Team story
Origins
Gordon Schroeder was building and preparing racing cars before Indianapolis entered the World Championship. His work included collaborations with Myron Stevens and Clint Brawner, as well as steering components. In 1951 Bobby Ball brought the number 52 Schroeder-Offenhauser to the Indianapolis 500, entered by John McDaniel as Blakely Oil.
The Formula 1 journey
Ball started 29th and completed all 200 laps in fifth place. That remains the constructor’s best result during the championship period. The other recorded years are 1953, 1954 and 1955, with several drivers and shared drives; Keith Andrews appears in the final edition, without repeating Ball’s placing.
Historical timeline
Three chapters in the story of Schroeder
Three episodes to revisit the people, cars and races that shaped this journey.
First appearance · Indianapolis 500
Bobby Ball · Indianapolis 500 1951. The recorded position is P5; this number alone does not show whether the driver completed the race distance. This is the first recorded race start, or the first entry if the team never started a race.
Sporting landmark · Indianapolis 500
Bobby Ball · Indianapolis 500 1951. The recorded position is P5; this number alone does not show whether the driver completed the race distance. This marks the first win or podium where one exists, otherwise the highest recorded placing for this constructor.
Latest recorded appearance · Indianapolis 500
Keith Andrews · Indianapolis 500 1955. The recorded position is P20; this number alone does not show whether the driver completed the race distance. This is the last race start attributed to this constructor in the archive, not necessarily the end of the organisation behind it.
A distinctive way of racing
Blakely Oil, Schroeder and Offenhauser identified the entry’s name, construction and engine respectively. Schroeder’s activities extended beyond complete cars: his name remained associated with steering boxes and the quick-release steering hub, contributions to the engineering and safety of American racing.
What remains
The deaths of his friends Rex Mays and Bobby Ball contributed to his move away from racing towards component manufacturing. The four Indianapolis editions listed in the archive do not describe four European campaigns: from 1950 to 1960 the Indianapolis 500 counted towards the World Championship, while belonging to a sporting environment of its own.