With the primary Indianapolis 500 going down in 1911 and with 108 years of historical past (the race wasn’t performed throughout wartimes), the Indy 500 has offered numerous memorable moments.
We ranked the 25 most memorable moments, from 25-to-1, and we’ll rely them down day by day all the way in which up till Could twenty fifth, when the 109th Indianapolis 500 goes inexperienced (coverage begins 10 a.m. ET on FOX).
These moments are sure to evoke recollections — some that may make you smile, some that may make you snort, even some that may make you cringe. However all memorable.
Test again day by day for the following most memorable second. Immediately on our checklist is No. 4.
No. 25: Jim Clark’s 1965 victory
The 1965 Indianapolis 500 will go down in historical past for a few causes. Jim Clark’s victory in a Ford-powered Lotus marked the primary time {that a} rear-engine automotive received the race. That wasn’t a shock within the sense that 27 of the 33 vehicles within the occasion had been rear-engine vehicles as groups and drivers had been capable of match the facility and steadiness of the vehicles to make them quicker than front-engine roadsters.
Clark, because of Ford, additionally had the Wooden Brothers of NASCAR fame pitting his automotive. They by no means needed to change tires however they needed to gasoline it twice, and their fueling strategies had been a lot quicker than their opponents.
No. 24: Newgarden passes Ericsson for 2023 victory
The 2023 Indianapolis 500 will go down as one of the vital controversial finishes. As a substitute of letting the race finish below warning when a late-race crash usually would have resulted within the race by no means getting restarted, collection officers opted to purple flag the race — the third purple flag within the closing 15 laps.
Marcus Ericsson was main on the time however was considered as a sitting duck for the one-lap sprint to the end. And he was as Josef Newgarden made the cross on the backstretch of the ultimate lap for his first of what could be back-to-back Indy 500 victories.
No. 23: Milk custom is born in 1936
Louis Meyer received his third Indianapolis 500 in 1936, and it was the beginning of a few traditions. The primary was considerably unintentional. Somebody gave him a bottle of buttermilk to drink following the race. That began the famed custom of consuming milk in victory circle.
The opposite was that it was the primary race for the Borg-Warner Trophy, which stays the trophy given to the Indianapolis 500 winner.
No. 22: Al Unser turns into oldest winner
Al Unser didn’t have a experience for the 1987 Indianapolis 500. However when Danny Ongais suffered a concussion in a wreck, Roger Penske wanted a driver. So he known as Unser. He additionally wanted a automotive. Penske discovered one — a year-old automotive the group had on show at a Pennsylvania resort close to their store.
Unser was no stranger to successful at Indianapolis as he had three profession victories. He made it a historic fourth win in 1987, and at age 47 years, 360 days — he stays the oldest driver to win the Indy 500.
No. 21: Scott Goodyear passes tempo automotive
Memorable moments are available all types, together with disappointment. Disappointment and shock was what Scott Goodyear felt in 1995. He had led 42 laps and appeared to have the strongest automotive late within the race. However on a restart with 10 laps remaining, Goodyear handed the slow-running tempo automotive earlier than the tempo automotive obtained to pit street. Goodyear stayed on the monitor regardless of being black-flagged.
Jacques Villeneuve received the race. Goodyear was credited with 14th, 5 laps down.
No. 20: Mario Andretti’s 1969 victory
Mario Andretti, thought-about one of many world’s best race-car drivers, earned his solely win within the Indianapolis 500 in 1969. He led 116 of the 200 laps and received by a margin of 113 seconds over Dan Gurney.
Andretti turned the primary driver to win each the Daytona 500 (1967) and Indianapolis 500. A.J. Foyt would be part of him on that checklist when Foyt received at Daytona in 1972.
No. 19: F1 champs within the highlight
The Indianapolis 500 has all the time attracted among the world’s most achieved drivers, and that definitely was the case in 1993. With 1992 System 1 champion Nigel Mansell making his debut, he led 34 laps.
