 | |||||
| Indianapolis Motor Speedway | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis 500 | |||||
| Sanctioning body | Indy Racing League | ||||
| Season | 1999 IRL season | ||||
| Date | May 30, 1999 | ||||
| Winner |  Kenny Bräck | ||||
| Winning team | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | ||||
| Average speed | 153.176 mph (247 km/h) | ||||
| Pole position |  Arie Luyendyk | ||||
| Pole speed | 225.179 mph (362 km/h) | ||||
| Fastest qualifier | Arie Luyendyk | ||||
| Rookie of the Year |  Robby McGehee | ||||
| Most laps led | Kenny Bräck (66) | ||||
| Pre-race ceremonies | |||||
| National anthem | CeCe Winans | ||||
| "Back Home Again in Indiana" | Jim Nabors | ||||
| Starting command | Mari Hulman George | ||||
| Pace car | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | ||||
| Pace car driver | Jay Leno | ||||
| Starter | Bryan Howard | ||||
| Honorary starter | Jim Postl (Pennzoil) | ||||
| Estimated attendance | 250,000 | ||||
| TV in the United States | |||||
| Network | ABC | ||||
| Announcers | Bob Jenkins, Tom Sneva | ||||
| Nielsen ratings | 5.5 / 18 | ||||
| Chronology | |||||
| |||||
The 83rd Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday, May 30, 1999. The race was sanctioned by the Indy Racing League, and was part of the 1999 Pep Boys Indy Racing League season. Defending IRL champion Kenny Bräck started 8th and became the first Swedish driver to win the Indy 500.
Indy car veteran Robby Gordon, driving for Team Menard, pitted during a caution on lap 164, looking to stretch his fuel over the final 36 laps. Gordon shuffled to front on lap 174, and pulled out to a comfortable lead. In the waning laps however, Gordon's lead began to dwindle, as he was forced to save fuel. With two laps to go, he led second place Kenny Bräck by just under two seconds. Coming out of turn four to receive the white flag (the signal for one lap to go), Gordon's car sputtered and he ran out fuel. Kenny Bräck took the lead with just over one lap to go and won for car owner A. J. Foyt. The race victory represented the long-awaited "fifth" Indy 500 win for A. J. Foyt, who had previously won a record four times as a driver (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977). It was also one of the most-successful races for A. J. Foyt Enterprises, with Bräck the winner, and team cars Billy Boat third, and Robbie Buhl sixth.
Popular veteran and two-time Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk announced his plans to retire at the end of the event.[1] He won the pole position and was a factor most of the first half. After leading 63 laps, however, he crashed while leading after he tangled with a backmarker. Luyendyk would later retract his retirement plans, and made a brief return to Indy from 2001–2003.
As of 2024, this stands as the 29th and final Indy victory for Goodyear tires and stands as the oldest Indianapolis 500 with all 33 starters still living.
- ^ Hinton, Ed (1999-05-31). "Arie's Last Ride". Motor Sports. Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on March 1, 2013. Retrieved 2012-03-21.