1919 Indianapolis 500 Explained

Race Name:	7th Indianapolis 500
Race Logo:	1919 Indianapolis 500 program cover.jpg
Sanction:	AAA
Date:	May 31, 1919
Winner:	Howdy Wilcox
Team:	I.M.S. Corp.
Mph:	88.05mi/h
Pole:	René Thomas
Pole Speed:	104.78mi/h
Leader:	Howdy Wilcox (98)
Pace Car:	Packard V12 (Twin Six)
Pace Driver:	Jesse G. Vincent
Starter:	E. C. Patterson^[1]
Honorary:	Eddie Rickenbacker
Attendance:	120,000^[2]
Previous:	1916
Next:	1920

The 7th Liberty 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 31, 1919.

After a two-year hiatus due to World War I, the Indianapolis 500 returned to competition in 1919. Howdy Wilcox won, accompanied by riding mechanic Leo Banks. More than half the field (19 of 33 cars) consisted of rookie drivers, tied for the most ever, excluding the inaugural race where all 40 cars were considered "rookies." Ralph DePalma, the 1915 winner, and the driver who suffered a defeat in 1912, again put in a strong performance. DePalma led 93 of the first 102 laps, and drove the first half at record-breaking speed. Tire problems, however, necessitated a long pit stop, and DePalma finished in 6th place.

Rain was a factor during practice, limiting available track time in the days immediately leading up to time trials. Since most teams did not arrive until later in the month, some cars had very limited preparation time. Qualifying was supposed to be held on just one day, but officials decided to add two additional days due to the lost track time.

The first half of the race was marred by three fatalities. Driver Arthur Thurman died in a crash on lap 45. On lap 96, Louis LeCocq and his riding mechanic Robert Bandini wrecked in turn two, and both were burned to death.

Race background

Over two years had gone by since the last competitive events had been held at the Speedway. The 1916 race was followed by the Harvest Auto Racing Classic, at which point the track was closed due to the escalation of World War I. When the Armistice was signed in November 1918, the Speedway management was anxious to begin planning for the resumption of the 500-mile race for 1919. Some early rumors circulated that the race may change dates to July 4, or even expand to 1,000 miles. These rumors were briefly entertained when the AAA Contest Board announced that both May 30 and July 4 were being set aside on the calendar for the event.^[3]

On December 6, 1918, Speedway business manager T.E. "Pop" Myers announced that the 1919 Indianapolis 500 would be scheduled for Friday, May 30. It was decided to keep the traditional date, and likewise return the race to a distance of 500 miles. The 1916 race had been scheduled for 300 miles (a decision that management later mostly regretted), the only such time which the race was scheduled for less than 500 miles.^[4] AAA would return as the sanctioning body. An editorial the following day in the Indianapolis News, however, sharply criticized the choice of Memorial Day. It was going to be the first "Decoration Day" holiday following the end of the "Great War", and they believed that the holiday should be left alone to properly honor the many thousands of war casualties.^[5] About a week later, Speedway management announced that they would change the date to Saturday May 31. The race was deliberately moved off Memorial Day (Friday May 30) and pushed to Saturday so as not to detract from the holiday.^[6]

The race was given a new name for 1919, the Liberty Sweepstakes as a gesture to the peacetime brought on by victory and the end of the war. The new title was used for only one year. Without hesitation, Cliff Durant submitted the first entry on December 16.^[7]

Race schedule

Race schedule – May 1919 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Practice 2 Practice 3 Practice 4 Practice 5 Practice 6 Practice 7 Practice 8 Practice 9 Practice 10 Practice 11 Practice 12 Practice 13 Practice 14 Practice 15 Practice 16 Practice 17 Practice 18 Practice 19 Practice 20 Practice 21 Practice 22 Practice 23 Practice 24 Practice 25 Practice 26 Practice 27 Time Trials 28 Time Trials 29 Time Trials 30 Memorial Day 31 Indy 500	Color Notes Green Track Available for Practice Dark Blue Time trials Silver Race day Red Rained out*|-| Blank| No track activity|}* Includes days where track activity was significantly limited due to rain Practice The deadline for entries to be submitted was midnight on Thursday May 1.^[8] ^[9] A total of 43 cars were entered, including three entries by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.