THE RACING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
1940s
1930s
1920s
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1970s
1960s
1950s
2010s
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1990s
2020
1909
1910s
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THE GREAT MOTORCYCLE INVASION OF 1909
On Aug. 1, 1909 The Indianapolis Star predicted thousands of motorcyclists would soon “invade Indianapolis.”
03/23/2020
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IMS DIGITAL ARCHIVE
1910
THE BLAH BLAH BLAH ERA
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AUDIO
LOOK BOOK
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On March 20, 1909, founders Carl G. Fisher, James A. Allison, Arthur C. Newby and Frank H. Wheeler officially formed the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Company. The four men pooled together their resources and purchased the land in December 1908. Fisher’s vision was to build an automobile testing ground to support Indiana’s growing automotive industry.
June 5, 1909
AUG. 14, 1909
The first motorized races—using motorcycles—took place on the IMS oval, which had a racing surface composed of crushed stone sprayed with tar. A.G. Chapple won the first race, a five-mile handicapped race with seven competitors, on an Indian motorcycle.
Donalds Speaks on the 1909 year.
DIGITAL DONALD
The first competitive event took place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway—a gas-filled balloon race. In the handicap division, Dr. Goethe Link and Russ Irvin’s “Indianapolis” won. John Berry and Paul McCullough won the National Championship race with the “University City.”
THE STORY OF HOW IT ALL BEGAN AT THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
THE FOUR FOUNDING FATHERS OF THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
“No record, no pay,” was the mantra of rugged Erwin George “Cannon Ball” Baker, best known for traversing the country coast-to-coast on the...
03/03/2020
“CANNON BALL” BAKER
IMS HISTORIAN DONALD DAVIDSON
1909 ALMANAC
3/9
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The original vision of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s four founders in 1909 called for a giant, 5-mile track...
02/18/2020
A VISION AHEAD OF ITS TIME
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall-of-Fame driver Johnny Aitken could be the answer to a number of Trivial Pursuit questions...
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THE SPEEDWAY’S WINNINGEST DRIVER
READ MORE
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was built in the spring of 1909, the result of a creative vision of Carl G. Fisher...
03/20/2020
CARL G. FISHER (Jan 12, 1874-July 15, 1939) was an energetic impresario who overcame poor eyesight...
“No record, no pay,” was the mantra of rugged Erwin George “Cannon Ball” Baker, best known for traversing the country coast-to-coast...
JUNE 5, 1909
At 111-years-old, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the oldest continually operating racetrack in the United States and is known as The Greatest Race Course in the World. With more than 250,000 permanent seats, it is the world's largest sports seating facility and hosts the largest single-day sporting event in the world, the Indianapolis 500.
“I have reflected on how Mr. Andrews could never have imagined the impact his drawings would have on the American automobile and motorsports. I have placed my hands on the very spot where a laborer laid some of the most historic brick on record. They had a job to get done - never realizing they were setting 3.2 million pieces of history.” –Kevin Forbes
Check back next week to learn about the 1910s, including the shortest scheduled Indy 500.
The only known photograph of the four original owners together, very likely taken on the morning of the inaugural “500” on May 30, 1911, shows, left to right, Arthur Newby, Frank Wheeler, Carl Fisher and James Allison.
One of the first photos from on-track action at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1909. Louis Chevrolet, in his No. 31 machine, joins the lineup of cars organized on the frontstrech before the race begins.
Although frequently identified as Carl Fisher, this is, in fact, Lewis Strang, who was destined to start from the pole in the first Indianapolis 500, held more than two years after this photograph was taken in March 1909. The scale model of the track Strang is looking at was displayed outside Turn 2.
A photo of one of the first known grandstand tickets to an event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1909.
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Spectators line up for a view during a 250-mile race at IMS in 1909. Notice how close spectators could get to the racing surface in 1909 as drivers raced by at speeds near 75 mph.
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The drivers participating in the first automobile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1909 line up on the frontstretch to form the starting grid on what would soon become The Greatest Race Course in the World.
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The start of the “marathon” 300 mile race for the Wheeler-Schebler trophy at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1909, which was the feature race on the last day of a three-day period of automobile racing.
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Dust-filled on-track action in 1909 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Dust was a problem in the Speedway’s early days, and at times it was so dusty drivers struggled seeing where to go.
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Two drivers race past the original scoring tower during one of many short “dashes” that filled the racing schedule at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1909, a time “Where America Learned to Race.”
1912
1913
A four-tier tower of the Japanese pagoda design was erected. It’s believed this design was chosen because co-founder Frank H. Wheeler had a keen interest in Japanese architecture.
The Indianapolis 500 became the highest paying sporting event in the world when Carl Fisher increased the total purse to $50,000 and first prize to $20,000.
Navigating World War I
The first Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, then called the “International Sweepstakes,” was won by Ray Harroun at an average speed of 74.602 mph. It is believed that Harroun’s Marmon “Wasp” was the first automobile, worldwide, to have a rearview mirror.
MAY 30, 1911
MAY 30,
1911
Comparisons of Ray Harroun to NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath may seem a stretch, but it is true both...
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secrets of the marmon wasp
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“No race is won until the tape is crossed and I realized that all the time. It’s hard luck, but it’s all in the game. I did my best, and...
Ralph De Palma:
The oddest event ever staged at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in its 100-plus-year history was something called...
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The Hazard Race of 1910
1910s ALMANAC
One of the great iconic images of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s earliest days depicts a man crouching over a model of the track...
Perhaps the best example of how the founding fathers of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway saw their facility as something more...
THE INDIANAPOLIS AIR SHOW
The Inaugural Indy 500 Race
Comparisons of Ray Harroun to NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath may seem a stretch, but it is true both predicted...
Secrets of the Marmon “Wasp”
Ralph De Palma: INSPIRATIONAL IN VICTORY & DEFEAT
9/10
Ray Harroun driving his winning Marmon “Wasp” in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911. Harroun worked in Marmon’s engineering department based in Indianapolis.
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A small pack of cars race through the turns at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1911, led by Ralph dePalma (No. 2) and Louis Disbrow (No. 5).
7/10
With a cameraman capturing it all, the field of drivers come through the first turn during the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911. Drivers pictured in this photo are Will Jones (No. 9), Joe Jagersberger (No. 8) and Louis Disbrow (No. 5).
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Turns 1 and 2 at the south end of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, along what would become 16th Street, on Indianapolis 500 Race Day in 1911.
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An artistic rendition of the event program cover from the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911.
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A newspaper clipping from the Indianapolis News, which highlights the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911 and the notable attendance of an automotive industry giant.
On race morning in 1911, the four founding fathers of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway pose for a photo with Henry Ford (left).
