Question for the Indy 500 history experts here.

[stockblock]

What year had the most drivers bumped from the 500 ? I don't mean the bumps of today but where a driver who actually qualified temporary making the field but got bumped & did not make the race.. Curious as to the year and the number of drivers bumped from the starting field.

[senorsoupe]

In recent (ish) memory there were 12 cars bumped in 1981 and that's the most I can think of, at least since the 1960's

[stockblock]

In recent (ish) memory there were 12 cars bumped in 1981 and that's the most I can think of, at least since the 1960's

Wow senorsoupe ! I was there for that crazy weekend.... Remember it well.

[dalz]

It was a very entertaining Bump Day TV show.

[DaveL]

In recent (ish) memory there were 12 cars bumped in 1981 and that's the most I can think of, at least since the 1960's

And the following year only two cars were bumped despite an entry list nearly as large as '81. The difference was in '81 it rained more often than not and teams took borderline speeds because the threat of rain meant they either may not get another shot, or rain would wash out any further attempts and their speed would hold. Such was not the case in '82. There were two weeks of good weather and ample time to qualify. There was no chance of a rain induced slow bubble speed so teams waved off runs or simply didn't make official attempts because they couldn't get to the presumed speed it was going to take to make the race.

I remember tuning into ABC in '82 on Bubble Day for the final hour of time trials expecting the usual Bump Day drama. Instead if was an hour of nothingness. Anyone who had the speed already qualified, and all that was left were cars that simply couldn't go fast enough to justify an attempt. The final "drama" was Bill Alsup, one of the two cars that were bumped (Chip Mead was the other), possibly making a last minute run in one of the Kraco cars but that never came to pass.

One thing to keep in mind is the number of cars bumped doesn't necessarily reflect the number of cars that actually tried. Only one car was bumped in '72 and only two in '73 but that is in no way reflective of how many cars were entered. Rain wiped out more attempts in '83 and '84 and there were huge entry lists both years. You can go further into the 80s and first half of the 90s before the spilt and find many cars entered that tried to make the field, but not necessarily many bumps because as in '82 those cars couldn't find the speed to justify an completed attempt.

[Doctorindy]

Went through the Daily Trackside Report. Looks like 1981 was the most impressive year. And it came with half the day Saturday (day 1) lost to rain, and all of Sunday (day 2) washed out.



Sat 5/9 - Pole Day
13 total cars went out ("presentations to the line")
12 took the green to start their attempt, 1 pulled in before taking the green
9 completed their attempts
3 waved off/incomplete

Sun 5/10 - Second Day
Rain

Sat 5/16 - Third Day
(first part of the day was the conclusion of the pole round)
55 total cars went out
53 took the green to start their attempt, 2 pulled in before taking the green
26 completed their attempts
2 cars were bumped
27 waved off/incomplete/crash/too slow to bump their way in

Sun 5/17 - Bump Day
36 total cars went out
26 took the green to start their attempt, 10 pulled in before taking the green
10 completed their attempts
10 cars were bumped
16 waved off/incomplete/crash/too slow to bump their way in



Totals
104 total cars went out*
91 took the green to start their attempt, 13 pulled in before taking the green
45 completed their attempts
12 cars were bumped
46 waved off/incomplete/crash/too slow to bump their way in


*Not necessarily 104 different cars, some went out multiple times



*********************

Without backchecking in detail, I have a list that says 10 cars bumped in 1954, 10 in 1967, 11 in 1979

[senorsoupe]

It was a very entertaining Bump Day TV show.

1981? Does it exist anywhere for someone to watch in 2020? I would totally watch it lol

[DaveL]

1981? Does it exist anywhere for someone to watch in 2020? I would totally watch it lol

The earliest known Bump Day broadcast available is 1983. There's bits and pieces of '78, but not the whole broadcast.

[senorsoupe]

The earliest known Bump Day broadcast available is 1983. There's bits and pieces of '78, but not the whole broadcast.

And I have watched them all lol!

I was just hoping that Dalz may have some sort of double secret archive of Qualification broadcasts that haven't made it to YouTube yet lol

[stockblock]

Went through the Daily Trackside Report. Looks like 1981 was the most impressive year. And it came with half the day Saturday (day 1) lost to rain, and all of Sunday (day 2) washed out.



