Race day was sunny and warm, and 145000 spectators arrived. DePaolo took the lead from the start, and after 100 miles was just ahead of the veterans Cooper and Hartz, with less than 30 seconds covering the top five. Bordino was an early stop at the pits, losing two laps to change spark plugs. At quarter distance, DePaolo's teammate, rookie Phil Shafer (who had been the final qualifier, starting at the back) had moved up to second and the pair duelled for the lead for the next eighty miles.
