Pennzoil motor oil: 3

STP Corporation: 3

Blue Crown Spark Plugs: 3 (1947, 1948, 1949)

Target stores: 3

Johnny Lightning (Topper Toys): 2

Indy 500: Starting Position of Winners

Through 2011

Pole Position: 20 victories (Jimmy Murphy 1921, Tommy Milton 1923, Billy Arnold 1930, Floyd Roberts 1938, Bill Vukovich 1953, Pat Flaherty 1956, Parnelli Jones 1963, Al Unser 1970, Johnny Rutherford 1976, Rick Mears 1979, Johnny Rutherford 1980, Bobby Unser 1981, Rick Mears 1988, Rick Mears 1991, Al Unser Jr. 1994, Arie Luyendyk 1997, Buddy Rice 2004, Sam Hornish Jr. 2006, Scott Dixon 2008, Helio Castroneves 2009)

2nd: 11 victories (Ralph DePalma 1915, Howdy Wilcox 1919, Peter DePaolo 1925, Wilbur Shaw 1937, Wilbur Shaw 1940, Lee Wallard 1951, Jim Rathmann 1960, Rodger Ward 1962, Jimmy Clark 1965, Mario Andretti 1969, Juan Montoya 2000)

3rd: 11 victories (Wilbur Shaw 1939, Mauri Rose 1947-1948, Bobby Unser 1968, Mark Donohue 1972, Bobby Unser 1975, Rick Mears 1984, Emerson Fittipaldi 1989, Arie Luyendyk 1990, Dario Franchitti 2007, Dario Franchitti 2010)

4th: 6 victories (Dario Resta 1916, Bill Holland 1949, A.J. Foyt 1967, A.J. Foyt 1977, Tom Sneva 1983, Bobby Rahal 1986)

5th: 7 victories (Johnnie Parsons 1950, A.J. Foyt 1964, Al Unser 1971, Al Unser 1978, Gordon Johncock 1982, Jacques Villeneuve 1995, Buddy Lazier 1996)

6th: 5 victories (Gaston Chevrolet 1920, Ray Keech 1929, Louis Meyer 1933, Rodger Ward 1959, Dan Wheldon 2011)

7th: 5 victories (Joe Dawson 1912, Jules Goux 1912, Troy Ruttman 1952, Jimmy Bryan 1958, A.J. Foyt 1961)

8th: 2 victories (Danny Sullivan 1985, Kenny Brack 1999)

9th: 1 victory (Emerson Fittipaldi 1993)

10th: 2 victories (Bill Cummings 1934, Gil de Ferran 2003)

11th: 2 victories (Gordon Johncock 1973, Helio Castroneves 2001)

12th: 1 victory (Al Unser Jr. 1992)

13th: 4 victories (Louis Meyer 1928, Louis Schneider 1931, Sam Hanks 1957, Helio Castroneves 2002)

14th: 1 victory (Bob Sweikert 1956)

15th: 3 victories (Rene Thomas 1914, George Robson 1946, Graham Hill 1966)

16th: 1 victory (Dan Wheldon 2005)

17th: 2 victories (Floyd Davis & Mauri Rose 1941, Eddie Cheever 1998)

18th: None

19th: 1 victory (Bill Vukovich 1954)

20th: 3 victories (Tommy Milton 1921, Frank Lockhart 1926, Al Unser 1987)

21st: 1 victory (L.L. Corum & Joe Boyer 1924)

22nd: 2 victories (George Souders 1927, Kelly Petillo 1935)

23rd: None

24th: None

25th: 1 victory (Johnny Rutherford 1974)

26th: None

27th: 1 victory (Fred Frame 1932)

28th: 2 victories (Ray Harroun 1911, Louis Meyer 1936)

