 50 | |
| 13 | 16 | 14 | Joe James | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 134.95 | 22 | 200 | +16:55.65 | | |
| 14 | 15 | 7 | Bill Schindler | Stevens-Offenhauser | 134.98 | 20 | 200 | +18:48.66 | | |
| 15 | 13 | 65 | George Fonder | Sherman-Offenhauser | 135.94 | 13 | 197 | +3 Laps | | |
| 16 | 24 | 81 | Eddie Johnson R | Trevis-Offenhauser | 133.97 | 30 | 193 | +7 Laps | | |
| 17 | 8 | 26 | Bill Vukovich | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 138.21 | 2 | 191 | Steering | | 1 |
| 18 | 11 | 16 | Chuck Stevenson | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 136.14 | 9 | 187 | +13 Laps | | |
| 19 | 12 | 2 | Henry Banks | Lesovsky-Offenhauser | 135.96 | 11 | 184 | +16 Laps | | |
| 20 | 28 | 8 | Manny Ayulo | Lesovsky-Offenhauser | 135.98 | 10 | 184 | +16 Laps | | |
| 21 | 33 | 31 | Johnny McDowell | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 133.93 | 32 | 182 | +18 Laps | | |
| 22 | 29 | 48 | Spider Webb | Bromme-Offenhauser | 135.96 | 12 | 162 | Oil leak | | |
| 23 | 22 | 34 | Rodger Ward | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 134.13 | 28 | 130 | Oil Pressure | | |
| 24 | 30 | 27 | Tony Bettenhausen | Diedt-Offenhauser | 135.38 | 17 | 93 | Oil Pressure | | |
| 25 | 4 | 36 | Duke Nalon | Kurtis Kraft-Novi | 136.18 | 8 | 84 | Supercharger | | |
| 26 | 32 | 73 | Bob Sweikert R | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 134.98 | 21 | 77 | Differential | | |
| 27 | 1 | 28 | Fred Agabashian | Kurtis Kraft-Cummins diesel | 138.01 | 3 | 71 | Turbocharger | | |
| 28 | 18 | 67 | Gene Hartley | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 134.34 | 24 | 65 | Exhaust | | |
| 29 | 25 | 93 | Bob Scott R | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 133.95 | 31 | 49 | Transmission | | |
| 30 | 27 | 21 | Chet Miller | Kurtis Kraft-Novi | 139.03 | 1 | 41 | Supercharger | | |
| 31 | 19 | 12 | Alberto Ascari R | Ferrari | 134.30 | 25 | 40 | Wheel | | |
| 32 | 17 | 55 | Bobby Ball | Stevens-Offenhauser | 134.72 | 23 | 34 | Gearbox | | |
| 33 | 2 | 9 | Andy Linden | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 137.00 | 4 | 20 | Oil Pump | | |
| Source: |||||||||||
W Former Indianapolis 500 winner
R Indianapolis 500 Rookie
All entrants utilized Firestone tires.
^1 – 1 point for fastest lead lap

### Race statistics

Lap Leaders :
| Laps | Leader |
| 1–6 | Jack McGrath |
| 7–11 | Bill Vukovich |
| 12 | Troy Ruttman |
| 13–61 | Bill Vukovich |
| 62–82 | Troy Ruttman |
| 83–134 | Bill Vukovich |
| 135–147 | Troy Ruttman |
| 148–191 | Bill Vukovich |
| 192–200 | Troy Ruttman |
Total laps led :
| Driver | Laps |
| Bill Vukovich | 150 |
| Troy Ruttman | 44 |
| Jack McGrath | 6 |
Yellow Lights: 2 minutes :
| Laps* | Reason |
| 40 | Alberto Ascari spin in turn 3 (50 seconds) |
| 191 | Bill Vukovich against the wall in turn 2 (1:10) |
| * – Approximate lap counts ||