The Indianapolis 500 (also called the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race) [a] [2] is an annual American open-wheel car race held on American Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), in Speedway, Indiana. [3] It was first held in 1911 after the track's owners had experimented with several other long-distances auto races over the previous two years. [2] The race was not held in 1917 or 1918 and again from 1942 to 1945 because of war. [2] It was administered by the American Automobile Association between 1911 and 1955, then by the United States Auto Club from 1956 to 1997, and finally by the Indy Racing League/IndyCar beginning in 1998. [3] [4] The event usually covers 200 laps over a total distance of 500 mi (800 km). [3] Each winning racer and team is presented with a small replica of the Art Deco sterling silver Borg-Warner Trophy, [b] [7] a replica of the pace car, [8] a large sum of money, [9] and a championship ring as prizes for winning the race. [10] In the 108 editions of the Indianapolis 500 that have occurred as of the 2023 event, 75 different drivers have won. [3]
Contents
- By year
- By driver
- By driver nationality
- By team
- By chassis make
- By engine make
- By tire make
- Notes
- References
- External links
A. J. Foyt, Al Unser, Rick Mears, and Hélio Castroneves share the record for the most victories with four each. [11] Troy Ruttman and Unser are the youngest and oldest Indianapolis 500 winners, winning at the ages of 22 years and 80 days in 1952 and 47 years and 360 days in 1987, respectively. [12] Juan Pablo Montoya holds the record for the longest period of time between two victories – 15 years between the 2000 and 2015 races. [13] Castroneves holds the record for the longest span of wins. He won his first Indianapolis 500 in 2001 and his last (as of 2024) in 2021, a span of 20 years. [14] It has been won by drivers from 11 different countries. A total of 55 American drivers have won 77 editions of the race, more than any other nationality. [3] The winner of the first race was American racer Ray Harroun in 1911, and the most recent winner is American racer Josef Newgarden in 2024. [3] Two editions of the Indianapolis 500, in 1924 and 1941, were won by two drivers sharing a car; [15] relief drivers were used in the winning entries in 1911, 1912, 1923, and 1925, but they are not recognized as race winners. [5] Team Penske has won the most races as a car entrant with 20 since their first in 1972. [c] [2]