29th-33rd: None

34th-40th: None

Indianapolis 500 Winners: Drivers

#	Years Won	Driver	Birthdate	Birthplace	Status
1	1911	Ray W. Harroun	1/12/1879	Spartanburg, PA	Died 1/19/1968; Buried at Anderson Memorial Park, Anderson, IN
2	1912	Joe Dawson	4/19/1889	Indianapolis, IN	Died of a heart attack 6/18/1946 while working at a race at Langhorne, PA.
3	1913	Jules Goux	3/6/1885	France	Died 3/6/1965 in Mirmande, France
4	1914	Rene Thomas	3/7/1886	France	d. 9/23/1975 in Columbes, France
5	1915	Ralph De Palma	12/19/1882	Italy	Died 3/31/1956 and is buried at Holy Cross Cemetary, Culver City, California
6	1916	Dario Resta	8/17/1882	Italy	Killed 9/2/1924 in a crash at Brooklands Speedway, England, attempting a speed record
7	1919	Howard S. "Howdy" Wilcox	6/24/1889	Crawfordsville, IN	Killed 9/4/1923 in a racing crash at Altoona, PA. He is buried at Crown Hill Cemetary, Indianapolis, IN
8	1920	Gaston Chevrolet	10/4/1892	France	Killed 11/25/1920 in a racing crash at Beverly Hills, less than six months after his victory. Buried at Holy Cross & St. Joseph Cemetary, Indianapolis, IN
9	1921, 1923	Tommy Milton	11/14/1893	St. Paul, MN	Died 7/11/1962 in Mount Clemens, Missouri
10	1922	Jimmy Murphy	9/12/1894	San Francisco, CA	Killed 9/15/1924 in a racing crash at Syracuse, NY
11	1924	Lora L. Corum	1/8/1899	Indianapolis, IN	Died 3/7/1949
12	1924	Joe Boyer	9/2/1890	Detroit, MI	Died in a racing crash 9/2/1924 at Altoona, PA, about three months after his victory.
13	1925	Peter DePaolo	4/6/1898	Philadelphia, PA	Died 11/26/1980 in Costa Mesa, California.
14	1926	Frank Lockhart	3/8/1903	Cleveland, OH	Killed 4/25/1928 at Daytona Beach, Florida while attempting a land speed record.
15	1927	George Souders	9/11/1900	Lafayette, IN	Died 7/28/1976; Buried at Battle Ground Cemetary, Battle Ground, IN
16	1928, 1933, 1936	Louis Meyer	7/21/1904	Yonkers, NY	Died 10/11/1995; Buried at Inglewood Park Cemetary, Inglewood, CA
17	1929	Ray Keech	5/1/1900	Coatsville, PA	Killed 6/15/1929 in a racing crash at Altoona, Pennsylvania two weeks after his Indy victory.
18	1930	Billy Arnold	12/16/1905	Chicago, IL	d. 11/10/1976
19	1931	Louis Frank Schneider	12/19/1901	Indianapolis, IN	d. 9/27/1942 of tuberculosis; Buried at Crown Hill Cemetary, Indianapolis, IN
20	1932	Fred Frame	6/3/1894	Exeter, NH	Died 4/25/1962
21	1934	Bill Cummings	11/11/1906	Indianapolis, IN	Killed 2/8/1939 in a traffic accident in the Indianapolis area.
22	1935	Michele ("Kelly") Pettilo	12/5/1903	Philadelphia, PA	d. 6/30/1970
23	1937, 1939, 1940	Warren Wilbur Shaw, Sr.	10/31/1902	Shelbyville, IL	Killed 10/30/1954 in plane crash near Decatur, Indiana. Shaw had been working as the President of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He is buried at Vernon Cemetary, Vernon, IN
24	1938	Floyd Roberts	2/12/1904	Jamestown, MD	Killed 5/30/1939 in a crash on the backsteech during the 1939 Indy 500.
25	1941	Floyd Eldon Davis	3/9/1905	Springfield, IL	Died 5/31/1977 and is buried at Crown Hill Cemetary, Indianapolis, Indiana
26	1941, 1947, 1948	Mauri Rose	5/26/1906	Columbus, OH	d. 1/1/1981; Buried at White Chapel Memorial Cemetary, Troy, Michigan
27	1946	George Robson	2/24/1909	England	Robson was killed three months after his Indy win, in a crash at Lakewood Speedway, in Atlanta, GA on 9/2/1946
28	1949	Bill Holland	12/18/1907	Philadelphia, PA	Died 5/20/1984
29	1950	Johnnie Woodrow Parsons	7/4/1918	Los Angeles, CA	Died 9/8/1984; Buried at Inglewood Park Cemetary, Inglewood, CA
30	1951	Lee Wallard	9/7/1910	Schenectady, NY	Shortly after his Indy win, he was burned in a crash, and retired. He died 11/28/1963
31	1952	Troy Ruttman, Sr.	3/11/1930	Mooreland, OK	Died 5/19/1997 of lung cancer, he is buried at Mooreland Cemetary, Mooreland, OK
32	1953, 1954	William ("Bill") Vukovich	12/13/1918	Fresno, CA	Vukovich was killed in a crash during the 1955 Indy 500 on 5/30/1955 while leading the race. He was the two-time defending champion, going for an unprecidented third straight victory. He is buried at Belmont Memorial Park in Fresno, CA
33	1955	Robert Charles ("Bob") Sweikert	5/20/1926	Los Angeles, CA	Sweikert was killed in a sprint car crash 6/17/1956 at Salem, IN. He is buried at Lone Tree Cemetary, Hayward, CA
34	1956	George Francis ("Pat") Flaherty, Jr.	1/6/1926	Glendale, CA	He died 4/9/2002 from emphysema. He is buried at Santa Clara Cemetary in Oxnard, CA
35	1957	Samuel ("Sam") Hanks	7/13/1914	Columbus, OH	Hanks notably retired after the race in victory lane. He drove the pace car at the race for the next six years. He died 6/24/1994
36	1958	James Ernest ("Jimmy") Bryan	1/28/1926	Phoenix, AZ	Killed in a crash on 6/19/1960 at Langhorne, PA. He is buried at Greenwood Memory Lawn in Phoenix, AZ
37	1959, 1962	Rodger Ward	1/10/1921	Beloit, KS	Ward spent several years working as an announcer on both television and radio. He drove the pace car at Indy in 1970. He died 7/5/2004.
38	1960	Royal Richard ("Jim") Rathmann	7/16/1928	Valpariso, IN	Last raced at Indy in 1963. Born Dick Rathmann, he switched names with his older brother in order to enter a race while underage. He adopted the name Jim, his brother adopted the name Dick, and it stuck for life in pulic circles. He retired from racing and rans car dealerships. He is currently the oldest and longest-ago living winner of the Indy 500. Rathmann drove the pace car at Indy six times (1969, 1972-1974, 1978, 1982). In 2011, he was one of only a few living winners who did not attend the 100th Anniversary race, due to poor health.
39	1961, 1964, 1967, 1977	Anthony Joseph ("A.J.") Foyt, Jr.	1/16/1935	Houston, TX	Foyt retired on the morning of pole day in 1993 with 67 career Indy car victories, seven championships, four Indy wins, and victories in NASCAR, USAC stock cars, sports cars, and other racing disciplines. He was an owner in the CART series and is an active owner in IZOD IndyCar Series since its inception in 1996. Foyt was the winning owner for 1999 Indy 500 winner Kenny Brack, and 1998 pole winner Billy Boat. In 2011, he drove the pace car.
40	1963	Rufus Parnel ("Parnelli") Jones	8/12/1933	Texarkana, AK	Jones retired after nearly winning the 1967 race in the Turbine, and remained in the sport an an owner. He was the winning owner for 1970-1971 Indy 500 winner Al Unser, Sr. Jones served as the driver of the pace car at Indy in 1994 and 1998.
41	1965	James ("Jimmy") Clark, Jr.	3/4/1936	Scotland	Clark was killed in a Formula 2 race on 4/7/1968 at Hockenheim, Germany.
42	1966	Norman Graham Hill	2/15/1929	England	Hill was killed in a plane crash on 11/29/1976 near Arkley, North London
43	1968, 1975, 1981	Robert William ("Bobby") Unser	2/20/1934	Colorado Springs, CO	After his disputed victory in 1981, Unser ended up sitting out the 1982 season, and served as a team manager for Josele Garza. He officially retired from racing in 1983. He worked full-time as an announcer on radio and television, on NBC and then ABC, through 1997. In 1989 and 1992, Unser drove the pace car at Indy.
44	1969	Mario Gabriel Andretti	2/28/1940	Italy	Andretti retired after the 1994 CART season, and remained active in the sport. In 1997, he participated in the filming of the IMAX motion picture Super Speedway. He drove at Le Mans, and then he tested at Indianapolis in April of 2003. But a serious crash during that test, where he was not injured, has kept him out of the cockpit permenently. He assumes a role in the pits of Andretti Autosport during races, and has been the driver of the Two-Seater Indy car on various occasions.
45	1970, 1971, 1978, 1987	Alfred ("Al") Unser (Sr.)	5/29/1939	Albuquerque, NM	Unser retired from racing during the month of May 1994. He remained active in the sport, taking a coaching position in the IRL. He works at the Unser Museum Albuquerque.
46	1972	Mark Neary Donohue, Jr.	3/18/1937	Summit, NJ	Donohue died 8/19/1975 from injuries suffered in a crash at the Austrian Grand Prix.
47	1973, 1982	Gordon Walter Johncock	8/5/1936	Hastings, MI	Johncock retired after the 1992 race has worked in the farming and timber industry, living near West Branch, Michigan. His racing interests are largely limited. He attended the Centennial Era Gala in 2009, but did not attend the 100th anniversary race in 2011.
48	1974, 1976, 1980	John Sherman ("Johnny") Rutherford III	3/12/1938	Coffeyville, KS	Rutherford last qualified at Indy in 1988. In the years following he failed to qualify several times, and officially retired in May 1994. Rutherford worked several years as announcer on the radio, and was the pace car driver in the CART series for many years. He has held a position in IRL/IndyCar since its inception in 1996, driving the pace car and working as a driver coach.
49	1979, 1984, 1988, 1991	Rick Ravon Mears	12/3/1951	Wichita, KS	Mears retired abruptly at the Penske Racing Christmas party in December 1992. After a practice crash at Indy in 1992, followed by a crash during the race, he aggrevated a wrist injury driving in the Michigan 500. Early on, he served as a driver coach for Team Penske. As of late, he works as a spotter for the Penske team during races.
50	1983	Thomas E. ("Tom") Sneva	6/1/1948	Spokane, WA	Sneva worked often as a television announcer at ESPN and then on ABC from 1998-2000. Sneva spends much of his time currently managing golf courses in Arizona, and typically attended the race each year.
51	1985	Daniel John ("Danny") Sullivan, III	3/9/1950	Louisville, KY	Sullivan had a one-year retirement in 1994, where he spent time on ABC-TV, and drove part-time in NASCAR, including in the Brickyard 400. Sullivan raced one last time in the Indy 500 in 1995. He returned to ABC again for 1996-1997. After that, he has held various jobs in the business side of motorsports and the automotive field.
52	1986	Robert Woodward ("Bobby") Rahal	1/10/1953	Medina, OH	Rahal last raced at Indy in 1995. He was unable to race at Indy in 1996 and beyond due to his team racing in the CART series. He retired from open wheel racing after the 1998 CART season. He first became an owner in 1992, and continues to be active as an owner in the IndyCar Series and ALMS. He, along with co-owner David Letterman, won the 2004 Indy 500 with driver Buddy Rice. Since 2009, the team has been a part-time Indy-only entry.
53	1989, 1993	Emerson Fittipaldi	12/12/1946	Brazil	Fittipaldi last raced at Indy in 1994. He failed to qualify in 1995. Then he was unable to return in 1996 due to the Penske Team racing in the CART series. After a major crash in the CART series race at Michigan in 1996, and a plane crash in Brazil in 1997, Fittipaldi retired from driving. On May 15, 2000, Fittipaldi returned to the Speedway to participate in the "Legends of the Speedway" honoring, and he drove several laps around the track in the 1993 Indy 500 pace car. In May 2004, Fittipaldi was inducted into the Speedway Hall of Fame, but was not present to accept his award. Roger Penske accepted the award on his behalf. In 2008, Fittipaldi returned to Indy and drove the pace car. In 2011, he returned again to attend the 100th anniversary race.
54	1990, 1997	Arie Luyendyk (Luijendijk)	9/21/1953	Sommelsdijk, Netherlands	Luyendyk retired from full-time driving after 1998. In 1999, he raced at Indy only, in what was to be his final race before retirement. In 2000, he worked one year on ABC-TV. He came out of retirement to race at Indy again in 2001-2002. In 2003, he to Indy returned again, but crashed in practice and had to sit out the race. He subsequently retirely permanently, and began concentrating instead on his son's (Arie, Jr.) racing career, and working in team coaching positions.
55	1992, 1994	Alfred ("Al") Unser, Jr.	4/19/1962	Albuquerque, NM	Unser, Jr. retired from driving shortly after the 2003 Indy 500 due to uncompetetiveness and personal issues. After spending time recovering from alcohol abuse and an all-terrain vehicle accident suffered in October 2003, Unser, Jr. came out of retirement to race at Indy in 2006-2007. He retired from driving again in 2008, and currently serves as an official in the IZOD IndyCar Series.
56	1995	Jacques Joseph Charles Villenueve	4/9/1971	Quebec, Canada	After winning the 1995 race and 1995 CART championship, Villenueve left American open wheel racing to race in Formula One. He won the World Championship in 1997. From 2000-2006, Villeneuve competed six times in the U.S Grand Prix at Indianapolis (best finish was 4th, 2000). He was expected to drive in NASCAR in 2008, but it did not pan out. He has limited interest in the Indy 500, and did not attend the 100th anniversary race in 2011.
57	1996	Robert Buddy Lazier	10/31/1967	Vail, CO	Lazier also won the 2000 IRL championship. His last start was the 2008 race, and he failed to qualify in 2009. He has not driven since 2009, but is not considered retired; his name was linked to a possible ride in 2011, but it did not happen. He attended the 100th anniversary race in 2011.
58	1998	Eddie McCay Cheever, Jr.	1/10/1958	Phoenix, AZ	Cheever intially took a sabatical from driving after the 2002 season, chosing to work as an owner full-time. In 2006, Cheever returned to racing part-time, including Indianapolis. In 2007, he took his team to Grand-Am. In 2008, he joined the announcing crew for ABC-TV.
59	1999	Kenny Bräck	3/21/1966	Arvika, Värmland, Sweden	Following a serious crash in 2003 at Texas Motor Speedway, Brack endured a long recovery, and did not race much afterwards. He returned to race at Indy in 2005, substituting for Buddy Rice. After dropping out of the race, he ultimately decided to retire permanently. He currently resides in London, and has his own rock band. He has done occasional work on radio, but has no interest in returning the cockpit.
60	2000	Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán	9/20/1975	Colombia	Montoya won the 1999 CART championship. He raced only once at the Indy 500, winning as a rookie in 2000. In 2001, he moved to the Formula One circuit, where raced with Williams, and also McLaren until 2006. Like Villeneuve, Montoya returned to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to compete in the U.S. Grand Prix, where competed six times from 2001-2006 (best finish was 4th, 2000). Since 2007, he has driven in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Chip Ganassi Racing.
61	2001, 2002, 2009	Hélio Castroneves (de Castro Neves)	5/10/1975	Brazil	Currently active in the IndyCar Series, driving for Team Penske. In the fall of 2007, Castroneves won the ABC-TV show Dancing With the Stars. He is the only active three-time winner.
62	2003	Gil de Ferran	11/11/1967	Paris, France	de Ferran retired from open wheel racing at the end of the 2003 IndyCar season. He worked in television for a short time prior to taking a job with the BAR Formula One team in Europe. He was born of Brazilian parents, but lived bearly his entire life in France. In 2008-2009 he drove in ALMS.
63	2004	Buddy Rice	1/31/1976	Phoenix, AZ	Rice is semi-active in the IndyCar Series. He raced in the 2011 Indy 500, the first time since 2008. He also drives in Grand-Am, and won the 2009 24 Hours of Daytona.
64	2005, 2011	Daniel Clive "Dan" Wheldon	6/22/1978	Emberton, England	Killed 10/16/2011 at the IZOD IndyCar World Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada. Wheldon also won the 2005 IndyCar championship for Andretti-Green Racing. Driving for Panther Racing, he finished second at Indy in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, he joined Bryan Herta Autosport (a part-time entry), and won the 2011 Indy 500. Without a full-time ride for the 2011 season, Wheldon served as a test driver from the new 2012 Dallara Indy car chassis. Wheldon was invited to drive in the final two races of the season, Kentucky and Las Vegas, for Sam Schmidt Motorsports. At Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Wheldon was eligible for a $5 million bonus if he won the race. On the 11th lap, a 15-car crash occured, and Wheldon became involved. Tragically, he suffered fatal injuries.
65	2006	Samuel Jon "Sam" Hornish, Jr.	7/2/1979	Defiance, OH	Hornish had previously won the 2001-2002 IRL championship driving for Panther Racing. Driving for Marlboro Team Penske, he also went on to win the 2006 IndyCar Series championship. From 2008-2010, he drove full-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with a best finish of 4th. In 2011, he raced part-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
66	2007, 2010	George Dario Marino Franchitti	5/19/1973	Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland	Franchitti was also the runner-up in the 1999 CART series championship (he tied with Juan Pablo Montoya but lost the tiebreaker of most wins, 3 vs. 7). He has won the 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011 IndyCar Series championships. After a half season driving stock cars in 2008, he returned full-time to the IndyCar Series in 2009. Franchitti is married to actress Ashley Judd.
66	2008	Scott Ronald Dixon	7/22/1980	Brisbane, Australia	Dixon won the 2003 and 2008 IndyCar Series championship. He currently drives for Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

