1966 Indianapolis 500

50th Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning bodyUSAC
Season1966 USAC season
DateMay 30, 1966
WinnerGraham Hill
Winning teamJohn Mecom, Jr.
Average speed144.317 mph (232.256 km/h)
Pole positionMario Andretti
Pole speed165.899 mph (266.989 km/h)
Fastest qualifierMario Andretti
Rookie of the YearJackie Stewart
Most laps ledLloyd Ruby (68)
Pre-race ceremonies
National anthemPurdue Band
"Back Home Again in Indiana"Ed Ames
Starting commandTony Hulman
Pace carMercury Comet Cyclone GT
Pace car driverBenson Ford
StarterPat Vidan[1]
Honorary refereeRaymond Firestone[1]
Estimated attendance275,000[2]
TV in the United States
NetworkABC's Wide World of Sports
AnnouncersChris Schenkel Rodger Ward
Chronology
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1965 1967

The 50th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Monday, May 30, 1966. The official program cover for the race celebrated both the 50th running of the race, and 150th anniversary of Indiana statehood.

Eleven of the 33 starters were eliminated in a first-lap accident right after receiving the green flag on the main stretch. Only A. J. Foyt was injured, hurting his hand scaling the catch fence trying to escape the wreck scene. Only seven cars, the fewest finishers ever, were still running by the end of the race. First-time starter Jackie Stewart led by over a lap late in the race in John Mecom's Lola T90-Ford.[3] However, inside ten laps to go, his oil pressure dropped too low due to a broken scavenge pump. Stewart parked the car, and after briefly attempting to push some ways, he walked back to the pits. Fellow first-time starter Graham Hill inherited the lead and led a total of 10 laps to win, the first rookie winner since 1927. Despite parking his car, Stewart was voted the rookie of the year over Hill, completing enough laps to finish in 6th place.

Defending race winner Jim Clark spun twice during the race, and finished second. A mild controversy developed at the conclusion of the race, as Clark's crew - and some observers - erroneously believed their car was the race winner over Hill. However, during post-race review, the scoring serials were settled later that evening, confirming Hill the race winner and Clark placing second. For the second year in a row, the Wood Brothers from the NASCAR Grand National circuit were invited to work pit stops, this time for Dan Gurney. However, the car dropped out of the race in the crash on the opening lap.[4]

  1. ^ a b 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.
  2. ^ Ullmann, Harrison (May 31, 1966). "Potpourri In Infield Stages Own Show". The Indianapolis Star. p. 11. Retrieved June 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  3. ^ Kettlewell, p. 2192.
  4. ^ The Talk of Gasoline Alley - 1070-AM WIBC, August 6, 2005