Sat 5/9 - Pole Day
13 total cars went out ("presentations to the line")
12 took the green to start their attempt, 1 pulled in before taking the green
9 completed their attempts
3 waved off/incomplete

Sun 5/10 - Second Day
Rain

Sat 5/16 - Third Day
(first part of the day was the conclusion of the pole round)
55 total cars went out
53 took the green to start their attempt, 2 pulled in before taking the green
26 completed their attempts
2 cars were bumped
27 waved off/incomplete/crash/too slow to bump their way in

Sun 5/17 - Bump Day
36 total cars went out
26 took the green to start their attempt, 10 pulled in before taking the green
10 completed their attempts
10 cars were bumped
16 waved off/incomplete/crash/too slow to bump their way in



Totals
104 total cars went out*
91 took the green to start their attempt, 13 pulled in before taking the green
45 completed their attempts
12 cars were bumped
46 waved off/incomplete/crash/too slow to bump their way in


*Not necessarily 104 different cars, some went out multiple times



*********************

Without backchecking in detail, I have a list that says 10 cars bumped in 1954, 10 in 1967, 11 in 1979

Having been at the track that weekend in 1981 i can share one additional point that caused some of that. As mentioned much rain the 1st weekend. When day 3 came all the weather forecasts said day 4 would be a washout. Forecasts were for heavy rains on day 4. So basically everyone knew go on day 3 or else. By 3 PM the qualification line was about 30 deep. If you went out after 3 PM you were not sure if you would get another attempt. Teams were basically forced to decide take it or waive off perhaps never to see the track again. I remember after the day ended wife suggested we just head back to Chicago because of the forecast for Sunday. I suggested lets spend the night then if it raining in the morning we will just head home. To everybody's surprise Sunday was perfect & sunny.

[Indyote]

1954 was another year with many bumps

[dalz]

And I have watched them all lol!

I was just hoping that Dalz may have some sort of double secret archive of Qualification broadcasts that haven't made it to YouTube yet lol

Ah I wish that were true. No dice.

A denouement from '81--of all the people who could have been the next in line when the 6pm gun went off, it was Bob Frey, in a prehistoric Eagle that was nowhere near qualifying speed. There was a sponsored cash prize at the time for being in that spot. I think that was what the team was aiming for. You can see it in the ABC race broadcast at the very beginning.

[DaveL]

A denouement from '81--of all the people who could have been the next in line when the 6pm gun went off, it was Bob Frey, in a prehistoric Eagle that was nowhere near qualifying speed. There was a sponsored cash prize at the time for being in that spot. I think that was what the team was aiming for. You can see it in the ABC race broadcast at the very beginning.

Right, he practiced in the high 160s while the bubble speed was 186. It made for nice TV drama but had he actually got on the track it just would have been a publicity run for the team rather than an actual competitive qualifying attempt.

[dalz]

The earliest known Bump Day broadcast available is 1983. There's bits and pieces of '78, but not the whole broadcast.

The 1978 YT video appears to be a local Indy broadcast, not the ABC coverage.

As for 1983, the entire tentative grid was set on day 3, after Pole Weekend was washed out. On Bump Day Dennis Firestone made his legendary run with the final half-lap in a downpour, then Bill Alsup and his interesting Argo chassis waited in vain for it to dry out. If I were him I would've leaned on Binford in the last minutes to go out. "C'mon Tom, I can dodge a few damp spots and still beat 183! I'll take full responsibility for any incident."

[senorsoupe]

The 1978 YT video appears to be a local Indy broadcast, not the ABC coverage.

As for 1983, the entire tentative grid was set on day 3, after Pole Weekend was washed out. On Bump Day Dennis Firestone made his legendary run with the final half-lap in a downpour, then Bill Alsup and his interesting Argo chassis waited in vain for it to dry out. If I were him I would've leaned on Binford in the last minutes to go out. "C'mon Tom, I can dodge a few damp spots and still beat 183! I'll take full responsibility for any incident."

Also in 1983, Gary B waived a run in the 193's less than a half hour before Firestone's legendary run! A decision only approved by Chet Filip