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The first 40 drivers to race in the Indianapolis 500 pose for a photo on the frontstretch before the beginning of the Indianapolis 500 in 1911.
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The 40-car field lines up on the frontstretch of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911.
The indy 500 year-by-year
THE INDY 500 YEAR-BY-YEAR
Inspirational in victory & defeat
The Indy 500’s first pole sitter
1911: A massive crowd, estimated as high as 85,000, witnessed the inaugural running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 1911...
The Indy 500 Year-by-Year
Dario Resta, driving a Peugeot, won the 1916 Indianapolis Classic, which, partially due to conservation efforts toward the war in Europe...
10/10
Ray Harroun takes the checkered flag and wins the inaugural Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 1911. Harroun finished the race with an average speed of 74.602 mph in just under seven hours.
Experience the first decade in Indianapolis Motor Speedway history
THE JALENS COPY SUCKS ERA
02/21/2020
8th Running of the Indy 500
Larger than life characters during the 1920's, sport's Golden Era, captured imag-inations with inspiring tales of heroic accomplishment...
03/19/2020
Tommy Milton: Indy’s First Two-Time Winner
In the early days of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, then known as the International 500-Mile Sweepstakes...
Firestone Tires Went the Distance
A full century ago, one of the most iconic names in American automotive history pulled into Victory Circle at the Indianapolis...
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a Century of Success for Chevrolet
1920s ALMANAC
While the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is well over 100 years old, the golf course located on its fabled grounds is approaching its...
03/11/2020
Rickenbacker Installs New Golf Course
1920: Although 1915 winner Ralph de Palma is perhaps best remembered for his shattering defeat of 1912 (he led all but the first two laps...
The “Roaring Twenties” brought increased speeds and many “firsts” to IMS.
A group gathers around Louis Meyer’s No. 14 Miller machine after the finish of the 1928 Indianapolis 500. Meyer led just 19 laps in his first of three Indianapolis 500 win, which was also his first official start in the “500.”
A view of the 1928 Indianapolis 500 from the pits, with the crowd watching the 500-mile spectacle behind them. The pits in the early days of the Indy 500 are notably different than today, with not even a wall separating the track from the pits.
Eddie Rickenbacker (second from left) poses for a photo on Indianapolis 500 race day in 1928, his first race day as the owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Major excitement on Lap 24 of the 1927 Indianapolis 500 when fuel leaking from a split tank on Norman Batten’s car ignited into flames. Instead of pulling into the fuel-laden pits, Batten stood up in the cockpit and drove the car safely past the pits to avoid further fires.
George Sounders and team pose with the No. 32 Duesenberg as the winners of the 1927, Indianapolis 500. This would be the last race under the ownership of the Carl Fisher/James Allison group, who would sell the Speedway to Eddie Rickenbacker in August of that year.
A soaking-wet Frank Lockhart in Victory Circle after winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1926. Lockhart was two laps ahead of second place finisher Harry Hartz when rain ended the race after 400 miles.
Peter DePaolo, the 1925 winner of the Indianapolis 500, after the finish. With the win, DePaolo became the first driver to finish with an average speed of more than 100 mph. DePaolo averaged 101.13 mph and led 115 laps.
Tommy Milton poses in the infield of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with is No. 1 H.C.S. Miller machine. With the win in 1923, Milton became the first two-time winner of the “500.”
Jimmy Murphy takes the checkered flag first and wins the Indianapolis 500 in 1922. Murphy became the first driver to win the race from the pole position, and he won with a then-record average speed of 94.484 mph.
Tommy Milton takes the checkered flag, which is being waved from high atop the frontstretch at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in 1921. Milton won driving a Frontenac, giving the Chevrolet brothers two straight Indianapolis 500 wins.
Former Indianapolis 500 driver and World War I “Flying Ace” Captain Eddie Rickenbacker and associates purchased the Speedway for $750,000.
The original Pagoda was razed with fire after the 1925 Indianapolis 500 and replaced with a similar yet slightly larger version for the 1926 race.
1926
1923
Tommy Milton became the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 two times (his first in 1921). Except for one car, this was also the first time the entire field used single-seat cars during the “500.”
1927
One of the great iconic images of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s earliest days depicts a man crouching over a model...
Indy’s first pole sitter
The Indianapolis Air Show
02/18/2009
Jimmy Dunham Centennial Era Moment
04/03/2020
When race fans think of dominant drivers of the Indianapolis 500, they likely think of A.J. Foyt in the 1960s...
Shaw Writes History with Amazing Indy 500 Success
On a blazing hot day, the Indianapolis 500 came down to which of two drivers could carry the most momentum off Turn 4...
04/01/2020
A FINISH FOR THE AGES: 1937 INDIANAPOLIS 500
1930s ALMANAC
1930: After more than a decade of domination by purpose-built racing cars, a considerably revised set of specifications was now in effect in an attempt to encourage the return of America’s automobile manufacturers...
03/31/2020
The entire track, except for several hundred yards of the main straight-away, was by now resurfaced with asphalt.
1939
Louis Meyer became the first driver to win three Indianapolis 500-Mile Races. He requested a bottle of buttermilk in Victory Lane, creating the inspiration for the winner to drink milk, an annual tradition since 1956.
1936
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the first track in the world to install safety warning lights. Also, helmet use became mandatory at IMS, a first for motor racing worldwide.
1935
Experience the decade that sparked Indy 500 traditions race fans love today.
1932 Newsreel Centennial Era Moment
1939 Newsreel Centennial Era Moment
On a blazing hot day, the Indianapolis 500 came down to which of two drivers could carry the most momentum off Turn 4 on Lap 200...
The entire track, except for several hundred yards of the main straightaway, was by now resurfaced with asphalt.
The start of the 1939 Indianapolis 500 as the field of 33 drives off the bricks on the main straightaway and onto the fresh asphalt that was paved onto portions of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway legend Wilbur Shaw after winning his first Indianapolis 500 in 1937. Shaw had one of the most successful runs as a driver ever in the Indianapolis 500. In 1933 and 1935, Shaw finished second. Then, from 1937-1940, Shaw finished first, second, first and first, respectively.
1936 was a year of another “first.” The iconic Borg-Warner Trophy made its debut that year and was presented to the winner of the Indianapolis 500, Louis Meyer. The trophy has been presented to each winner, with their face engrained in the trophy, ever since.
Louis Meyer pulls into Victory Circle in 1936, then located near the end of the main straightaway, after becoming the first driver ever to win the Indianapolis 500-Mile race three times. Meyer completed the race in record time, with an average speed of 109.069 mph.
The 1935 Indianapolis 500 pole sitter Rex Mays. That year, Mays became the youngest pole sitter at age 22, a record that still stands to this day.
