George Souders

George Souders
Souders in 1927
Born	George Raymond Souders (1900-09-11)September 11, 1900 Lafayette, Indiana, U.S.
Died	July 26, 1976(1976-07-26) (aged 75) Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Championship titles
Major victories Indianapolis 500 (1927)
Champ Car career
3 races run over 2 years
Best finish	3rd (1927)
First race	1927 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Last race	1928 Detroit 100 (Detroit)
First win	1927 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Wins Podiums Poles 1 2 0

George Raymond Souders (September 11, 1900 – July 26, 1976) was an American racing driver who won the 1927 Indianapolis 500.^[1]

Born in Lafayette, Indiana, George Souders led the last 51 laps of the 1927 race after starting in 22nd position as a race rookie.

Driving career

For a book on the history of the "500," Souders offered a summation of his career:

"I quit Purdue when my father died. I worked in a garage and rode on dirt tracks. That car I rode on 1927, it was smooth handling. And the engine was the smallest to ever win at Indianapolis. The piston displacement was just under 90 (cubic inches). The car was the most expensive the Duesenbergs ever built for racing. It cost around $50,000, I was told. A year later (1928) I finished third at Indianapolis. In the summer of '28 I raced in Detroit--a $1000 race, nothing much, and was guaranteed $750 just for showing up--but...you want to win. Anyway, I had an awful spill. I was unconscious six months and never raced after that."

Death

Souders died in Indianapolis, Indiana on July 26, 1976.^[2]

Motorsports career results

Indianapolis 500 results

Year Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired 1927 32 22 111.551 12 1 200 51 Running 1928 3 12 111.444 16 3 200 16 Running Totals 400 67

Starts 2 Poles 0 Front Row 0 Wins 1 Top 5 2 Top 10 2 Retired 0

References

1. "George Souders Won 1927 500". The Indianapolis News. July 26, 1976. p. 19. Retrieved May 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "George Souders, 75, Dies; Won Indy 500 Race in '27". The New York Times. 1976-07-27. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-10-08.

External links

• George Souders - ChampCarStats.com
• George Souders at Find a Grave - Headstone death date of July 28, 1976 is incorrect.
• George Souders - Motorsport Memorial
• George Souders driver statistics at Racing-Reference

Preceded by Frank Lockhart

Indianapolis 500 Winner 1927

Succeeded by Louis Meyer