1973 Indianapolis 500

57th Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning bodyUSAC
Season1973 USAC Trail
DateMay 28–30, 1973
WinnerGordon Johncock
Winning teamPatrick Racing
Average speed159.036 mph (255.944 km/h)
Pole positionJohnny Rutherford
Pole speed198.413 mph (319.315 km/h)
Fastest qualifierJohnny Rutherford
Rookie of the YearGraham McRae
Most laps ledGordon Johncock (64)
Pre-race ceremonies
National anthemPurdue Band
"Back Home Again in Indiana"Jim Nabors
Starting commandTony Hulman
Pace carCadillac Eldorado
Pace car driverJim Rathmann
StarterPat Vidan
Estimated attendance300,000 (Mon.)[1]
200,000 (Tue.)[2]
125,000 (Wed.)[3]
TV in the United States
NetworkABC
AnnouncersJim McKay, Jackie Stewart, Chris Economaki
Nielsen ratings16.5 / 30
Chronology
Previous Next
1972 1974

The 57th 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Wednesday, May 30, 1973. The race was held over three days because of rain and two major accidents.[4][5] Three competitors—two drivers and one pit crew member—died from injuries suffered as a result of accidents that occurred during the month, another driver was critically injured, and over a dozen spectators suffered injuries and/or burns. After 133 laps (332+1⁄2 mi (535.1 km)), rain halted the race, and Gordon Johncock was declared the winner, the first of his two Indy triumphs (1973, 1982).

Going into the month, the mood was bright and excitement was high for record speeds. Competitors, media, and fans were eagerly anticipating the possibility of breaking the elusive and daunting 200 mph (321.9 km/h) barrier during time trials. The month took a tragic turn, however, when driver Art Pollard died in a crash during a practice session on May 12.[6] Later that same day, Johnny Rutherford set a new track record during time trials. His best lap of 199.071 mph (320.4 km/h) fell just short of breaking the highly sought-after speed barrier.[7] Despite Rutherford's headlines on pole day, the mood meanwhile around the garage area was becoming anxious and uncertain. Fears were growing about rising speeds and safety. Inclement weather was also interfering.

The race was scheduled for Monday May 28, but was aborted because of a major accident at the start. Driver David "Salt" Walther was critically injured and numerous spectators in the track boxes and first few rows of the Paddock grandstands suffered burns from a fireball resulting from the accident. Numerous spectators required hospitalization, and some were left in critical condition; with the blast of heat felt as much as 100 yards away. Eyewitness accounts described the fireball as a somewhat bluish flame. Rain washed out the day during the red flag period, as two vertical stanchions of the outside catchfence were broken and needed to be repaired before any racing could resume. Rain also washed out any chance to hold the race on Tuesday May 29.[8] Only a fraction of the typical Indy crowd arrived to watch the race by the time it was run on Wednesday May 30; and in fact since schools were closed in Speedway and within a few miles around west Indianapolis due to traffic, many hundreds of schoolkids and parents were bussed in to fill the grandstands for free.[4][5]

The Wednesday race suffered two separate fatal accidents. The first involved driver David "Swede" Savage;[9][10][11] the second, Armando Teran, a pit crew member for Graham McRae, the STP teammate to Savage, when Teran stepped out into the pit lane and was hit by a safety truck going in the opposite direction.[4][5] Both occurred at lap 59 of the race. Owing to the tragic circumstances, relentless weather problems, rain-shortened finish, and overall glum mood during the month, the 1973 race is widely considered the worst year for the running of the Indianapolis 500. In contemporary accounts, the race had been called "jinxed" by Dan Gurney, Chris Economaki, and Jim McKay.[12] Statistically, it was the track's deadliest month of May since 1937.[13]

National media opinions, as well as those from team owners and crew, were highly critical in the aftermath of the race, focusing mainly on inadequate safety measures.[14][15] The circumstances led to sweeping rule changes by USAC, some made effective for the Schaefer 500 at Pocono Raceway four weeks later. Numerous safety improvements were made to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway track itself that were completed for 1974.

Off the track, the Speedway had completed construction of its first VIP Suites outside of turn two. Following in the footsteps of Ontario Motor Speedway, Indianapolis becomes the second major racing facility to feature luxury boxes.[16]

  1. ^ Devens, Jeff (May 29, 1973). "Wet, Wild Infield 'Horde' Waited And Watched". The Indianapolis Star. p. 6. Retrieved June 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  2. ^ Marquette, Ray (May 30, 1973). "Twice-Postponed Race Ready For 9 A.M. Try If Weatherman Agrees". The Indianapolis Star. p. 1. Retrieved June 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  3. ^ Marquette, Ray (May 31, 1973). "Shortest '500' Goes 133 Laps". The Indianapolis Star. p. 1. Retrieved June 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  4. ^ a b c Jones, Robert F. (June 11, 1973). "Indy's somber trial by fire and rain". Sports Illustrated. p. 30.
  5. ^ a b c "Johncock claims the 'Indy 332½'". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. May 31, 1973. p. 1C.
  6. ^ "Pollard dies in fiery Indy crash". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. May 13, 1973. p. 1C.
  7. ^ "Records fall as Rutherford wins the pole". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. May 13, 1973. p. 4C.
  8. ^ "Rain postpones Indy 500 again". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. May 29, 1973. p. 1E.
  9. ^ "Death claims Indy driver Savage". Victoria Advocate. Associated Press. July 3, 1973. p. 3B.
  10. ^ "Swede Savage dies". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. July 2, 1973. p. 1B.
  11. ^ "Death needless, Granatelli says". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. July 3, 1973. p. 5B.
  12. ^ Indy 1973 ABC News Report
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference USAT052113 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Grimsley, Will (May 30, 1973). "Lack of safety devices scored". Windsor Star. Associated Press. p. 10.
  15. ^ "Indianapolis 500 race lunacy; savage aberration". Ottawa Citizen. Associated Press. June 2, 1973. p. 20.
  16. ^ "Hulman is force behind Indy 500". Nashua Telegraph. Associated Press. May 15, 1973. p. 19.