 | |||||
| Indianapolis Motor Speedway | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis 500 | |||||
| Sanctioning body | USAC | ||||
| Season | 1992 CART season 1991–92 Gold Crown | ||||
| Date | May 24, 1992 | ||||
| Winner |  Al Unser Jr. | ||||
| Winning team | Galles-Kraco Racing | ||||
| Average speed | 134.477 mph (216.420 km/h) | ||||
| Pole position |  Roberto Guerrero | ||||
| Pole speed | 232.482 mph (374.144 km/h) | ||||
| Fastest qualifier | Roberto Guerrero | ||||
| Rookie of the Year | Lyn St. James | ||||
| Most laps led | Michael Andretti (160) | ||||
| Pre-race ceremonies | |||||
| National anthem | Sandi Patti | ||||
| "Back Home Again in Indiana" | Jim Nabors | ||||
| Starting command | Mary F. Hulman | ||||
| Pace car | Cadillac Allanté | ||||
| Pace car driver | Bobby Unser | ||||
| Starter | Duane Sweeney[1] | ||||
| Estimated attendance | 400,000[2] | ||||
| TV in the United States | |||||
| Network | ABC | ||||
| Announcers | Host/Lap-by-lap: Paul Page Color Analyst: Sam Posey Color Analyst: Bobby Unser | ||||
| Nielsen ratings | 9.8 / 31 | ||||
| Chronology | |||||
| |||||
The 76th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday, May 24, 1992. The race is famous for the fierce battle in the closing laps, as race winner Al Unser Jr. held off second place Scott Goodyear for the victory by 0.043 seconds, the closest finish in Indy history. Unser Jr. became the first second-generation driver to win the Indy 500, following in the footsteps of his father Al Unser Sr. He also became the third member of the famous Unser family to win the race.
Cold temperatures and high winds turned the race into a crash-filled, marathon day. The tone for the race was set early when pole position winner Roberto Guerrero spun out and crashed on the parade lap. The race was dominated by Michael Andretti in the debut of the Ford Cosworth XB engine. Andretti led 160 laps and was 30 seconds in front when his fuel pump suddenly failed with eleven laps to go.
Thirteen cars were eliminated in crashes during the race, and several other serious wrecks occurred during practice. Former Formula One World Champion Nelson Piquet suffered serious leg injuries in a crash on May 7. Pancho Carter and Hiro Matsushita suffered broken bones in separate crashes, and rookie Jovy Marcelo was fatally injured after a practice crash on May 15.
Defending winner Rick Mears crashed during practice and during the race, while Jeff Andretti experienced the worst crash during the race itself, suffering serious injuries to his legs and feet.
Following the race, sweeping changes came about at the track, largely in the interest of safety. In addition, a noticeable "changing of the guard" followed, as the 1992 race signaled the final race for several Indy legends, including A. J. Foyt, Rick Mears, Tom Sneva, and Gordon Johncock. A race-record ten former winners started in the field.
The race was sanctioned by USAC, and was included as part of the 1992 PPG Indy Car World Series. Unser's victory was considered by some an "upset," as his somewhat inauspicious Galmer chassis was not expected to excel on ovals, and its first generation "Chevy-A" engine was starting to become a lame duck powerplant in the series. It was also a long-awaited victory for Unser, who was making his tenth Indy attempt. Unser, the 1990 CART champion, had recently confided with Paul Page that he was afraid he may never win the 500.[3]
- ^ Fox, Jack C. (1994). The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994 (4th ed.). Carl Hungness Publishing. p. 22. ISBN 0-915088-05-3.
- ^ Benner, Bill (May 25, 1992). "Goodyear endures emotional gamut". The Indianapolis Star. p. 1. Retrieved June 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ 1992 Indianapolis 500 - ABC-TV broadcast (quote by Paul Page during the post-race coverage)
