100 Greatest Moments in Indianapolis 500 History - #98

So yesterday we talked about the second Indianapolis 500, a race that will forever be remembered more for the heartbreak of Ralph DePalma more than it will for the triumph for Joe Dawson. God bless Ralph DePalma, because after that enormous heart shattering loss, he kept coming back to Indy trying to win the race that we so close to in 1912. Thankfully for him, 1915 was much nicer to him. Here is Indianapolis 500 Greatest Moment number 98. 

#98 – DePalma’s Redemption Victory

The fifth running of the International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was initially schedule for Saturday, May 29, 1915, but rain washed out the race and the organizers of the event didn’t want to run the race on a Sunday. So, everyone came back on Monday and the race was on with Indiana-native Howdy Wilcox leading the field to the start. Wilcox led five laps early in the race, but Ralph DePalma, the hard-luck loser in 1912 that we ready about yesterday, asserted himself as the dominant driver of the race and stormed to the lead. Unlike the race three years prior, however, DePalma couldn’t pull away from the competition and was held close by Dario Resta, polesitter Howdy Wilcox and 1912 polesitter Gil Andersen. As the race came down to its final laps, Wilcox and Andersen faded making it a two-horse race between DePalma and Resta. The two drivers combined to lead 169 of the 200 laps. It was setting up to be a shootout to the very end, but that possibility went out the window when Resta’s car broke loose and badly skidded his tires in the late laps and was forced to pit in fear of a puncture. This gave DePalma and insurmountable lead, but as we know, he had that three years earlier in 1912 and a mechanical failure cost him the race. But 1915 was a different year for DePalma, or was it? DePalma’s car suddenly dropped on power and he completed the final laps running on just three cylinders, but the racing gods smiled upon the Italian/American driver and he was able to coast to the checkered flag and to victory in the fifth Indianapolis 500. Being that this race was 106-years ago, none of us know this for sure, but I would imagine that the fans that were there, about 60,000 were in attendance, celebrated this win, and some fellow drivers probably did as well. What a redemption story it is! To be that dominant and that close to victory in 1912 only to have it snatched away from you in the final laps, and then to keep coming back and trying again and then getting that long-awaited victory three years later, that’s an amazing story. Good for Ralph DePalma!