Published evidence

1951 Indianapolis 500 · race

A historical profile with source-linked evidence. Further research is in progress.

THE HISTORICAL RECORD

Profile & context

Name: 1951 Indianapolis 500 · race

PROVENANCE

Sources behind this page

F1DB

v2026.17.0 · session/9-race

Original reference ↗

Historical source & scope

F1DB v2026.17.0 · CC BY 4.0. Normalisation, links and calculations by MotorPedia. Original source observations retained.

Source-reported facts are not independent historical confirmation. Missing times and points remain unknown; source-rounded points retain their published precision. Constructor, entrant and team identities are kept distinct.

Grand Prix context

1951 Indianapolis 500 · Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Technical formula: US national regulations. World Championship membership is separate from technical regulations.

1951 Formula 1 World Championship · round 2

Race classification

Source participant rows: shared cars and nonstarters retained
Position	Driver	Constructor	Recorded details	Points
1	Lee Wallard	Kurtis Kraft	3:57:38.050 · 200 laps · offenhauser	9
2	Mike Nazaruk	Kurtis Kraft	3:59:25.293 · 200 laps · offenhauser	6
3	Jack McGrath	Kurtis Kraft	4:00:29.440 · 200 laps · offenhauser	2
3	Manny Ayulo	Kurtis Kraft	Shared drive · Time not recorded · offenhauser	2
4	Andy Linden	Sherman	4:02:18.170 · 200 laps · offenhauser	3
5	Bobby Ball	Schroeder	4:02:30.280 · 200 laps · offenhauser	2
6	Henry Banks	Moore	4:03:18.070 · 200 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
7	Carl Forberg	Kurtis Kraft	Time not recorded · 193 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
8	Duane Carter	Deidt	Time not recorded · 180 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
9	Tony Bettenhausen	Deidt	Spun off · Time not recorded · 178 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
10	Duke Nalon	Kurtis Kraft	Retirement · Time not recorded · 151 laps · novi	Unknown / not applicable
11	Gene Force	Kurtis Kraft	Engine · Time not recorded · 142 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
12	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft	Engine · Time not recorded · 135 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
13	Bill Schindler	Kurtis Kraft	Engine · Time not recorded · 129 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
14	Mauri Rose	Deidt	Accident · Time not recorded · 126 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
15	Walt Faulkner	Kuzma	Engine · Time not recorded · 123 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
16	Jimmy Davies	Pawl	Axle · Time not recorded · 110 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
17	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft	Clutch · Time not recorded · 109 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
18	Carl Scarborough	Kurtis Kraft	Fire · Time not recorded · 100 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
19	Bill Mackey	Hall	Clutch · Time not recorded · 97 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
20	Chuck Stevenson	Marchese	Fire · Time not recorded · 93 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
21	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft	Magneto · Time not recorded · 87 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
22	Cecil Green	Kurtis Kraft	Engine · Time not recorded · 80 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
23	Troy Ruttman	Kurtis Kraft	Engine · Time not recorded · 78 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
24	Duke Dinsmore	Schroeder	Overheating · Time not recorded · 73 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
25	Chet Miller	Kurtis Kraft	Ignition · Time not recorded · 56 laps · novi	Unknown / not applicable
26	Walt Brown	Kurtis Kraft	Magneto · Time not recorded · 55 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
27	Rodger Ward	Bromme	Oil pipe · Time not recorded · 34 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
28	Cliff Griffith	Kurtis Kraft	Axle · Time not recorded · 30 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
29	Bill Vukovich	Trevis	Oil leak · Time not recorded · 29 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
30	George Connor	Lesovsky	Transmission · Time not recorded · 29 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
31	Mack Hellings	Deidt	Engine · Time not recorded · 18 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
32	Johnny McDowell	Maserati	Fuel leak · Time not recorded · 15 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable
33	Joe James	Watson	Transmission · Time not recorded · 8 laps · offenhauser	Unknown / not applicable