The revolutionary diesel-powered vehicle entered by the Cummins Engine Company of nearby Columbus, Indiana, and driven by Dave Evans in 1931. The car weighed almost 3,400 pounds and was a combination of a diesel truck engine mounted in a special Duesenberg chassis. Evans completed the 500 miles about 37 minutes after winner Louis Schneider, and he did so without making a single pit stop.
1930 Indianapolis 500 winner Billy Arnold works on his winning No. 4 machine. The 24-year-old led a record 198 of 200 laps on his way to victory that year. Arnold would go on to lead another 212 laps between the following two 500-mile races in 1931 and 1932. From 1930-1932, Arnold led 97.4% of the 421 laps he completed.
The view of pit lane prior to the start of the 1930 Indianapolis 500, looking to the south end of the racetrack and Turns 1 and 2.
A crowd gathers around Victory Circle near the south end of the racetrack, just off the main straightaway by Turn 1.
02/25/2009
Floyd Roberts celebrates after winning the 1938 Indianapolis 500. Roberts completed the race at a record average speed pace that would stand for 10 years: 117.200 mph.
Generations ago, not every Indianapolis 500 driver was a full-time wheelman. Whereas today’s contestants...
04/02/2020
MAURI ROSE SHINED AS MOONLIGHTER
1940s ALMANAC
Wilbur Shaw could hardly believe his eyes.His beloved Indianapolis Motor Speedway had fallen into a terrible state of disrepair...
Hulman, Shaw Teamed Up To Rescue IMS From Ruin
1940: In addition to joining Louis Meyer as a three-time winner, Wilbur Shaw became the first person to win the “500” in consecutive years...
03/29/2020
1940
Wilbur Shaw became the first driver to win back-to-back Indianapolis 500s. Only four other drivers have accomplished this feat: Mauri Rose (1947-48), Bill Vukovich (1953-54), Al Unser (1970-71) and Helio Castroneves (2001-02).
Experience the decade that changed the course of history at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Mauri Rose poses with Lou Moore and the Borg-Warner Trophy after winning his third Indianapolis 500-Mile race in 1948. Rose joined Louis Meyer and Wilbur Shaw as three-time winners of the “500.”
George Robson interviews with the media after becoming the first driver to visit Victory Circle at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in five years.
It is in this photograph that racing returned to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the field, led by pole sitter Cliff Bergere in the No. 3, dives into Turn 1 on the first lap in 1946.
Ralph Hepburn in his brand new No. 2 “Novi.” The low-sitting, ear-splitting V8 supercharged machine electrified the crowds during qualifying with a record-shattering run. Hepburn broke the single lap record by almost four miles per hour, raising the bar to 134.449 mph.
A crowd of cars fill the infield on race morning of the Indianapolis 500 in 1946. After some concern that crowds would not return to the Speedway, a massive amount of fans showed up on race day and caused gigantic traffic jams.
A refreshed Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1946 after Tony Hulman purchased the track, with the urging of Wilbur Shaw, and properly renovated it to make it ready for the 1946 race.
A section of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway just inside Turn 1 that is overgrown with weeds. It is said that during a Firestone test with Wilbur Shaw in 1944, they first had to “weed” the groove in order to make it a drivable surface.
Tony Hulman and Wilbur Shaw sit in a test car at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1945. It was Wilbur Shaw who, after seeing his beloved racetrack in dilapidated condition, sought a buyer for the track to bring the Indianapolis 500 back from hiatus. His journey led him to Terre Haute, Indiana, businessman Tony Hulman.
From left, Tony Hulman, Eddie Rickenbacker and Wilbur Shaw. Hulman, with the urging from Shaw, purchased the racetrack from Rickenbacker for an estimated $750,000 in 1945 after some believed the property could be turned into a housing development.
The main straightaway, which is cracked and overgrown with weeds, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1945 after sitting dormant during World War II.
George Robson won the first Indianapolis 500 under Tony Hulman’s ownership. Robson led 138 laps before a massive crowd that was eager to see racing return to the Speedway.
MAY 30, 1946
Tony Hulman of Terre Haute, Indiana, purchased the dilapidated Indianapolis Motor Speedway from Eddie Rickenbacker for $750,000 after the race was stopped for four years during WWII. Hulman would help elevate the “500” and the Month of May to new heights. Wilbur Shaw was named president and general manager.
NOV. 14, 1945
HULMAN, SHAW TEAMED UP TO RESCUE IMS FROM RUIN
“He did not spend a lot of time at the track,” IMS Historian Donald Davidson said.“It got in a lot of people’s heads, he seemed to be doing it so easily. He would beam when he would talk about it. He said, ‘I had a job, I liked my job. I wanted to get back to work!’”
While this famous command sounds for all the world as if it would have been intoned from the very earliest days by Carl Fisher...
‘Gentlemen, Start Your Engines’ Traces Back to 1940s
It is understood that the song “Back Home Again in Indiana” (the correct title of which is merely “Indiana”) may have been heard...
'BACK HOME AGAIN IN INDIANA' BECAME HOUSEHOLD TRADITION
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Wilbur Shaw 1940 Win
Tony Hulman Centennial Era
02/26/2009
1947 Newsreel Centennial Era
May 30, 1946
Nov. 14, 1945
Wilbur Shaw 1940 Indy 500 Win
Check back next week to learn how modern day legends found their footing at IMS.
A new Master Control Tower (replacing the 1926 Pagoda), Tower Terrace and Pit Area were completed before May—along with a new tunnel under the backstretch.
1957
The main offices of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway were relocated from downtown Indianapolis to the main entrance to the grounds (outside Turn 1). This building also included the first Museum, which opened with six cars in the collection and free admission.
1956
Tony Hulman became president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after the tragic death of Wilbur Shaw in a plane crash on Oct. 30, 1954, near Decatur, Indiana.
1955
Experience the decade that introduced modern-day legends to race fans around the world.
A.J. Watson, four-time Indianapolis 500-winning chief mechanic, prolific car builder and one of the most beloved characters...
05/02/2020
A.J. Watson: Truly One Of A Kind
The victory by Sam Hanks in the 1957 Indianapolis 500 was conceivably the single most popular in the entire history of the event...
SAM HANKS' 1957 INDY 500 VICTORY PROVED MOST POPULAR
05/23/2018
History of Roadster Era Moment
02/19/2019
Troy Ruttman Centennial Era Moment
04/18/2018
Memory Lane – Pat Flaherty wins 1956
05/12/2020
"I still wake up in the middle of the night, thinking about what might've been," laments Jim Travers. Travers was the chief mechanic...
Bill Vukovich – The Greatest Ever?