^[10] ^[11] The AAA Contest Board confirmed that the maximum starting field rule of 33 cars would apply.^[12] Thursday May 1: Omar Toft arrived in Indianapolis after a nine-day drive from Los Angeles. He arrived in just enough time to deliver his entry to the Speedway headquarters. Three other last-minute entries also arrived.^[13] Friday May 2: Jean Chassagne arrived in town from Wolverhampton, England along with his chief mechanic Thomas Harrison.^[14] Saturday May 3: Howdy Wilcox was seen perusing the track, in search of a ride. He was rumored to be in line to drive one of the I.M.S. entries.^[15] Sunday May 4: Jean Chassagne made his first visit to the Speedway. The Sunbeam cars of Chassagne and Dario Resta had reportedly arrived in New York from England. The cars were expected to arrive at the Speedway soon.^[16] Monday May 5: The Sunbeam cars of Chassagne and Resta arrived in Indianapolis. They were immediately being unpacked and readied for testing on the Speedway.^[17] Tuesday May 6: Howdy Wilcox became the first driver to take to the track for the month. Wilcox drove one of the I.M.S. Premier entries for several laps over 100 mph. Among those on hand to observe were Arthur Chevrolet, Jules Goux, and Jean Chassagne. Goux's car was being overhauled, while Chassagne's car was expected to arrive at any time.^[18] Wednesday May 7: Eddie Rickenbacker was named the honorary referee.^[19] ^[20] Thursday May 8: The 1916 winner and 1916 National Champion Dario Resta arrived at the Speedway for the Sunbeam entry. He was expected to take the track for preparation soon.^[21] Much fanfare was being made that four former winners (Resta, René Thomas, Ralph DePalma, Jules Goux) were expected to attempt to qualify.^[22] Friday May 9: As the first full week of track availability was coming to an end, still only two non-local teams had arrived at the Speedway. The Ballot team out of France, and the Sunbeam team out of England. Poised to be spirited rivals, both were at the track with their full complement of drivers.^[23] The only Americans at the track thus far were Howdy Wilcox, and Elmer T. Shannon.^[24] ^[25] Saturday May 10: Visiting the Speedway was Barney Oldfield, in town for his tire company. Oldfield was planning to return later in the month to start his preparations.^[26] Sunday May 11: No track activity on Sunday. The prevailing topics of discussion for the week focused on the number of foreign entries and foreign drivers vying for the field.^[27] Monday May 12: Greek driver George Buzane was mentioned as a possible driver for one of the I.M.S. Premier entries.^[28] Louis Wagner and Eddie Pullen were among drivers mentioned as possible qualifiers.^[29] Tuesday May 13: Dario Resta took practice laps for the first time during the month. Carl G. Fisher and James A. Allison were among those watching in attendance.^[30] J. J. McCoy arrived at the track, and was expected to start taking laps as soon as his McCoy Special was unpacked.^[31] With the prestigious French Grand Prix still not yet revived after the war, Indianapolis was being ranked as the biggest motor race of the year.^[32] Wednesday May 14: Predictions were being made of record speeds during the race.^[33] Thursday May 15: Dario Resta was practicing his Ballot entry, but nearly crashed. The shock absorbers were not affixed properly, and when the car hit a bump in turn one, it became airborne. The car jumped a foot off the ground, but Resta was able to slow the car down and keep it from crashing over the embankment. Resta and his crew made repairs, and he was soon back out on the track running several hot laps. Art Klein, Arthur Thurman, and J. M. Reynolds arrived at the Speedway.^[34] The expectations were that practice would begin to pick up by Saturday and Sunday.^[35] Friday May 16: Of discussion was the budding rivalry between the American and European entries. The 7th 500 would be the "rubber match" between the two factions, each of whom had won the race three times apiece.^[36] Saturday May 17: Rene Thomas was clocked with a lap of 1 minute and 32 seconds, for an average speed of 97 mph.^[37] Louis Disbrow took the Detroit Special for a few laps around the track.^[38] Sunday May 18: More drivers arrived from Europe, including André Boillot, Paul Bablot, and Louis Wagner. Also arriving in town was Ralph DePalma.