1957 Indianapolis 500
The 41st International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday, May 30, 1957. The event was part of the 1957 USAC National Championship Trail and it was race 3 of 8 in the 1957 World Championship of Drivers.
| Indianapolis Motor Speedway | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis 500 | |||||
| Sanctioning body | USAC | ||||
| Date | May 30, 1957 | ||||
| Winner | Sam Hanks | ||||
| Winning team | George Salih | ||||
| Average speed | 135.601 mph (218.229 km/h) | ||||
| Pole position | Pat O'Connor | ||||
| Pole speed | 143.948 mph (231.662 km/h) | ||||
| Most laps led | Sam Hanks (136) | ||||
| Pre-race ceremonies | |||||
| Pace car | Mercury Turnpike Cruiser | ||||
| Pace car driver | F. C. Reith | ||||
| Starter | Bill Vanderwater | ||||
| Estimated attendance | 170,000 | ||||
| Chronology | |||||
| |||||
Sam Hanks won the Indianapolis 500 in his thirteenth attempt (the most such by any 500 winner). He retired from competition at Indy in victory lane. Contrary to popular belief, Hanks did not completely retire from racing until the end of the year. He skipped the Race of Two Worlds when his entrant withdrew, but competed in USAC Stock Car events later in the year, winning the event at Trenton, and finished third in points championships for 1957.
Hanks received a record $103,844 purse, the first driver to win a $100,000 single-race payday. The total race purse was also a record, over $300,000 for the first time.
Hanks won the race in George Salih's "Lay-down Offy". The Offenhauser engine was mounted on its side and shifted off-center. This was done in order to lower the center of gravity, reduce frontal area, and counterbalance the body roll in the turns. The car that Hanks drove for the win in 1957 would win back-to-back Indy 500s, with Jimmy Bryan piloting the very same chassis to victory again in 1958.