Qualifying

Recorded qualifying order; Q1/Q2/Q3 and earlier formats remain distinct in original evidence
Position	Driver	Constructor	Recorded details
1	Duke Nalon	Kurtis Kraft	4:23.740 · novi
2	Lee Wallard	Kurtis Kraft	4:26.590 · offenhauser
3	Jack McGrath	Kurtis Kraft	4:28.050 · offenhauser
4	Duane Carter	Deidt	4:29.160 · offenhauser
5	Mauri Rose	Deidt	4:29.820 · offenhauser
6	Troy Ruttman	Kurtis Kraft	4:32.080 · offenhauser
7	Mike Nazaruk	Kurtis Kraft	4:32.350 · offenhauser
8	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft	4:32.410 · offenhauser
9	Tony Bettenhausen	Deidt	4:32.830 · offenhauser
10	Cecil Green	Kurtis Kraft	4:32.950 · offenhauser
11	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft	4:26.610 · offenhauser
12	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft	4:30.680 · offenhauser
13	Walt Brown	Kurtis Kraft	4:32.920 · offenhauser
14	Walt Faulkner	Kuzma	4:23.020 · offenhauser
15	Carl Scarborough	Kurtis Kraft	4:25.460 · offenhauser
16	Bill Schindler	Kurtis Kraft	4:28.590 · offenhauser
17	Henry Banks	Moore	4:28.860 · offenhauser
18	Cliff Griffith	Kurtis Kraft	4:28.980 · offenhauser
19	Chuck Stevenson	Marchese	4:29.130 · offenhauser
20	Bill Vukovich	Trevis	4:29.210 · offenhauser
21	George Connor	Lesovsky	4:29.960 · offenhauser
22	Gene Force	Kurtis Kraft	4:30.470 · offenhauser
23	Mack Hellings	Deidt	4:30.830 · offenhauser
24	Carl Forberg	Kurtis Kraft	4:30.900 · offenhauser
25	Rodger Ward	Bromme	4:26.930 · offenhauser
26	Johnny McDowell	Maserati	4:31.750 · offenhauser
27	Jimmy Davies	Pawl	4:29.630 · offenhauser
28	Chet Miller	Kurtis Kraft	4:25.100 · novi
29	Bobby Ball	Schroeder	4:28.460 · offenhauser
30	Joe James	Watson	4:28.460 · offenhauser
31	Andy Linden	Sherman	4:32.260 · offenhauser
32	Duke Dinsmore	Schroeder	4:32.780 · offenhauser
33	Bill Mackey	Hall	4:38.820 · offenhauser

Starting grid

Recorded grid; pole awards are not inferred from starting position
Position	Driver	Constructor	Recorded details
1	Duke Nalon	Kurtis Kraft	4:23.740 · novi
2	Lee Wallard	Kurtis Kraft	4:26.590 · offenhauser
3	Jack McGrath	Kurtis Kraft	4:28.050 · offenhauser
4	Duane Carter	Deidt	4:29.160 · offenhauser
5	Mauri Rose	Deidt	4:29.820 · offenhauser
6	Troy Ruttman	Kurtis Kraft	4:32.080 · offenhauser
7	Mike Nazaruk	Kurtis Kraft	4:32.350 · offenhauser
8	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft	4:32.410 · offenhauser
9	Tony Bettenhausen	Deidt	4:32.830 · offenhauser
10	Cecil Green	Kurtis Kraft	4:32.950 · offenhauser
11	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft	4:26.610 · offenhauser
12	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft	4:30.680 · offenhauser
13	Walt Brown	Kurtis Kraft	4:32.920 · offenhauser
14	Walt Faulkner	Kuzma	4:23.020 · offenhauser
15	Carl Scarborough	Kurtis Kraft	4:25.460 · offenhauser
16	Bill Schindler	Kurtis Kraft	4:28.590 · offenhauser
17	Henry Banks	Moore	4:28.860 · offenhauser
18	Cliff Griffith	Kurtis Kraft	4:28.980 · offenhauser
19	Chuck Stevenson	Marchese	4:29.130 · offenhauser
20	Bill Vukovich	Trevis	4:29.210 · offenhauser
21	George Connor	Lesovsky	4:29.960 · offenhauser
22	Gene Force	Kurtis Kraft	4:30.470 · offenhauser
23	Mack Hellings	Deidt	4:30.830 · offenhauser
24	Carl Forberg	Kurtis Kraft	4:30.900 · offenhauser
25	Rodger Ward	Bromme	4:26.930 · offenhauser
26	Johnny McDowell	Maserati	4:31.750 · offenhauser
27	Jimmy Davies	Pawl	4:29.630 · offenhauser
28	Chet Miller	Kurtis Kraft	4:25.100 · novi
29	Bobby Ball	Schroeder	4:28.460 · offenhauser
30	Joe James	Watson	4:28.460 · offenhauser
31	Andy Linden	Sherman	4:32.260 · offenhauser
32	Duke Dinsmore	Schroeder	4:32.780 · offenhauser
33	Bill Mackey	Hall	4:38.820 · offenhauser

Championship progression

Driver standings after this championship round
Position	Driver	Constructor	Recorded details	Points
1	Juan Manuel Fangio	Not applicable / not recorded	Time not recorded	9
1	Lee Wallard	Not applicable / not recorded	Time not recorded	9
3	Piero Taruffi	Not applicable / not recorded	Time not recorded	6
3	Mike Nazaruk	Not applicable / not recorded	Time not recorded	6
5	Nino Farina	Not applicable / not recorded	Time not recorded	4
6	Consalvo Sanesi	Not applicable / not recorded	Time not recorded	3
6	Andy Linden	Not applicable / not recorded	Time not recorded	3
8	Jack McGrath	Not applicable / not recorded	Time not recorded	2
8	Manny Ayulo	Not applicable / not recorded	Time not recorded	2
10	Emmanuel de Graffenried	Not applicable / not recorded	Time not recorded	2
10	Bobby Ball	Not applicable / not recorded	Time not recorded	2