The German Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union teams dominated international racing in the pre-World War II era. The “Silver Arrows”...
04/15/2020
Streamliners Usher in New Era at Indy 500
1950s ALMANAC
02/19/2009
Tom Carnegie Centennial Era Moment
04/13/2018
Memory Lane – Pat Flaherty Wins 1956
History of Roadster Era
‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ Has Unique Origins
IMS RADIO NETWORK HAS BROUGHT INDY 500 ACTION FOR DECADES
A.J. WATSON: TRULY ONE OF A KIND
A young A.J. Foyt on pit lane in May 1958. This year marked Foyt’s very first Indianapolis 500 start and was just the beginning of a legendary career that included 35 consecutive Indy 500 starts with a record four wins.
The start of the 1956 Indianapolis 500, which was the first race to be run on the freshly paved racetrack that left more than 600 yards of bricks still exposed on the main straightaway.
One of the last known photographs of Bill Vukovich in the No. 4 car, racing Jack McGrath in the No. 3, in 1955. Vukovich lost his life after being caught up in a wreck on Lap 57 while in the lead.
Winner Bill Vukovich, sitting next to Jack McGrath, shakes the hand of a young Miss Mari Hulman at the 1954 Indianapolis 500 Victory Banquet, where Vukovich’s second straight “500” victory was honored.
A pit stop is performed on the No. 14 roadster of Bill Vukovich in 1953. Vukovich would easily go on to win his first Indianapolis 500 that year by leading 195 of 200 laps.
Legendary public address announcer Tom Carnegie interviews Augie Duesenberg on race morning of the 1953 Indianapolis 500.
Troy Ruttman in Victory Circle after winning the 1952 Indianapolis 500 and becoming the youngest winner ever at 22 years, one month and 19 days. While he was 22 when he won, it was revealed that in the years leading up to his win, Ruttman had lied about his age so that he could compete at Indianapolis, which had an age limit of 21.
Bill Vukovich in the first of the Kurtis-Kraft “roadsters” in 1952. The new style car that Vukovich drove would go on to revolutionize racing in the Indianapolis 500.
Freddie Agabashian with his No. 28 Cummins Diesel Special parked in front of the Pagoda in 1952. The car featured a Cummins-built 401-cubic inch diesel truck engine laid on its side and boosted by the track’s first-ever turbocharger. Agabashian won the pole but finished 27th.
Hollywood legend Clark Gable poses with Pat Flaherty and the No. 59 Granatelli-entered Kurtis/Offy team in their post-qualification photo in 1950.
Troy Ruttman Centennial Era Moments
Tom Carnegie Centennial Era Moments
Radio broadcasts emanating from the Indianapolis 500 date all the way back to the early 1920s, when the handful...
04/30/2020
IMS Radio Network Has Brought Indy 500 Action For Decades
The term “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” is derived from the standard station “out cue” which has been used...
05/01/2020
THE PHRASE 'THE GREATEST SPECTACLE IN RACING' HAS UNIQUE ORIGINs
Rain put a premature end to the 1950 race, the checkered flag being waved at 345 miles when a storm moved through...
The German Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union teams dominated international racing in the pre-World War II era...
Experience the decade that brought star power to IMS and revolutionized racing in the Indy 500.
Scottish racing icon Jim Clark became the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 in a rear-engine car. It was also the first time the race was completed with an average speed of over 150 MPH.
1965
The remaining bricks on the front straightaway were covered with asphalt. A 36-inch strip of the original bricks (“Yard of Bricks”) was kept intact at the start/finish line, where it remains today.
OCT. 1961
1961
A.J. Foyt earned the first of his four Indianapolis 500 victories after he took the lead from Eddie Sachs on Lap 197.
Three-time runner-up Jim Rathmann was finally rewarded with a victory in perhaps the greatest “500” ever held...
05/16/2020
Of the numerous Hollywood “epics” of the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s in which the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has...
05/14/2020
HOLLYWOOD AND THE INDIANAPOLIS 500
Long used in international Grand Prix racing, the winner’s wreath at Indianapolis appears to have debuted in 1960...
05/19/2020
Winner’s Wreath Tradition Begins in 1960
Taking the checkered flag in absolutely appalling conditions at 3 in the afternoon on the afternoon of Nov. 22, 1961, a Police Enforcer version...
05/13/2020
24 hour stock car test in 1961
George Bignotti, the most successful chief mechanic in the history of what is now known as Indy car racing, died at his home in Las Vegas...
05/17/2020
GEORGE BIGNOTTI: ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL CHIEF MECHANICS EVER
They’re the things that separate the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from every other race or track...
History of the Gordon Pipers' 1963 Debut
"You think that was something?" Jim Hurtubise said with an ear-to-ear grin after his record-setting run on the fourth day of qualifying...
A STAR IS BORN: ‘WAIT ‘TILL PARNELLI GETS HERE’
The May morning was glorious and the atmosphere festive, with the spring sunshine making one wish the day could last forever...
05/05/2020
THE START OF SOMETHING, AND SOMEONE, NEW
1960s ALMANAC
Andretti on 1969 Centennial Era Moments
02/28/2020
Clark’s Rear-Engine Victory in 1965
04/01/2011
Centennial Moment - Andy Granatelli
05/15/2010
Jim Rathmann, 1960 Indianapolis 500 Winner
Hollywood Connections to the Indy 500
October 1961
The Start of Something, And Someone, New
They’re the things that separate the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from...
History of the Gordon Pipers, 1963 Debut
Centennial Moment - Andretti, 1969
Clark’s Rear-Engine Victory in 1965 Was Evolution of Revolution at Indy
05/15/2020
Jim Rathmann, 1960 Indy 500 Winner
The famed Wood Brothers Racing team had a historic connection to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 29 years before NASCAR competed at the fabled...
04/29/2020
NASCAR’s Wood Brothers pit Clark in 1965
1969 Indianapolis 500 winner Mario Andretti receives the famous “Granatelli Kiss” in Victory Circle from car owner Andy Granatelli after delivering him his first “500” win.
Andy Granatelli (left) and TV star Johnny Carson (middle) look over the famed No. 40 Granatelli-conceived, Parnelli Jones-driven, aircraft-type construction and four-wheel drive vehicle powered by a Pratt & Whitney gas turbine engine.
Progress is made on the construction of the famed Speedway Motel, which was built outside Turn 2 of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1962.
Rodger Ward crosses the now iconic “Yard of Bricks” start/finish line to win the 1962 Indianapolis 500. This was the first year of the finish line race fans know of today, as the final few hundred yards of bricks on the frontstraightaway had been paved over in October 1961.
Parnelli Jones and the No. 98 crew celebrate the long-awaited breaking of the 150 mph “barrier.” An excited JC Agajainian is holding the sign signifying the milestone.
