The months leading up to the 31st running of the Indianapolis 500 in 1947 were filled with new beginnings and a tragic ending.
George Robson was killed in a crash months after winning the 1946 race. A football franchise that makes its home in Indianapolis now was in Baltimore and got a new name after a contest... the Colts.
At the same time, the rebirth of the Indianapolis 500 continued. This was just the second year of the race after the track shut down during World War II.
Improvements included a press box and new gates and interior roads. To qualify for the 500, drivers had to average at least 115 miles per hour. 30 lined up on race day, Tuesday, May 30.
Two of them were teammates Bill Holland and Mauri Rose. They ran first and second late in the race, and then there was a controversial ending. Holland followed instructions from the pit crew to take it easy to make it to the end.
Not Rose. He zoomed past his teammate with seven laps to go and held on to take the checkered flag. His payday was more than $35,000 in prize money and a kiss form movie star Carol Landis.
MORE ON THE ROAD TO 100
1940 1939 | 1938 | 1937 | 1936 | 1935 | 1934 | 1933 | 1932 | 1931 | 1930 | 1929 | 1928 | 1927 | 1926 | 1925 | 1924 | 1923 | 1922 | 1921 | 1920 | 1919 | 1916 | 1915 | 1914 | 1913 | 1912 | 1911 | Special Section: Road to 100 | Enter to win tickets to the Indy 500 | Start your engines: 100 stories in 100 days
Tune in to RTV6 News at 6 p.m. every night for our Road to 100, where we take a look back at each of the races leading up to the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
Want tickets to this year's race? Tune in to RTV6 News at 6 p.m. and watch for the daily trivia question and answer, then click here to enter the answer to be entered daily for your chance to win tickets to the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 29.
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