1933 Indianapolis 500
The 21st International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, May 30, 1933. Louis Meyer defeated Wilbur Shaw by a time of 401.89 seconds (6.69 minutes). The average speed of the race was 104.162 miles per hour (167.632 km/h) while Bill Cummings achieved the pole position with a speed of 118.521 miles per hour (190.741 km/h). The race was part of the 1933 AAA Championship Car season.
| Indianapolis Motor Speedway | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis 500 | |||||
| Sanctioning body | AAA | ||||
| Date | May 30, 1933 | ||||
| Winner | Louis Meyer | ||||
| Winning Entrant | Tydol-Meyer | ||||
| Average speed | 104.162 mph | ||||
| Pole position | Bill Cummings | ||||
| Pole speed | 118.530 mph | ||||
| Most laps led | Louis Meyer (71) | ||||
| Pre-race | |||||
| Pace car | Chrysler Imperial | ||||
| Pace car driver | Byron Foy | ||||
| Starter | Roscoe Turner | ||||
| Honorary referee | Larry P. Fisher | ||||
| Estimated attendance | 100,000 | ||||
| Chronology | |||||
| |||||
Meyer was accompanied by riding mechanic Lawson Harris.
The 1933 month of May at Indianapolis was the deadliest running of the 500. Five participants were fatally injured. During practice, Bill Denver and his riding mechanic Bob Hurst were killed in a crash. On race day, Mark Billman was killed in a crash on lap 79 while Lester Spangler and his riding mechanic G.L. "Monk" Jordan were killed in a crash on lap 132. It was the fifth straight year at least one competitor died in a crash during the month.