Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Grand Prix starting grid
Race starts
Grid positions from race-result records; not a separately verified pre-race grid.
| POS | DRIVER | TEAM |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bill Vukovich | Kurtis Kraft |
| 2 | Fred Agabashian | Kurtis Kraft |
| 2 | Paul Russo | Kurtis Kraft |
| 3 | Jack McGrath | Kurtis Kraft |
| 4 | Manny Ayulo | Kuzma |
| 5 | Andy Linden | Stevens |
| 6 | Tony Bettenhausen | Kuzma |
| 6 | Chuck Stevenson | Kuzma |
| 6 | Gene Hartley | Kuzma |
| 7 | Jerry Hoyt | Kurtis Kraft |
| 7 | Chuck Stevenson | Kurtis Kraft |
| 7 | Andy Linden | Kurtis Kraft |
| 8 | Johnnie Parsons | Kurtis Kraft |
| 9 | Duane Carter | Kurtis Kraft |
| 9 | Sam Hanks | Kurtis Kraft |
| 10 | Rodger Ward | Kurtis Kraft |
| 10 | Andy Linden | Kurtis Kraft |
| 10 | Duke Dinsmore | Kurtis Kraft |
| 11 | Bob Scott | Bromme |
| 12 | Art Cross | Kurtis Kraft |
| 13 | Gene Hartley | Kurtis Kraft |
| 14 | Walt Faulkner | Kurtis Kraft |
| 14 | Johnny Mantz | Kurtis Kraft |
| 15 | Don Freeland | Watson |
| 16 | Chuck Stevenson | Kuzma |
| 17 | Paul Russo | Kurtis Kraft |
| 18 | Johnny Thomson | Kurtis Kraft |
| 18 | Jackie Holmes | Kurtis Kraft |
| 18 | Travis Webb | Kurtis Kraft |
| 19 | Bob Scott | Kurtis Kraft |
| 19 | Carl Scarborough | Kurtis Kraft |
| 20 | Ernie McCoy | Stevens |
| 21 | Jimmy Daywalt | Kurtis Kraft |
| 22 | Marshall Teague | Kurtis Kraft |
| 23 | Mike Nazaruk | Turner |
| 24 | Pat Flaherty | Kuzma |
| 25 | Jim Rathmann | Kurtis Kraft |
| 25 | Eddie Johnson | Kurtis Kraft |
| 26 | Duke Nalon | Kurtis Kraft |
| 27 | Duane Carter | Lesovsky |
| 28 | Jim Rathmann | Kurtis Kraft |
| 28 | Bill Holland | Kurtis Kraft |
| 29 | Bob Sweikert | Kuzma |
| 30 | Cal Niday | Kurtis Kraft |
| 31 | Jimmy Bryan | Schroeder |
| 32 | Jimmy Davies | Kurtis Kraft |
| 33 | Johnny Thomson | Del Roy |