The 500-mile Indianapolis auto race started taking its toll early. Defending Champion Jimmy Bryan quit after only two laps, when his Belond Special, hastily rebuilt after a disastrous engine freeze-up only one week before, developed clutch trouble. Mike Magill went to the hospital with neck injuries after hitting the Speedway wall on the 47th lap. Ray Crawford hit a wall on the 121st lap, suffered broken ribs. But through the pile-ups nothing bothered 38-year-old Veteran Rodger Ward of Los Angeles, a onetime fighter pilot who had never finished higher than eighth in eight previous "500" races. He nursed the dirty-white Leader...
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