Indy 500: Ages of Winners 22 Joe Dawson (1912) Troy Ruttman (1952) 23 Frank Lockhart (1926) Louis Meyer (1928) 24 Billy Arnold (1930) Jacques Villeneuve (1995) 25 L.L. Corum (co-winner 1924) Juan Montoya (2000) 26 George Souders (1927) A.J. Foyt (1961) Helio Castroneves (2001) Dan Wheldon (2005) Sam Hornish, Jr. (2006) 27 Gaston Chevrolet (1920) Tommy Milton (1921) Peter DePaolo (1925) Bill Cummings (1934) Rick Mears (1979) Helio Castroneves (2002) Scott Dixon (2008) 28 Jules Goux (1913) Rene Thomas (1914) Jimmy Murphy (1922) Louis Meyer (1933) Buddy Lazier (1996) Buddy Rice (2004) 29 Howdy Wilcox (1919) Tommy Milton (1923) Bob Sweikert (1955) Parnelli Jones (1963) A.J. Foyt (1964) Jim Clark (1965) Mario Andretti (1969) 30 Pat Flaherty (1956) Al Unser, Jr. (1992) 31 Ray Keech (1929) Kelly Petillo (1935) Louis Meyer (1936) Johnnie Parsons (1950) Jimmy Bryan (1958) Jim Rathmann (1960) Al Unser, Sr. (1970) 32 Ray Harroun (1911) Ralph DePalma (1915) Dario Resta (1916) Louis Schneider (1931) A.J. Foyt (1967) Al Unser, Sr. (1971) Rick Mears (1984) Al Unser, Jr. (1994) Dan Wheldon (2011) 33 Bobby Rahal (1986) 34 Joe Boyer (co-winner 1924) Wilbur Shaw (1937) Bill Vukovich (1953) Bobby Unser (1968) Tom Sneva (1983) Dario Franchitti (2007) Helio Castroneves (2009) 35 Mauri Rose (co-winner 1941) Bill Vukovich (1954) Mark Donohue (1972) Danny Sullivan (1985) 36 Wilbur Shaw (1939) Floyd Davis (co-winner 1941) Gordon Johncock (1973) Johnny Rutherford (1974) Rick Mears (1988) Arie Luyendyk (1990) 37 Floyd Roberts (1938) Wilbur Shaw (1940) Graham Hill (1966), Dario Franchitti (2010) 38 Fred Frame (1932) Rodger Ward (1959) Johnny Rutherford (1976) Al Unser, Sr. (1978) Rick Mears (1991) 39 George Robson (1946) 40 Lee Wallard (1951) Eddie Cheever, Jr. (1998) 41 Mauri Rose (1947) Bill Holland (1949) Rodger Ward (1962) Bobby Unser (1975) 42 Mauri Rose (1948) Sam Hanks (1957) A.J. Foyt (1977) Johnny Rutherford (1980) Emerson Fittipaldi (1989) 43 Arie Luyendyk (1997) 45 Gordon Johncock (1982) 46 Emerson Fittipaldi (1993) 47 Bobby Unser (1981) Al Unser, Sr. (1987)