Eddie Sachs on pit road during the 1961 Indianapolis 500, in which he lost a riveting battle for the win to A.J. Foyt, who captured his first of four “500” wins.
Defending two-time World Champion Jack Brabham sits in his No. 17 car, a slightly modified British-built F1 Cooper–Climax. The car was the first rear-engined car ever to have finished the “500” and was the start of a rear-engined revolution at IMS. Brabham finished ninth.
The 500 Festival parade weaving through Downtown Indianapolis and celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Indianapolis 500 in 1961.
IMS Radio Network Chief Announcer and IMS icon Sid Collins calls action during the Month of May in 1960.
The popular Scottish driver Jim Clark celebrates in Victory Circle after his 1965 Indianapolis 500 win. Clark led for 190 of the 200 laps with a factory-entered Lotus, powered by a double-overhead-camshaft V8 Ford engine.
Progress is made on the construction ofhe famed Speedway Motel, which was built outside Turn 2 of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1962.
Progress is made on the construction of the famed Speedway Motel, which was built outside urn 2 of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1962.
George Bignotti became nearly as well known as some of the top drivers, showing the mechanical wizardry that helped him win the “500”...
A.J. Foyt became the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 four times (1961, 1964 and 1967)
May 29, 1977
On the final day of qualifying, Janet Guthrie became the first female to qualify for the Indianapolis 500.
May 22, 1977
Pole-sitter Tom Sneva turned the first official 200-mph laps at the Speedway.
May 14, 1977
IMS 'YELLOW SHIRTS' ORIGINS DATE BACK TO 1975
NASCAR'S ALLISON BROTHERS EXCELLED IN INDY 500 STARTS
GARY BETTENHAUSEN: THE 'TOUGH AS NAILS' SHOrT TRACK
03/17/2009
Janet Guthrie at Centennial Gala
02/24/2011
Centennial Moment - Foyt's Fourth Win
04/08/2011
Centennial Moment - Dan Gurney
05/16/2010
1970 Indy 500 Winner - Al Unser
In the 111-year history of the Indianapolis 500, it’s hard to find a more important and more glorious event for three major reasons...
The pre-race ceremonies for the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge today are meticulously scripted....
1970s ALMANAC
Check back next week to learn about a decade defined by close finishes and thrilling on-track action.
A.J. Foyt became the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 four times (1961, 1964 and 1967).
IMS 'YELLOW SHIRTS' ORIGINS DATE BACK TO THE EARLY 1970S
Centennial Moment - Foyt's 4th Win
Experience the decade that broke records, and barriers, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
MAY 14,
1977
MAY 22,
MAY 29,
From the time the Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909 until immediately after World War II, all events at the track were policed by the Indiana National Guard...
IMS 'Yellow Shirt' Origins Date Back To The Early 1970s
There was a glorious period for both fans and participants during the 1960s and '70s when it seemed as if the leading drivers of the world...
05/11/2020
NASCAR'S Allison Brothers Excelled In Indy 500 Starts
Gary Bettenhausen, a veteran of 21 Indianapolis 500 races and one of the United States Auto Club’s greatest ever short-track performers...
1970: A major milestone was reached when the total purse topped $1 million for the first time, the actual amount being $1,000,002. Running under the threat of rain throughout...
FOYT CAREER HIGHLIGHT: 1977 INDY 500 WIN
The pre-race ceremonies for the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge today are meticulously scripted...
04/28/2020
NABORS SANG HIS WAY INTO HOOSIER HEARTS
In the spring of 1977, expectations ran high that the first 200-mph lap would be achieved at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway...
04/22/2020
SNEVA BECaME FIRST TO BREAK 200 MPH AT INDY
Centennial Moment - Number Four for Foyt
Rick Mears takes his first swig of milk after winning the 1979 Indianapolis 500 for Roger Penske in just his second Indy 500 start. Starting from the pole, it was Mears’ first of a record four “500” wins and his first of a record six pole positions.
A.J. Foyt crosses the Yard of Bricks in 1977 and becomes the first driver ever to win the Indianapolis 500 for a fourth time.
Janet Guthrie is all smiles on pit lane after becoming the first woman to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in 1977. She failed to finish but would place ninth the following year.
Johnny Rutherford enthusiastically celebrates his second Indianapolis 500 win in 1976, which was halted just past halfway due to rain. This was the second year in a row rain ended the “500” early.
Future President of the United States Ronald Reagan stands with IMS owner Tony Hulman as he visits the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during a tire test in the Spring of 1976 while campaigning in Indianapolis for President of the United States.
Bobby Unser celebrates in Victory Circle after winning his second Indianapolis 500. Unser, the older brother of Al Unser, would go on to win a third “500” and become one of just two drivers to win Indy 500 races in three different decades.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The National Register recognizes more than 90,000 properties for their significance in American history, architecture, art, archeology, engineering, and culture.
Mark Donohue, with Roger Penske to his right, and the crew after qualifying in 1972. That year, Donohue gave team owner Penske his first of a record 18 Indianapolis 500-Mile race wins.
Al Unser is interviewed by the legendary Chris Economaki in the new Victory Circle at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - now located by the master control tower - in 1971 after winning back-to-back Indy 500’s. This is the approximate location of the Victory Circle that race fans know today.
Al Unser celebrates his first Indianapolis 500 victory, which he won driving the iconic Johnny Lightning Special. This is the final year that Victory Circle was located near Turn 1 on the south end of the main straightaway.
EXPERIENCE THE DECADE THAT DELIVERED EVEN CLOSER RACING AND MORE EXCITING FINISHES TO THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY.
The winner’s share of the Indianapolis 500 exceeded $1 million for the first time, the beneficiary being Emerson Fittipaldi.
1989
Al Unser became the second driver to win the Indianapolis 500 four times, his previous wins coming in 1970, 1971 and 1978.
1987
Bobby Rahal became the first driver to complete the Indianapolis 500 in less than three hours. The race was broadcast live on ABC for the first time.
1986
AL UNSER: A MODEST INDY 500 RECORD HOLDER
Centennial Moment - The Unser Family
03/11/2011
Centennial Moment - Bobby Rahal
Centennial Moment - Al Unser
Centennia Moments - Gordon Johncock
05/27/2020
SNEVA SCORED ELUSIVE '500' VICTORY IN 1983
HURLEY HAYWOOD TOOK ON INDIANAPOLIS IN 1980
1980s ALMANAC
Centennial Moment - Emerson Fittipaldi
Simply put, Al Unser is in possession of just about the finest Indianapolis 500 record by any driver ever.
1980: Rarely has a driver gone into a “500” so clearly favored to win as was Johnny Rutherford in 1980.
