1951 Indianapolis 500

The 1951 Indianapolis 500 was the second race of the 1951 Formula One Season. It was the second time (of 11 in total) the Indianapolis 500 was held as part of the Formula One World Championship, although none of the regular drivers (who had taken part in the previous race) entered the 1951 event. Instead, the field was made up of 33 Americans, including Johnnie Parsons who won the previous year's event.
The event was won by Lee Wallard in his second and last Indy 500 start (Wallard entered the race in 1954 but failed to qualify). Second place was claimed by Mike Nazaruk while Manny Ayulo crossed the line in third, having relieved Jack McGrath at the halfway point; the two drivers shared the points for third place. Polesitter, Duke Nalon retired from the race with 49 laps to go. Nalon was among 25 drivers who failed to finish the race, with only 8 seeing the chequered flag.
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==Background==
Making his return to the Indianapolis 500 after suffering a serious injury in 1949, Duke Nalon made a comeback to the sport when he scored the pole position.
==Qualifying==
===Report===
Qualifying for this event was scheduled to take place over six days, but was extended to seven as the sixth day was washed out. Grid order was determined by aggregate time over four laps, with earlier runs counted ahead of later ones.
Pole position was decided on the first day, as were the rest of the top-11, 12th and 13th on day 2, 14th-24th on day 3, 25th and 26th on day 4, 27th on day 5, and the remaining 6 places on day 7. Despite setting a time faster than the polesitter, Walt Faulkner only qualified 14th as his time was set on a later day.
===Results===
Pos	No.	Driver 	Constructor	Time 	Gap 	 	
1 	18 	Duke Nalon 	 	4:23.74	 	100% 	136.50
2 	99 	Lee Wallard 	 	4:26.59	+2.85 	101.1%	135.04
3 	9 	Jack McGrath 	 	4:28.05	+4.31 	101.6%	134.30
4 	27 	Duane Carter 	 	4:29.16	+5.42 	102.1%	133.75
5 	16 	Mauri Rose 	 	4:29.82	+6.08 	102.3%	133.42
6 	98 	Troy Ruttman 	 	4:32.08	+8.34 	103.2%	132.31
7 	83 	Mike Nazaruk 	 	4:32.35	+8.61 	103.3%	132.18
8 	3 	Johnnie Parsons 	 	4:32.41	+8.67 	103.3%	132.15
9 	5 	Tony Bettenhausen	 	4:32.83	+9.09 	103.4%	131.95
10 	4 	Cecil Green 	 	4:32.92	+9.18 	103.5%	131.91
11 	59 	Fred Agabashian 	 	4:36.61	+12.87	104.9%	130.14
12 	25 	Sam Hanks 	 	4:30.68	+6.94 	102.6%	133.00
13 	44 	Walt Brown 	 	4:32.92	+9.18 	103.5%	131.91
14 	2 	Walt Faulkner 	 	4:23.02	-0.72 	99.7% 	136.87
15 	73 	Carl Scarborough 	 	4:25.46	+1.72 	100.7%	135.61
16 	10 	Bill Schindler 	 	4:28.59	+4.85 	101.8%	134.03
17 	1 	Henry Banks 	 	4:28.86	+5.12 	101.9%	133.90
18 	23 	Cliff Griffith 	 	4:28.98	+5.24 	102% 	133.84
19 	8 	Chuck Stevenson 	 	4:29.13	+5.39 	102% 	133.76
20 	81 	Bill Vukovich 	 	4:29.21	+5.47 	102.1%	133.72
21 	22 	George Connor 	 	4:29.96	+6.22 	102.4%	133.35
22 	69 	Gene Force 	 	4:30.47	+6.73 	102.6%	133.10
23 	19 	Mack Hellings 	 	4:30.83	+7.09 	102.7%	132.92
24 	68 	Carl Forberg 	 	4:30.90	+7.16 	102.7%	132.89
25 	48 	Rodger Ward 	 	4:26.93	+3.19 	101.2%	134.87
26 	12 	Johnny McDowell 	 	4:31.75	+8.01 	103% 	132.47
27 	76 	Jimmy Davies 	 	4:29.63	+5.89 	102.2%	133.52
28 	32 	Chet Miller 	 	4:25.10	+1.36 	100.5%	135.80
29 	52 	Bobby Ball 	 	4:28.46	+4.72 	101.8%	134.10
30 	26 	Joe James 	 	4:28.82	+5.08 	101.9%	133.92
31 	57 	Andy Linden 	 	4:32.26	+8.52 	103.2%	132.27