Winners' Birthdays January 6 Pat Flaherty (1926) 8 L.L. Corum (1899) 10 Rodger Ward (1921), Bobby Rahal (1953), Eddie Cheever, Jr. (1958) 12 Ray Harroun (1879) 16 A.J. Foyt (1935) 28 Jimmy Bryan (1926) 31 Buddy Rice (2004) February 12 Floyd Roberts (1904) 15 Graham Hill (1929) 20 Bobby Unser (1934) 24 George Robson (1909) 28 Mario Gabriel Andretti (1940) March 4 Jimmy Clark (1936) 6 Jules Goux (1885) 7 Rene Thomas (1886) 8 Frank Lockhart (1903) 9 Floyd Davis (1905), Danny Sullivan (1950) 11 Troy Ruttman (1930) 12 Johnny Rutherford (1938) 18 Mark Donohue (1937) 21 Kenny Bräck (1966) April 6 Peter DePaolo (1898) 9 Jacques Villeneuve (1971) 19 Joe Dawson (1889), Al Unser, Jr. (1962) May 1 Ray Keech (1900) 10 Helio Castroneves (1975) 20 Bob Sweikert (1926) 19 Dario Franchitti (1973) 26 Mauri Rose (1906) 29 Al Unser, Sr. (1939) June 1 Tom Sneva (1948) 3 Fred Frame (1894) 22 Dan Wheldon (2005) 24 Howdy Wilcox (1889) July 4 Johnnie Parsons (1918) 13 Sam Hanks (1914) 16 Jim Rathmann (1928) 21 Louis Meyer (1904) 22 Scott Dixon (1980) August 12 Parnelli Jones (1933) 17 Dario Resta (1882) 25 Gordon Johncock (1936) September 2 Joe Boyer (1890) 7 Lee Wallard (1910) 11 George Souders (1900) 12 Jimmy Murphy (1984) 20 Juan Montoya (1975) 21 Arie Luyendyk (1953) October 4 Gaston Chevrolet (1892) 31 Wilbur Shaw (1902), Buddy Lazier (1967) November 11 Bill Cummings (1906), Gil de Ferran (1967) 14 Tommy Milton (1893) December 3 Rick Mears (1951) 5 Kelly Pettilo (1903) 12 Emerson Fittipaldi (1946) 13 Bill Vukovich (1918) 16 Billy Arnold (1905) 18 Bill Holland (1907) 19 Ralph DePalma (1882), Louis Schneider (1901)

