Indianapolis 500 records

As of 95th race, May 29, 2011.

Race records

• Most victories, driver
  • 4 – A.J. Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977)
  • 4 – Al Unser (1970, 1971, 1978, 1987)
  • 4 – Rick Mears (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991)

• Most victories, owner
  • 15 – Roger Penske (1972, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1994, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2009)

• Victories by owner/driver: 7
  • Jimmy Murphy (1922 as owner/driver)
  • Kelly Petillo (1935 as owner/driver)
  • Wilbur Shaw (1937 as owner/driver)
  • A.J. Foyt (1961 & 1964 as driver, 1967 & 1977 as owner/driver, 1999 as owner)
  • Eddie Cheever (1998 as owner/driver)
  • Parnelli Jones (1963 as driver, 1970 & 1971 as owner)
  • Bobby Rahal (1986 as driver, 2004 as owner)

Victories by chassis make: 10

• Dallara (1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)

Victories by engine manufacturer: 27

• Offenhauser

Victories by tire manufacturer: 63

• Firestone

Most victories by car number: 11 wins

• Cars No. 3 (1919, 1948, 1962, 1968, 1974, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1992, 2002, 2009)

• Starting Position: Cars starting from the pole-position have won the race 20 times (1922, 1923, 1930, 1938, 1953, 1956, 1963, 1970, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1997, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009)
• Consecutive wins: 5
  • Wilbur Shaw, 1939–1940
  • Mauri Rose, 1947–1948
  • Bill Vukovich, 1953–1954
  • Al Unser, 1970–1971
  • Hélio Castroneves, 2001–2002
• Defending champion finishing second: 8
  • Louis Meyer, 1929
  • Wilbur Shaw, 1938
  • Bill Holland, 1950
  • Rodger Ward, 1960
  • Jim Clark, 1966
  • Al Unser, 1972
  • Johnny Rutherford, 1975
  • Hélio Castroneves, 2003
• Defending second place-finisher winning: 13
  • Dario Resta, 1916
  • Fred Frame, 1932
  • Bill Holland*, 1949
  • Johnnie Parsons, 1950
  • Sam Hanks, 1957
  • Jim Rathmann, 1960
  • Bobby Unser, 1975
  • Johnny Rutherford, 1976
  • A.J. Foyt, 1977
  • Emerson Fittipaldi, 1989
  • Jacques Villeneuve, 1995
  • Scott Dixon, 2008
  • Dan Wheldon*, 2011

* Won after two consecutive second-place finishes.

• Rookie winner: 8*
  • Ray Harroun, 1911
  • Jules Goux, 1913
  • René Thomas, 1914
  • Frank Lockhart, 1926
  • George Souders, 1927
  • Graham Hill, 1966
  • Juan Pablo Montoya, 2000
  • Hélio Castroneves, 2001

* Louis Meyer won in his first start (1928), but had driven the previous year as relief driver for Wilbur Shaw.

• Rookie and sophomore winner: 1
  • Hélio Castroneves, 2001, 2002
• Co-winners (one driver starting a race but another driver finishing in the same winning entry): 2
  • Lora L. Corum / Joe Boyer, 1924
  • Floyd Davis / Mauri Rose, 1941
• Victories by drivers who never led a race lap in career: 2 (Corum and Davis, in those same years)

• Won Triple Crown of Motorsport (Indianapolis 500, Monaco Grand Prix, and 24 Hours of Le Mans):
  • Graham Hill (1966 / 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969 / 1972)

• Won Indianapolis 500, World Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans):
  • Graham Hill (1966 / 1962, 1968 / 1972)

• Won Indianapolis 500 and World Championship: 5
  • Jim Clark (1965 / 1963, 1965)
  • Graham Hill (1966 / 1962, 1968)
  • Mario Andretti (1969 / 1978)
  • Emerson Fittipaldi (1989, 1993 / 1972, 1974)
  • Jacques Villeneuve (1995 / 1997)

• Won Indianapolis 500 and 24 Hours of Le Mans: 2
  • A.J. Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977 / 1967)
  • Graham Hill (1966 / 1972)

