Indianapolis 500 (Johnsonverse)

Indianapolis 500
USAC Gold Crown Series
Venue	Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Location	Speedway, Indiana, U.S.
First race	1911
Distance	500 miles (805 km)
Laps	200
Previous names	300-Mile International Sweepstakes (1916); Liberty Sweepstakes (1919);
Most wins (driver)	A. J. Foyt (4); Al Unser (4); Rick Mears (4); Hélio Castroneves (4)
Most wins (team)	Penske (18)
Most wins (manufacturer)	Chassis: Dallara (19); Engine: Offenhauser (27); Tires: Firestone (81)
Circuit information
Surface	Asphalt
Length	2.5 mi (4.0 km)
Turns	4
Lap record	37.895 sec (237.498 mph; 382.182 km/h) ; (Arie Luyendyk, Reynard/Ford-Cosworth XB, 1996)

Note: This article uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia.

The Indianapolis 500, also formally known as the International 500-Mile Sweepstakes, or simply the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis. The event is traditionally held over Memorial Day weekend, usually the last weekend of May.

It is contested as part of the USAC Gold Crown Series, the top level of American Championship Car racing, an open-wheel, open-cockpit formula colloquially known as "Indy Car Racing". The track itself is nicknamed the "Brickyard", as the racing surface was paved in brick in the fall of 1909. One yard of brick remains exposed at the start/finish line.

The event, billed as The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, is considered part of the Triple Crown of Motorsport. The Triple Crown comprises three of the most prestigious motorsports events in the world, also including the Monaco Grand Prix (which traditionally falls on the same day as the Indianapolis 500) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In three different periods, the race has been part of FIA World Championships (now Formula One); between 1925 and 1928, the World Manufacturers' Championship, and between 1950 and 1960 and again since 1996, the World Drivers' Championship. The official attendance is not disclosed by Speedway management, but the permanent seating capacity is upwards of 250,000, and infield patrons raise the race-day attendance to approximately 300,000. It shares its date with NASCAR's 600-mile event later in the evening at Charlotte, with drivers having completed both events in one day before in a so-called Double Duty. Until 1996, the Monaco Grand Prix (Formula One) was also held on the same date, a few hours earlier in Europe, before the race was eliminated from the schedule in favor of F1 and USAC running in the same race. As such, the last weekend of May is known as one of the largest weekends in auto racing.

The inaugural race was held in 1911 and was won by Ray Harroun. The event celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011, and the 100th running was held in 2016. The event was put on hiatus twice, from 1917 to 1918 due to World War I and from 1942 to 1945 due to World War II.

Jamie Chadwick is the current champion. The most successful drivers are A. J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr., and Rick Mears, each of whom has won the race four times. The active driver with the most victories is TBA. Rick Mears holds the record for most career pole positions with six. The most successful car owner is Roger Penske, owner of Team Penske, which has 18 total wins and 18 poles. Penske also has five wins at the USAC Grand Prix, held on the combined road course.

The event is steeped in tradition, in pre-race ceremonies, post-race celebrations, and race procedure. The most noteworthy and most popular traditions are the field lining up three-wide for the start, the annual singing of the chorus of "Back Home Again in Indiana," and the victory lane bottle of milk. Also unique is that qualifying requires the driver to complete four, rather than one, timed laps. Qualifying has a separate weekend.

History[]

Early years[]

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway complex was built in 1909 as a gravel-and-tar track and hosted a smattering of small events, including ones for motorcycles. The first long-distance event, in "fearful conditions," was the 100-lap Prest-O-Lite Trophy in 1909, won by Bob Burman in a Buick. The breakup of the track surface led to two fatal accidents in the first two long-distance events (a 250 mi (400 km) and 300 mi (480 km), which was shortened to 235 mi (378 km) after two severe wrecks).

That these spectacles had attracted 15,000 paying customers (and crowds of up to 40,000) persuaded principal owner Carl G. Fisher to spend $155,000 on repaving the track with 3.2 million bricks; he also added a 33-inch (0.84 m) concrete wall around the track's circumference. During the 1910 Decoration Day weekend, the first events on the newly paved circuit drew 60,000 spectators; Ray Harroun won the 200-mile (320 km) Wheeler-Schebler Trophy in a Marmon.