Indy 500: Runner-up Finishes Prior to Wins

Through 2011

Most Indy 500 winners raced at Indy a number of times before they managed to win. In many cases, a driver who earned a second place finish in the race, went on later in his career to win the race. Other drivers, however, only found second place to be their best finish, sometimes on numerous occasions. One recent example includes Roberto Guerrero, who finished second in his rookie year of 1984, and again in 1987. He, however, never managed to win.

Driver	2nd Place(s)	Win(s)
Dario Resta	1913	1916
Fred Frame	1931	1932
Wilbur Shaw	1933, 1935	1937, 1939, 1940
Mauri Rose	1939	1941, 1947, 1948
Bill Holland	1947, 1948	1949
Johnnie Parsons	1949	1950
Sam Hanks	1956	1957
Jimmy Bryan	1954	1958
Jim Rathmann	1959	1960
Jimmy Clark	1963	1965
Al Unser, Sr.	1967	1970, 1971, 1978, 1987
Mark Donohue	1970	1972
Tom Sneva	1977, 1978, 1980	1983
Emerson Fittipaldi	1988	1989, 1993
Al Unser, Jr.	1989	1992, 1994
Jacques Villenueve	1994	1995
Gil de Ferran	2001	2003
Scott Dixon	2007	2008

Indy 500: Drivers Who's Best Finish was Second Place

Through 2011

Three Second Place Finishes

Two Second Place Finishes

One Second Place Finish

From 2008-2011, Panther Racing finished second four years in a row. 2008: Vitor Meira 2009: Dan Wheldon 2010: Dan Wheldon 2011: J.R. Hildebrand

The above list includes only those drivers who finished second, and that was the best finish of their entire career, whether active or retired/deceased. It does not include drivers who had a second place finish, that was eventually followed by a victory in his career, or a second place finish that occured after the driver had already won the race.

Drivers Who Won Their First Championship/Indy Car Race
in the Indianapolis 500

Through 2011

1913: Jules Goux (only career victory)
1914: Rene Thomas (only career victory)
1924: L.L. Corum (co-winner, only career victory)
1926: Frank Lockhart
1927: George Souders (only career victory)
1928: Louis Meyer
1930: Billy Arnold
1931: Louis Schnider (only career victory)
1932: Fred Frame (only career victory)
1938: Floyd Roberts (only career victory; died in 1939)
1941: Floyd Davis (co-winner, only career victory)

1946: George Robson
Robson started driving in the AAA Championship series in 1938. Going into the 1946 Indy 500, he had 14 previous starts, with a best finish of 2nd at Syracuse in 1940. After the 4-year layoff during W.W.I.I., Robson won at Indy in 1946, his first career victory. It would remain his only win, because later in 1946, he was killed in a crash at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta.

1966: Graham Hill
Hill's primary focus in auto racing was the Formula One circuit. Hill arrived at Indianapolis in 1963, but crashed in practice and did not qualify. Hill did not have any other previous USAC Championship car starts. Going into the 1966 Indy 500, Hill did have 72 Formula One starts, and 10 grand prix victories. He would return to race at Indy twice more, and made 4 Championship car starts, but not other victories. Therefore Hill's first career Championship car victory, acheived in his first official start (technically as a "rookie"), remained his lone career American open wheel series win.

1990: Arie Luyendyk
Luyendyk drove in the CART series since 1984. He had 77 previous starts, including five Indy 500 starts. Going into the 1990 Indy 500, Luyendyk's previous best finish in CART/IndyCar competition was 2nd at Portland in 1988, with zero pole positions.

1996: Buddy Lazier
Lazier drove in the CART series from 1989-1995, and switched to the Indy Racing League in 1996. He had 70 previous starts in the CART series, inlcuding three at Indianapolis, with a best finish of 7th at Michigan in 1992. In 1996, he started one Indy Racing League event (Orlando) but missed the second race of the season (Phoenix) due to a practice crash. Going into the 1996 Indy 500, after 71 CART/IndyCar starts, he had one pole position, but had never finished in the top 5 of any race.

2004: Buddy Rice
Rice joined the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series in 2002. In his first start at Michigan, he started and finished 2nd, losing the race by just 1.7 seconds to his teammate Tomas Sheckter. Going into the 2004 Indy 500, Rice had 21 IndyCar starts (including the 2003 Indy 500), 1 pole position, and the 2nd place at Michigan as his best previous finish.