^[39] ^[40] The track was open for practice, but closed to the public on Sunday. About four or five cars took to the track including Dario Resta and Jean Chassagne in the Sunbeam cars. Resta took some hot laps, while Chassagne took his time. Rene Thomas in the Ballot was observed opening up the throttle down the backstretch, but "loafing" in the turns. George Buzane took some hot laps in one of the I.M.S. Premiers late Sunday afternoon, leading some to think he may attempt to qualify. Monday May 19: Howdy Wilcox was officially named to an I.M.S. entry as a teammate to Jules Goux.^[41] The Indianapolis Star published a photograph, purported to be the first-ever picture of the track taken from an airplane.^[42] Several drivers, including Tommy Milton, were at Uniontown Speedway for another race, and were expected to arrive at Indianapolis soon.^[43] Tuesday May 20: The Sunbeam cars for Jean Chassagne and Dario Resta were ruled ineligible after it was discovered their engines were oversized.^[44] Chief engineer Louis Coatalen discovered the infraction, and informed speedway officials that the team was withdrawing from the event. Tom Alley and A. E. Cotey arrived at the Speedway on Tuesday.^[45] Wednesday May 21: Many drivers and teams were arriving at the Speedway, but rain and foggy weather was limiting available track time.^[46] Charles Kirkpatrick was named to the Detroit Special.^[47] Thursday May 22: Rain kept cars off the track.^[48] After losing his ride with the withdrawn Sunbeam team, Dario Resta joined the Ballot team, possibly to serve as a relief driver on race day.^[49] Friday May 23: Jesse G. Vincent was named the driver of the pace car.^[50] Two entries were scratched, the Jay-Bee Special for P.W. Monaghan, and the Hudson for C.W. Johnson.^[51] Saturday May 24: The fastest practice lap was made by Ralph DePalma at 98 mph. After many days of rainy weather, sunny conditions saw heavy track activity, including many drivers taking their first laps of the month.^[52] ^[53] Sunday May 25: George Buzane crashed and flipped over in the south turns. Buzane and his riding mechanic Carl Weinbrecht were not seriously injured.^[54] The track was closed to the public on Sunday. Monday May 26: Denny Hickey blew a tire coming out of turn 2, spun the car around three times, and backed into the inside wall on the backstretch. The car suffered only minor damage. During the afternoon, Howdy Wilcox and Jules Goux took to the track together for many laps over the 90 mph range. Ira Hall was also out on the track. Monday was the final full day of practice available before elimination trials began.^[55] ^[56] Time trials Time trials were scheduled for three days, May 27–29. Elimination trials consisted of one timed lap. This would be the final time single-lap qualifying runs were used at Indianapolis. In 1920, four-lap time trial runs would be introduced. For the first time, qualifiers would line up in the grid by speed based on the day they qualified. All cars that qualified on the first day would line up by speed rank first, with the fastest qualifier starting on the pole position. The remaining cars that qualified on subsequent days would line up by speed rank behind the first day qualifiers. The cars from the second and third days, however, were merged on the grid. This format was adopted in order to encourage more drivers to qualify early on, instead of waiting until the last minute. Originally it was planned for all elimination trials to be held on Tuesday, but due to inclement weather, the schedule was expanded to allow Wednesday and Thursday as well.^[57] The minimum speed to qualify was set at 80 mph, and the field was set at a maximum of 33 cars. Based on the entries prepared at the track, the expectation was that about six cars would fail to qualify. In an effort to foil the "bootleg" programs that were being printed and sold in and around the Speedway, car numbers were not assigned until race morning. Tuesday May 27 The first day of time trials was held Tuesday May 27 starting at 10:00 a.m. Ralph DePalma (98.2 mph) was the first car in the field. Former winner René Thomas shattered the track record with a lap of 104.7 mph to secure the pole position. Thomas went out late in the afternoon, deciding to wait out windy conditions. A total of eleven cars completed runs, all over 90 mph. Howdy Wilcox went out after Thomas, and qualified second with a speed of 100.0 mph. Name Average Speed (mph) 1 René Thomas 104.7 2 100.0 3 98.3 4 Ralph DePalma 98.2 5 97.3 6 Paul Bablot 94.9 7 94.9 8 94.5 9 94.2 10 Ira Vail 94.1 11 Charles Kirkpatrick 