32 	6 	Duke Dinsmore 	 	4:32.78	+9.04 	103.4%	131.97
33 	71 	Bill Mackey 	 	4:33.82	+10.08	103.8%	131.47
===Failed To Qualify===
* #7. Paul Russo - 
* #14. Jerry Hoyt - 
* #24. Jackie Holmes - 
* #29. George Fonder - 
* #31. Manny Ayulo - 
* #33. Jimmy Daywalt - 
* #34. Johnnie Tolan - 
* #35. Frank Armi - 
* #36. George Lynch - 
* #37. Bob Sweikert - 
* #41. Mike Salay - 
* #42. Bill Boyd - 
* #46. Bayliss Levrett - 
* #49. Joe Barzda - 
* #51. Bud Sennett - 
* #53. George Fonder - 
* #58. Frank Armi - 
* #63. George Fonder - 
* #64. Frank Armi - 
* #67. Gordon Reid - 
* #72. Jimmy Bryan - 
* #75. Leroy Warriner - 
* #77. Doc Shanebrook - 
* #78. Ray Knepper - 
==Race==
===Report===
Sam Hanks has some trouble starting his car as it is being pushed from the pit lane to begin the pace lap. Just before crossing the white line at which all drivers must have there cars started, Hanks' car starts and he roars away to join the rest of the pack.
The race begins and Lee Wallard takes the lead from Jack McGrath and the pair begin to pull away from the remain front runners. At the rear of the field, it has become clear which cars are off of the pace as they begin to break off from the pack. At the end of lap two, McGrath steals the lead and wins a $100 lap prize. However, Wallard isn't making it easy to lead as the pair swap positions again on the fourth lap.
After only eight laps, Joe James is forced to retire from the race because of transmission issues. Johnny McDowell would not be far behind after he ruptured his fuel tank in the pits on the fifteenth lap. And then three laps later, Mack Hellings pulls off into the pits because of damage to his engine.
Duke Nalon makes a horrible judgement error as he rolls past his crew and has to wait to be pushed back to his box. Meanwhile Cecil Green is right on the rear of McGrath and challenging for the lead. He can't get it done and McGrath maintains his lead.
McGrath pulls into the pits on the one hundredth lap to make a driver change. Manny Ayulo will take over the second half of the race, but by this point Wallard has taken the lead, putting a victory out of the picture for Ayulo.
There is trouble as Mauri Rose loses control of his car in the corner. He skids down into the grass and he car goes sideways. The tyres dig into the ground and his car is sent into a flip. Rose walks away from the car uninjured, but his race comes to an end, as he is the first car to flip in the race.
Approuching lap 179, Wallard and Andy Linden are neck and neck racing around the corner. They swap positions, but Linden is not able to lead a lap as Wallard retakes his first position. Behind them, Tony Bettenhausen has spun his car in the corner. He spins down into the grass and comes back up on the track, but does an excellent job to put the car back down into the grass.
Trouble for Wallard who is currently leading the race. In the closing laps of the race, he loses his shock absorbers and brakes. Despite these bumpy and dangerous circumstances, he muscles onward and crosses the finish line in first place to earn his first and only win in Formula One. After his visit in the victory lane, Wallard is taken directly to the circuit's medical facility where he is treated for severe chafing, caused by his fire retardant suit.
The race proves to be one of the safest Indianapolis 500's in history, with no driver injuries. However, only eight drivers finished the race.