Long and Short Reigns as "Indy 500 Champion"

Reign	Winner(s)	Date of Victory	End of Reign	Notes
1,826 days	Floyd Davis & Mauri Rose	5/30/1941	5/29/1946	No race held 1942-1945, WWII
1,096 days	Dario Resta	5/30/1916	5/30/1919	No race held in 1917-1918, WWI
731 days	Wilbur Shaw	5/30/1939	5/29/1941	Won 1939 & 1940 race
731 days	Mauri Rose	5/30/1947	5/29/1949	Won 1947 & 1948 race
730 days	Bill Vukovich	5/30/1953	5/29/1955	Won 1953 & 1954 race
728 days	Al Unser, Sr.	5/30/1970	5/26/1972	Won 1970 & 1971 race
728 days	Helio Castroneves	5/27/2001	5/24/2003	Won 2001 & 2002 race
371 days	Al Unser, Sr.	5/24/1987	5/28/1988
371 days	Al Unser, Jr.	5/24/1992	5/29/1993
371 days	Eddie Cheever, Jr.	5/24/1998	5/29/1999
371 days	Gil de Ferran	5/25/2003	5/29/2004
371 days	Helio Castroneves	5/24/2009	5/29/2010
370 days	Bobby Unser	5/25/1975	5/29/1976
370 days	Danny Sullivan	5/26/1985	5/30/1986	1986 race delayed six days
369 days	Mark Donohue	5/27/1972	5/29/1973	1973 race delayed two days
367 days	Kelly Petillo	5/30/1935	5/30/1936	Not in 1936 race
Shortest reigns
363 days	Arie Luyendyk	5/27/1997	5/23/1998	1997 race delayed two days
361 days	Gordon Johncock	5/30/1973	5/25/1974	1973 race delayed two days
358 days	Bobby Rahal	5/31/1986	5/23/1987	1986 race delayed six days
235 days	***Bobby Unser	10/8/1981	5/29/1982	Penalized win; later restored; Not in 1982 race, retired
179 days	Gaston Chevrolet	5/31/1920	11/25/1920	Died at Beverly Hills, CA
141 days	Dan Wheldon	5/29/2011	10/16/2011	Died at Las Vegas, NV
137 days	***Mario Andretti	5/25/1981	10/7/1981	Declared winner day after race; later reversed
96 days	Joe Boyer	5/30/1924	9/2/1924	Died at Altoona, PA
96 days	George Robson	5/30/1946	9/2/1946	Died at Atlanta, GA
17 days	Ray Keech	5/30/1929	6/15/1929	Died at Altoona, PA

Note: The reign begins the day of the victory, and the last day is the day before the next race, or upon death.

***In 1981, on the track, Bobby Unser won the race, and Mario Andretti finished second. The next day, when official results were posted, Unser was penalized one lap for passing under the yellow flag conditions, and dropped to second place. Andretti was declared the winner. After a protest, and an eventual hearing, Unser was restored the win, and instead fined $40,000.

Attempts for First Indy 500 Victory

The list indicates the number of times the driver qualified and started the race before he won it for the first time. However, it does not include years which the driver arrived at the Speedway and failed to qualify for the race. It also does not include years which the driver skipped, did not enter, or years that the race was not held (1917-1918 due to W.W.I and 1942-1945 due to W.W.I.I.) Note that from 1909-1910, numerous shorter races were held at the Speedway before the first Indianapolis 500 was held in 1911. Several drivers from the pre-500 era would go on to race in the Indy 500 in subsequent years.

Through 2011

First Attempt (Rookie): 9 drivers

Second Attempt: 8 drivers

Third Attempt: 13 drivers

Fourth Attempt: 13 drivers

Fifth Attempt: 6 drivers

Sixth Attempt: 5 drivers

Seventh Attempt: 3 drivers

Ninth Attempt: 4 drivers

Tenth Attempt: 3 drivers

Eleventh Attempt: 2 drivers

Twelfth Attempt: 1 driver

Notes

Louis Meyer drove relief in 1927, but was not credited with a start. He therefore won in the second race he participated in, but the first in which he qualified for.

Sam Hanks qualified 27th in 1941, but was injured in practice the day before the race, and he and his car were withdrawn. Hanks, therefore, qualified thirteen times, but only raced twelve.

Al Unser, Sr. was entered in 1969, and practiced, but broke his left leg in a motorcycle accident the evening of the first day of time trials (which was rained out). Due to the rain, he had not yet make a qualifying attempt. He withdrew, and was replaced by another driver. Therefore, he had entered six times, but only raced five times before his first victory.

Indy 500: Three-Peat Near Misses

No driver has ever won the Indianapolis 500 three years in a row. Five times a driver has won two consecutive times:

1939-1940: Wilbur Shaw
1947-1948: Mauri Rose
1953-1954: Bill Vukovich
1970-1971: Al Unser, Sr.
2001-2002: Helio Castroneves

Each of the above was entered into the race the following year for an attempt to win a third consecutive. Some have come very close to winning. Others, tragically, have not.

Wilbur Shaw
Shaw won the race in 1937, finished second in 1938, then won in 1939-1940. He completed every lap possible from 1935-1940. Had he finished first in 1938, he would have had four straight wins. In 1941, his final start, a devistating fire broke out in the garage area on race morning. One car was destroyed, and many teams lost equipment and parts. Shaw's team had prepared several sets of tires, and marked them with chalk for use in the race. One particular set of tires was poor, and was supposedley marked "Use Last." The water from the firehoses used to put out the fire was said to have washed off the chalk. On race day, Shaw crashed after 107 laps and finished 18th. It was later determined that he was using the tires that were supposed to be marked "Use Last," and they contributed to the accident.

Mauri Rose
Rose was a co-winner in 1941. There was no race from 1942-1945. In the first race back in 1946, he crashed and finished 23rd. He won the race again in 1947-1948, but in 1949, he fell out with 8 laps to go, and wound up 13th.

Bill Vukovich
Vukovich won in two dominating performances in 1953-1954. Defending his two wins in 1955, he crashed while leading and was fatally injured. In 1952, the year prior to his wins, in another dominating performance, Vukovich was leading the race, but droppped out with 9 laps to go and finished 17th.

Al Unser, Sr.
Unser won in 1970-1971 leading 293 of 400 possible laps those two years. In 1972, he could not manage to lead any laps, and wound up finishing third on the track. When final, offical results were released, second place finisher Jerry Grant was assesed a pentaly, and Unser was moved up to second place. In those three years, he completed all 600 possible laps.

Helio Castroneves
Helio Castroneves became the first driver ever to win the race in his first two starts (2001-2002). After winning the 2001 race, in owner Roger Penske's first Indy win since 1994, Castroneves was not an early favorite to repeat. As the 2002 race wore on, Castroneves stayed in contention, and found himself leading with only a few laps to go. A caution on the 199th lap sparked a controversey where second place finisher Paul Tracy though he won the race. A lengthly appeals process named Castroneves the official winner in July. In 2003, Castroneves continued where he left off, and won the pole position for the race. He led the opening 16 laps, and led 58 laps overall. However, he lost the lead to his Penske teammate Gil de Ferran, and wound up finishing second, 0.299 behind, the third closest finish to that point. Castroneves, in finishing second with that margin, set the record for the best finishes for a driver's first three starts, 1st-1st-2nd, the closest from winning three in a row. He completed all 600 possible laps in the effort.

