Indy Racing League Circuit: Indianapolis 500

Updated August 28, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Held every Memorial Day weekend; 200 laps around a 2.5-mile oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. First race was held in 1911. The Indy Racing League began in 1996 and made the Indianapolis 500 its cornerstone event. Winning drivers are listed with starting positions. Winners who started from pole position are in bold type.

Multiple wins: A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser (4); Louis Meyer, Mauri Rose, Johnny Rutherford, Wilbur Shaw and Bobby Unser (3); Helio Castroneves, Emerson Fittipaldi, Gordon Johncock, Arie Luyendyk, Tommy Milton, Al Unser Jr., Bill Vukovich and Rodger Ward (2).

Multiple poles: Rick Mears (6); A.J. Foyt and Rex Mays (4); Mario Andretti, Arie Luyendyk, Johnny Rutherford and Tom Sneva (3); Scott Brayton, Helio Castroneves, Bill Cummings, Ralph DePalma, Leon Duray, Parnelli Jones, Jimmy Murphy, Duke Nalon, Eddie Sachs and Bobby Unser (2).

Year Winner (Pos.) Car MPH Pole Sitter MPH
1911 Ray Harroun (28) Marmon Wasp 74.602 Lewis Strang -
1912 Joe Dawson (7) National 78.719 Gil Anderson -
1913 Jules Goux (7) Peugeot 75.933 Caleb Bragg -
1914 Rene Thomas (15) Delage 82.474 Jean Chassagne -
1915 Ralph DePalma (2) Mercedes 89.840 Howard Wilcox 98.90
1916-a Dario Resta (4) Peugeot 84.001 John Aitken 96.69
1917-18 Not held World War I
1919 Howdy Wilcox (2) Peugeot 88.050 Rene Thomas 104.78
1920 Gaston Chevrolet (6) Monroe 88.618 Ralph DePalma 99.15
1921 Tommy Milton (20) Frontenac 89.621 Ralph DePalma 100.75
1922 Jimmy Murphy (1) Murphy Special 94.484 Jimmy Murphy 100.50
1923 Tommy Milton (1) H.C.S. Special 90.954 Tommy Milton 108.17
1924 L.L. Corum
& Joe Boyer (21) Duesenberg Special 98.234 Jimmy Murphy 108.037
1925 Peter DePaolo (2) Duesenberg Special 101.127 Leon Duray 113.196
1926-b Frank Lockhart (20) Miller Special 95.904 Earl Cooper 111.735
1927 George Souders (22) Duesenberg 97.545 Frank Lockhart 120.100
1928 Louie Meyer (13) Miller Special 99.482 Leon Duray 122.391
1929 Ray Keech (6) Simplex Piston Ring Special 97.585 Cliff Woodbury 120.599
1930 Billy Arnold (1) Miller-Hartz Special 100.448 Billy Arnold 113.268
1931 Louis Schneider (13) Bowes Seal Fast Special 96.629 Russ Snowberger 112.796
1932 Fred Frame (27) Miller-Hartz Special 104.144 Lou Moore 117.363
1933 Louie Meyer (6) Tydol Special 104.162 Bill Cummings 118.530
1934 Bill Cummings (10) Boyle Products Special 104.863 Kelly Petillo 119.329
1935 Kelly Petillo (22) Gilmore Speedway Special 106.240 Rex Mays 120.736
1936 Louie Meyer (28) Ring Free Special 109.069 Rex Mays 119.644
1937 Wilbur Shaw (2) Shaw-Gilmore Special 113.580 Bill Cummings 123.343
1938 Floyd Roberts (1) Burd Piston Ring Special 117.200 Floyd Roberts 125.681
1939 Wilbur Shaw (3) Boyle Special 115.035 Jimmy Snyder 130.138
1940 Wilbur Shaw (2) Boyle Special 114.277 Rex Mays 127.850
1941 Floyd Davis
& Mauri Rose (17) Noc-Out Hose Clamp Special 115.117 Mauri Rose 128.691
