Round 2 · 1953

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Indianapolis, USA · May 30, 1953 · Circuit History · Wikipedia

Kings of this circuit
The race, in perspective

Race debrief

What did we expect after qualifying—and who beat it?

R021953
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37 stored results 37/37 Elo snapshots 37/37 numbered grid slots 0/37 qualifying results
Elo × qualifying → race result

Did they beat the expectation?

A strong driver recovering from a poor qualifying position isn't automatically a surprise. This model estimates a finish from both inputs, then compares it with what happened.

Experimental · v1

Expected finish assumes a classified finish. DNFs stay in the full grid but receive no performance verdict. Qualifying is not the starting grid; grid differences are flagged, not silently substituted.

This race has insufficient earlier history: 0/20 races and 0/200 classified finishes with Elo and qualifying. Estimates are withheld.

0/37 entrants have an estimate. Missing Elo or qualifying stays visible below; a grid position is not used as a qualifying result.

Top 3

Beat the estimate

No comparable estimates available for this race yet.

Flop 3

Below the estimate

No comparable estimates available for this race yet.

0/37 entrants assessed. Up to three per side, ranked by expected minus actual finish. DNFs, missing estimates and gaps rounding to 0.0 are excluded. “Flop” means below the model's estimate—not poor driving. A ranked gap can still be inside the usual error range.

Full grid: pre-race Elo rank, qualifying position, estimated finish, actual result and difference from expectation. Positive differences mean finishing ahead of the estimate.
DriverPre-race EloQualifyingExpectedResultP1 ← position → P37vs expectedReading
B. VukovichKurtis Kraft #271933 No error range P1 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
A. CrossKurtis Kraft #62148 No error range P2 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
S. HanksKurtis Kraft #52160 No error range P3 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
F. AgabashianKurtis Kraft #361844 No error range P4 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. McGrathKurtis Kraft #42164 No error range P5 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. DaywaltKurtis Kraft #192000 No error range P6 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. RathmannKurtis Kraft #72146 No error range P7 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
E. JohnsonKurtis Kraft #152012 No error range P7 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
E. McCoyStevens #192000 No error range P8 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
T. BettenhausenKuzma #301914 No error range DNFAccident Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. DaviesKurtis Kraft #142013 No error range P10 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
D. NalonKurtis Kraft #261938 No error range DNFAccident Not assessedQualifying unavailable
C. ScarboroughKurtis Kraft #231987 No error range P12 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
M. AyuloKuzma #132048 No error range DNFEngine Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. BryanSchroeder #82136 No error range P14 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
B. HollandKurtis Kraft #22203 No error range DNFMagneto Not assessedQualifying unavailable
R. WardKurtis Kraft #341870 No error range DNFAxle Not assessedQualifying unavailable
D. DinsmoreKurtis Kraft #371808 No error range DNFAxle Not assessedQualifying unavailable
W. FaulknerKurtis Kraft #122084 No error range P17 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. MantzKurtis Kraft #192000 No error range P17 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
M. TeagueKurtis Kraft #192000 No error range DNFOil leak Not assessedQualifying unavailable
T. WebbKurtis Kraft #291924 No error range DNFOil leak Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. HolmesKurtis Kraft #281928 No error range DNFOil leak Not assessedQualifying unavailable
B. SweikertKuzma #311889 No error range DNFSuspension Not assessedQualifying unavailable
M. NazarukTurner #32187 No error range DNFTransmission Not assessedQualifying unavailable
P. FlahertyKuzma #112098 No error range DNFAccident Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. HoytKurtis Kraft #251954 No error range DNFOverheating Not assessedQualifying unavailable
D. CarterLesovsky #12225 No error range DNFIgnition Not assessedQualifying unavailable
P. RussoKurtis Kraft #102111 No error range DNFMagneto Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. ParsonsKurtis Kraft #92112 No error range DNFEngine Not assessedQualifying unavailable
D. FreelandWatson #192000 No error range DNFAccident Not assessedQualifying unavailable
G. HartleyKurtis Kraft #331873 No error range DNFAccident Not assessedQualifying unavailable
C. StevensonKuzma #241971 No error range DNFFuel leak Not assessedQualifying unavailable
C. NidayKurtis Kraft #192000 No error range DNFMagneto Not assessedQualifying unavailable
B. ScottBromme #351852 No error range DNFOil leak Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. ThomsonDel Roy #192000 No error range DNFIgnition Not assessedQualifying unavailable
A. LindenStevens #321875 No error range DNFAccident Not assessedQualifying unavailable
How useful is the model? See the historical check

There is not enough earlier history for a rolling hold-out check yet.

The range scales the 80th percentile of earlier held-out absolute errors to this field size, rounding outward. It is an empirical error guide, not a guaranteed 80% chance for a particular driver. We require at least five checked races and 100 checked finishes before showing it.

Inputs are field-normalised Elo rank and qualifying position. The target is position among all race entries, trained only on classified finishers. Estimates are averages, not a unique predicted finishing order. Penalties, the circuit, weather, incidents and strategy aren't model inputs. Historical qualifying coverage is patchy; this is an exploratory backtest on corrected records, not proof of live forecasting accuracy.

The rating ledger

What changed in Elo?

These are actual rating changes. The expectation model above does not change Elo or fantasy scoring.