Others:

Johnny Rutherford won the 1974 race after having won the pole position a year earlier. In 1975, Rutherford was running second to Bobby Unser when heavy rain began to fall on the 174th lap. The red flag and checkered flag were shown at the starter's stand, and the race was offically ended. Rutherford, who likely could have caught Unser if the race went full distance, had to settle for second. In 1976, Rutherford was leading the race when it was red flagged after 102 laps due to rain. Before the race could be restarted, it began to rain again. The race was officially ended, with Rutherford declared the winner. Rutherford, in that three year span from 1974-76, finished 1st, 2nd, and 1st.

Tommy Milton, the first to win the Indianapolis 500 two times, won in 1921 and 1923. In between, he finished 24th in 1922.

Al Unser, Jr. won in 1992 and 1994, but he could only manage a 8th place finish in 1993.

Bill Holland finished 2nd in 1947-1948, won the race in 1949, then finished 2nd in 1950. In 1947-48, he finished second to his teammate Mauri Rose.

From 1959-1964, Rodger Ward finished fourth or better, including two wins. He could not, however, manage to win any in succession.

Emerson Fittipaldi finished 2nd in 1988. He won in 1989, then again in 1993. After Fittipaldi won the 1989 race, he was a heavy favorite to repeat. He won the pole position and dominated the first half of the 1990 race. He led a record 92 consecutive laps from the start. After leading all but seven laps, Fittpialdi was forced to pit on the 135th lap because of blistering tires. The unscheduled pit stop forced him to go a lap down. On the final lap, he was able to un-lap himself, and wound up finishing third. After he won the 1993 race, he led most of the laps in the 1994 race, and had a lap lead on second place Al Unser, Jr. With 16 laps to go, Fittipaldi crashed while leading, and Al Unser, Jr. wound up the winner.

Indianapolis 500 Winner's Performance the Following Year

1911	Ray Harroun	Not in 1912 race; Retired
1912	Joe Dawson	Not in 1913 race; did not qualify
1913	Jules Goux	Finished 4th in 1914 race; 200 laps
1914	Rene Thomas	Not in 1915 race
1915	Ralph DePalma	Not in 1916 race, would not agree to terms
1916	Dario Resta	Not in 1919 race
1919	Howdy Wilcox	Finished 19th in 1920 race; 65 laps- mechanical
1920	Gaston Chevrolet	Not in 1921 race; killed at Beverly Hills, CA 11/25/20
1921	Tommy Milton	Finished 24th in 1922 race; 44 laps- gas tank
1922	Jimmy Murphy	Finished 3rd in 1925 race; 200 laps
1923	Tommy Milton	Finished 21st in 1924 race; 110 laps- gas tank
1924	Lora L. Corum	Not in 1925 race; did not qualify
	Joe Boyer	Not in 1925 race; killed at Altoona, PA 9/2/24
1925	Peter DePaolo	Finished 5th in 1926 race; 153 laps of 160
1926	Frank Lockhart	Finihsed 18th in 1927 race; 120 laps- rod
1927	George Souders	Finished 3rd in 1928 race; 200 laps
1928	Louis Meyer	Finished 2nd in 1929 race; 200 laps
1929	Ray Keech	Not in 1930 race; killed at Altoona, PA 6/15/29
1930	Billy Arnold	Finished 19th in 1931 race; 162 laps- crash
1931	Louis Schnieder	Finshed 23rd in 1932 race; 125 laps- frame
1932	Fred Frame	Finshed 29th in 1933 race; 85 laps- valve
1933	Louis Meyer	Finshed 18th in 1934 race; 92 laps- oil tank
1934	Bill Cummings	Finished 3rd in 1935 race; 200 laps
1935	Kelly Petillo	Not in 1936 race; relieved McKenzie lap 142-200
1936	Louis Meyer	Finished 4th in 1937 race; 200 laps
1937	Wilbur Shaw	Finished 2nd in 1938 race; 200 laps
1938	Floyd Roberts	Finished 23rd in 1939 race; 106 laps- crash (died)
1939	Wilbur Shaw	Won 1940 race; 200 laps
1940	Wilbur Shaw	Finished 18th in 1941 race; 151 laps- crash
1941	Floyd Davis	Not in 1946 race; Retired
	Mauri Rose	Finished 23rd in 1946 race; 40 laps- crash
1946	George Robson	Not in 1947 race; killed 9/2/46 at Atlanta, GA
1947	Mauri Rose	Won 1948 race; 200 laps
1948	Mauri Rose	Finished 13th in 1949 race; 192 laps- Mag strap
1949	Bill Holland	Finished 2nd in 1950 race; 137 laps of 138
1950	Johnnie Parsons	Finished 21st in 1951 race; 87 laps- magneto
1951	Lee Wallard	Not in 1952 race; did not qualify; injured
1952	Troy Ruttman	Not in 1953 race; injured
1953	Bill Vukovich	Won 1954 race; 200 laps
1954	Bill Vukovich	Finished 25th in 1955 race; 56 laps- crash (died)
1955	Bob Sweikert	Finished 6th in 1956 race; 200 laps
1956	Pat Flahertry	Not in 1957 race; injured
1957	Sam Hanks	Not in 1958 race; Retired
1958	Jimmy Bryan	Finished 33rd in 1959 race; 1 lap- cam housing
1959	Rodger Ward	Finished 2nd in 1960 race; 200 laps
1960	Jim Rathmann	Finished 30th in 1961 race; 48 laps- magneto
1961	A.J. Foyt	Finished 23rd in 1962 race; 70 laps- lost wheel
1962	Rodger Ward	Finished 4th in 1963 race; 200 laps
1963	Parnelli Jones	Finished 23rd in 1964 race; 55 laps- pit fire
1964	A.J. Foyt	Finished 15th in 1965 race; 115 laps- gearbox
1965	Jimmy Clark	Finished 2nd in 1966 race; 200 laps
1966	Graham Hill	Finished 32nd in 1967 race; 23 laps- piston
1967	A.J. Foyt	Finished 20th in 1968 race; 86 laps- rear end
1968	Bobby Unser	Finished 3rd in 1969 race; 200 laps
1969	Mario Andretti	Finished 6th in 1970 race; 199 laps
1970	Al Unser, Sr.	Won 1971 race; 200 laps
1971	Al Unser, Sr.	Finished 2nd in 1972 race; 200 laps
1972	Mark Donohue	Finished 15th in 1973 race; 92 laps of 133- piston
1973	Gordon Johncock	Finished 4th in 1974 race; 198 laps
1974	Johnny Rutherford	Finished 2nd in 1975 race; 174 of 174 laps
1975	Bobby Unser	Finished 10th in 1976 race; 100 laps of 102
1976	Johnny Rutherford	Finished 33rd in 1977 race; 12 laps- gearbox
1977	A.J. Foyt	Finished 7th in 1978 race; 191 laps
1978	Al Unser, Sr.	Finished 22nd in 1979 race; 104 laps- transmission
1979	Rick Mears	Finished 5th in 1980 race; 199 laps
1980	Johnny Rutherford	Finished 32nd in 1981 race; 25 laps- fuel pump
1981	Bobby Unser	Not in 1982 race; Retired
1982	Gordon Johncock	Finished 14th in 1983 race; 163 laps- gearbox
1983	Tom Sneva	Finished 16th in 1984 race; 168 laps- CV joint
1984	Rick Mears	Finished 21st in 1985 race; 122 laps- linkage
1985	Danny Sullivan	Finished 9th in 1986 race; 197 laps
1986	Bobby Rahal	Finished 26th in 1987 race; 57 laps- ignition
1987	Al Unser, Sr.	Finished 3rd in 1988 race; 199 laps
1988	Rick Mears	Finished 23rd in 1989 race; 113 laps- engine
1989	Emerson Fittipaldi	Finished 3rd in 1990 race; 200 laps
1990	Arie Luyendyk	Finished 3rd in 1991 race; 199 laps
1991	Rick Mears	Finished 26th in 1992 race; 74 laps- crash
1992	Al Unser, Jr.	Finished 8th in 1993 race; 200 laps
1993	Emerson Fittipaldi	Finished 17th in 1994 race; 184 laps- crash
1994	Al Unser, Jr.	Not in 1995 race; did not qualify
1995	Jacques Villeneuve	Not in 1996 race; racing in Formula 1
1996	Buddy Lazier	Finished 4th in 1997; 200 laps
1997	Arie Luyendyk	Finished 20th in 1998 race; 151 laps- gearbox
1998	Eddie Cheever, Jr.	Finished 18th in 1999 race; 139 laps- engine
1999	Kenny Brack	Not in 2000 race; racing in CART
2000	Juan Montoya	Not in 2001 race; racing in Formula 1
2001	Helio Castroneves	Won 2002 race; 200 laps
2002	Helio Castroneves	Finished 2nd in 2003 race; 200 laps
2003	Gil de Ferran	Not in 2004 race; Retired
2004	Buddy Rice	Not in 2005 race; Injured in practice crash
2005	Dan Wheldon	Finished 4th in 2006 race, 200 laps (led 148 laps)
2006	Sam Hornish, Jr.	Finished 4th in 2007, 166 of 166 laps (led 1 lap)
2007	Dario Franchitti	Not in 2008 race; injured while racing in NASCAR
2008	Scott Dixon	Finished 6th in 2009 race, 200 laps
2009	Helio Castroenves	Finished 9th in 2010 race, 200 laps
2010	Dario Franchitti	Finished 12th in 2011 race, 200 laps (led 51 laps)
2011	Dan Wheldon	Not in 2012 race; killed as Las Vegas 10/16/2011

