|| *Comments on the 1939 International 500:* View the most recent comment <#8> | Post a comment <#post> Tweet 1. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 01.28.2016 - 4:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) First Indy 500 start for Mel Hansen...one of two times only one rookie has started the 500. Last Indy 500 starts for Jimmy Snyder, Tony Gulotta, Louis Meyer, Floyd Roberts, Ira Hall, and George Bailey. Roberts, the defending 500 winner, was killed in a crash just past the halfway point in which his car collided with Ralph Hepburn's car (with Bob Swanson in relief) and sailed over the backstretch wall. Swanson and Chet Miller also flipped in the crash, and were injured. 2. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 01.30.2016 - 5:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Qualifying results: 1. Jimmy Snyder-130.138 MPH 2. Louis Meyer-130.067 MPH 3. Bob Swanson-129.431 MPH 4. Wilbur Shaw-128.977 MPH 5. Floyd Roberts-128.968 MPH 6. Ted Horn-127.723 MPH 7. Rex Mays-126.413 MPH 8. Chet Miller-126.318 MPH 9. George Bailey-125.821 MPH 10. Shorty Cantlon-125.567 MPH 11. Frank Wearne-125.074 MPH 12. Babe Stapp-125.000 MPH 13. Mauri Rose-124.896 MPH 14. Herb Ardinger-124.125 MPH 15. Cliff Bergere-123.835 MPH 16. Kelly Petillo-123.660 MPH 17. Frank Brisko-123.351 MPH 18. Al Miller-123.233 MPH 19. George Connor-123.208 MPH 20. Russ Snowberger-123.199 MPH 21. Tony Willman-122.771 MPH 22. Ralph Hepburn-122.204 MPH 23. Joel Thorne-122.177 MPH 24. Tony Gulotta-121.749 MPH 25. Mel Hansen-121.683 MPH 26. Emil Andres-121.212 MPH 27. Ira Hall-121.188 MPH 28. George Barringer-120.935 MPH 29. Floyd Davis-119.375 MPH 30. Louis Tomei-118.426 MPH 31. Deacon Litz-117.979 MPH 32. Harry McQuinn-117.287 MPH 33. Billy DeVore-116.527 MPH 3. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 08.15.2016 - 8:06 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Much of this race was a 3-man battle between Wilbur Shaw, Louis Meyer, and Jimmy Snyder. Snyder dominated much of the first half, but fell behind due to a pit stop and left Meyer and Shaw to duke it out in the second half. With only 3 laps left Meyer was running second to Shaw and trying to close the gap in the hopes of becoming the first four-time winner at Indy, when he blew a tire coming out of the second corner. He spun to the inside and slammed into the inside guardrail. Meyer became the third driver in this race to flip a car, and just like Bob Swanson in the crash that claimed the life of Floyd Roberts earlier, he was ejected from the car as it rolled over. Louis survived, but this was to be the final 500 for the first three-time winner of the event. 4. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 11.09.2016 - 3:54 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) By qualifying sixth, George Bailey became the first driver in Indy history to qualify for the 500 in a rear-engined car. His Gulf-Miller only lasted 47 laps before mechanical problems put him out of the race, and for many years that was the high mark for a rear-engined car at Indy. (It would be until 1961 that one came along and bettered it; Jack Brabham completed all 500 miles in the '61 500). A couple other rear-engined machines were entered in this one as well; Johnny Seymour's #61 was another rear-engined Gulf-Miller. He was involved in a serious crash in practice on May 20th when he hit the turn 4 wall. The #61 caught fire and Seymour was badly burned. He survived, but the car was destroyed and he would never race at Indy again. 5. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 03.21.2017 - 11:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) First alternate: George Robson 6. Danish Pie posted: 10.27.2018 - 12:08 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Both of the other two drivers involved in the crash that took Floyd Roberts life would later meet the same fate in a crash at the speedway. Ralph Hepburn (struck Roberts in the side, car hopped over the outside wall) died in a practice crash preparing for the 1948 running. Chet Miller (crashed through the inside fence trying to avoid Roberts) also died in a practice crash, in preparation for the 1953 running. 7. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 10.27.2018 - 8:06 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Technically it was just Hepburn's car involved in the crash-Bob Swanson was at the helm of the car when he crashed, having just relieved him a few laps before. Also, you've got it backwards-Swanson was the one who spun out and Roberts was the one who hit him and jumped the wall, sailing headlong into a tree. 8. RaceFanX posted: 03.17.2019 - 12:37 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) There's footage of Louis Meyer,'s crash and while I don't think he flipped the car completely over he definitely got the inside guard rail and it flung #45 high into the air while he was ejected. Meyer landed belly first on the track but immediately got up and ran away afterward. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: