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Indianapolis 500 Starting Grid - 1948
| Position | Car Num. | Driver | Car Name/Entrant* | Make/Model | Qual Speed |
| 1 | 5 | Rex Mays | Bowes Seal Fast | Kurtis/Winfield | 130.570 |
| 2 | 2 | Bill Holland | Blue Crown Spark Plug | Deidt/Offy | 129.510 |
| 3 | 3 | Mauri Rose (W) | Blue Crown Spark Plug | Deidt/Offy | 129.120 |
| 4 | 61 | Jimmy Jackson | Howard Keck | Deidt/Offy | 127.510 |
| 5 | 1 | Ted Horn | Bennett Brothers | Maserati/Maserati | 126.560 |
| 6 | 74 | Doc Williams | Clarke Motors | Cooper/Offy | 124.150 |
| 7 | 36 | Bill Cantrell (R) | Fageol Twin Coach | Stevens/Fageol | 123.730 |
| 8 | 98 | Johnny Mantz (R) | Agajanian | KK2000/Offy | 122.790 |
| 9 | 34 | Les Anderson | Kennedy Tank | Kurtis/Offy | 122.330 |
| 10 | 55 | Joie Chitwood | Nyquist | Shaw/Offy | 124.610 |
| 11 | 54 | Duke Nalon | Novi Grooved Piston | Kurtis/Novi | 131.600 |
| 12 | 4 | Charlie Van Acker | City of South Bend | Stevens/Offy | 125.440 |
| 13 | 52 | Jack McGrath (R) | Sheffler Offy | Bromme/Offy | 124.580 |
| 14 | 63 | Hal Cole | City of Tacoma | KK2000/Offy | 124.390 |
| 15 | 76 | Sam Hanks | Flavell | Adams/Sparks | 124.260 |
| 16 | 8 | Emil Andres | Tuffy's Offy | KK2000/Offy | 123.550 |
| 17 | 9 | George Connor | Bennett Brothers | Stevens/Miller | 123.010 |
| 18 | 64 | Hal Robson | Palmer Construction | Adams/Offy | 122.790 |
| 19 | 31 | Chet Miller | Don Lee Mercedes | Mercedes/Mercedes | 127.240 |
| 20 | 19 | Billy DeVore | Pat Clancy (6 Wheels) | Kurtis/Offy | 123.960 |
| 21 | 35 | Mack Hellings (R) | Don Lee | KK2000/Offy | 127.960 |
| 22 | 6 | Tony Bettenhausen | Belanger Motors | Stevens/Offy | 126.390 |
| 23 | 7 | Tommy Hinnershitz | Kurtis-Kraft | Kurtis/Offy | 125.120 |
| 24 | 53 | Bill Sheffler | Jack Maurer | Bromme/Offy | 124.520 |
| 25 | 25 | Paul Russo | Federal Engineering | Maserati/Maserati | 122.590 |
| 26 | 65 | Harry McQuinn | Frank Lynch Motors | Maserati/Maserati | 122.150 |
| 27 | 33 | Johnny Mauro (R) | Phil Kraft Alfa Romeo | Alfa Romeo/Alfa Romeo | 121.790 |
| 28 | 91 | Lee Wallard (R) | Iddings | Meyer/Offy | 128.420 |
| 29 | 16 | Duane Carter (R) | Belanger Motors | Wetteroth/Offy | 126.010 |
| 30 | 51 | Spider Webb (R) | Fowle Brothers | Bromme/Offy | 125.540 |
| 31 | 86 | Mike Salay (R) | Terman Marine Supply | Wetteroth/Offy | 123.390 |
| 32 | 26 | Fred Agabashian | Ross Page | Kurtis/Duray | 122.730 |
| 33 | 17 | Mel Hansen | Schafer Gear Works | Adams/Sparks | 122.110 |
