List of Indianapolis 500 winners

The silver Borg-Warner Trophy on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The winner of the Indianapolis 500 is awarded a small replica of the Borg-Warner Trophy.

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]

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]

  1. ^ "IMS Hall of Fame Inductees". Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Davidson, Donald (June 2021) [1994]. "Indianapolis 500-Mile Race". Encyclopedia of Indianapolis. Archived from the original on May 26, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Augustyn, Adam; C. Shepherd, Melinda; Chauhan, Yamini; Levy, Michael; Lotha, Gloria; Tikkanen, Amy. "Indianapolis 500". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  4. ^ Cavin, Curt (January 27, 2020). "Track Talk: The Greatest Spectacle in Racing". IndyCar Series. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference MediaGuide was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Martin, Bruce (October 18, 2020). "Double Vision: Takuma Sato's second face for the Borg-Warner Trophy". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  7. ^ Malsher-Lopez, David (May 25, 2021). "How did the Indy 500's Borg-Warner Trophy become an icon?". Motorsport.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  8. ^ "1953 Ford Sunliner Pace Car". The Henry Ford. June 18, 2020. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  9. ^ "Indianapolis 500 Winning Drivers: Total Purse & Winner's Share". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Archived from the original on December 26, 2022. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  10. ^ Scott, Jonathan (May 25, 2012). "Dan Wheldon's Widow Receives His Winner's Ring". Indianapolis Monthly. Archived from the original on December 13, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2012.Ayello, Jim (May 3, 2017). "Alexander Rossi accepts Indianapolis 500 winner's ring". The Indianapolis Star. Archived from the original on March 1, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  11. ^ "Most Indianapolis 500 Wins". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  12. ^ Hiaslop, Todd (May 31, 2021). "Indy 500 winners: A complete list of all-time race champions, records, most wins". Sporting News. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  13. ^ Fryer, Jenna (May 25, 2015). "Montoya wins Indy 500". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  14. ^ "Driver Records & Milestones – Victories". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  15. ^ "Borg-Warner Trophy heading for Japan". Autoweek. November 28, 2017. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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