The crowds grew progressively smaller for the rest of the season, however, so the track owners chose to focus on a single race, and considered a 24-hour contest, in the fashion of Le Mans, or a one-thousand-mile (1,600 km) event. They decided on 500 miles (800 km), the estimated distance a race car could run before dark descended on the track, and a spectacular purse of $25,000, equivalent to 82.93 pounds (37.62 kg) of pure gold. The combination allowed the track to rapidly acquire a privileged status for automobile races.

The first "500" was held at the Speedway in 1911 on Decoration Day, May 30, (as it was known from its inception in 1868 to 1967, when federal law made "Memorial Day" the official name), run to a 600-cubic-inch (9,800 cc) maximum engine size formula. It saw a field of 40 starters, with Harroun piloting a Marmon Model 32-based Wasp racer—outfitted with his invention, the rear-view mirror. Harroun (with relief from Cyrus Patschke) was declared the winner, although Ralph Mulford protested the official result. Eighty thousand spectators were in attendance, and an annual tradition had been established. Many considered Harroun to be a hazard during the race, as he was the only driver in the race driving without a riding mechanic, who checked the oil pressure and let the driver know when traffic was coming.

In 1912, the purse was raised to $50,000, the field was limited to 33 (where it remained until 1996), and a riding mechanic was made mandatory. This second event was won by Joe Dawson in a National, after Ralph de Palma's Mercedes broke. Although the first race was won by an American driver at the wheel of an American car, European makers such as the Italian Fiat or French Peugeot companies soon developed their vehicles to try to win the event, which they did from 1912 to 1919. The 1913 event saw a change to a 450-cubic-inch (7,400 cc) maximum engine size.

After World War I, the native drivers and manufacturers regained their dominance of the race, and engineer Harry Miller set himself up as the most competitive of the post-war builders. His technical developments allowed him to be indirectly connected to a history of success that would last into the mid-1970s.

For musical entertainment before the start of the race, the Purdue All-American Marching Band has been the host band of the race since 1919. In 1946, American operatic tenor and car enthusiast James Melton started the tradition of singing "Back Home Again in Indiana" with the Purdue Band before the race when asked to do so on the spur of the moment by Speedway president Tony Hulman. This tradition has continued through the years, notably by actor and singer Jim Nabors from 1972 until 2014. Nabors announced in 2014, citing health-related reasons, that the 2014 Indy 500 would be the last at which he would sing the song. Starting in 2015, Jim Cornelison has sang the song.

Miller and Offenhauser[]

Following the European trends, engine sizes were limited to 183 cu in (3,000 cc) during 1920–1922, 122 cu in (2,000 cc) for 1923–1925, and 91 cu in (1,490 cc) in 1926–1929. The 1920 race was won by Gaston Chevrolet in a Frontenac, prepared by his brothers, powered by the first eight-cylinder engine to win the 500. For 1923, riding mechanics were no longer required. A supercharged car, ID, first won the race in 1924. In 1925, Pete DePaolo was the first to win at an average over 100 mph (160 km/h), with a speed of 101.13 mph (162.75 km/h).

In the early 1920s, Miller built his 3.0-liter (183 in³) engine, inspired by the Peugeot Grand Prix engine which had been serviced in his shop by Fred Offenhauser in 1914, installing it in Jimmy Murphy's Duesenberg and allowing him to win the 1922 edition of the race. Miller then created his own automobiles, which shared the 'Miller' designation, which, in turn, were powered by supercharged versions of his 2.0- and 1.5-liter (122 and 91 in³) engine single-seaters, winning four more races for the engine up to 1929 (two of them, 1926 and 1928, in Miller chassis). The engines powered another seven winners until 1938 (two of them, 1930 and 1932, in Miller chassis), then ran at first with stock-type motors before later being adjusted to the international 3.0-liter formula.

After purchasing the Speedway in 1927, Eddie Rickenbacker prohibited supercharging and increased the displacement limit to 366 cu in (6,000 cc), while also re-introducing the riding mechanic.