90.0 Note: Car numbers not assigned until race morning. Sources: The Indianapolis Star,^[58] ^[59] The Indianapolis News^[60] Wednesday May 28 The second day of time trials was held Wednesday May 28. The qualifiers on the second and third day would line up behind the qualifiers from the first day. Louis Chevrolet drove a Frontenac at a speed of 103.1 mph to be the fastest car of the day. Tommy Milton was on his way to qualifying over 101 mph, but his car slowed, and he managed a lap of only 89.9 mph. During a practice run, Omar Toft spun in the south turns, but avoided contact and was able to continue around. Two cars, Al Cotey and Dave Lewis, made an attempt but failed to qualify. Cotey was too slow (below the 80 mph minimum) and Lewis suffered engine failure. Both drivers were eligible to try again on Thursday. A total of 13 cars completed qualifying runs Wednesday, filling the field to 24 cars. The final starting positions, however, for those 13 cars would not be finalized until qualifying was completed on Thursday. Name Average Speed (mph) Notes 12 103.1 13 Louis Wagner 101.7 14 Joe Boyer 100.9 15 100.5 16 Gaston Chevrolet 100.4 18 Arthur Thurman 98.0 20 Cliff Durant 96.5 23 94.2 25 Louis LeCocq 92.9 27 Denny Hickey 92.5 29 Elmer T. Shannon 91.7 31 Tommy Milton 89.9 32 André Boillot 89.5  —  Al Cotey 74.6 Below 80 mph minimum  —  Incomplete Engine failure Note: Car numbers not assigned until race morning. Sources: The Indianapolis Star,^[61] The Indianapolis News^[62] Thursday May 29 The third and final day of time trials was held Thursday May 29. The day opened with nine spots available in the field. The 1913 winner Jules Goux was the final car to qualify. During a practice run on Thursday, he suffered a broken piston and broken connecting rod, which blew a hole in the Peugeot's engine block. The Premier team offered him a spare engine, and Goux spent the entire day working to install it. Late in the day, just minutes before sundown, Goux took the car to the track. After one single warm-up lap, he signaled to officials to start the run. His lap of 95 mph bumped James Reynolds, and Goux surprisingly made the field. Not as lucky was Dave Lewis. A day after suffering engine problems, Evans was on his qualifying lap, running over 100 mph. Two-thirds of the way through the lap, the bearings in the engine burned out, and broke the crankcase. During an exhibition run, Ralph DePalma attempted to set track records in a 950-c.i.d. car, the same car he set records in at Daytona. He failed to break René Thomas's one-lap record from Tuesday, but he did set 5-mile and 10-mile distance speed records. Name Average Speed (mph) Notes 17 W. W. Brown 99.8 19 Roscoe Sarles 97.75 21 Ray Howard 95.0 22 Jules Goux 95.0 24 Kurt Hitke 93.5 26 92.8 28 92.2 30 Omar Toft 91.5 33 J. J. McCoy 86.5  —  James M. Reynolds 83.5 Bumped by Goux  —  Al Cotey 82.9 Too slow  —  Incomplete Connecting rod Note: Car numbers not assigned until race morning. Sources: The Indianapolis Star,^[63] ^[64] The Indianapolis News^[65] Starting grid Row Inside Inside Center Outside Center Outside 1 René Thomas Howdy Wilcox Albert Guyot Ralph DePalma 2 Eddie O'Donnell Paul Bablot Art Klein Eddie Hearne 3 Earl Cooper Ira Vail Charles Kirkpatrick Louis Chevrolet 4 Louis Wagner Joe Boyer Ralph Mulford Gaston Chevrolet 5 W. W. Brown Arthur Thurman Roscoe Sarles Cliff Durant 6 Ray Howard Jules Goux Wilbur D'Alene Kurt Hitke 7 Louis LeCocq Ora Haibe Denny Hickey Tom Alley 8 Elmer T. Shannon Omar Toft Tommy Milton André Boillot 9 J. J. McCoy       Alternates First alternate: James M. Reynolds^[66] Failed to qualify Al Cotey – Too slow Dave Lewis – Incomplete attempt P.W. Monaghan – Withdrew (engine failure) H.C. Simmons – Withdrew (engine failure) George Buzane – practice crash <	-- Race recap Second half --> Race recap The start of the race was scheduled for Saturday May 31 at 11:00 a.m. local time.^[67] The facility was closed to the public on Friday, but participants were allowed a brief period of practice time on Friday morning for last-minute preparations. The rest of the day was spent prepping the track by scrubbing the brick surface of oil and debris.^[68] Maurice Becker, the riding mechanic for Howdy Wilcox during the month, was disallowed by his family from participating in the race. He was replaced for the race by Leo Banks just hours before the start.^[69] A crowd estimated at 120,000 arrived at the Speedway on a hot and sunny Saturday morning. At 8 a.m., the Purdue Band entertained fans.