 | |||||
| Indianapolis Motor Speedway | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis 500 | |||||
| Sanctioning body | AAA | ||||
| Date | May 31, 1915 | ||||
| Winner | Ralph DePalma | ||||
| Winning Entrant | E. C. Patterson | ||||
| Average speed | 89.840 mph (144.583 km/h) | ||||
| Pole position | Howdy Wilcox | ||||
| Pole speed | 98.90 mph (159.16 km/h) | ||||
| Most laps led | Ralph DePalma (132) | ||||
| Pre-race | |||||
| Pace car | Packard 6 (Model 5-48) | ||||
| Pace car driver | Carl G. Fisher | ||||
| Starter | Thomas J. Hay[1] | ||||
| Honorary referee | A. R. Pardington[1] | ||||
| Estimated attendance | 60,000[2] | ||||
| Chronology | |||||
| |||||
The 5th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 31, 1915. The traditional race date of May 30 fell on a Sunday, but race organizers declined to schedule the race for Sunday. The race was set for Saturday May 29, but heavy rains in the days leading up to the race flooded the grounds and made some roads leading to the track impassible. Officials decided to postpone the race until Monday May 31 in order to allow the grounds to dry out. Speedway management would maintain their policy to not race on Sundays until 1974.
After a loss in 1912, Ralph DePalma succeeded in victory for 1915. DePalma was accompanied by riding mechanic Louis Fountaine.
- ^ a b Fox, Jack C. (1994). The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994 (4th ed.). Carl Hungness Publishing. p. 22. ISBN 0-915088-05-3.
- ^ Rankin, William H. (June 1, 1915). "Race Best Ever Says W.H. Rankin". The Indianapolis Star. p. 5. Retrieved June 3, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
