1950 Indianapolis 500: Full Weekend Report & Highlights

The 1950 Indianapolis 500, held on May 30, 1950, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, was the 34th running of the race. It was significant as it was the first time the Indy 500 was included in the FIA Formula One World Championship.

Johnnie Parsons won the race in an Offenhauser-powered Kurtis Kraft. Bill Holland took second place, with Mauri Rose in third. The race was stopped after 138 laps (345 miles) due to rain, making it one of the shortest completed Indy 500s.

As part of the 1950 Formula One season, this race awarded World Championship points, though most Formula One teams did not participate.

Qualifying

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Time
1	98	Walt Faulkner	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:27.970
2	28	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:31.100
3	31	Mauri Rose	Deidt Offenhauser	4:32.070
4	5	George Connor	Moore Offenhauser	4:32.390
5	1	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:32.430
6	49	Jack McGrath	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:33.000
7	69	Duke Dinsmore	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:34.670
8	14	Tony Bettenhausen	Moore Offenhauser	4:34.920
9	17	Joie Chitwood	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:35.320
10	3	Bill Holland	Moore Offenhauser	4:35.900
11	59	Pat Flaherty	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:37.760
12	54	Cecil Green	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:30.860
13	18	Duane Carter	Stevens Offenhauser	4:33.420
14	21	Spider Webb	Maserati Offenhauser	4:37.460
15	81	Jerry Hoyt	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:37.950
16	2	Myron Fohr	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:33.320
17	24	Bayliss Levrett	Adams Offenhauser	4:34.430
18	45	Dick Rathmann	Watson Offenhauser	4:34.960
19	7	Paul Russo	Nichels Offenhauser	4:35.250
20	4	Walt Brown	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:35.960
21	12	Henry Banks	Maserati Offenhauser	4:37.680
22	67	Bill Schindler	Snowberger Offenhauser	4:31.310
23	8	Lee Wallard	Moore Offenhauser	4:31.830
24	55	Troy Ruttman	Lesovsky Offenhauser	4:32.910
25	23	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:33.570
26	15	Mack Hellings	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:35.320
27	22	Jimmy Davies	Ewing Offenhauser	4:36.070
28	76	Jim Rathmann	Wetteroth Offerhauser	4:37.010
29	27	Walt Ader	Rae Offenhauser	4:37.050
30	77	Jackie Holmes	Olson Offenhauser	4:37.570
31	75	Gene Hartley	Langley Offenhauser	4:38.610
32	61	Jimmy Jackson	Kurtis Kraft Cummins	4:38.620
33	62	Johnny McDowell	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:37.580

1950 Indianapolis 500 Starting Grid

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Time
1	98	Walt Faulkner	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:27.970
2	28	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:31.100
3	31	Mauri Rose	Deidt Offenhauser	4:32.070
4	5	George Connor	Moore Offenhauser	4:32.390
5	1	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:32.430
6	49	Jack McGrath	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:33.000
7	69	Duke Dinsmore	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:34.670
8	14	Tony Bettenhausen	Moore Offenhauser	4:34.920
9	17	Joie Chitwood	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:35.320
10	3	Bill Holland	Moore Offenhauser	4:35.900
11	59	Pat Flaherty	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:37.760
12	54	Cecil Green	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:30.860
13	18	Duane Carter	Stevens Offenhauser	4:33.420
14	21	Spider Webb	Maserati Offenhauser	4:37.460
15	81	Jerry Hoyt	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:37.950
16	2	Myron Fohr	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:33.320
17	24	Bayliss Levrett	Adams Offenhauser	4:34.430
18	45	Dick Rathmann	Watson Offenhauser	4:34.960
19	7	Paul Russo	Nichels Offenhauser	4:35.250
20	4	Walt Brown	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:35.960
21	12	Henry Banks	Maserati Offenhauser	4:37.680
22	67	Bill Schindler	Snowberger Offenhauser	4:31.310
23	8	Lee Wallard	Moore Offenhauser	4:31.830
24	55	Troy Ruttman	Lesovsky Offenhauser	4:32.910
25	23	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:33.570
26	15	Mack Hellings	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:35.320
27	22	Jimmy Davies	Ewing Offenhauser	4:36.070
28	76	Jim Rathmann	Wetteroth Offerhauser	4:37.010
29	27	Walt Ader	Rae Offenhauser	4:37.050
30	77	Jackie Holmes	Olson Offenhauser	4:37.570
31	75	Gene Hartley	Langley Offenhauser	4:38.610
32	61	Jimmy Jackson	Kurtis Kraft Cummins	4:38.620
33	62	Johnny McDowell	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	4:37.580

