Indianapolis 500 1952 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Troy Ruttman became the youngest winner of the Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 1952, claiming victory at age 22 years and 80 days in a record that would stand for over three decades. Driving the Agajanian Special, a Kuzma-Offenhauser roadster, Ruttman dominated the 36th running of the race at the Brickyard, leading for 119 of 200 laps. His victory in front of 175,000 spectators added eight World Championship points to his tally, though like all Indianapolis winners of this era, he would never compete in a European Grand Prix or face the drivers contesting the road racing championship.

The race featured the usual intense competition among American oval specialists, with Jim Rathmann finishing second in his Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser and Sam Hanks claiming third in another Kurtis Kraft. The Indianapolis 500's continuing presence on the World Championship calendar had become even more anomalous with the switch to Formula 2 regulations for European races. The American Indy roadsters, with their powerful 4.2-liter Offenhauser engines producing over 400 horsepower, bore no resemblance to the 2.0-liter Formula 2 cars being raced in Europe. Average speeds exceeded 128 mph, far faster than anything achieved on European circuits.

The disconnect between Indianapolis and the European championship had never been more stark. While Alberto Ascari and Ferrari were preparing to dominate with sophisticated 2.0-liter four-cylinder Ferrari 500s in Europe, the American teams continued their own tradition of offset roadsters purpose-built for turning left at over 130 mph. The two forms of racing existed in parallel universes, united only by the championship points table. For the European drivers and teams, the Indianapolis results were an irrelevant curiosity that had no bearing on their championship battles.