In 1935, Miller's former employees, Fred Offenhauser and Leo Goossen, had already achieved their first win with the soon-to-become famous 4-cylinder Offenhauser or "Offy" engine. This motor was forever connected with the Brickyard's history with a to-date record total of 27 wins, in both naturally aspirated and supercharged form, and winning a likewise record-holding 18 consecutive years between 1947 and 1964.

European incursions and links to Formula One[]

Meanwhile, European manufacturers, gone from the Indianapolis 500 for nearly two decades, made a brief return just before World War II, with the competitive Maserati 8CTF allowing Wilbur Shaw to become the first driver to win consecutively at Indianapolis, in 1939 and 1940. With the 500 having been a part of the World Drivers' Championship between 1950 and 1960, Ferrari made a discreet appearance at the 1952 event with Alberto Ascari, but European entries were few and far between during those days. Among the Formula One drivers who did drive at the speedway was five-time world champion Argentinian Juan Manuel Fangio, though he failed to qualify for the 1958 race.

It was not until the Indianapolis 500 was removed from the World Championship calendar that European entries made their return. In 1963, technical innovator Colin Chapman brought his Team Lotus to Indianapolis for the first time, attracted by the large monetary prizes, far bigger than the usual at a European event. Racing a mid-engined car, Scotsman Jim Clark was second in his first attempt in 1963, dominated in 1964 until suffering suspension failure on lap 47, and completely dominated the race in 1965, a victory which also interrupted the success of the Offy, and giving the 4.2-liter Ford V8 its first success at the race. The following year, 1966, saw another British win, this time Graham Hill in a Lola-Ford.

The Offenhauser engine was also paired with a European maker, McLaren, obtaining three wins for the chassis, one with the Penske team in 1972 with driver Mark Donohue, and two for the McLaren works team in 1974 and 1976 with Johnny Rutherford. This was also the last time the Offy would win a race, its competitiveness steadily decreasing until its final appearance in 1983. American drivers continued to fill the majority of entries at the Brickyard in the following years, but European technology had taken over. Starting in 1978, most chassis and engines were European, with the only American-based chassis to win being the Wildcat and Galmer (which was technically built in Bicester, England) in 1982 and 1992, respectively. Ford and Chevrolet engines were built in the UK by Cosworth and Ilmor, respectively.

Starting in 1996, the event returned to the Formula One schedule. Before that, no active F1 driver had competed in the Indy 500 since 1984. The field was expanded from the traditional 33 to 46, where it remains to this day.

World Series[]

After foreign cars became the norm, foreign drivers began competing in the Indianapolis 500 regularly, choosing the United States as their primary base for their motor racing activities. Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi, Italian Teo Fabi, and Colombian Roberto Guerrero were able to obtain good outings in the 1980s, as was Dutchman Arie Luyendyk. However, it was not until 1993 that reigning Formula One World Champion Nigel Mansell shocked the racing world by moving to the United States, winning the USAC Gold Crown Series championship and losing the 500 in his rookie year only because of inexperience with green-flag restarts. Foreign-born drivers became a regular fixture of Indianapolis in the years to follow.

Centennial Era[]

In 2009, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway began a three-year-long "Centennial Era" to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the opening of the track (1909), and the 100th anniversary of the first Indy 500 (1911). In May 2009, the ordinal (93rd) was used very sparingly, and for the first time since 1981, was not identified on the annual logo. Instead, in most instances in print, television, and radio, the race was referred to as the "2009 Indianapolis 500". Since the race was not held during the United States' participation in the two World Wars (1917–1918, 1942–1945), the advertised Centennial Era occurred during the 93rd to 95th runnings. To avoid confusion between the 100th anniversary, and the actual number of times the race has been run, references to the ordinal during the Centennial Era were curtailed.

In the 2014 meeting, the road course became part of the race meeting for the first time. The GMR Grand Prix road course event, and the three upper tiers of Road to Indy, participated in road course events at the Speedway during the first week of activities.

Six years later, in 2016, the race celebrated its 100th running with about 350,000 in attendance.

Four local actors were hired to portray the Founding Four of James Allison, Carl Fisher, Frank Wheeler, and Arthur Newby during multiple Centennial Era events and the 100th race. Harold Hefner (Allison), Tom Harrison (Fisher), Jeff Angel (Wheeler), and Matthew Allen (Newby).

