9 6 6 , ▁Gordon ▁John cock ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁completed ▁the ▁ 5 0 0 ▁miles ▁in ▁less er ▁el apsed ▁time ▁than ▁winner ▁Graham ▁Hill . ▁However , ▁John cock ▁had ▁suffered ▁minor ▁damage ▁during ▁the ▁first ▁lap ▁accident , ▁and ▁restart ed ▁the ▁race ▁in ▁the ▁pit ▁l ane ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁crew ▁changing ▁the ▁nose ▁cone . ▁US AC ▁officials ▁did ▁not ▁score ▁his ▁first ▁lap ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁pit ▁l ane , ▁and ▁he ▁effectively ▁ran ▁all ▁day ▁carrying ▁a ▁one ▁lap ▁penalty ▁to ▁the ▁field . ▁ ▁The ▁cars ▁begin ▁the ▁race ▁in ▁a ▁rolling ▁start , ▁tradition ally ▁in ▁eleven ▁rows ▁of ▁three , ▁for ▁a ▁field ▁of ▁ 3 3 ▁total ▁cars . ▁Most ▁other ▁autom obile ▁races ▁have ▁two ▁cars ▁per ▁row . ▁The ▁ 3 3 - car ▁field ▁der ives ▁from ▁a ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁A AA ▁mand ate ▁of ▁one ▁car ▁for ▁every ▁ 4 0 0 ▁feet ▁( 1 2 0 ▁m ) ▁of ▁track . ▁Early ▁races , ▁however , ▁saw ▁varying ▁numbers ▁of ▁star ters , ▁from ▁as ▁low ▁as ▁ 2 1 , ▁to ▁as ▁high ▁as ▁ 4 2 . ▁The ▁number ▁of ▁cars ▁in ▁each ▁row ▁also ▁varied , ▁with ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁five ▁ab re ast . ▁Since ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁there ▁have ▁only ▁been ▁the ▁following ▁exceptions ▁to ▁having ▁a ▁field ▁of ▁ 3 3 ▁rac ers : ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁ 3