|| *Comments on the 1946 International 500:* View the most recent comment <#17> | Post a comment <#post> Tweet 1. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 01.26.2016 - 4:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Info for some of the DNQ drivers... Bus Wilbert: Nationality: American Hometown: Brooklyn, New York Born: September 2, 1915 Died: August 11, 1946 Gerald Brisko: Nationality: American Hometown: Chicago, Illinois Born: 1924 Died: June 25, 1950 Ray Richards: Nationality: American Hometown: Highland Park, Illinois Born: September 12, 1915 Died: March 9, 1992 Louis Gerard: Nationality: French Hometown: Arres, France Born: April 16, 1899 Died: May 11, 2000 Wally Mitchell: Nationality: American Hometown: Chicago, Illinois Born: November 12, 1905 Died: November 25, 1996 Zora Arkus-Duntov: Hometown: Belgium Born: December 25, 1909 Died: April 21, 1996 Achille Varzi: Nationality: Italian Hometown: Galliante, Italy Born: August 4, 1904 Died: July 1, 1948 Bruce Denslow: Nationality: American Hometown: Coalfield, North Dakota Born: December 17, 1908 Died: August 10, 1954 Robert Arbuthnot: Nationality: Scottish Hometown: Aberdeen, Scotland Born: March 9, 1914 Died: August 28, 1946 Harold Bailey: Nationality: American Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio Born: December 6, 1907 Died: January 11, 1994 Arvol Brunmeier: Nationality: American Hometown: Riverside, California Born: November 19, 1906 Died: August 25, 1971 Jim Brubaker: Nationality: American Hometown: Washington, Pennsylvania Born: February 18, 1913 Died: June 29, 2000 Bud Rose: Nationality: American Hometown: Los Angeles, California Born: May 7, 1914 Died: December 11, 1991 2. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 01.26.2016 - 7:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Withdrew: Kelly Petillo Petillo had intended to return to the 500 after the war, but had his entry declined. The 1935 500 winner had, by this time, already amassed a considerable rap sheet for himself (he would face charges of attempted rape and murder, amongst other things). In fact, it would not be long before he was headed for a prison cell for several years. Petillo was peeved that his entry had been declined, and attempted to sue AAA and the speedway for $50,000 in damages (I'm not sure how that lawsuit turned out). He would attempt to make a comeback to the 500 in 1959 and 1960...and once again had his entry declined both times. He once again attempted to sue AAA and the speedway after being barred from the 1959 race. Source: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19460524&id=WgsdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WX4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=2288,3990802&hl=en 3. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 01.26.2016 - 7:12 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Paul Russo drove a unique double-engined car in this race. He suffered a broken leg in an early crash; Mauri Rose crashed near the same spot and their wrecked cars ended up sitting right next to each other against the wall for the remainder of the event. Russo's car and Ralph Hepburn's Novi were the only two new cars in the field; the other 31 drivers drove pre-WWII cars. Rudolf Caracciola, the legendary European star of the 1930s, was personally invited to compete in the 500 by Wilbur Shaw, but his attempt to make the race came to a premature end when an object struck him in the end during a practice run and caused him to crash. Caracciola was seriously hurt and spent a few days in a coma. 4. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 01.26.2016 - 8:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #2 I meant to say Petillo tried to sue USAC in 1959...oops. 5. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 01.28.2016 - 5:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) First Indy 500 starts for Jimmy Jackson, Bill Sheffler, Duke Dinsmore, Tony Bettenhausen, Hal Robson, and Hal Cole. Only Indy 500 starts for Louis Durant, Luigi Villoresi, Jimmy Wilburn, and Danny Kladis. Last Indy 500 starts for George Robson, Ralph Hepburn, Al Putnam, Louis Tomei, and George Barringer. 6. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 01.30.2016 - 6:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Qualifying results: 1. Ralph Hepburn-133.944 MPH 2. Rex Mays-128.861 MPH 3. Cliff Bergere-126.471 MPH 4. Paul Russo-126.183 MPH 5. George Robson-125.541 MPH 6. Jimmy Wilburn-125.113 MPH 7. Sam Hanks-124.762 MPH 8. Chet Miller-124.649 MPH 9. Harry McQuinn-124.499 MPH 10. Mauri Rose-124.065 MPH 11. Ted Horn-123.980 MPH 12. Duke Dinsmore-123.279 MPH 13. Tony Bettenhausen-123.094 MPH 14. Shorty Cantlon-122.432 MPH 15. Russ Snowberger-121.593 MPH 16. Hal Robson-121.466 MPH 17. Mel Hansen-121.431 MPH 18. Luigi Villoresi-121.249 MPH 19. Frank Wearne-121.233 MPH 20. Emil Andres-121.139 MPH 21. Hal Cole-120.728 MPH 22. George Barringer-120.628 MPH 23. Bill Sheffler-120.611 MPH 24. Jimmy Jackson-120.257 MPH 25. Henry Banks-120.220 MPH 26. George Connor-120.006 MPH 27. Billy DeVore-119.876 MPH 28. Joie Chitwood-119.816 MPH 29. Duke Nalon-119.628 MPH 30. Louis Tomei-119.193 MPH 31. Louis Durant-118.973 MPH 32. Danny Kladis-118.890 MPH 33. Al Putnam-116.283 MPH 7. