1985 Indianapolis 500

69th Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning bodyUSAC
Season1985 CART season
1984–85 Gold Crown
DateMay 26, 1985
WinnerUnited States Danny Sullivan
Winning teamPenske Racing
Average speed152.982 mph (246.201 km/h)
Pole positionUnited States Pancho Carter
Pole speed212.583 mph (342.119 km/h)
Fastest qualifierUnited States Pancho Carter
Rookie of the YearNetherlands Arie Luyendyk
Most laps ledUnited States Mario Andretti (107)
Pre-race ceremonies
National anthemRobert McFarlin
"Back Home Again in Indiana"The Voices of Liberty, conducted by Mickey Mouse
Starting commandMary F. Hulman
Pace carOldsmobile Cutlass Calais
Pace car driverJames Garner
StarterDuane Sweeney[1]
Estimated attendance400,000[2]
TV in the United States
NetworkABC
AnnouncersHost/Lap-by-lap: Jim McKay
Color Analyst: Sam Posey
Nielsen ratings9.7 / 18
Chronology
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1984 1986

The 69th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday, May 26, 1985. The race was sanctioned by USAC, and was included as part of the 1985 CART PPG Indy Car World Series. The Speedway also celebrated 40 years of ownership by the Hulman/George family.

In one of the most dramatic moments in Indy 500 history, Danny Sullivan took the lead from Mario Andretti on lap 120. But as he was completing the pass, Sullivan's car stepped out, and he lost control. He spun directly in front of Andretti in turn one, doing a complete 360°. Andretti veered to the inside and slipped by unscathed, while Sullivan's car somehow avoided contact with the concrete wall. Sullivan remarkably gathered control without stalling the engine, and continued in the race. About twenty laps later, Sullivan managed to re-pass Andretti for the lead, this time cleanly. Sullivan led the final 61 laps, and scored his first and only Indy victory. It was the fifth Indy win for car owner Roger Penske (Penske Racing), tying the record at the time held by Lou Moore.

Due to the electrifying spin by Sullivan, and the subsequent recovery, the race became known in auto racing lore as the "Spin and Win".[3] It is largely considered one of the most famous moments in all of Indy car racing history.

The 1985 Indy 500 was the breakout race for the "stock block" Buick Indy V6 engine. Pancho Carter and Scott Brayton swept the top two spots on the starting grid with the pushrod Buick, setting new track record speeds in time trials. However, both cars still had questionable reliability for the full 500 miles, and both dropped out early with mechanical problems on race day.

  1. ^ 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. ^ Miller, Robin (May 27, 1985). "Sullivan spins and still wins; second victory still eludes Mario". The Indianapolis Star. p. 1. Retrieved June 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  3. ^ Ryan, Nate (2010-05-21). "Danny Sullivan's Indy 500 win still has spin 25 years later". CART. USA Today. Retrieved 2012-02-08.