1942-45 Not held World War II
1946 George Robson (15) Thorne Engineering Special 114.820 Cliff Bergere 126.471
1947 Mauri Rose (3) Blue Crown Spark Plug Special 116.338 Ted Horn 126.564
1948 Mauri Rose (3) Blue Crown Spark Plug Special 119.814 Rex Mays 130.577
1949 Bill Holland (4) Blue Crown Spark Plug Special 121.327 Duke Nalon 132.939
1950-c Johnnie Parsons (5) Wynn's Friction Proofing 124.002 Walt Faulkner 134.343
1951 Lee Wallard (2) Belanger Special 126.244 Duke Nalon 136.498
1952 Troy Ruttman (7) Agajanian Special 128.922 Fred Agabashian 138.010
1953 Bill Vukovich (1) Fuel Injection Special 128.740 Bill Vukovich 138.392
1954 Bill Vukovich (19) Fuel Injection Special 130.840 Jack McGrath 141.033
1955 Bob Sweikert (14) John Zink Special 128.213 Jerry Hoyt 140.045
1956 Pat Flaherty (1) John Zink Special 128.490 Pat Flaherty 145.596
1957 Sam Hanks (13) Belond Exhaust Special 135.601 Pat O'Connor 143.948
1958 Jimmy Bryan (7) Belond AP Parts Special 133.791 Dick Rathmann 145.974
1959 Rodger Ward (6) Leader Card 500 Roadster 135.857 Johnny Thomson 145.908
1960 Jim Rathmann (2) Ken-Paul Special 138.767 Eddie Sachs 146.592
1961 A.J. Foyt (7) Bowes Seal Fast Special 139.130 Eddie Sachs 147.481
1962 Rodger Ward (2) Leader Card 500 Roadster 140.293 Parnelli Jones 150.370
1963 Parnelli Jones (1) Agajanian-Willard Special 143.137 Parnelli Jones 151.153
1964 A.J. Foyt (5) Sheraton-Thompson Special 147.350 Jim Clark 158.828
1965 Jim Clark (2) Lotus Ford 150.686 A.J. Foyt 161.233
1966 Graham Hill (15) American Red Ball Special 144.317 Mario Andretti 165.899
1967-d A.J. Foyt (4) Sheraton-Thompson Special 151.207 Mario Andretti 168.982
1968 Bobby Unser (3) Rislone Special 152.882 Joe Leonard 171.559
1969 Mario Andretti (2) STP Oil Treatment Special 156.867 A.J. Foyt 170.568
1970 Al Unser (1) Johnny Lightning Special 155.749 Al Unser 170.221
1971 Al Unser (5) Johnny Lightning Special 157.735 Peter Revson 178.696
1972 Mark Donohue (3) Sunoco McLaren 162.962 Bobby Unser 195.940
1973-e Gordon Johncock (11) STP Double Oil Filters 159.036 Johnny Rutherford 198.413
1974 Johnny Rutherford (25) McLaren 158.589 A.J. Foyt 191.632
1975-f Bobby Unser (3) Jorgensen Eagle 149.213 A.J. Foyt 193.976
1976-g Johnny Rutherford (1) Hy-Gain McLaren/Goodyear 148.725 Johnny Rutherford 188.957
1977 A.J. Foyt (4) Gilmore Racing Team 161.331 Tom Sneva 198.884
1978 Al Unser (5) FNCTC Chaparral Lola 161.363 Tom Sneva 202.156
1979 Rick Mears (1) The Gould Charge 158.899 Rick Mears 193.736
1980 Johnny Rutherford (1) Pennzoil Chaparral 142.862 Johnny Rutherford 192.256
1981-h Bobby Unser (1) Norton Spirit Penske PC-9B 139.084 Bobby Unser 200.546
1982 Gordon Johncock (5) STP Oil Treatment 162.029 Rick Mears 207.004
1983 Tom Sneva (4) Texaco Star 162.117 Teo Fabi 207.395
1984 Rick Mears (3) Pennzoil Z-7 163.612 Tom Sneva 210.029
1985 Danny Sullivan (8) Miller American Special 152.982 Pancho Carter 212.583
1986 Bobby Rahal (4) Budweiser/Truesports/March 170.722 Rick Mears 216.828
