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Indianapolis 500 Starting Grid - 1961
| Position | Car Num. | Driver | Car Name/Entrant* | Make/Model | Qual Speed |
| 1 | 12 | Eddie Sachs | Dean Van Lines | Ewing/Offy | 147.480 |
| 2 | 3 | Don Branson | Hoover Motor Express | Epperly/Offy | 146.840 |
| 3 | 99 | Jim Hurtubise | Demler | Epperly/Offy | 146.300 |
| 4 | 2 | Rodger Ward (W) | Del Webb's Sun City | Watson/Offy | 146.180 |
| 5 | 98 | Parnelli Jones (R) | Agajanian Willard Battery | Watson/Offy | 146.080 |
| 6 | 97 | Dick Rathmann | Jim Robbins | Watson/Offy | 146.030 |
| 7 | 1 | A.J. Foyt | Bowes Seal Fast | Trevis/Offy | 145.900 |
| 8 | 8 | Len Sutton | Bryant Heating & Cooling | Watson/Offy | 145.890 |
| 9 | 14 | Bill Cheesbourg | Dean Van Lines | Kuzma/Offy | 145.870 |
| 10 | 33 | Eddie Johnson | Jim Robbins | Kuzma/Offy | 145.840 |
| 11 | 4 | Jim Rathmann (W) | Simoniz | Watson/Offy | 145.410 |
| 12 | 15 | Wayne Weiler | Hopkins Coral Harbour | Watson/Offy | 145.340 |
| 13 | 17 | Jack Brabham (R) | Kimberly Cooper-Climax | Cooper/Climax | 145.140 |
| 14 | 73 | A.J. Shepherd (R) | Travelon Trailer | Christensen/Offy | 144.950 |
| 15 | 28 | Gene Hartley | John Chalik | Trevis/Offy | 144.810 |
| 16 | 32 | Bob Christie | North Electric | Kurtis/Offy | 144.780 |
| 17 | 10 | Paul Goldsmith | Racing Associates | Lesovsky/Offy | 144.740 |
| 18 | 7 | Shorty Templeman | Bill Forbes Racing Team | Meskowski/Offy | 144.340 |
| 19 | 86 | Ebb Rose (R) | Meyer Speedway | Porter/Offy | 144.330 |
| 20 | 41 | Johnny Boyd | Leader Card 500 Roadster | Watson/Offy | 144.090 |
| 21 | 45 | Jack Turner | Bardahl | Kurtis/Offy | 144.900 |
| 22 | 52 | Troy Ruttman (W) | John Zink Trackburner | Watson/Offy | 144.790 |
| 23 | 55 | Jimmy Daywalt | Schultz Fueling Equipment | KK500G/Offy | 144.210 |
| 24 | 16 | Bobby Grim | Thompson Industries | Watson/Offy | 144.020 |
| 25 | 5 | Lloyd Ruby | Autolite Dealer's Assn. | Epperly/Offy | 146.900 |
| 26 | 19 | Al Keller | Konstant Hot | Phillips/Offy | 146.150 |
| 27 | 83 | Don Davis (R) | Dart-Kart by Rupp | Trevis/Offy | 145.340 |
| 28 | 18 | Chuck Stevenson | Metal-Cal | Epperly/Offy | 145.190 |
| 29 | 22 | Roger McCluskey (R) | Racing Associates | Moore/Offy | 145.060 |
| 30 | 26 | Cliff Griffith | McCullough Engineering | Elder/Offy | 145.030 |
| 31 | 35 | Dempsey Wilson | Lysle Greenman | Kuzma/Offy | 144.200 |
| 32 | 34 | Norm Hall (R) | Federal Engineering | KK500E/Offy | 144.550 |
| 33 | 31 | Bobby Marshman (R) | Hoover Motor Express | Epperly/Offy | 144.290 |