^[70] Pace car driver Jesse G. Vincent, with passenger Eddie Rickenbacker, took the field around for one unscored warm-up lap. At a speed of about 80 mph, the field was released for the start. André Boillot's car initially failed to pull away, but eventually got started, and sprinted to catch up to the rest of the field. First half The first half of the race belonged to 1915 winner Ralph DePalma. Depalma led the first 65 laps, and raced at a record pace. With an average speed of over 92 mph, DePalma was shattering existing track records. Though the pace was incredible, his lead was not large. His closest contenders stayed within reach. Louis Chevrolet took the lead for lap 66–74, before giving it back to DePalma. Also in the top five were Earl Cooper, Howdy Wilcox, and René Thomas.^[71] ^[72] Two fatal accidents, taking the lives of three competitors, marred the first half of the race. On lap 45, Arthur Thurman lost control at about 90 mph, swerved to the inside wall on the backstretch, then flipped over three times. Thurman was thrown from the car, and landed about twenty-five feet away. He died about ten minutes later as he was being taken to the hospital.^[73] ^[74] His riding mechanic Nicholas Molinaro suffered a fractured skull, but survived.^[75] On the 96th lap, Louis LeCocq and his riding mechanic Robert Bandini lost control and turned over in the exit of turn two. The fuel tank ruptured and burst into flames. Both LeCocq and Bandini were pinned underneath the car, doused with gasoline, and burned to death at the scene. With other cars whizzing by, flaming gasoline was spread in all directions, as crews attempted to extinguish the flames. Second half After dominating most of the first half, Ralph DePalma gave up the lead on lap 103 to make a pit stop. DePalma was experiencing tire trouble, and was forced to make long stop to make repairs. DePalma lost about ten laps in the pits, and fell out of contention. Howdy Wilcox took the lead on lap 103, and led the rest of the way. After major crashes and high attrition in the first half, the second half of the race settled down into a steady pace. Only three cars dropped out in the second half, leaving 14 cars running to complete 500 miles. Wilcox made a pit stop for tires and fuel at some point after the 400 mile mark. He came out of the pits with a two-lap lead over Eddie Hearne, and cruised the rest of the way. Late in the race, Louis Chevrolet reportedly came into the pits on three wheels. He made repairs, and finished in 7th place. After losing much time in the pits, Ralph DePalma worked his way back up to finish 6th. DePalma nipped Chevrolet at the scoring line by a fraction of a second in the battle for 6th-7th. DePalma led 93 laps, bringing his career total so far to 425 laps led - by far the most of any driver during that era. (DePalma would lead 613 laps in his career). Box score Finish Start No Name Entrant Chassis Engine Qual Rank Laps Status 1 2 3 Howdy Wilcox Indianapolis Motor Speedway Peugeot Peugeot 100.010 7 200 Running 2 8 14 Eddie Hearne R. Cliff Durant Stutz Stutz 94.500 19 200 Running 3 22 6 Jules Goux Indianapolis Motor Speedway Peugeot Premier 95.000 15 200 Running 4 3 32 Albert Guyot Ernest Ballot Ballot Ballot 98.300 9 200 Running 5 28 26 Tom Alley Ahlberg Bearing Company Bender Bender 92.200 27 200 Running 6 4 4 Ralph DePalma Packard Motor Car Company Packard Packard 98.200 10 200 Running 7 12 7 Louis Chevrolet Frontenac Motors Frontenac Frontenac 103.100 2 200 Running 8 10 27 Ira Vail Hudson Motor Car Company Hudson Hudson 94.100 22 200 Running 9 27 21 Denny Hickey A. C. Stickle Hoskins Hudson 92.500 26 200 Running 10 16 41 Gaston Chevrolet Frontenac Motors Frontenac Frontenac 100.400 6 200 Running 11 1 31 René Thomas Ernest Ballot Ballot Ballot 104.700 1 200 Running 12 9 8 Earl Cooper (Reeves Dutton) Earl Cooper Stutz Stutz 94.250 20 200 Running 13 29 23 Elmer T. Shannon (Ken Rawlings) Elmer T. Shannon Shannon Duesenberg 91.700 28 200 Running 14 26 17 Ora Haibe Hudson Motor Car Company Hudson Hudson 92.800 25 200 Running 15 32 37 André Boillot Jules Goux Peugeot Peugeot 89.500 32 195 Crash BS 16 21 48 Ray Howard A. G. Kaufman Peugeot Peugeot 95.000 16 130 Oil pressure 17 23 22 Wilbur D'Alene Duesenberg Brothers Duesenberg Duesenberg 94.200 21 120 Axle 18 25 15 Louis LeCocq ✝ Roscoe Sarles Duesenberg Duesenberg 92.900 24 96 Died in crash at T2 19 7 29 Art Klein Arthur H. Klein Peugeot Peugeot 94.900 18 70 