In 2020, the race was delayed for the first time from its usual Memorial Day running to August due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There was no audience in attendance, so as to comply with pandemic guidelines. As races were cancelled because of local restrictions, the Speedway added two road course races in October as part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge meeting, where attendance was capped to 10,000 per event.

Race name[]

The race was originally advertised as the "International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race" from 1911 to 1916. However, from its inception, the race has been widely known as the Indianapolis 500 or, more simply as "the 500". In 1919, the race was referred to as the "Liberty Sweepstakes" following WWI. In 1920, the race officially reverted to the "International Sweepstakes" moniker, as printed on the tickets and other paraphernalia, with slight variations over the years.

Following WWII, the race was commonly recognized as "The 500", "The 500-Mile Race", "Indianapolis 500-Mile Race", "Indianapolis 500", or the simple form "Indy 500". Usually the ordinal (e.g. "50th") preceded it. Often the race was also advertised on the radio as the "Annual Memorial Day race," or similar variations.

Since 1981, the Indianapolis 500 has used a unique annual logo with the ordinal almost always included.

For over a century, the race has eschewed any sort of naming rights or title sponsor, a move, though uncommon in the modern sports world, that has been well-received by fans.

The Borg-Warner Trophy, introduced in 1936, proclaims the event as the "Indianapolis 500-Mile Race", with no reference at all to the name "International Sweepstakes".

Winners[]

See: List of Indianapolis 500 winners (Johnsonverse)

Race specifics[]

The Indianapolis 500 is held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a 2.5-mile (4 km) oval circuit. The track is a rounded rectangle, with four distinct turns of identical dimensions, connected by four straightaways (two long straightaways and two "short chutes"). The field consists of 46 starters, aligned in a starting grid of fifteen rows of three cars apiece, as well as an additional car. Drivers race 200 laps, counter-clockwise around the circuit, for a distance of 500 miles (800 km). Since its inception in 1911, the race has always been scheduled on or around Memorial Day. Since 1974, the race has been specifically scheduled for the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. The Sunday of Memorial Day weekend is widely considered one of the most important days on the motorsports calendar, as it is the day of the Indianapolis 500, the Coca-Cola 600, and the Monaco Grand Prix. Practice and time trials are held in the two weeks leading up to the race, while miscellaneous preliminary testing is held as early as April.

The race is the most prestigious event of the USAC calendar, and one of the oldest and most important automobile races. It has been reported to be the largest single-day sporting event in the world. Likewise, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway itself is regarded as the world's largest sporting facility in terms of capacity. The total purse exceeded $13 million in 2011, with over $2.5 million awarded to the winner, making it one of the richest cash prize funds in sports.

Similar to NASCAR's Daytona 500, the Indianapolis 500 is typically held early in the USAC Gold Crown Series season. That is unique to most sports where major events are usually at the end of the respective season. Currently, the Indy 500 is the twelfth event of the 40-race USAC schedule. From the 1970s to the 1990s, Indianapolis was often the second or third race of the season, and as late as the 1950s, it was sometimes the first championship event of the year. Due to the high prestige of the Indianapolis 500—rivaling or even surpassing the season championship—it is not uncommon for some teams and drivers to focus heavily on preparing for that race during the early part of the season, and not focus fully on the championship battle until after Indy.

Due to safety issues such as aquaplaning, the race is not held in wet conditions. In the event of a rain delay, the race will be postponed until rain showers cease, and the track is sufficiently dried. If rain falls during the race, officials can end the race and declare the results official if more than half of the scheduled distance (i.e., 101 laps) has been completed. The Indianapolis 500, as well as other USAC Gold Crown Series races, does not utilize the green–white–checker finish in case of a late-race yellow. The race can be (and in the past has been) finished under caution. However, officials may call for a late-race red flag to ensure a green-flag finish, an option that was used in 2014, 2019, and 2022. The circuit lacks lights, therefore lateness can become a factor in the cases of lengthy delays.