03/27/2020
Every driver who wins the Indianapolis 500 earns a spot in the rich lore of motorsports and a piece of immortality...
03/13/2020
Rutherford, 'Yellow Submarine' Were Match Made in Heaven
“Yellow,” the No. 5 Miller American crew radioed to its driver Danny Sullivan on the 120th lap of the 1985 Indianapolis 500...
SULLIVAN’S MIRACULOUS ‘SPIN AND WIN’
One of the greatest names in the history of American sports car racing crossed paths with the Indianapolis 500 in the early days of his racing career...
“I’m very glad I did it. From a driver’s standpoint to run in the Indianapolis 500 is a big thing. To be able to experience that and have the knowledge of whether it was something I wanted to do more of or if I wasn’t going to be successful at it was a valuable lesson for me.”
Forty years ago, Tom Sneva was the most famous bridesmaid in Indianapolis 500 history. Sneva, a former schoolteacher from Spokane...
Rutherford, ‘Yellow Submarine’ WERE Perfect Match
05/28/2020
Fittipaldi on 1989 Centennial Era Moment
The Unser Family at Indy Centennial Era Moment
1986 Bobby Rahal Centennial Moment
Al Unser Centennial Era Moment
Johncock on 1982 Centennial Era Moment
Rick Mears and team owner Roger Penske celebrate Mears’ third Indianapolis 500 win in 1988. The win put Mears in elite company with Louis Meyer, Wilbur Shaw, Mauri Rose, Johnny Rutherford and Bobby Unser as three-time Indy 500 winners.
The Opening Ceremonies for the Tenth Pan American Games took place on the Speedway’s main straightaway in 1987. The ceremonies used an elaborate stage incorporating the Master Control Tower and pit lane. Vice President George H.W. Bush attended to formally open the games.
Bobby Rahal celebrates his emotional Indianapolis 500 victory in 1986 with his car owner, Jim Trueman, who is wearing a white hat. Trueman was extremely ill and would succumb to cancer only 11 days later.
In the Spring of 1986, a new garage area complex was built, which includes 96 indialrages for race teams and new accessory rooms accommodating up to 25 participating companies. These are the same garages race fans know today.
Rick Mears poses with his crew on the Yard of Bricks after qualifying on the front row for the 1984 Indianapolis 500 with the third starting position. Mears went on to win his second “500” that year.
Al Unser Jr. made his Indianapolis 500 debut in 1983. “Little Al,” the son of Al Unser Sr. and nephew of Bobby Unser, started fifth and finished 10th driving the No. 19.
Mary Fendrich Hulman gives the command to start engines in 1983. Fendrich Hulman, the wife of the late Tony Hulman, was named Chairperson of the Board after Hulman’s death in 1977 and held it until 1988 when their daughter, Mari Hulman George, was named Chairperson of the Board.
Gordon Johncock edges out Rick Mears to win the 1982 Indianapolis 500 in what was then the closest Indy 500 finish in the race’s 66 year history: 0.16 seconds.
After more than 30 years without a three-time winner, Bobby Unser repeated Johnny Rutherford’s feat by winning his third Indianapolis 500 in 1981. After the race, officials declared Mario Andretti the winner due to Unser’s aggressive pit exit. After months of review, Unser was officially declared the winner on Oct. 8.
Johnny Rutherford celebrates in Victory Circle after winning his third Indianapolis 500-Mile race in 1980. “Lone Star JR” became the race’s first three-time winner since Mauri Rose grabbed his third win in 1948.
In the Spring of 1986, a new garage area complex was built, which includes 96 individual garages for race teams and new accessory rooms accommodating up to 25 participating companies. These are the same garages race fans know today.
03/11/2009
02/18/2010
Centennial Moment - Gordon Johncock
Forty years ago, Tom Sneva was the most famous bridesmaid in Indianapolis 500 history...
One of the greatest names in the history of American sports car racing crossed paths with the Indianapolis 500...
NABORS SANG INTO HOOSIER HEARTS FOR 36 YEARS
“Yellow,” the No. 5 Miller American crew radioed to its driver Danny Sullivan on the 120th lap of the 1985 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge...
Experience the decade that ushered in a new era of racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Experience the decade that introduced close racing and thrilling finishes to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Arie Luyendyk establishes the one-lap Indianapolis 500 qualifying record of 237.498 mph and the four-lap record of 236.986.
1996
23-year-old Jeff Gordon wins the inaugural Brickyard 400. The event holds the record as the largest-attended NASCAR race in history with a sellout crowd estimated at 250,000.
aug. 6, 1994
Rick Mears becomes the third driver to win the Indianapolis 500 four times, with his previous wins coming in 1979, 1984 and 1988.
MAY 26, 1991
UNSER FAMILY CREATED UNMATCHED LEGACY OF SPEED
The Origins of Kissing the Bricks
AUG. 6, 1994
may 26, 1991
MAY 26,
1991
1994
AUG. 6,
“Kissing the Bricks” is a much more recent Indianapolis Motor Speedway tradition, and it is well-documented. It debuted at the third running of NASCAR’s Brickyard 400 event in 1996...
1990: Almost a full quarter of an hour was sliced from Bobby Rahal’s four-year-old record as Arie Luyendyk ripped through the 500 miles...
06/08/2020
Call it, if you will, The Unser Dynasty. Between 1968 and 1994, a driver by the name of Unser won the Indianapolis 500 nine times. In fact, nearly one out of 11 of every Indianapolis 500...
04/20/2020
“I do get asked, of all the races, what was the one that meant the most? And of course, it’s winning the Indy 500,” Al Unser Jr said...
06/03/2020
A DRAG RACE TO THE FINISH: THE 1992 INDY 500
Rick Mears’ fourth Indianapolis 500 victory in 1991 is well known as one of the most spectacular of the modern era...
RICK MEARS’ SPECTACULAR FOURTH INDY 500 WIN
For a seven-day period in September 1993, Nigel Mansell was the only man in history to concurrently hold both the Formula One...
06/05/2020
NIGEL MANSELL’S INDY 500 DEBUT
He seemed too young to have achieved such a milestone, too inexperienced to have reached such a summit...
Inaugural Brickyard Win Elevated Gordon
1990s ALMANAC
06/06/2020
1994: Jeff Gordon’s victory in the inaugural Brickyard 400 on Aug. 6, 1994 was his second career NASCAR Cup Series win...
