By Unknown
indy500.com
Monday, December 30, 2002
Ralph DePalma led 196 of the 200 laps May 30 in the second running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, but a broken piston on Lap 198 ended his day and gave the victory to Joe Dawson.
Dawson, 22, from Indianapolis, finished the 500-mile distance in 6 hours, 21 minutes and 6 seconds, averaging 78.719 mph, which was more than 4 mph faster than Ray Harroun's 74.602 mph average when he won the first 500-mile race one year ago.
"I never felt better in my life," Dawson said.
While Dawson, who won by 10 minutes, 23 seconds over Teddy Tetzlaff, may have collected more than $20,000 for winning, the story of the day was DePalma.
After starting fourth in his Mercedes, DePalma, 29, a United States resident who was born in Troia, Italy, took the lead on Lap 3 after third-place starter Tetzlaff led the first two laps. DePalma then dominated the race and had built a two-lap lead by the by the halfway point.
Meanwhile, Dawson, who was driving a National, was relived by Don Herr, 22, from Indianapolis, from laps 108-144. By the time Dawson returned to the car at the 400-mile mark, DePalma had a five-lap lead over Dawson.
However, as DePalma's Mercedes exited Turn 4 on Lap 195, the car was slower than it had been all day and began to leak oil. Dawson then began a charge to make up his five laps and passed DePalma's crippled Mercedes before DePalma could complete the 200 laps.
Dawson was only three laps behind when DePalma completed Lap 198 at a mere 40 mph. It was the final full lap the Mercedes would complete. DePalma's car came to a stop at the beginning of Turn 4, a broken piston finally ending his day.
Dawson roared past and made up his remaining laps and went on to lead laps 199 and 200 to take the victory.
While Dawson took the victory, DePalma and his riding mechanic, Rupert Jeffkins, began pushing the now silent Mercedes through the fourth turn and down the long, 5/8-mile frontstretch. As the more than 90,000 fans began to cheer DePalma as he came within view, DePalma raised his hand in salute.
Only three drivers led laps, down from seven a year ago. Twenty-four cars started the 1912 event, compared with 40 cars in 1911.
DePalma has now led 200 laps in the two 500-Mile races at Indianapolis, with his closest competitor being retired Ray Harroun, who led 88 laps en route to victory in 1911.
Gil Anderson, who started on the pole because he drove the first car entered, failed to lead a lap and finished 16th after he blew a tire and flipped in Turn 3 on Lap 79.
Ralph Mulford, who started 16th, was the final man to complete the 500-mile distance, doing so in 8 hours, 53 minutes and collecting $1,200. Speedway management had offered cash prizes for the first 12 cars to complete the distance, no matter how long it took. Mulford's Knox had suffered clutch problems throughout the event, and he had made several long pit stops, including stops long after Dawson had taken the checkered flag.
The money for the 11th and 12th driver to complete the 500-mile distance went unclaimed, and the remaining $2,100 was distributed among the 14 drivers who failed to finish.
DePalma received $380.42.
The third Indianapolis-500 Mile Race is scheduled for May 30, 1913.
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