Largest Elo loss

Carter−197.0 Elo

Largest grid-to-finish gain

Davies+22 places

The bigger picture

Championship after this round

Top five in the stored standings. Points include sprint results where applicable.

  1. 1 Ascari 9pts 0
  2. 2 Vukovich 9pts
  3. 3 Cross 6pts
  4. 4 Villoresi 6pts −2
  5. 5 González 4pts −2

Movement since round 1. A dash means the earlier standing is unavailable.

Explore the season →
Across the garage

Teammate results

Two-driver constructor entries from this race. A result comparison, not an adjustment for strategy or reliability.

Stevens

McCoyP8+112.0 Elo
LindenDNF−124.4 Elo

Non-finish recorded; no finishing gap comparison.

What this analysis can—and cannot—tell you

This debrief is calculated from stored results and rating snapshots. The experimental expectation model learns from earlier races only, using Elo rank and qualifying together; it never feeds back into Elo. It is not a separately reviewed race report.

Elo uses the result order, including retirements. It does not isolate driver skill from the car, reliability, penalties or strategy. Elo seed comparisons use pre-race ratings, never today's ratings. Equal ratings share the midpoint of their rank range (for example, tied first and second become seed 1.5).

Grid gains use numbered starting slots and classified finishes only. Zero or missing grid values are excluded; a position gained is not necessarily an overtake. Qualifying gaps use the latest segment both teammates have a valid time for, never Q1 against Q3.

Lap-by-lap pace, tyre stints, pit-stop execution and safety-car effects are not available in this report. Missing data is omitted, not inferred.

Read the Elo methodology →
37
Result Entries
Avg Elo
Highest Elo (Cross)
23
Non-finishes

Race

Qualifying

# Driver Grid +/- Points Season Pts Season # Elo Change Elo
P1 🇺🇸 B.Vukovich 1 +9 9 P2 +231.7 2,164
P2 🇺🇸 A.Cross 12 +10 +6 6 P3 +112.9 2,261
P3 🇺🇸 S.Hanks 9 +6 +2 2 P8 +96.7 2,257
P4 🇺🇸 F.Agabashian 2 -2 +1.5 1.5 P12 +241.6 2,085
P5 🇺🇸 J.McGrath 3 -2 +2 2 P10 +73.8 2,238
P6 🇺🇸 J.Daywalt 21 +15 0 0 P14 +144.0 2,144
P7 🇺🇸 J.Rathmann 25 +18 0 0 P15 +49.7 2,196
P7 🇺🇸 E.Johnson 25 +18 0 0 P16 +127.0 2,139
P8 🇺🇸 E.McCoy 20 +12 0 0 P20 +112.0 2,112
DNF 🇺🇸 T.Bettenhausen 6 0 0 P23 +145.1 2,059
P10 🇺🇸 J.Davies 32 +22 0 0 P25 +84.0 2,097
DNF 🇺🇸 D.Nalon 26 0 0 P26 +111.6 2,050
P12 🇺🇸 C.Scarborough 19 +7 0 0 P28 +76.3 2,063
DNF 🇺🇸 M.Ayulo 4 0 0 P29 +33.8 2,082
P14 🇺🇸 J.Bryan 31 +17 0 0 P30 -20.0 2,116
DNF 🇺🇸 B.Holland 28 0 0 P31 -60.2 2,142
DNF 🇺🇸 R.Ward 10 0 0 P34 +80.3 1,951
DNF 🇺🇸 D.Dinsmore 10 0 0 P33 +117.9 1,926
P17 🇺🇸 W.Faulkner 14 -3 0 0 P35 -48.5 2,036
P17 🇺🇸 J.Mantz 14 -3 0 0 P36 +5.3 2,005
DNF 🇺🇸 M.Teague 22 0 0 P44 -16.0 1,984
DNF 🇺🇸 J.Holmes 18 0 0 P46 -0.7 1,927
DNF 🇺🇸 T.Webb 18 0 0 P47 +12.2 1,936
DNF 🇺🇸 B.Sweikert 29 0 0 P48 +7.7 1,897
DNF 🇺🇸 M.Nazaruk 23 0 0 P49 -149.6 2,037
DNF 🇺🇸 P.Flaherty 24 0 0 P50 -119.3 1,979
DNF 🇺🇸 J.Hoyt 7 0 0 P51 -56.5 1,898
DNF 🇺🇸 D.Carter 27 0 2 P7 -197.0 2,028
DNF 🇺🇸 P.Russo 17 0 1.5 P11 -157.6 1,953
DNF 🇺🇸 J.Parsons 8 0 0 P52 -168.6 1,943
DNF 🇺🇸 D.Freeland 15 0 0 P53 -122.7 1,877
DNF 🇺🇸 G.Hartley 13 0 0 P22 -70.2 1,803
DNF 🇺🇸 C.Stevenson 16 0 0 P21 -129.0 1,842
DNF 🇺🇸 C.Niday 30 0 0 P54 -154.7 1,845
DNF 🇺🇸 B.Scott 11 0 0 P27 -92.6 1,759
DNF 🇺🇸 J.Thomson 33 0 0 P45 -176.0 1,824
DNF 🇺🇸 A.Linden 5 0 0 P32 -124.4 1,750

Qualifying results are not available for this race.

Elo Changes