Two different F1 champions who had grow to be Indy staples — Mario Andretti (1978 F1 champ) and Emerson Fittipaldi (1972, 1974) — spent loads of outing entrance. Andretti led 72 laps. Fittipaldi led 16 laps, together with an important one, as he captured his second Indy 500 victory.
Afterward, Fittipaldi made a controversial choice — foregoing the standard milk in victory circle for orange juice from his groves. He later took a sip of milk and issued an apology for initially not following the custom.
No. 18: Scott Dixon’s scary crash
Scott Dixon walked away from a scary crash on Lap 53 of the 2017 Indianapolis 500. His automotive collided with the wrecked automobile of Jay Howard, launching Dixon’s automotive greater than 10 ft into the air. It landed on the within wall upside-down, shearing the automotive aside.
Neither driver was critically injured. Dixon acquired a strolling boot for his foot and ankle following the accident.
No. 17: Tony Stewart finishes sixth in Indy 500 and third in Coke 600
Tony Stewart accomplished 1,090 miles in his 1999 Indy 500-Coke 600 double and have become the primary (and nonetheless the one) driver to later full all 1,100 miles in 2001 as he completed sixth within the Indianapolis 500 and third within the NASCAR race in Charlotte.
Stewart, who fought dizziness and exhaustion in 1999, took nice satisfaction within the 2001 feat. After getting out of his automotive, he mentioned: “For these people who had any doubts that I used to be placing all people at risk, you’re a bunch of idiots as a result of I used to be the quickest automotive on the racetrack on the finish.”
No. 16: Willy T. Ribbs turns into first Black driver in race
Willy T. Ribbs overcame 4 blown engines through the two weeks of apply and qualifying to make the 1991 Indianapolis 500. With the assist of actor Invoice Cosby and a decided group proprietor in Derrick Walker, Ribbs turned the primary Black driver to compete within the race. Six years earlier, he had come to Indianapolis on a take care of boxing promoter Don King, however the automotive by no means obtained up to the mark.
An achieved sports-car racer who had competed in eight INDYCAR races in 1990, Ribbs suffered one other engine failure simply 5 laps into the race and completed thirty second.
No. 15: Janet Guthrie races as first lady in Indy 500
Janet Guthrie turned the primary lady to compete within the Indy 500 as she began twenty sixth within the 1977 race. An engine failure ended her day after 27 laps and she or he completed twenty ninth.
That culminated an unimaginable yr for Guthrie. After she did not make the 1976 Indy 500 subject, she went to Charlotte and have become the primary lady to compete on a NASCAR oval larger than 1 mile in size. She completed fifteenth. That subsequent February, she turned the primary lady to race within the Daytona 500, the place she completed twelfth after which adopted that up in Could by qualifying for the 1977 Indy 500.
No. 14: Helio Castroneves climbs Indy fence for first time
Helio Castroneves had climbed the fence after earlier racing wins. However for the primary time at Indianapolis, Castroneves climbed the fence in 2001 as he celebrated his 500 victory to the delight of the Hoosier crowd.
The victory didn’t come with out controversy as Paul Tracy claimed he had handed Castroneves for the lead earlier than the warning got here out on Lap 199. His protests and appeals had been denied, and Castroneves stored the victory — the primary of 4 (thus far) within the Indy 500.
No. 13: Danica Patrick the primary lady to steer laps
It was 20 years in the past when Danica Patrick captured the eye of the sports activities world as she certified fourth for the 2005 Indianapolis 500, the perfect beginning spot ever for a feminine driver.
Patrick led 19 laps late within the race and completed fourth, which additionally was the perfect for any feminine driver — till 2009 when Patrick completed third.
No. 12: A.J. Foyt captures elusive fourth Indy 500
A.J. Foyt took the lead on Lap 185 of the 1977 Indianapolis 500 when a crankshaft broke on the dominant automotive of Gordon Johncock, who had led 129 laps. Foyt led 46 laps within the race, together with the ultimate 16 laps, to win his report fourth Indy 500.
It was a feat 10 years within the making after successful his third 500 in 1967. Foyt had received in 1961, 1964 and 1967, so many had questioned if he would ever get that elusive fourth win.