Oil line 20 11 19 Charles Kirkpatrick Frank P. Book Mercedes Mercedes 90.000 30 69 Rod 21 6 33 Paul Bablot (Jean Chassagne) Ernest Ballot Ballot Ballot 94.900 17 63 Crash 22 5 10 Eddie O'Donnell Duesenberg Brothers Duesenberg Duesenberg 97.300 13 60 Piston 23 24 12 Kurt Hitke Roscoe Sarles Duesenberg Duesenberg 93.500 23 56 Rod bearing 24 20 1 Cliff Durant R. Cliff Durant Stutz Stutz 96.500 14 54 Steering 25 31 9 Tommy Milton Duesenberg Brothers Duesenberg Duesenberg 89.900 31 50 Rod 26 13 34 Louis Wagner Ernest Ballot Ballot Ballot 101.700 3 44 Broken wheel 27 18 18 Arthur Thurman ✝ Arthur Thurman Duesenberg Duesenberg 98.000 11 44 Died in crash at T3 28 30 43 Omar Toft Omar Toft Miller Miller 91.500 29 44 Rod 29 15 2 Ralph Mulford Ralph Mulford Frontenac Frontenac 100.500 5 37 Driveshaft 30 33 36 J. J. McCoy J. J. McCoy McCoy unknown 86.500 33 36 Oil line 31 14 39 Joe Boyer Frontenac Motors Frontenac Frontenac 100.900 4 30 Rear axle 32 17 5 W. W. Brown C. L. Richards Brown Hudson-Brett 99.800 8 14 Rod 33 19 28 Roscoe Sarles Barney Oldfield Miller Miller 97.700 12 8 Rocker arm ^[76] ^[77] Note: Relief drivers in parentheses^[78] Former Indianapolis 500 winner Indianapolis 500 Rookie Race statistics Lap Leaders Laps Leader 1–65 Ralph DePalma 66–74 Louis Chevrolet 75–102 Ralph DePalma 103–200 Howdy Wilcox Total laps led Laps Leader 98 93 9 Race details For 1919, riding mechanics were required.^[79] It is written that a band played the song "Back Home Again in Indiana" as Crawfordsville, Indiana native Howdy Wilcox led in the final stages of the race, eventually to become not only the first Indiana native, but first American, to win since Joe Dawson in 1912, the year before European cars and drivers had begun entering the race in earnest.^[80] It is believed that this the first time the song was performed at the race, which would later become a traditional fixture of the pre-race ceremonies. Howdy Wilcox would be the last Indianapolis 500 winner to use Goodyear tires until A. J. Foyt in 1967. Notes See also AAA Contest Board Works cited Indianapolis 500 Historical Stats: 1919 ChampCarStats.com - 1919 Liberty 500 Mile Sweepstakes References

Notes and References

1. Book: Fox, Jack C.. The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994. Carl Hungness Publishing. 4th. 1994. 22. en. 0-915088-05-3.
2. News: 120,000 See The Speedway Race. The Indianapolis News. 1. Newspapers.com. May 31, 1919. June 3, 2017.
3. News: Racing Dates for Local Speedway. The Indianapolis News. 18. Newspapers.com. December 4, 1918. May 3, 2015.
4. News: Sixth 500 Mile Race Here May 30. The Indianapolis News. 10. Newspapers.com. December 7, 1919. May 4, 2015.
5. News: Memorial Day (Editorial). The Indianapolis News. 6. Newspapers.com. December 9, 1918. May 3, 2015.
6. News: Speedway Race Date is Changed to May 31. The Indianapolis News. Sturm. William F.. 17. Newspapers.com. December 16, 1918. May 4, 2015.
7. News: Cliff Durant First Speedway Race Entry. The Indianapolis News. 28. Newspapers.com. December 19, 1918. May 4, 2015.
8. News: Entries Close For Big Race At 12 Tonight (part 1). The Indianapolis Star. 14. Newspapers.com. May 1, 1919. May 8, 2015.
9. News: Entries Close For Big Race At 12 Tonight (part 2). The Indianapolis Star. 15. Newspapers.com. May 1, 1919. May 8, 2015.
10. News: Entries Close For 500-Mile Liberty Event. The Indianapolis Star. 14. Newspapers.com. May 2, 1919. May 8, 2015.
11. News: Entries Close For 500-Mile Liberty Event. The Indianapolis Star. 15. Newspapers.com. May 2, 1919. May 8, 2015.
12. News: Three Trials To Be Given For Position. The Indianapolis Star. 13. Newspapers.com. May 3, 1919. May 8, 2015.
13. News: Liberty Entries No Number Thirty-Six. The Indianapolis News. 28. Newspapers.com. May 1, 1919. May 28, 2015.
14. News: Forty-Two Cars Are Entered in Liberty. The Indianapolis News. 32. Newspapers.com. May 2, 1919. May 28, 2015.
15. News: Wilcox Wants to Drive Local Car in Big Race. The Indianapolis Star. 27. Newspapers.com. May 4, 1919. May 8, 2015.
16. News: Jean Chassagne. The Indianapolis Star. 14. Newspapers.com. May 5, 1919. May 8, 2015.
17. News: Sunbeam Team Here to test Race Cars. The Indianapolis News. 18. Newspapers.com. May 5, 1919. May 28, 2015.
18. News: Wilcox First to Tune Up at the Speedway Track. The Indianapolis Star. 28. Newspapers.com. May 7, 1919. May 8, 2015.
19. News: Speedway Expects Many Out-of-Town Visitors. The Indianapolis Star. 8. Newspapers.com. May 8, 1919. May 8, 2015.