Brickyard 400 Year-by-Year
Arie Luyendyk Centennial Era Moment
NASCAR Comes to Indy Centennial Era Moment
Closest Indy 500 Finish in 1992
Willy T. Ribbs in 1991 Centennial Era Moment
1991 Centennial Era Moment
03/18/2009
NASCAR Comes to Indy Centennial Era
04/15/2011
Arie Luyendyk Centennial Moment
06/07/2018
01/28/2011
“Yellow,” the No. 5 Miller American crew radioed to its driver Danny Sullivan on the 120th lap...
06/02/2020
BRICKYARD 400 Year-by-Year
“I do get asked, of all the races, what was the one that meant the most? And of course, it’s winning the Indy 500,” Al Unser Jr. said...
Legendary NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Sr. salutes the crowd, which waited through a four-hour rain delay, after winning the second annual Brickyard 400 in 1995.
Pole sitter Rick Mast (right) and Dale Earnhardt Sr. (left) lead the field into Turn 1 on the first official lap of NASCAR competition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the 1994 Brickyard 400.
The starting field for the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994 poses for a photo at the Yard of Bricks with Indianapolis Motor Speedway and NASCAR leadership to commemorate the historic event.
Al Unser Jr. celebrates in Victory Circle after scoring his second Indianapolis 500 victory in three years, this time for Team Penske. Unser won in the iconic ’94 Penske/Mercedes-Benz.
Mario Andretti during the 1994 Month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His season-long retirement tour, called “Arrivederci, Mario,” resulted in a 32nd place finish in his final Indianapolis 500 due to a failed fuel system after completing just 23 laps.
Just before Indianapolis 500 qualifying in 1993, Indy 500 legend A.J. Foyt, with a tear streaming down his left cheek, tells IMS public address announcer Tom Carnegie of his sudden decision to retire from open-wheel racing.
Nine NASCAR drivers pose on the main straightaway before conducting a tire test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the first official NASCAR test in the track’s history, June 22-23, 1992. The participants: Rusty Wallace, Dale Earnhardt, Ricky Rudd, Mark Martin, Bill Elliott, Darrell Waltrip, Ernie Irvan, Davey Allison and Kyle Petty. The top speed was 168.767 mph by Elliott on June 23.
Al Unser Jr. leads Scott Goodyear as the two battle for the lead on the apron in the 1992 Indianapolis 500. This was the final year of the apron. In 1993, the track was slightly reconfigured with the installation of a separated “warm-up” lane.
Rick Mears takes a historic drink of milk after winning his fourth Indianapolis 500 in 1991 when he joined A.J. Foyt and Al Unser Sr. as four-time “500” winners. Mears would retire from racing the following year.
Willy T. Ribbs poses with his crew after becoming the first African-American driver to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in 1991, earning the 29th spot on the starting grid.
1990 Lola Dominos Hot One - ARIE Luyendyk
NOW OPEN!
AT THE MUSEUM
1995 Reynard Players Ltd - Jacques Villeneuve
1998 Dallara Rachel's Potato Chips - EDDIE Cheever
OPEN NOW!
Experience the decade that introduced modern day legends to the racing history books.
Helio Castroneves wins the Indianapolis 500, becoming the ninth driver to win “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” for a third time.
MAY 24, 2009
Rookie Danica Patrick becomes the first woman to lead a lap in the Indianapolis 500. She led 19 laps on her way to a fourth-place finish.
MAY 29, 2005
2000
Construction of a new Control Tower resembling the historic Pagoda structures that stood at the track from 1913-1956 was completed in time for the 2000 Indianapolis 500.
The booming baritone voice of Tom Carnegie thrilled millions upon millions of spectators at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for decades...
04/21/2020
ANNOUNCER CARNEGIE PROVIDED SOUNDTRACK OF INDY FOR DECADES
2000: Formula One–bound Juan Pablo Montoya became the ninth different first-time starter to win the race...
06/10/2020
2000: The 2000 Brickyard 400 featured 43 cars, but it became clear within the first 40 laps that this event was going to resemble a heavyweight...
Patrick had shown great promise in the junior open-wheel ranks but was largely not on the public radar, known only to hardcore racing fans...
Danica Patrick Stuns World With Indy 500 Debut
The thing I remember most was how much the outcome of the race changed so many times during the last 10 laps...
06/09/2020
PERSPECTIVES ON THE 2006 INDY 500 FINISH
Tony Stewart’s field of dreams, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, had teased him, flirted with him, and visited him in his slumber...
Tony Stewart’s Indianapolis dream
2000s ALMANAC
02/23/2009
Scott Dixon Centennial Era Moment
07/11/2017
Jeff Gordon Wins Record Fourth Brickyard 400
Tony Stewart Centennial Era Moment
01/12/2010
Tribute to Three-Time Indy 500 Champ Helio Castroneves
02/04/2011
2001 Indianapolis 500 Centennial Moment
Helio Castroneves wins the Indianapolis 500, becoming the ninth different driver to win “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” for a third time.
May 24, 2009
Rookie Danica Patrick becomes the first woman to lead a lap in the Indianapolis 500. She leads 19 laps on her way to a fourth-place finish.
May 29, 2005
Jeff Gordon Wins Record Fourth
Tony Stewart Centennial Era Moments
Tribute to Helio Castroneves
Every driver who wins the Indianapolis 500 earns a spot in the rich lore of motorsports and a piece of immortality....
Rutherford, ‘Yellow Submarine’ Were Perfect Match
The thing I remember most was how much the outcome of the race changed so many times during the last 10 laps.
Tony Stewart’s field of dreams, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, had teased him, flirted with him, and visited him in his slumber long before he ran his first competitive laps...
Check back next week to learn how a century of racing culminated with the biggest celebrations in sports.
Now five-time INDYCAR champion Scott Dixon is joined by car owner Chip Ganassi (right) on the famed post-race celebratory lap around the track in the pace car after winning the 2008 Indianapolis 500.
The start of MotoGP’s inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP on a newly designed 2.621-mile IMS road course on Sept. 14, 2008. The event was won by World Champion Valentino Rossi, with Nicky Hayden second and Jorge Lorenzo third. The race ended after 20 of the scheduled 28 laps due to high winds and heavy rains.
Just two years after he conquered his beloved Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Tony Stewart Kissed the Bricks again in 2007, outdueling Kevin Harvick for his second and final Indianapolis win as a driver.
Michael Andretti competes in his final Indianapolis 500 as a driver in 2007. Andretti led once, Lap 90, to add to his career laps led total of 431 at Indianapolis. Andretti scored a win as an owner that year as Dario Franchitti won his first Indianapolis 500, and Andretti finished 13th.
NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson celebrates at the famed Yard of Bricks after winning his first Brickyard 400 in 2006. Johnson became the second driver to win the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 in the same season.
Dan Wheldon celebrates in Victory Circle after winning his first of two Indianapolis 500-Mile races in 2005. Wheldon was the first Briton to win the “500” since Graham Hill in 1966.