• Won Indianapolis 500 and 24 Hours of Daytona:
  • A.J. Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977 / 1983, 1985)
  • Al Unser, Sr. (1970, 1971, 1978, 1987 / 1985)
  • Mark Donohue (1972 / 1969)
  • Mario Andretti (1969 / 1972* shortened due to gas shortage)
  • Bobby Rahal (1986 / 1981)
  • Arie Luyendyk (1990, 1997 / 1998)
  • Al Unser, Jr. (1992, 1994 / 1986, 1987)
  • Juan Pablo Montoya (2000 / 2007, 2008)
  • Dan Wheldon (2005, 2011 / 2006)
  • Scott Dixon (2008 / 2006)
  • Buddy Rice (2004 / 2009)
  • Dario Franchitti (2007, 2010 / 2008)

• Won Indianapolis 500 and Monaco Grand Prix:
  • Graham Hill (1966 / 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969)
  • Juan Pablo Montoya (2000 / 2003)

• Won Indianapolis 500 and 12 Hours of Sebring:
  • Mario Andretti (1969 / 1967, 1970, 1972)
  • A.J. Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977 / 1985)
  • Bobby Rahal (1986 / 1987)
  • Arie Luyendyk (1990, 1997 / 1989)

• Won Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500:
  • Mario Andretti (1969 / 1967)
  • A.J. Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977 / 1972)

• Won Indianapolis 500, World Championship, and Daytona 500:
  • Mario Andretti (1969 / 1978 / 1967)

• Won Indianapolis 500, 24 Hours of Le Mans, and Daytona 500:
  • A.J. Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977 / 1967 / 1972)

Pole Position:

• 6, Rick Mears (1979, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991)

Narrowest Margin of Victory:

• Al Unser, Jr. over Scott Goodyear, 1992
  • Official margin: 0.043 second
  • Unofficial margin: 0.033 second [1]

Widest Margin of Victory:

• Preceding 1966 (first year of top five finishing entry being flagged off before completing 500 miles):
  • 13 minutes, 8 seconds, Jules Goux over Spencer Wishart, 1913
• Succeeding 1966 (year inclusive):
  • 2 laps +0:00.021, Rick Mears over Roberto Guerrero, 1984
  • 2 laps, A.J. Foyt over Al Unser, 1967 (race red flagged, second place reverted to last completed lap)
  • 2 laps, Emerson Fittipaldi over Al Unser, Jr., 1989 (second place car did not finish 199th lap, third place 6 laps behind leader)

Fastest Winning Average Speed:

• 185.981 mph / 299.307 km/h, Arie Luyendyk, 1990

Slowest Winning Average Speed:

• 74.602 mph / 120.060 km/h, Ray Harroun, 1911

Slowest Finishing Average Speed:

• 56.29 mph / 90.59 km/h, Ralph Mulford, 1912

Fastest Qualifying Speed:

• 237.498 mph / 382.216 km/h, one lap, Arie Luyendyk, 1996
• 236.986 mph / 381.392 km/h, four-lap average, Arie Luyendyk, 1996

Fastest Female Qualifying Speed:

• 229.439 mph / 369.246 km/h, one lap, Sarah Fisher, 2002

Fastest Race Lap:

• 236.103 mph / 379.971 km/h, Eddie Cheever, 1996

Fastest Unofficial (Practice) Lap:

• 239.260 mph / 385.052 km/h, Arie Luyendyk, May 10, 1996

Youngest Winner:

• Troy Ruttman, 22 years, 80 days old, 1952

Oldest Winner:

• Al Unser, 47 years, 360 days old, 1987

Highest Finishing Female:

• Danica Patrick, 3rd, 2009 Indianapolis 500

Starts:

• 35, A.J. Foyt (1958–92, consecutive)
  • Starts without winning: 22, George Snider

Races led:

• 13, A.J. Foyt

Consecutive races led:

• 7, Tony Kanaan (2002–2008)

Career Laps Led:

• 644, Al Unser

Laps Led in Race:

• 198 (3–200), Billy Arnold, 1930

Fewest Laps Led in Race by Winning Driver:

• 1, Dan Wheldon, 2011

Laps Led in a Race by Non-Winning Driver:

• 196 (3-198; broken connecting rod), Ralph DePalma, 1912

Laps Led for Rookie:

• 167, Juan Pablo Montoya (race winner), 2000

Laps Led from the Start:

• 92, Emerson Fittipaldi, 1990

Last Lead Change: The latest the lead has changed hands is on the final lap (200 of 200). This has occurred twice.