20. News: Ace of Aces Selected Referee at Speedway. The Indianapolis News. 12. Newspapers.com. May 3, 1919. May 28, 2015.
21. News: Another Auto Racer Arrived For Big Event. The Indianapolis Star. 12. Newspapers.com. May 9, 1919. May 8, 2015.
22. News: Indianapolis Speedway Champions To Decide Supremacy In Liberty Sweepstakes Event to Be Staged Here May 31. The Indianapolis News. 18. Newspapers.com. May 8, 1919. May 28, 2015.
23. News: Sunbeam and Ballot Cars Real Rivals in Big Classic. The Indianapolis Star. 12. Newspapers.com. May 10, 1919. May 8, 2015.
24. News: Famous French Pilots Arrive for Big Race. The Indianapolis News. 30. Newspapers.com. May 9, 1919. May 28, 2015.
25. News: Europe Determined to Win 500-Mile Classic. The Indianapolis News. 8. Newspapers.com. May 10, 1919. May 28, 2015.
26. News: Rush 4 Cars For Speedway. The Indianapolis Star. 25. Newspapers.com. May 11, 1919. May 8, 2015.
27. News: Foreign Drivers and Americans Compared. The Indianapolis News. 16. Newspapers.com. May 12, 1919. May 28, 2015.
28. News: Greek Racing Star May Pilot Car in Big Event. The Indianapolis Star. 11. Newspapers.com. May 13, 1919. May 8, 2015.
29. News: Six Road Racing Kings To Start in Liberty. The Indianapolis News. 18. Newspapers.com. May 13, 1919. June 23, 2015.
30. News: Resta Tunes Up for Race at Indianapolis Speedway. The Indianapolis Star. 15. Newspapers.com. May 14, 1919. May 8, 2015.
31. News: M'Coy Latest Entry To Join Speed Kings. The Indianapolis News. 14. Newspapers.com. May 14, 1919. June 23, 2015.
32. News: Only International Event For This Year. The Indianapolis News. 16. Newspapers.com. May 14, 1919. June 23, 2015.
33. News: DePalma Will Be Forced to Great Speed to Win. The Indianapolis Star. 10. Newspapers.com. May 15, 1919. May 8, 2015.
34. News: Thomas Narrowly Escapes Disaster While Tuning Up. The Indianapolis Star. 12. Newspapers.com. May 16, 1919. May 8, 2015.
35. News: Flyers At Speedway To Begin Practice. The Indianapolis News. 29. Newspapers.com. May 16, 1919. July 6, 2015.
36. News: 500-Mile Classic To be Rubber Contest. The Indianapolis News. 10. Newspapers.com. May 17, 1919. July 6, 2015.
37. News: Thomas Sets Speedy Clip at Speedway. The Indianapolis Star. 25. Newspapers.com. May 18, 1919. May 8, 2015.
38. News: Racing Stars Arrive for 500-Mile Classic. The Indianapolis News. 16. Newspapers.com. May 19, 1919. July 6, 2015.
39. News: Three Foreign Pilots Arrive (part 1). The Indianapolis Star. 12. Newspapers.com. May 19, 1919. May 8, 2015.
40. News: Three Foreign Pilots Arrive (part 2). The Indianapolis Star. 12. Newspapers.com. May 19, 1919. May 8, 2015.
41. News: Wilcox Will Team With Goux in Speedway Race. The Indianapolis Star. Sturm. William F.. 14. Newspapers.com. May 20, 1919. May 8, 2015.
42. News: First Picture of Speedway From Plan. The Indianapolis Star. 13. Newspapers.com. May 20, 1919. May 8, 2015.
43. News: Practice Expected Tp Pick Up At Speedway. The Indianapolis News. 20. Newspapers.com. May 20, 1919. July 6, 2015.
44. News: Sunbeam Cars Ineligible in Motor Classic. The Indianapolis Star. 14. Newspapers.com. May 21, 1919. May 8, 2015.
45. News: Sunbeam Cars Out Of 500-Mile Classic. The Indianapolis News. 18. Newspapers.com. May 21, 1919. July 6, 2015.
46. News: Many Drivers Arriving for the 500-Mile Classic. The Indianapolis Star. 14. Newspapers.com. May 22, 1919. May 8, 2015.
47. News: Drivers Prepare For Elimination Trials. The Indianapolis News. 24. Newspapers.com. May 22, 1919. July 6, 2015.
48. News: DePalma's Car In Shape For Liberty Race. The Indianapolis Star. 14. Newspapers.com. May 23, 1919. May 8, 2015.
49. News: Resta Casts Lot With French Ballot Team. The Indianapolis News. 33. Newspapers.com. May 23, 1919. July 6, 2015.