1987 Al Unser (20) Cummins Holset Turbo 162.175 Mario Andretti 215.390
1988 Rick Mears (1) Pennzoil Z-7/Penske Chevy V-8 144.809 Rick Mears 219.198
1989 Emerson Fittipaldi (3) Marlboro/Penske Chevy V-8 167.581 Rick Mears 223.885
1990 Arie Luyendyk (3) Domino's Pizza Chevrolet 185.981* Emerson Fittipaldi 225.301
1991 Rick Mears (1) Marlboro Penske Chevy 176.457 Rick Mears 224.113
1992 Al Unser Jr. (12) Valvoline Galmer '92 134.477 Roberto Guerrero 232.482
1993 Emerson Fittipaldi (9) Marlboro Penske Chevy 157.207 Arie Luyendyk 223.967
1994 Al Unser Jr. (1) Marlboro Penske Mercedes 160.872 Al Unser Jr. 228.011
1995 Jacques Villeneuve (5) Player's Ltd. Reynard Ford 153.616 Scott Brayton 231.604
1996 Buddy Lazier (5) Reynard Ford 147.956 Tony Stewart 233.100&
1997 Arie Luyendyk (1) G-Force Olds Aurora 145.827 Arie Luyendyk 218.263
1998 Eddie Cheever Jr. (17) Dallara Olds Aurora 145.155 Billy Boat 223.503
1999 Kenny Brack (8) Dallara Olds Aurora 153.176 Arie Luyendyk 225.179
2000 Juan Montoya (2) G-Force Olds Aurora 167.607 Greg Ray 223.471
2001 Helio Castroneves (11) Dallara Olds Aurora 153.601 Scott Sharp 226.037
2002-i Helio Castroneves (13) Dallara Chevrolet 166.499 Bruno Junqueira 231.342
2003 Gil de Ferran (10) G-Force Toyota 156.291 Helio Castroneves 231.725
2004-j Buddy Rice (1) G-Force Honda 138.518 Buddy Rice 222.024
2005 Dan Wheldon (26) Dallara
Honda
157.603 Tony Kanaan 222.024
2006 Sam Hornish Jr. (1) Dallara Honda 157.085 Sam Hornish Jr. 228.985
2007 Dario Franchitti (3) Dallara Honda 151.774 Helio Castroneves 225.817
2008 Scott Dixon (1) Dallara Honda 143.567 - -
*Track record for winning time.
& Scott Brayton won the pole position with an avg. mph of 233.718 but was killed in a practice run. Stewart was given pole position with the next fastest speed.
Notes: a-1916 race scheduled for 300 miles; b-rain shortened 1926 race to 400 miles; c-rain shortened 1950 race to 345 miles; d-1967 race postponed due to rain after 18 laps (May 30), resumed next day (May 31); e-rain shortened 1973 race to 332.5 miles; f-rain shortened 1975 race to 435 miles; g-rain shortened 1976 race to 255 miles; h-in 1981, runner-up Mario Andretti was awarded 1st place when winner Bobby Unser was penalized a lap after the race was completed for passing cars illegally under the caution flag. Unser and car-owner Roger Penske appealed the race stewards' decision to the U.S. Auto Club. Four months later, USAC overturned the ruling, saying that the penalty was too harsh and Unser should be fined $40,000 rather than stripped of his championship; i-Team Green, runner-up Paul Tracy's team, appealed Castroneves' victory, citing video evidence and driver testimonials that proved Tracy passed Castroneves moments before the caution flag on lap 199. The IRL denied the appeal the following day. j-rain shortened 2004 race to 450 miles.

Indy Racing League Circuit Indy 500 Rookie of the Year
Indy Racing League Circuit
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