Car[]

The event is contested by "Indy cars", a formula of professional-level, single-seat, open cockpit, open-wheel, purpose-built race cars. As of 2023, all teams utilize 356 cubic-inch engines of varying cylinder counts, normally V6 and V8. Engine manufacturers include Chevrolet, Ford-Cosworth, Dodge, DeSoto, Honda, Toyota, Offenhauser, Ferrari, and Renault, while chassis are widely varied.

Field[]

The 46-car starting field at Indianapolis is the same size as all USAC races. The field at Indy typically consists of a mix of full-time USAC and Formula One entries, along with part-time or "Indy-only" entries. The "Indy-only" entries, also known as "One-Offs", may be an extra car added to an existing full-time team, or a part-time team altogether that does not enter any of the other races, (cars that enter only a few selected races have not been seen in USAC since 1983). The "Indy-only" drivers may come from a wide range of pedigrees but are usually experienced Indy car competitors who either lack a full-time ride, are former full-time drivers who have elected to drop down to part-time status, or occasional one-off drivers from other racing disciplines. It is not uncommon for some drivers (particularly former Indy 500 winners) to quit full-time driving during the season, but race solely at Indy for numerous years afterward before entering full retirement.

Technical regulations[]

Technical specifications for the Indianapolis 500 are currently written by USAC. Rules are the exact same as every other USAC race.

Teams may enter up to two machines under a given car number—the "primary" car and a "backup" car. The backup car is identified by the letter "T". For example, the two cars for the #2 team would be numbered #2 and #2T. Both cars may be practiced during the month, but due to engine lease rules, they must share the same engine. It is not uncommon for teams to prefer their backup car, if it is deemed faster, or for other strategic reasons. Additionally, as the month wears on, a "T car" may be split off into a separate entry, and reassigned a new number, or be sold to another team.

All cars must pass a rigorous technical inspection before receiving a sticker signifying that the car is eligible to practice. Various criteria include minimum weight, dimensions, and approved parts, particularly safety equipment. Before and after qualification attempts, cars must pass another inspection. The pre-qualifying inspection is focused on safety aspects and is done on the pit lane qualifying queue. It is relatively brief, due to the time constraints of the qualifying procedure. The post-qualifying inspection is much more stringent and lengthy, taking place in the garage area. It is to detect deviations from the performance guidelines set forth by the league, and cars can and have been fined or outright disqualified if they fail inspection.

During the race, work on the car is permitted, but it is usually limited to routine pit stop work (changing tires and refueling) and minor adjustments (wing angles, etc.) Pit stop activity is rigorously rehearsed by the crews and in modern times, routine pits stops are regularly completed in under ten seconds. Other more involved work, such as replacing damaged bodywork (wings, nose cones, etc.), can also be completed quickly by the crews. More lengthy repairs are allowed, and since 1998 teams are permitted to return to the garage area to make repairs. However, there are limitations to the extent of repair work allowed and the practicality of such work. Teams are not allowed to change engines, and since 1933 a rule has been in place where teams are not allowed to add oil. In addition, the officials designate a certain lap after which off-track cars being serviced/repaired are no longer permitted to return to the race.

The Indianapolis 500 is the only race on the Formula One where the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) has no power. All F1 drivers and teams are effectively at the mercy of USAC, who imposes numerous rules that apply only at the Indianapolis 500. Among the more notable rules include:

After the 2005 tire controversy, in which all Michelin teams pulled out of the race due to Michelin tires being unsuitable for the newly-repaved track, and USAC trying to pass the buck on to the FIA, F1 teams are required to use Firestone tires, which only comes in a single compound for oval races (many F1 drivers and teams have opined that the Indianapolis 500 is the easiest race, pit strategy-wise).
In 2010, the FIA banned refueling in F1 races on safety grounds; because the Indianapolis 500 is longer than any of the other races on the F1 calendar, refueling is a necessity (it is often said that the position of "F1 Refueler for the Indy 500" is one of the single-most competitive job markets in the world, as the position only exists for the Indianapolis 500, but the refueler gets a full season's salary).
Turbocharged engines were banned in USAC in 1979, and zero exceptions were made when F1 switched to turbocharged V6 hybrid engines in 2014; this resulted in a two-month standoff between USAC and the FIA, as the FIA was adamant that their new engines be shown off to American audiences in their full configuration, a move USAC called a transparent power grab to turn the USAC Gold Crown cars into "members of the choir"; the FIA eventually relented after negotiations to revive the Monaco Grand Prix as a contingency fell through.
The Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS/ERS) is disabled, as the flat-out nature of racing at Indianapolis makes the system useless.
The Drag Reduction System (DRS) is permanently set to the open position for the Indianapolis 500, matching the aerodynamic properties of USAC Gold Crown cars.
Due to all numbers used by F1 teams the rest of the season being taken by USAC teams, all F1 cars are renumbered in the 200-series.
Starting in 2007, all F1 teams were required to use ethanol fuel instead of the normal unleaded gasoline; this caused much headache for all F1 teams except Ferrari (who used their USAC V6 engines instead of their F1 V8 power units), as all failed due to their incompatibility with the ethanol fuel; starting in 2008, all teams without a USAC operation were provided with "Indy" engines that are ethanol-compatible.
Normal F1 races use a two-abreast standing start, while the Indianapolis 500 uses a three-abreast rolling start.
The FIA has, in the past, disqualified cars for making too much contact, while USAC is more lenient, especially in situations where said contact was unavoidable.
USAC is also much more lenient when it comes to technical innovations; electronic aids such as traction control and anti-lock brakes, for example, were banned by the FIA, but are considered standard in USAC.
If necessary, teams who have both USAC and F1 operations can use Gold Crown cars for their F1 drivers; this has only happened once in 2017, when Fernando Alonso wrecked his McLaren MCL32 during practice, and used a McLaren M63 from the USAC team for the race.
USAC does not issue grid penalties for changing engine components.

Qualifying procedure[]

Throughout the years, the race has used several different qualifying procedures. The current four-lap (ten-mile) qualifying distance was first introduced in 1920 and has been used every year since 1939.

Presently, qualifying occurs on over two days. On Day 1, positions 13-30 have their position set with all other positions set on Day 2. Following Fast Friday practice, all cars are entered into a blind draw for the qualifying order.

Saturday: All entries are guaranteed at least one attempt to qualify and can make additional attempts if time permits. At the end of the session, the fastest twelve drivers advance to a "shootout" session held on the next day to determine pole position and the first four rows of the grid. As mentioned above, drivers who qualify 10th-30th have their spots locked in and will not re-qualify. Drivers who qualify 31st and lower advance to a separate "shootout" session also held on the next day to determine the final three spots on the grid. For re-attempts, there are two lanes: Lane 2 is known as the "no risk lane" and drivers can keep their previous time if their second (or subsequent) run is slower. Lane 1 is known as the "priority lane," and no cars from lane 2 are allowed on track unless lane 1 is empty. However, to re-qualify in lane 1 you must withdraw any previous times, regardless if the attempt is slower than a previous one.
Sunday: The drivers who qualified 31st and lower from Saturday have their original times erased. There is one 75 minute session. Each driver gets one guaranteed attempt and can make additional attempts if time permits. Drivers who qualify 31st-46th have their positions locked in. Drivers who finish 34th and lower fail to qualify. The fastest twelve drivers from Saturday take part in a second round of qualifying, with the top six advancing to the Firestone Fast Six. The qualifying order is based on the times from Saturday's session from slowest to fastest. Once again, the times from Saturday are erased and each driver is given only one attempt, locking in positions 7-12. Following a cool down period, including all cars taking slow cool down laps on track behind the pace/safety car, the remaining six drivers get one final attempt. The fastest driver wins the highly coveted pole position and the remaining five drivers have their positions locked in based on their times.

For each attempt, cars are allowed two warm-up laps. At that time, a member of the team is stationed at the north end of the main stretch. He or she must wave a green flag, signaling an attempt, or else the car will be waved off. The attempt can be waved off during any of the four laps by the team, driver, or race officials. (The series will wave off the run if it is obvious the run will not be fast enough to qualify and it is getting late in the day.) If an attempt is waved off after the run starts, the attempt counts and the previous time is still forfeited unless race officials waved off the attempt because of weather. Weather can and often does affect qualifying and can result in last-minute format changes.