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 02.04.2016 - 4:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Withdrew: Raph Bethenod-#35 Schell Alfa Romeo (Alfa Romeo/Alfa Romeo 308) Dioscoride Lanza-#74 Schell Maserati (Maserati/Maserati 4CL) Joe Silvia-(Miller) These drivers were on the entry list, but they did not appear at the track during the month of May. 8. Alex posted: 02.04.2016 - 4:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ^I tried not to include DNA's (Did Not Arrive) in the archive as not including them has been the standard in the 1956+ USAC races as well as the F1 races. 9. Big Mac Fan posted: 02.05.2016 - 2:52 am Rate this comment: (3) (1) Perhaps the most important 500 ever. The last 500 before that was in 1941, and the races from 1942-1945 were cancelled due to America's entrance into WWII. During the war, the track fell into despair, it was rotting, and it was about to be shut down. However, Tony Hulman purchased the speedway in November 1945, and repaired it by May. The race was a success, and if this hadn't happened, the Indy 500 we know of today may have never existed. This was also the first 500 for Tom Carnegie, who called the race from 1946 to 2006. 10. Cornys posted: 02.05.2016 - 5:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The first of at least 70 consecutive International (Indianapolis) 500's that ran from this race through 2015. Hopefully the streak continues. 150,000 is a huge attendance number for 1946. 11. Cornys posted: 02.05.2016 - 5:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Also interesting that the pole speed and race speed dropped from 1941 to 1946. Speeds at Indy wouldn't rise above 1941's highs until 1948. 12. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 02.05.2016 - 5:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Cornys-Bergere, the pole-sitter, was only the third-fastest qualifier. Rex Mays was second fastest, and Ralph Hepburn, in the first ever outing for the Novi, was the fastest (posting a qualifying time that was considerably faster than the pole speed OR the 1941 pole speed)-but neither qualified on Pole Day time trials, which meant they lined up several rows back. 13. Alex posted: 02.16.2016 - 7:17 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) There are some large issues with the 1946 point standings** 14. Anonymous posted: 02.16.2016 - 4:54 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) To expand on the comment about point standings, for 1946 only, the championship included not only the Champ Car events of 100+ miles but also the sprint car races in both the Eastern and Midwest divisions. (60 or 70-odd races) Furthermore, the sprint car races (some or all?) awarded points not only for the feature but for the heat races as well. 15. Dave #38 Fan-Go Gilliland! posted: 03.21.2016 - 12:31 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Before this race, the track had fallen into disrepair during WWII. Wilbur Shaw came to the track for a test in 1943 with Firestone, due to rubber shortages and rations at the time the test was not racing related but an attempt to test new rubber compounds to be potentially used in airplane tires. The test was unable to be completed because of how the weeds had grown up through the bricks, turn 1 apparently looked like a jungle and according to some witnesses locals would go rabbit hunting in what is now the pit area. It was pretty much accepted in the local area around Indianapolis that the track would be demolished to make way for a new housing development as soon as the war was over and the manpower for such a project was available. Had Shaw not convinced Tony Hulman to save the track, it would have been torn down and the Indy 500 would not have existed today, and it's highly likely the entire AAA Champ Car series would not have resumed post-WWII and open wheel racing in the United States could well have died in the 1940's. 16. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 03.21.2017 - 11:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) First alternate: Buddy Rusch 17. JollyMeanGiant posted: 03.03.2021 - 1:00 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) 35 cars completed full runs during qualifying. Buddy Rusch (34th) and Charles Van Acker (35th) were too slow to make the field. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: