1952 Indianapolis 500

The 36th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday, May 30, 1952. The event was part of the 1952 AAA National Championship Trail, and was included in the 1952 World Drivers Championship.
Troy Ruttman won the race after Bill Vukovich, who had dominated the event and led 150 laps, went into the wall with steering failure with nine laps to go. Ruttman became the youngest winner of a Formula One race for 51 years; but in Bruce McLaren became the youngest winner of an official 'Grand Prix' at the time.
==Background==
Alberto Ascari entered and qualified for the 500, becoming the first and only driver from outside the United States to do so during it's time on the F1 calendar. This was the only event Ascari entered and didn't win during his successful 1952 campaign, in which he won the world championship.
Troy Ruttman, aged 22 years and 80 days, was the youngest Formula One race winner until the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix when Fernando Alonso took the record.
==Practice==
==Qualifying==
Fred Agabashian took the pole ahead of Andy Linden and Jack McGrath.
===Results===
Pos	No.	Driver 	Constructor	Time 	Gap 	
1 	28 	Fred Agabashian	 	4:20.85	— 	138.01
2 	9 	Andy Linden 	 	4:22.77	+1.92	137.00
3 	4 	Jack McGrath 	 	4:23.42	+2.57	136.66
4 	36 	Duke Nalon 	 	4:24.34	+3.49	136.18
5 	18 	Sam Hanks 	 	4:25.22	+4.37	135.73
6 	1 	Duane Carter 	 	4:23.51	+2.66	135.52
7 	98 	Troy Ruttman 	 	4:24.04	+3.19	135.36
8 	26 	Bill Vukovich 	 	4:20.47	-0.38	138.21
9 	22 	Cliff Griffith 	 	4:23.51	+2.66	136.61
===Grid===
==Classification==
*Drivers American unless stated.
Pos	Grid	No	Driver 	Constructor 	Qual 	Rank	Laps	Led	Time/Retired	Pts
1 	7 	98	Troy Ruttman 	Kuzma-Offenhauser 	135.36	18 	200 	44 	3:52:41.88 	8
2 	10 	59	Jim Rathmann 	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 	136.34	7 	200 	0 	+4:02.33 	6
3 	5 	18	Sam Hanks 	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 	135.73	14 	200 	0 	+6:11.61 	4
4 	6 	1 	Duane Carter 	Lesovsky-Offenhauser 	135.52	16 	200 	0 	+6:48.34 	3
5 	20 	33	Art Cross (R) 	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 	134.28	26 	200 	0 	+8:40.15 	2
6 	21 	77	Jimmy Bryan (R) 	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 	134.14	27 	200 	0 	+9:24.32 	
7 	23 	37	Jimmy Reece (R) 	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 	133.99	29 	200 	0 	+10:35.24 	
8 	14 	54	George Connor 	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 	135.60	15 	200 	0 	+12:00.61 	
9 	9 	22	Cliff Griffith 	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 	136.61	6 	200 	0 	+12:23.76 	
10 	31 	5 	Johnnie Parsons (W)	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 	135.32	19 	200 	0 	+13:37.78 	
11 	3 	4 	Jack McGrath 	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 	136.66	5 	200 	6 	+14:21.72 	
12 	26 	29	Jim Rigsby (R) 	Watson-Offenhauser 	133.90	33 	200 	0 	+16:05.10 	
13 	16 	14	Joe James 	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 	134.95	22 	200 	0 	+16:55.65 	
14 	15 	7 	Bill Schindler 	Stevens-Offenhauser 	134.98	20 	200 	0 	+18:48.66 	
15 	13 	65	George Fonder 	Sherman-Offenhauser 	135.94	13 	197 	0 	+3 Laps 	
16 	24 	81	Eddie Johnson (R) 	Trevis-Offenhauser 	133.97	30 	193 	0 	+7 Laps 	
17 	8 	26	Bill Vukovich 	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 	138.21	2 	191 	150	Steering 	1
18 	11 	16	Chuck Stevenson 	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 	136.14	9 	187 	0 	+13 Laps 	
19 	12 	2 	Henry Banks 	Lesovsky-Offenhauser 	135.96	11 	184 	0 	+16 Laps 	
20 	28 	8 	Manny Ayulo 	Lesovsky-Offenhauser 	135.98	10 	184 	0 	+16 Laps 	
21 	33 	31	Johnny McDowell 	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 	133.93	32 	182 	0 	+18 Laps 	
22 	29 	48	Spider Webb 	Bromme-Offenhauser 	135.96	12 	162 	0 	Oil leak 	
23 	22 	34	Rodger Ward 	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 	134.13	28 	130 	0 	Oil Pressure	
24 	30 	27	Tony Bettenhausen 	Deidt-Offenhauser 	135.38	17 	93 	0 	Oil Pressure	
25 	4 	36	Duke Nalon 	Kurtis Kraft-Novi 	136.18	8 	84 	0 	Supercharger	
26 	32 	73	Bob Sweikert (R) 	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 	134.98	21 	77 	0 	Differential	
27 	1 	28	Fred Agabashian 	Kurtis Kraft-Cummins Diesel	138.01	3 	71 	0 	Turbocharger	
28 	18 	67	Gene Hartley 	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 	134.34	24 	65 	0 	Exhaust 	
29 	25 	93	Bob Scott (R) 	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 	133.95	31 	49 	0 	Transmission	
30 	27 	21	Chet Miller 	Kurtis Kraft-Novi 	139.03	1 	41 	0 	Supercharger	
31 	19 	12	Alberto Ascari (R) 	Ferrari 	134.30	25 	40 	0 	Wheel 	
32 	17 	55	Bobby Ball 	Stevens-Offenhauser 	134.72	23 	34 	0 	Gearbox 	
33 	2 	9 	Andy Linden 	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 	137.00	4 	20 	0 	Oil Pump 	
===Failed to qualify===
*Buzz Barton (#58)
*Joe Barzda (#53)
*Bill Cantrell (#52)
*Neal Carter (#25)
*Jimmy Daywalt (#64)
*Duke Dinsmore (#68)
*Walt Faulkner (#3)
*Carl Forberg (#53)
*Gene Force (#96)
*Dick Fraizer (#63)
*Potsy Goacher (#93)
*Perry Grimm (#55)
*Peter Hahn (#74)
*Allen Heath (#32)
*Tommy Hinnershitz (#27)
*Jackie Holmes (#41)
*Jimmy Jackson (#61)
*Danny Kladis (#19)
*Jud Larson (#39)
*Bayliss Levrett (#69)
*Frank Luptow (#56)
*Johnny Mauro (#35)
*Mike Nazaruk (#66)
*Danny Oakes (#39)
*Paul Russo (#10)
*Carl Scarborough (#33)
*Doc Shanebrook (#76)
*Bill Taylor (#47)
*George Tichenor (#88)
*Johnnie Tolan (#51)
*Leroy Warriner (#27)
==Milestones==
==Standings after race==
Pos.	Driver 	Pts	+/-
1 	Piero Taruffi	9 	
2 	Troy Ruttman 	8 	20
3 	Rudi Fischer 	6 	1
4 	Jim Rathmann 	6 	18
5 	Jean Behra 	4 	2
6 	Sam Hanks 	4 	16
7 	Ken Wharton 	3 	3
8 	Duane Carter 	3 	14
9 	Alan Brown 	2 	4
10 	Arthur Cross 	2 	12
11 	Bill Vukovich	1 	11
==Notes==
Category:1952 Grands Prix
Category:Indianapolis 500
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:Formula One races in the United States