Winners Who Won the Following Year
Wilbur Shaw (1939-1940)
Mauri Rose (1947-1948)
Bill Vukovich (1953-1954)
Al Unser, Sr. (1970-1971)
Helio Castroneves (2001-2002)

Winners Who Finished Last the Following Year
Jimmy Bryan (Won 1958, finished last 1959)
Johnny Rutherford (Won 1976, finished last 1977)

Indy 500 Winners: Winner's the Following Week

Traditionally for most years since 1949, after the Indianapolis 500, the Indy/Champ Car series continued a week later at the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wisconson. Through 1995, with only a few exceptions (1992 for one), the Milwaukee race followed Indy. Starting in 1996, Milwaukee remained a fixture of the CART (later Champ Car) schedule only, and the tradition was, for the most part, broken. From 1997-2005, Texas Motor Speedway became the next event on the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series schedule after Indy, however, it was always held two weekends after Indy. Meanwhile, the CART series continued to hold their event at Milwaukee the weekend after the Indy 500 was held, with few, if any, drivers participating in both.

In 2004, the IRL IndyCar Series began holding a race at Milwaukee (in July), and from 2004-2006. The races at Milwaukee by that time had been lengthened to 225 laps for time-value purposes. For that period, both IRL and Champ Car held races at the track. After an unpopular try at scheduling the race at Watkins Glen the weekend after Indy, the IRL decided that in 2007, the old tradition would be revived. Champ Car dropped their race at Milwaukee after 2006, and IRL moved their race, the A.J. Foyt 225, to the vacated slot one week after Indy. The move was popular with fans and participants, and the current contract places the race in that location through at least 2009. Texas Motor Speedway also extended their contract rhough 2009. In 2007, however, Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage expressed his displeasure with not being the first race following the Indy 500, and threatened to leave the series if reconsideration was not made for 2010.

Several drivers have taken advantage of the momentum of an Indy 500 victory, and began string of victories the very next week. Others, however, have had heartbreaking failures at Indy, and used the following week to regroup, and make a successful run at the season championship.

Several Indy 500 winners have wound up winning the season championship. As of recently, the 2005 Indy 500 winner (Dan Wheldon), the 2006 Indy 500 winner (Sam Hornish, Jr.), and the 2007 Indy 500 winner (Dario Franchitti), have all gone on to win their respective year's IRL IndyCar Series championship.

Indy 500 Winners Who Won the Next Indycar/Champ Car Race

1947: Bill Holland (Milwaukee)
1956: Pat Flaherty (Milwaukee)
1964: A.J. Foyt** (Milwaukee)
1971: Al Unser, Sr. (Milwaukee)
1974: Johnny Rutherford (Milwaukee)
1982: Gordon Johncock (Milwaukee)
1983: Tom Sneva (Milwaukee)
1988: Rick Mears (Milwaukee)
1994: Al Unser, Jr.** (Milwaukee)
1997: Arie Luyendyk (Texas)
2000: Juan Pablo Montoya (Milwaukee- CART Series race)

** also won season championship

Selected Non-Winners

In 1991, Michael Andretti, after leading late in the race, finished second at Indy, the won the next week at Milwaukee. He wound up winning the 1991 CART Championship.

In 1993, Nigel Mansell, after leading late in the race, finished third at Indy, then won the next week at Milwaukee. He wound up winning the 1993 CART Championship.

In 2001, Indy polesitter Scott Sharp, crashed on the opening lap and finished last. He won the next IRL race two weeks later at Texas.

In 2002, Paul Tracy, involved in the controversal finish with Helio Castroneves, placed second at Indy, and won the CART series race the next week at Milwaukee.