All eyes are on team co-owner and famed late night talk show host David Letterman as everyone waits for series officials to call the 2004 Indianapolis 500 due to rain after 180 laps. Rahal Letterman Racing driver Buddy Rice won after starting on the pole and leading a race-high 91 laps.
In 2002, IMS announced that the groundbreaking SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) Barrier was in place in all four oval corners. The barrier was developed by the Indy Racing League, IMS and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Midwest Roadside Safety Facility starting in 1998; NASCAR joined in the development of the project in September 2000.
Jeff Gordon celebrates his Brickyard 400 victory in 2001. Gordon’s third victory at IMS put him back atop the NASCAR all-time wins list at IMS with three victories.
The lights go out, and the first United States Grand Prix Formula One race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is underway on Sept. 24, 2000. F1 legend Michael Schumacher won the inaugural event on the 2.605-mile road course in front of a sellout crowd estimated at 225,000.
Dan Wheldon celebrates in Victory Circle after winning his first of two Indianapolis 500-Mile races in 2005. Wheldon was the first Briton to win the “500” since Graham Hill in 196
The MotoGP World Championship raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 2008-2015 in the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix...
MotoGP Brought Two-Wheel Action Back to IMS
The Formula One World Championship raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 2000-2007 in the United States Grand Prix...
F1 Returned to United States with 2000 Debut
2000: The 2000 Brickyard 400 featured 43 cars, but it became clear within the first 40 laps that this event was going to resemble a heavyweight title fight...
Centennial Era BEGINS
LEARN MORE
Centennial Era begins
Experience the decade that honored a century of racing and tradition with the biggest celebrations in all of sports.
Rookie Alexander Rossi stuns the motorsports world by winning the historic 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 before the first-ever sold-out crowd of 350,000.
Jeff Gordon wins the Brickyard 400, becoming the first five-time winner of the same event ever on the famed 2.5-mile oval, with his previous wins coming in 1994, 1998, 2001 and 2004.
2014
JULY 27,
Dan Wheldon earns his second Indianapolis 500 victory in unforgettable fashion after rookie JR Hildebrand crashes in the final turn on the last lap in the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.
2011
2016
While Helio Castroneves, on the pole for a fourth time, was the clear pre-race favorite and widely expected to become a four-time winner, it was 2007 winner Dario Franchitti who triumphed...
06/19/2020
When Indianapolis Motor Speedway personnel began, a decade ago, to look ahead and contemplate the most appropriate way to celebrate "the 100th anniversary," the question became...
CENTENNIAL ERA CELEBRATION: 2011 RACE MORNING
It began with a letter from Mari Hulman George, mailed just before the 2010 Thanksgiving holiday to as many current and former "500" drivers as could be reached.
06/16/2020
CENTENNIAL ERA CELEBRATION: THE PHOTO
06/18/2020
2010: One year after enduring a race of crushing disappointment, team owner Chip Ganassi returned to Victory Lane...
Questions started being asked before Alexander Rossi’s empty fuel tank had his car sputtering out of the final corner of the last lap...
05/29/2016
ROSSI COASTS INTO HISTORY WITH STUNNING WIN
The quintessential Florence Henderson Indianapolis 500 story doesn’t originate from inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Race Day...
FLORENCE HENDERSON WAS ONE OF US
When Jamie McMurray arrived at the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard in 2010, one of the main storylines was team owner...
McMurray Completed "Chip Sweep" With Big Win
Sometimes a driver’s true measure of courage and character isn’t measured by the way they handle victory but the amount of class...
JR Hildebrand: Dignity In Defeat
2010s ALMANAC
05/31/2016
Highlights from the 100th Running
Jeff Gordon’s Fifth Brickyard 400
Jimmie Johnson Wins Four in 2012
06/21/2018
Dario Franchitti’s Elite Third Win
05/29/2011
Dan Wheldon 2011 win
May 29, 2016
July 27, 2014
may 29, 2011
2011 Dan Wheldon
2016 Alexander Rossi
06/15/2020
He seemed too young to have achieved such a milestone, too inexperienced to have reached such a summit....
Check back next week to learn how just the fourth change of ownership ever will write the pages of history books for generations to come.
May 29, 2011
2016 ALexander Rossi
1994: Jeff Gordon’s victory in the inaugural Brickyard 400 on Aug. 6, 1994 was his second career NASCAR Cup Series win..
NIGEL MANSELL’S INDY 500 DEBUt
The quintessential Florence Henderson Indianapolis 500 story doesn’t originate from inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Race Day, from the 500 Festival Parade or the...
Sometimes a driver’s true measure of courage and character isn’t measured by the way they handle victory but the amount of class and dignity in which they handle defeat.
Simon Pagenaud stops his No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet on the famed Yard of Bricks to celebrate with the race fans after winning the 103rd Running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2019.
Tony Stewart (No. 14) and Jeff Gordon (No. 88) share a celebratory post-race lap around the famed IMS oval after the 2016 Brickyard 400. This was the final NASCAR Cup Series lap the NASCAR legends took around the famed 2.5-mile oval.
An emotional Alexander Rossi sits in Victory Circle after winning the historic 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2016. Rossi stretched it on fuel and won in front of a sold-out crowd.
Simon Pagenaud douses himself in champagne after winning the inaugural GMR Grand Prix on the newly redesigned 14-turn, 2.439-mile IMS Road Course in 2014.
Tony Kanaan celebrates his long awaited Indianapolis 500 victory in 2013. Kanaan won the fastest Indy 500 on record, completing all 500 miles with an average speed of 187.433 mph.
The No. 2 Daytona Prototype, piloted by Sebastien Bourdais and Alex Popow, leads the Rolex Grand-Am Sports Car Series field into Turn 7 before winning the inaugural Brickyard Grand Prix on Friday, July 27, 2012.
Dario Franchitti celebrates his historic third Indianapolis 500-Mile Race win in 2012 for Chip Ganassi Racing. Franchitti joined an exclusive club of drivers to win the “500” for a third time.
Jimmie Johnson shares a special moment with his daughter Genevieve after winning a then-record fourth Brickyard 400 in 2012.
Brad Keselowski crosses the Yard of Bricks to win the inaugural NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The win was legendary team owner Roger Penske’s first NASCAR win at IMS.
Dan Wheldon emphatically celebrates his stunning 2011 Indianapolis 500 win on the famed Yard of Bricks. Wheldon won his second Indy 500 on the 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500.
Brad Keselowski crosses the Yard of Bricks to win the inauguralNASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The win was legendary team owner Roger Penske’s first NASCAR win at IMS.
11/30/2017
Jim Nabors' Farewell Performance
