The 25th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was an Indy 500 race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 31, 1937. It was notable for the high temperature at the circuit, reaching .

The race was won by Wilbur Shaw in the first of his three "500" victories, despite his car suffering from an oil leak in the final laps. Aware of Shaw's mechanical failure second place Ralph Hepburn began closing dramatically. Shaw held off Hepburn at the checkered flag by 2.16 seconds, the closest finish in Indy history until that point, a record that would stand until 1982.

Time trials Qualifying took place over ten-laps (25 mile runs).

Crashes On May 28, the car of Overton Phillips burst into flames when his crankshaft broke and punctured the gas tank. He then crashed into the pit area, killing spectator George Warford of Indianapolis. Both Phillips and his riding mechanic, Walter King were injured, as was Anthony Caccia (the brother of Joe Caccia, who died during practice for the 1931 race), and Otto Rohde of Toledo, Ohio, a crew member for Champion Spark Plug. Rohde succumbed to his injuries on June 1, 1937.http://interactive.ancestry.com/60716/45232_356198-02546?pid=2379568&backurl=//search.ancestry.com//cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3DFnF4449%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26gss%3Dangs-g%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26msT%3D1%26gsfn%3Dotto%26gsfn_x%3D0%26gsln%3Drohde%26gsln_x%3D0%26msddy%3D1937%26msdpn__ftp%3DIndianapolis,%2520Marion,%2520Indiana,%2520USA%26msdpn%3D40138%26msdpn_PInfo%3D8-%257C0%257C1652393%257C0%257C2%257C0%257C17%257C0%257C1893%257C40138%257C0%257C0%257C%26cp%3D0%26catbucket%3Drt%26MSAV%3D1%26uidh%3Dpd1%26pcat%3DROOT_CATEGORY%26h%3D2379568%26db%3DIndianaVitalsDeaths%26indiv%3D1%26ml_rpos%3D1&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=FnF4449&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true

On the same day, having completed four of ten scheduled qualifying laps, Frank McGurk's car plunged through an inner rail, overturned and ejected both McGurk, who was hospitalized in serious condition but survived, and his riding mechanic, Albert Opalko, who was killed. The crash was caused by a broken connecting rod.

Jimmy Snyder's track record During practice, Jimmy Snyder and his riding mechanic Takeo "Chickie" Hirashima ran laps faster than the existing track record. During time trials on May 22, Snyder set the single-lap track record of 130.492 mph. His second lap (129.422 mph) and third lap (127.334 mph) dropped off and the rest of his required ten-lap run was waved off by officials due to sunset. Snyder returned on May 23 and finished his run at 125.287 mph, the fastest qualifier in the field. He would line up 19th on race day.

Qualifying results Qualifying Results Date Driver Lap 1(mph) Lap 2(mph) Lap 3(mph) Lap 4(mph) Lap 5(mph) Lap 6(mph) Lap 7(mph) Lap 8(mph) Lap 9(mph) Lap 10(mph) Average Speed(mph)Sat 5/15/1937Bill Cummings123.677123.779120.016122.951123.626123.830123.848123.305123.389125.139*123.455

* Bill Cummings' tenth lap of 125.139 mph was a one-lap Speedway track record at the time.

Starting grid RowInsideMiddleOutside 116 Bill Cummings 6 Wilbur Shaw54 Herb Ardinger 210 Billy Winn2 Louis Meyer 8 Ralph Hepburn 338 Tony Gulotta1 Mauri Rose31 Chet Gardner 423 Ronney Householder 35 Deacon Litz17 George Connor 57 Chet Miller28 Billy Devore 24 Frank Brisko 645 Cliff Bergere62 Floyd Roberts53 Louis Tomei 75 Jimmy Snyder25 Kelly Petillo 33 Bob Swanson 847 Harry McQuinn14 Rex Mays32 Floyd Davis 934 Shorty Cantlon42 Al Miller26 Tony Willman 1043 George Bailey41 Ken Fowler 12 Russ Snowberger 1115 Babe Stapp3 Ted Horn44 Frank Wearne

Alternates

First alternate: Emil Andres (part of an elaborate scheme caught by AAA officials, see below)The Talk of Gasoline Alley - 1070-AM WIBC, May 14, 2004 Second alternate: Joel Thorne — Thorne purchased the entry of the first alternate, and planned to buy the qualified car of Cliff Bergere. He then planned to withdraw both of those cars in order to elevate his own car (the second alternate) into the starting field. After the officials heard word of the solicitations, they forced him to stop the effort of effectively "buying his way in" to the field, and threatened suspension.The Talk of Gasoline Alley - WFNI, May 19, 2013

Failed to qualify

Henry Banks (#49) Tom Cosman (#63) Dave Evans (#21) Ira Hall (#37, #56) Luther Johnson (#66) Milt Marion (#65) Frank McGurk (#39) Zeke Meyer (#52) Duke Nalon (#21) Lee Oldfield (#72) Vern Ornduff (#67) Overton Phillips (#66) Al Putnam (#46) Johnny Seymour (#51) Lou Webb (#58) Doc Williams (#57) Woody Woodford (#61) Ray Yeagar (#61)

Race For 1937, riding mechanics were required. Jigger Johnson served as Wilbur Shaw's riding mechanic. Johnson, who also rode with 1931 winner Louis Schneider, became the second two-time Indianapolis 500 winning riding mechanic. Johnson would be the final winning riding mechanic in Indy history as starting in the 1938 Indianapolis 500, riding mechanics were made optional, and would no longer be utilized in the race by any entrants.