Since the field's expansion to 46 cars in 1996, a qualifying rule known as the "33-13" was implemented, in which 33 spots were guaranteed for USAC drivers, and the remaining 13 would be guaranteed for Formula One drivers.

Race sanctioning[]

From 1911 to 1955, the race was organized under the auspices of the AAA Contest Board. Following the 1955 Le Mans disaster, AAA dissolved the Contest Board to concentrate on its membership program aimed at the general motoring public. Speedway owner Tony Hulman founded USAC in 1956, which took over sanctioning of the race and the sport of Championship racing.

From 1950 to 1960, the Indianapolis 500 also counted toward the FIA's World Championship of Drivers (now synonymous with Formula One), although few drivers participated in the other races of that series. Italian driver Alberto Ascari was the only European-based driver to race in the 500 during its World Championship years. His appearance in 1952 in a Ferrari was also the only time a Ferrari has ever appeared in the race. Juan Manuel Fangio practiced at the track in 1958 but declined an offer to race.

Control issues of monetary prizes and squabbles over technical regulations caused conflict in the 1970s. Soon after the death of Tony Hulman in 1977, and the loss of several key USAC officials in a 1978 plane crash, Johnson Industries purchased USAC.

Since 1996, the Indy 500 is a joint event between the USAC Gold Crown Series and Formula One; all teams from their respective leagues use their own engines and chassis, though they all use Firestone tires as per USAC regulations, and the race counts towards the championship in both series.

NASCAR and the 500[]

In the 1960s and early 1970s, the Indy 500 and the World 600 (now known as the Coca-Cola 600) at Charlotte Motor Speedway were held on different days of the week. A handful of NASCAR regulars participated in both events in the same year, including Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison, Cale Yarborough, and Lee Roy Yarbrough. From 1974 to 1992, the two events were scheduled for the same day and same starting time, making participation in both impossible. A few stock car drivers during that time, namely Neil Bonnett in 1979, nevertheless still attempted to qualify at Indy, even if that meant skipping Charlotte altogether.

"Double Duty"[]

From 1994, several NASCAR drivers were able to compete in both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte on the same day. Since 1993, the Coca-Cola 600 has been scheduled in the evening the same day as the Indy 500. The effort has been known as "Double Duty".

After the Indy 500, drivers would catch a helicopter directly from the Speedway to Indianapolis International Airport. From there they would fly to Concord Regional Airport, and ride a helicopter to the NASCAR race. John Andretti, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon, and Kurt Busch attempted the feat, with Wendy Burleson being the latest in 2023; she previously did double duty in 2011 and 2019. In 2001, Tony Stewart became the first driver to complete the full race distance (1,100 miles) in both races on the same day.

Four drivers, Mario Andretti, A. J. Foyt, and Tony Stewart, have won the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500. Foyt also won the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring, America's premier endurance races, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Foyt won Le Mans in 1967, about one month after winning his third Indy 500. Andretti won the 1978 Formula One World Championship and is a three-time Sebring winner (he also won the 6-hour version of Daytona). Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford once won one of the Daytona 500 qualifying races.

In 2010, Bruton Smith (owner of Speedway Motorsports, Inc.), offered $20 million to any driver, USAC or NASCAR, who can win both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day starting in 2011, a feat that had never been accomplished. Brad Keselowski suggested that he would consider answering the challenge in 2014. It was announced on March 4, 2014, that Kurt Busch would attempt to qualify for the 2014 Indianapolis 500, driving a fifth car for the Andretti Autosport team. Busch completed all 500 miles at Indy to finish sixth but dropped out of the 600 with a blown engine just past the 400-mile mark. Tony Stewart and Wendy Burleson took on the challenge in 2019; Stewart won the Indianapolis 500 in a car fielded by Stewart-Foyt Racing, but came up short in the Coca-Cola 600 with a third-place finish, while Burleson, who drove a fifth Hendrick Motorsports car, finished seventh in the Indianapolis 500 and crashed in the Coca-Cola 600. Burleson again took on the challenge in 2023, again with Hendrick Motorsports, winning the Coca-Cola 600 but finishing second in the Indianapolis 500. In 2024, Kyle Larson attempted the double, racing with Arrow McLaren in the 500.