===Results===
Pos 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Laps 	Time/Gap 	Avg Speed(mph) 	Grid 	Pts
1 	99 	Lee Wallard 	 	200 	3:57:38.05 	126.23 	2 	9
2 	83 	Mike Nazaruk 	 	200 	+1:47.24 	125.29 	7 	6
3 	9 	Manny Ayulo 	 	100 	+2:51.39 	124.73 	 	2
3 	9 	Jack McGrath 	 	100 	+2:51.39 	124.73 	3 	2
4 	57 	Andy Linden 	 	200 	+4:40.12 	123.80 	31 	3
5 	52 	Bobby Ball 	 	200 	+4:52.23 	123.70 	29 	2
6 	1 	Henry Banks 	 	200 	+5:40.02 	123.29 	17 	
7 	68 	Carl Forberg 	 	193 	+7 Laps 	 	24 	
8 	27 	Duane Carter 	 	180 	+20 Laps 	 	4 	
9 	5 	Tony Bettenhausen 	 	178 	Spin 	Spin 	9 	
10 	18 	Duke Nalon 	 	151 	Engine 	Engine 	1 	
11 	69 	Gene Force 	 	142 	Oil pressure 	Oil pressure 	22 	
12 	25 	Sam Hanks 	 	135 	Spin 	Spin 	12 	
13 	10 	Bill Schindler 	 	129 	Connecting rod 	Connecting rod 	16 	
14 	16 	Mauri Rose 	 	126 	Spin 	Spin 	5 	
15 	2 	Walt Faulkner 	 	123 	Camshaft 	Camshaft 	14 	
16 	76 	Jimmy Davies 	 	110 	Gearbox 	Gearbox 	27 	
17 	59 	Fred Agabashian 	 	109 	Clutch 	Clutch 	11 	
18 	73 	Carl Scarborough 	 	100 	Wheel bearing 	Wheel bearing 	15 	
19 	71 	Bill Mackey 	 	97 	Clutch 	Clutch 	33 	
20 	8 	Chuck Stevenson 	 	93 	Fire 	Fire 	19 	
21 	3 	Johnnie Parsons 	 	87 	Magneto 	Magneto 	8 	
22 	4 	Cecil Green 	 	80 	Connecting rod 	Connecting rod 	10 	
23 	98 	Troy Ruttman 	 	78 	Camshaft 	Camshaft 	6 	
24 	6 	Duke Dinsmore 	 	73 	Overheating 	Overheating 	32 	
25 	32 	Chet Miller 	 	56 	Ignition 	Ignition 	28 	
26 	44 	Walt Brown 	 	55 	Magneto 	Magneto 	13 	
27 	48 	Rodger Ward 	 	34 	Oil line 	Oil line 	25 	
28 	23 	Cliff Griffith 	 	30 	Transmission 	Transmission 	18 	
29 	81 	Bill Vukovich 	 	29 	Oil leak 	Oil leak 	20 	
30 	22 	George Connor 	 	29 	Engine 	Engine 	21 	
31 	19 	Mack Hellings 	 	18 	Engine 	Engine 	23 	
32 	12 	Johnny McDowell 	 	15 	Fuel leak 	Fuel leak 	26 	
33 	26 	Joe James 	 	8 	Transmission 	Transmission 	30 	
Non-qualifiers: see above	Non-qualifiers: see above	Non-qualifiers: see above	Non-qualifiers: see above	Non-qualifiers: see above	Non-qualifiers: see above	Non-qualifiers: see above	Non-qualifiers: see above	Non-qualifiers: see above
==Milestones==
*Lee Wallard's first and only Formula One Grand Prix victory
*Lee Wallard's first and only fastest lap in Formula One
*Duke Nalon's first and only pole position in Formula One
*The engine's first and only pole position in Formula One
==Standings after race==
Pos.	Driver 	Pts	+/-
1 	Juan Manuel Fangio 	9 	
2 	Lee Wallard 	9 	
3 	Piero Taruffi 	6 	1
4 	Mike Nazaruk 	6 	
5 	Nino Farina 	4 	2
6 	Consalvo Sanesi 	3 	2
7 	Andy Linden 	3 	
8 	Toulo de Graffenried	2 	3
9 	Jack McGrath 	2 	
10 	Manuel Ayulo 	2 	
11 	Bobby Ball 	2 	
==Notes==
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:Indianapolis 500
Category:1951 Grands Prix
Category:Formula One races in the United States