The Indy 500 is a coveted race in the history of motorsport. It’s considered one of the crown jewels of auto racing and has a deep history of over 100 years. Today, LWOS will look back at the milestone runnings of this iconic race.
The Running of the Race Dates back to 1911
During its very first running, the Indy 500 was won by Ray Harroun who came out of retirement specifically to face in the 500. The car he drove, The Marmon Wasp, can still be seen today at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall Of Fame Museum.
Since 1911, the track has seen more than 75 different winners. Some of the notable names include: A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears, Helio Castroneves, Alexander Rossi, and most recently Josef Newgarden who won back-to-back.
The 25th Running of the Indianapolis 500
At the time, the race was officially called the 25th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes. The race took place on May 31 1937 with Wilbur Shaw taking the win. During the final 20 laps of the race, Shaw’s car began leaking oil and had a heavily worn right rear tire. His car slowed down a considerable amount and both he and his riding mechanic suffered from burns due to the leaking oil as they pushed to the finish line.
He held off Ralph Hepburn by maintaining a 2.16-second gap. At the time, this was the closest Indy 500 finish until 1982. Shaw went on to win the race a total of three times and became the first person to win it two times in a row.
Shaw’s Mechanic, Jigger Johnson also rode with the 1931 winner, Louis Schneider, and became the second two-time Indy 500-winning riding mechanic. Johnson is the final winning riding mechanic in Indy history.
The race also set the record for being one of the hottest Indy 500 race day. Temperatures soared to 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius.)
The 50th Running of the Indianapolis 500
On May 30, 1966, fans gathered at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to celebrate the 50th running of the 500 as well as the 150th anniversary of Indiana statehood. The race got off to a very chaotic start with 11 out of the 33 entries being eliminated following a first-lap accident. A.J. Foyt was the only driver to sustain an injury after hurting his hand.
By the end of the race, only seven cars were left making it the fewest number of race finishers ever. First-time starter inherited the lead from Jackie Stewart after Stewart’s oil pressure dropped due to a broken scavenge pump.
Hill went on to win the race after leading for 10 laps. Meanwhile defending race winner Jim Clark spun twice and finished the race in second. Clark’s crew and some spectators believed that his car was the race winner. After conducting a post-race review it was determined that Graham Hill was the winner.
The 75th Running of the Indianapolis 500
The 75th Running of the Indy 500 was one that made history for multiple reasons. Taking place on May 29, 1991, the race saw the first African American driver to qualify to race in the 500, Willy T, Ribbs. It also featured the first Japanese driver, Hiro Matsushita.
A lot of the pre-race attention went towards A.J. Foyt who announced his retirement from racing at the end of the 1991 season. Foyt qualified on the front row for the race but retired due to suspension damage.
This race also marked the first time four members of the same family qualified in the same race. Mario, Michael, Jeff, and John Andretti all competed together Jeff was named the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year while his brothers all finished in the top ten.
Rick Mears was the winner of the race. He won from pole position and set an IndyCar record by winning his sixth career pole position. During practice earlier in the month of May, Mears crashed and totaled his primary car. He broke a bone in his right foot but managed to keep the injury a secret. He later admitted to having to cross his legs and push the accelerator pedal down with his left foot because of the pain.
Mears became the third four-time winner of the Indy 500.
The 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500
The 100th running of the Indy 500 took place on May 29, 2016. The race was won by Alexander Rossi who raced for Andretti. At the time of the race, Rossi was still a rookie.
During the final ten laps of the race, most of the race leaders made pit stops while Rossi stayed out. He slowed down towards the end to save fuel but managed to finish nearly four and a half seconds ahead of Carlos Muñoz. The podium was completed by Josef Newgarden in P3.
The defending champion Juan Pablo Montoya entered the race looking for a third Indy 500 win. His race was cut short when he lost control of the car in turn two and hit the outside wall.
Rossi is one of nine other rookie drivers to win the race, cementing his mark on Indy 500 history.
Featured Image: IMAGO/ Zuma Presswire. 5/26/2024
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