After being banned for several years, superchargers were once again permitted. Jimmy Snyder's powerful supercharged Sparks engine, allowed him to move up through the field rapidly from 19th to 6th by the end of the first lap, and first from laps four to 24. However, on lap 27 he was forced to retire by a transmission failure.The Talk of Gasoline Alley - 1070-AM WIBC, May 10, 2003 Snyder later drove relief stints for both Herb Ardinger and Tony Gulotta, the latter of whom finished in eighth place.

Late in the race, Wilbur Shaw held a comfortable lead, and had lapped second place Ralph Hepburn. However, with around twenty laps remaining, Shaw's car began leaking oil which burned both Shaw and his riding mechanic Johnson. Shaw slowed down to nurse his car to the finish line and protect the rear right tire which was by this stage heavily worn. Hepburn realised Shaw was struggling and pushed to unlap himself. On the final lap Hepburn pulled to within a few seconds, and by the last turn he was directly behind Shaw. However, having reached the finish line without mechanical failure, Shaw floored the accelerator and pulled away down the final straight. He held off Hepburn for the win by 2.16 seconds, the closest Indy 500 finish to that point, a record that stood until 1982.

Box score FinishStartNoNameEntrantChassisEngineQualRankLapsStatus126 Wilbur ShawW. Wilbur ShawShawOffenhauser122.7914200 113.580 mph268 Ralph Hepburn(Bob Swanson Laps 108–162)Louis MeyerStevensOffenhauser118.80915200 +2.163323 Ted HornHarry HartzWetterothMiller118.60817200 +21.07452 Louis Meyer H. C. HenningMillerMiller119.61912200 +6:47.9051645 Cliff Bergere(George Barringer Laps 106–156)George C. LyonsStevensOffenhauser117.54624200 +11:15.806116 Bill Cummings (Chet Miller Laps 134–141)H. C. HenningMillerOffenhauser123.3433200 +15:55.2371428 Billy Devore (Fred Frame Laps 169–200)H. E. WinnStevensMiller120.1929200 +16:15.378738 Tony Gulotta(Jimmy Snyder Laps 121–152)(Rex Mays Laps 103–120)Joe LenckiRiglingOffenhauser118.78816200 +21:32.6291217 George ConnorJoe MarksAdamsMiller120.2408200 +24:48.20101853 Louis TomeiS.S. Engineering CompanyRiglingStudebaker116.43732200 +30:29.5311931 Chet Gardner(Billy Winn Laps 120–173)Chester GardnerDuesenbergOffenhauser117.34228199Flagged121023 Ronney Householder (Al Putnam Laps 50–71)(Henry Banks Laps 132–167)(Ken Fowler Laps 168–194)Henry J. Topping Jr.ViglioniMiller116.46431194Flagged131762 Floyd RobertsJoel Thorne, Inc.MillerMiller116.99630194Flagged141135 Deacon Litz(Harry McQuinn Laps 59–71)A. B. LitzMillerMiller116.37233191Out of oil152432 Floyd Davis Joel Thorne, Inc.SnowbergerMiller118.94214190Crash T3162534 Shorty Cantlon(Rex Mays Laps 34–89)Bill White Race Cars, Inc.WeilMiller118.55518182Flagged172642 Al Miller(Emil Andres Laps 79–158)(Mauri Rose Laps 159–170)Joel Thorne, Inc.SnowbergerMiller118.51820170Carburetor1881 Mauri RoseLou MooreMillerOffenhauser118.54019127Oil line192941 Ken Fowler E. M. "Lucky" TeeterWetterothMcDowell117.42126116Pushed202025 Kelly Petillo Kelly PetilloWetterothOffenhauser124.1292109Out of oil212843 George BaileySims & DurayStevensMiller117.49725107Clutch22354 Herb Ardinger(Jimmy Snyder Laps 71–106)Lewis W. WelchWelchOffenhauser121.9835106Rod231524 Frank BriskoFrank BriskoStevensBrisko118.21323105No oil pressure243344 Frank Wearne Leon DurayStevensMiller118.2202299Carburetor252726 Tony Willman Pete DePaoloMillerMiller118.2412195Rod26410 Billy WinnJames M. WinnMillerMiller119.9221185Oil line273012 Russ Snowberger(Johnny Seymour Laps 52–60)Russ SnowbergerSnowbergerPackard117.3542766Clutch282133 Bob Swanson Paul WeirickAdamsSparks121.920652Carburetor292247 Harry McQuinnThomas O'BrienStevensMiller121.822747Piston30137 Chet MillerH. C. HenningSummersMiller119.2131336Ignition313115 Babe StappHenry J. Topping Jr.MaseratiMaserati117.2262936Clutch32195 Jimmy SnyderJoel Thorne, Inc.AdamsSparks125.287127Transmission332314 Rex MaysBill White Race Cars, Inc.Alfa RomeoAlfa Romeo119.9681024Overheating

Note: Relief drivers in parentheses

Former Indianapolis 500 winner

Indianapolis 500 Rookie

Race statistics

Lap Leaders Laps Leader1–2 Herb Ardinger3–26 Jimmy Snyder27–74 Wilbur Shaw75–83 Ralph Hepburn84–129 Wilbur Shaw130–163 Bob Swanson (in relief of Hepburn)164–200 Wilbur Shaw

Total laps led Driver LapsWilbur Shaw 131Bob Swanson 34Jimmy Snyder 24Ralph Hepburn 9Herb Ardinger 2

Yellow Lights Laps Reason Extra time Floyd Davis crash in turn 3

Notes

Works cited Floyd Clymer's 1909–1941 Indianapolis 500 Race History Indianapolis 500 Chronicle

References