No. 11: The inaugural race in 1911
The primary: Ray Harroun received the primary Indianapolis 500 in 1911 in entrance of greater than 80,000 spectators. Harroun drove a Marmon “Wasp” and was the one driver within the 40-car subject and not using a using mechanic.
He accomplished the five hundred miles in 6 hours, 42 minutes, 8 seconds (74.602 mph). The 32-year-old Harroun earned $14,250 for the win and retired from aggressive racing following the victory.
No. 10: Rick Mears vs. Michael Andretti on option to fourth Indy 500 win
In 1991, one other member joined the four-time membership as Rick Mears dueled with Michael Andretti — they traded the lead twice over the ultimate 30 laps — on his option to a fourth Indianapolis 500 victory.
It was one other disappointment for Andretti as he watched Mears lead the ultimate 13 laps for his fourth whereas Andretti, who led 97 laps that day, by no means received the game’s greatest race.
No. 9: Helio Castroneves captures fourth Indy 500 and one other fence climb
Twenty years after his first win within the Indianapolis 500, Helio Castroneves handed Alex Palou on the frontstretch with two laps to go and held off Palou to earn his fourth 500 victory in 2021.
And, after all, he climbed the fence, simply as he did in 2001, 2002 and 2009. The drive for 5 continues for Castroneves, who will compete within the Indy 500 for Meyer Shank Racing.
No. 8: Alexander Rossi wins in 2016 as he runs out of fuel
Would Alexander Rossi run out of fuel or not? That was the query late within the 2016 Indianapolis 500 as a number of drivers needed to pit late for gasoline — Rossi was sixth with 10 laps remaining however then second with 5 remaining. When Carlos Munoz pitted with 4 laps to go, Rossi assumed the lead.
Rossi, who final pitted on Lap 164, had sufficient fuel to get to the end line — however to not make it round on the cool-down lap. It definitely was a memorable a hundredth working of the famed race.
No. 7: Jim Rathmann vs. Rodger Ward in dicey battle
The 1960 Indianapolis 500 featured a battle between Jim Rathmann and Rodger Ward, who had been the one two leaders over the ultimate 105 laps.
They traded the lead seven instances, with Rathmann taking the lead for good with 4 laps remaining. Rathmann led 100 laps all through the day, whereas Ward led 58. It was Rathmann’s one and solely win in 14 begins within the 500.
No. 6: Emerson Fittipaldi-Al Unser Jr. duel down the stretch
Emerson Fittipaldi and Al Unser Jr. had a six-lap buffer on the remainder of the sector as they dueled for the victory within the 1986 Indianapolis 500.
Battling late within the race, they touched wheels, and Unser slammed the wall. Fittipaldi received the race below warning. Unser gave Fittipaldi a thumb’s up signal as Fittipaldi drove by him below warning on the ultimate lap.
No. 5: Danny Sullivan’s ‘spin and win’ Indy 500
Danny Sullivan’s 1985 Indianapolis 500 victory wasn’t a last-lap cross for the win however the spotlight is iconic. Main the race on Lap 120, Sullivan did a full 360-degree spin however collected the automotive and dropped just one spot to second as Mario Andretti handed him for the lead.
Sullivan handed Andretti on Lap 140 and by no means relinquished the lead once more.
No. 4: Gordon Johncock wins by simply 0.16 seconds over Rick Mears
In an exhilarating battle to the end within the 1982 Indianapolis 500, Gordon Johncock held off Rick Mears. Mears almost made the cross going into Flip 1 of the ultimate lap, however Johncock lower him off on the apron to maintain the lead.
Mears tried a transfer to win coming to the end, and Johncock held him off by 0.16 seconds, which on the time was the closest end in Indy 500 historical past.
No. 3: Could 23
No. 2: Could 24
No. 1: Could 25
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and IndyCar for FOX Sports activities. He has spent a long time overlaying motorsports, together with over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting Information, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Seaside) Information-Journal. Comply with him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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