1950 Indianapolis 500 Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	1	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	138	2:46:55.970	9
2	3	Bill Holland	Deidt Offenhauser	137	+1 lap	6
3	31	Mauri Rose	Deidt Offenhauser	137	+1 lap	4
4	54	Cecil Green	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	137	+1 lap	3
5	17	Joie Chitwood	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	1
5	17	Tony Bettenhausen	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	136	+2 laps	1
6	8	Lee Wallard	Moore Offenhauser	136	+2 laps	0
7	98	Walt Faulkner	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	135	+3 laps	0
8	5	George Connor	Lesovsky Offenhauser	135	+3 laps	0
9	7	Paul Russo	Nichels Offenhauser	135	+3 laps	0
10	59	Pat Flaherty	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	135	+3 laps	0
11	2	Myron Fohr	Marchese Offenhauser	133	+5 laps	0
12	18	Duane Carter	Stevens Offenhauser	133	+5 laps	0
13	15	Mack Hellings	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	132	+6 laps	0
14	49	Jack McGrath	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	131	DNF	0
15	55	Troy Ruttman	Lesovsky Offenhauser	130	+8 laps	0
16	75	Gene Hartley	Langley Offenhauser	128	+10 laps	0
17	22	Jimmy Davies	Ewing Offenhauser	128	+10 laps	0
18	62	Johnny McDowell	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	128	+10 laps	0
19	4	Walt Brown	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	127	+11 laps	0
20	21	Spider Webb	Maserati Offenhauser	126	+12 laps	0
21	81	Jerry Hoyt	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	125	+13 laps	0
22	27	Walt Ader	Rae Offenhauser	123	+15 laps	0
23	77	Jackie Holmes	Olson Offenhauser	123	DNF	0
24	76	Jim Rathmann	Wetteroth Offerhauser	122	+16 laps	0
25	12	Henry Banks	Maserati Offenhauser		SHC	0
25	12	Fred Agabashian	Maserati Offenhauser	112	DNF	0
26	67	Bill Schindler	Snowberger Offenhauser	111	DNF	0
27	24	Bayliss Levrett	Adams Offenhauser		SHC	0
27	24	Bill Cantrell	Adams Offenhauser	108	DNF	0
28	28	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	64	DNF	0
29	61	Jimmy Jackson	Kurtis Kraft Cummins	52	DNF	0
30	23	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	42	DNF	0
31	14	Tony Bettenhausen	Deidt Offenhauser	30	DNF	0
32	45	Dick Rathmann	Watson Offenhauser	25	DNF	0
33	69	Duke Dinsmore	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	10	DNF	0

1950 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

Pos	Driver	Points
1	Giuseppe Farina	9
2	Juan Manuel Fangio	9
3	Johnnie Parsons	9
4	Luigi Fagioli	6
5	Alberto Ascari	4

Only the top five positions are included. Only the best four results counted towards the Championship.

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Ben is a staff writer specialising in F1 from the 1990s to the modern era. Ben has been following Formula 1 since 1986 and is an avid researcher who loves understanding the technology that makes it one of the most exciting motorsport on the planet. He listens to podcasts about F1 on a daily basis, and enjoys reading books from the inspirational Adrian Newey to former F1 drivers.