50. News: DePalma Ready To Make Record. The Indianapolis Star. 12. Newspapers.com. May 24, 1919. May 8, 2015.
51. News: Elimination Trials To Be Started Tuesday. The Indianapolis News. 10. Newspapers.com. May 24, 1919. May 8, 2015.
52. News: Pilots Takes Advantage of Fair Weather. The Indianapolis Star. 25. Newspapers.com. May 25, 1919. May 8, 2015.
53. News: DePalma Makes 98-Mile Average in Fastest Lap. The Indianapolis Star. 26. Newspapers.com. May 25, 1919. May 8, 2015.
54. News: Drivers Prepare For Elimination Trials. The Indianapolis News. 16. Newspapers.com. May 26, 1919. May 2, 2015.
55. News: Another Car Cuts Capers At Speedway (part 1). The Indianapolis Star. 14. Newspapers.com. May 27, 1919. May 8, 2015.
56. News: Another Car Cuts Capers At Speedway (part 2). The Indianapolis Star. 15. Newspapers.com. May 27, 1919. May 8, 2015.
57. News: Elimination Trials Are Started At Speedway. The Indianapolis News. 20. Newspapers.com. May 27, 1919. May 5, 2015.
58. News: Thomas Reels Of 104-Mile Record Pace (Part 1). The Indianapolis News. 1. Newspapers.com. May 28, 1919. May 4, 2015.
59. News: Thomas Reels Of 104-Mile Record Pace (Part 2). The Indianapolis News. 5. Newspapers.com. May 28, 1919. May 4, 2015.
60. News: Sensational Driving In Speedway Eliminations. The Indianapolis News. 20. Newspapers.com. May 28, 1919. May 5, 2015.
61. News: Frontenacs Average More Than 100 Miles in Tests. The Indianapolis News. 14. Newspapers.com. May 29, 1919. May 5, 2015.
62. News: Racing Officials To Select Thirty-Three. The Indianapolis News. Eiler. Herbert. 12. Newspapers.com. May 29, 1919. May 4, 2015.
63. News: 33 Qualify For Speedway Race (part 1). The Indianapolis News. 1. Newspapers.com. May 30, 1919. May 5, 2015.
64. News: 33 Qualify For Speedway Race (part 2). The Indianapolis News. 3. Newspapers.com. May 30, 1919. May 5, 2015.
65. News: Elimination Trials Statistics. The Indianapolis News. 20. Newspapers.com. May 30, 1919. May 5, 2015.
66. The Talk of Gasoline Alley - 1070-AM WIBC, May 14, 2004
67. News: Records Expected To Fall In Big Race (Part 2). The Indianapolis News. 26. Newspapers.com. May 30, 1919. July 9, 2015.
68. News: Records Expected To Fall In Big Race (Part 1). The Indianapolis News. 1. Newspapers.com. May 30, 1919. July 9, 2015.
69. The Talk of Gasoline Alley. Donald Davidson (historian). WFNI. May 14, 2018.
70. News: 120,000 See The Speedway Race (Part 2). The Indianapolis News. 1. Newspapers.com. May 31, 1919. July 9, 2015.
71. News: Many Thrills For Big Crowd At Speedway & 120,000 See The Speedway Race (Part 1). The Indianapolis News. 1. Newspapers.com. May 31, 1919. July 9, 2015.
72. News: Many Thrills For Big Crowd At Speedway (Part 2). The Indianapolis News. 1. Newspapers.com. May 31, 1919. July 9, 2015.
73. News: Two Men Lose Lives Under Flaming Racer. The Indianapolis News. 1. Newspapers.com. May 31, 1919. August 24, 2015.
74. News: 3 die in auto race at Indianapolis. The New York Times. June 1, 1919. https://web.archive.org/web/20140627011256/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1919/06/01/97089594.pdf. June 27, 2014.
75. http://www.firstsuperspeedway.com/photo-gallery/howdy-wilcox-1919-indianapolis-500 Howdy Wilcox - 1919 Indianapolis 500
76. Web site: Indianapolis 500 1919 . Ultimate Racing History . 15 January 2012 . https://archive.today/20130205142849/http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/race.php?raceid=19994 . 5 February 2013 . live .
77. Book: The Indianapolis 500 Chronicle. Publications International, Ltd.. Rick. Popely. L. Spencer. Riggs. 1998. 0-7853-2798-3. Lincolnwood, Illinois.
78. News: Liberty 500 Mile Sweepstakes – May 31, 1919. ChampCarStats.com.
79. Book: Blazier, John E. . Rollings, Tom. Forgotten Heroes of the Speedways: The Riding Mechanics. 1994.
80. "The Talk of Gasoline Alley" - WIBC-AM, May 20, 2002