For 2019, WBC Sports and the Speedway changed the start time. The engines started at 12:38 PM for a start time of 12:45 PM.

Culture[]

Memorabilia[]

Many people promote and share information about the Indianapolis 500 and its memorabilia collecting. The National Indy 500 Collectors Club is an independent active organization that has been dedicated to supporting such activities. The organization was established January 1, 1985, in Indianapolis by its founder John Blazier and includes an experienced membership available for discussion and advice on Indy 500 memorabilia trading and Indy 500 questions in general.

The longest-running Indy racing memorabilia show is the National Auto Racing Memorabilia Show.

Entertainment[]

Main article: Indianapolis 500 in film and media (Johnsonverse)

The Indianapolis 500 has been the subject of several films and has been referenced many times in television, movies, and other media.

Milk[]

Louis Meyer requested a glass of buttermilk after winning his second Indy 500 race in 1933. After winning his third title in 1936, he requested another glass but instead received a bottle. He was captured by a photographer in the act of swigging from the bottle while holding up three fingers to signify the third win. A local dairy company executive recognized the marketing opportunity in the image and, being unaware Meyer was drinking buttermilk, offered a bottle of milk to the winners of future races. Milk has been presented each year since then, apart from 1947 to 1955. Modern drivers are offered a choice of whole, 2%, and skim.

At the 1993 Indianapolis 500, winner Emerson Fittipaldi, who owned and operated an orange grove, notoriously drank orange juice instead of milk during the televised winner's interview. He eventually relented and also drank from the milk bottle later in the post-race ceremonies after the broadcast was over, but the public relations damage had already been done. The snub led to Fittipaldi being booed at the next Champ Car race, the Milwaukee Mile, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the heart of dairy country, and by some, as late as 2008 in which he drove the pace car. In 2016, as a promotion, the track gave out commemorative bottles of milk to 100,000 attendees to toast the winner with milk after the race.

Female drivers[]

Main article: List of female Indianapolis 500 drivers (Johnsonverse)

Female participation of any sort at Indianapolis was discouraged and essentially banned throughout the first several decades of competition. As such, female reporters were not even allowed in the pit area until 1971. Before the 2000s, there were female drivers to qualify, starting with Janet Guthrie in 1977. Wendy Burleson became the first female driver to win the race in 2009. Her success led to a massive increase in female drivers in motorsport from the 2010s on. Jamie Chadwick became the race's second female winner in 2024.

Broadcasting[]

Radio coverage of the race dates back to 1922. The race has been broadcast live on the radio in its entirety by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network since 1953.

The Hulmans did not allow live television coverage of the 500 until 1979, largely to maximize gate attendance. The race was briefly televised live in 1949 and 1950 on WFBM-TV (today's WRTV), after which the practice was discontinued. From 1964 to 1970, the race was broadcast live on closed-circuit television in theaters around the country. From 1965 through 1970, a highlighted version of the race was shown on ABC's Wide World of Sports. From 1971 through 1978, an edited same-day, tape delay broadcast of the race was shown in prime time. The race broadcast was edited down to either two or three hours in duration (including commercials).

Since 1979, WBC has televised the race live in its entirety. However, at the request of the Speedway, Indianapolis affiliate WTHR is required to blackout the live broadcast and carry it on tape delay in prime time to encourage local race attendance; WTHR would air the WBC primetime lineup in the afternoon. In 1996, the race was first aired in high-definition. In 2016, the IMS declared a sell-out of race tickets for the 100th running of the event, meaning that WTHR would be allowed to air the race live for the first time. WTHR again aired the race live in 2020, due to in-person attendance being banned amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the live coverage arrangement, the Indianapolis affiliate of the network airing the race airs that day's programming in a transposed arrangement, with network primetime programming airing during the race and transmitted to the affiliate in advance, while the race airs on tape delay in prime time.

Coverage of time trials on ABC dates back to 1961. ABC covered time trials in various live and in tape-delayed formats from 1961 to 1979. Most time trials have been broadcast on WBC, TNN, and ESPN since 1980. Practice sessions have been streamed live online dating back to at least 2001.