• 2006: Sam Hornish, Jr. passed Marco Andretti on the main straightaway, off of the fourth turn, of the final lap, to the checkered flag (winning the second closest finish in race history).
• 2011: Dan Wheldon passed J. R. Hildebrand on the main straightaway, off of the fourth turn, on the final lap, after Hildenbrand crashed into the outside wall on the final turn (after moving too far toward the outside of the curve while overtaking a slower car).

Led First Lap and Last Lap: 19

• Jimmy Murphy, 1922
• Joe Boyer, 1924 (only occasion of occurrence in separate entries)
• Peter DePaolo, 1925
• Lee Wallard, 1951
• Bill Vukovich, 1953
• Jimmy Bryan, 1958
• Jim Clark, 1965
• Mario Andretti, 1969
• Al Unser, 1970
• Johnny Rutherford, 1976
• Johnny Rutherford, 1980
• Bobby Unser, 1981
• Rick Mears, 1984
• Emerson Fittipaldi, 1989
• Rick Mears, 1991
• Al Unser, Jr., 1994
• Buddy Rice, 2004
• Hélio Castroneves, 2009
• Dario Franchitti, 2010

Races with half or more of all laps led by non-winning entry:
Nineteen separate entries in equal years, driven by fifteen drivers, have failed to win despite leading over half a given race's completed laps.

Year	Driver	Laps Led	Race Percentage	Final Status
1912	Ralph DePalma	196	98.0%	Ret
1967	Parnelli Jones	171	85.5%	Ret
1987	Mario Andretti	170	85.0%	Ret
1992	Michael Andretti	160	80.0%	Ret
1931	Billy Arnold	155	77.5%	Ret
1952	Bill Vukovich	150	75.0%	Ret
2006	Dan Wheldon	148	74.0%	4
1994	Emerson Fittipaldi	145	72.5%	Ret
1947	Bill Holland	143	71.5%	2
1972	Gary Bettenhausen	138	69.0%	Ret
1977	Gordon Johncock	129	64.5%	Ret
1990	Emerson Fittipaldi	128	64.0%	3
1962	Parnelli Jones	120	60.0%	7
1924	Earl Cooper	119	59.5%	2
1927	Frank Lockhart	110	55.0%	Ret
1921	Ralph DePalma	108	54.0%	Ret
1941	Wilbur Shaw	107	53.5%	Ret
1985	Mario Andretti			2
1975	Wally Dallenbach	96	55.2%	Ret

Most Leaders in Race:

• 12 – 1993

Fewest Leaders in Race:

• 2 – 1930

Lead Changes in Race:

• 29 – 1960

Fewest Starters in Race:

• 21 – 1916

Most Starters in Race:

• 42 – 1933

Most Former Winners Starting Race:

• 10 – 1992

Most Rookies Starting Race:

• 19 – 1919, 1930 (excluding first race's 40 starters)

Fewest Rookies Starting Race:

• 1 – 1939, 1979

Most Cars Running at Finish:

• 26 – 1911

Fewest Cars Running at Finish:

• 7 – 1966

Most Occasions Running At Finish:

• 18, Al Unser

Greatest Improvement From Starting Position:

• 32 positions, 38th to 6th, Zeke Meyer, 1932

Highest Finish by Female Driver:

• 3rd Place, Danica Patrick, 2009

Hottest Temperature at Start of Race:

• 96 °F (35 °C), 2010

Hottest Temperature During Race:

• 100+ °F (38+ °C), 1953

Coldest Temperature at Start of Race:

• 51 °F (11 °C), 1992

Most Cars and Teams Entered

• 117, 1984

Rain-Shortened Races

• 1926 (160 laps)
• 1950 (138 laps)
• 1973 (131 laps)
• 1975 (174 laps)
• 1976 (102 laps)
• 2004 (180 laps)
• 2007 (166 laps)

Indianapolis 500 distance records

Laps	Distance (miles) (km)	Driver	Entry	Time	Average Speed (mph) (km/h)	Date	Race
1	2.500	Tony Kanaan	Andretti-Green Racing	41.3359	217.728	May 27, 2007	2007
	4.023				350.399
2	5.000	Tony Stewart	Team Menard	1:21.094	221.965	May 26, 1996	1996
	8.047				357.218
4	10.000	Hélio Castroneves	Marlboro Team Penske	2:43.771	219.819	May 25, 2003	2003
	16.093				353.764
10	25.000	Bruno Junqueira	Target Chip Ganassi Racing	6:48.806	220.153	May 26, 2002	2002
	40.234				354.302
20	50.000	Bruno Junqueira	Target Chip Ganassi Racing	13:36.011	220.585	May 26, 2002	2002
	80.467				354.997
30	75.000	Bruno Junqueira	Target Chip Ganassi Racing	20:43.090	217.201	May 26, 2002	2002
	120.701				349.551
40	100.000	Juan Pablo Montoya	Target Chip Ganassi Racing	29:07.621	205.994	May 28, 2000	2000
	160.934				331.515
50	125.000	Juan Pablo Montoya	Target Chip Ganassi Racing	36:13.626	207.027	May 28, 2000	2000
	201.168				333.178
60	150.000	Juan Pablo Montoya	Target Chip Ganassi Racing	43:27.421	207.101	May 28, 2000	2000
	241.402				333.297
70	175.000	Juan Pablo Montoya	Target Chip Ganassi Racing	55:57.915	187.616	May 28, 2000	2000
	281.635				301.939
80	200.000	Tony Kanaan	Andretti-Green Racing	1:05:01.827	184.529	May 26, 2002	2002
	321.869				296.971
90	225.000	Bobby Rahal	Truesports Company	1:17:31.599	174.138	May 31, 1986	1986
	362.102				280.250

Related lists

Drivers who crashed while leading late in the race

• 1952: Bill Vukovich - Vukovich lead 150 laps, and was leading on lap 192 when a steering linkage failed. Vukovich nursed his car to a stop by driving up against the outside wall in turn 4, preventing other drivers from getting involved in the incident.
• 1989: Al Unser, Jr. - On the 199th lap, Al Unser, Jr. was leading Fittipaldi down the backstretch. The two cars weaved through lap traffic, and Fittipaldi dove underneath in turn three. With Unser still a nose ahead, the two cars touched wheels, and Unser spun out, crashing into the outside wall. Fittipaldi coasted around the final lap to score his first Indy 500 victory.
• 1994: Emerson Fittipaldi - while leading the race on lap 184, Fittipaldi was attempting to lap his teammate Al Unser, Jr., who was running second. Coming out of turn 4, Fittipaldi's left wheels touched the rumble strips on the inside, and the rear of the car tagged the outside wall. Unser, Jr. went on to win the race.
• 2002: Tomas Scheckter - After leading 85 laps during the race, the rookie was leading on lap 173. Coming out of turn 4, he slid high and smacked the outside wall down the frontstretch.
• 2011: J. R. Hildebrand - During the final ten laps, a sequence of green flag pit stops shuffled the field. Rookie J. R. Hildebrand was attempting to stretch his fuel to the finish, and took over the lead with just over two laps to go. On the final lap, he was leading going into the final turn, when he came up on the lapped car of Charlie Kimball, who was slowing to the inside. Hildebrand went high, got into the "marbles," and smacked the outside wall. Without steering, and only on three wheels, his car slid down the frontstretch towards the finish line and the checkered flag. However, Hildebrand was passed by Dan Wheldon on the final 1,000 feet and Hildebrand finished second.