Indianapolis 500 records


''As of 109th race, May 25, 2025.''

Race records

Victories

Quality

Narrowest Margin of Victory:
Widest Margin of Victory:

Lap leader records

Led opening lap and final lap: 21 entries among 19 drivers

Age records

Oldest Starter:
Youngest Starter:

Miscellaneous competitive records

Most former winners starting race:
  • 10 – 1992
Fewest former winners starting race:
  • 0 – 1912
Most rookies starting race:
  • 19 – 1919, 1930
Fewest rookies starting race:
  • 1 – 1939, 1979
Most cars running at finish:
  • 30 – 2021
Fewest cars running at finish:
  • 7 – 1966
Most occasions running at finish:
Greatest improvement from starting position to finishing position :
Greatest improvement from starting position to finishing position :
Most consecutive laps completed without falling out of competition:
Most cars and teams entered
  • 117, 1984

Distance records

Most years completing the full 500 miles

Most consecutive years completing the full 500 miles

Most consecutive laps completed

Related lists

Drivers who crashed while leading during final one hundred miles of race (Lap 160+)

  • 1931: Billy Arnold - Arnold charged from 18th starting position to lead the race by lap 7. Arnold, who had dominated the 1930 race, proceeded to lead the next 155 laps, and built up a five-lap lead over second place. His rear axle broke on lap 162. He spun in turn four, was hit by another car, and went over the outside wall. One of his errant wheels bounced across Georgetown Road, and struck and killed a 12-year-old boy, Wilbur C. Brink. Arnold suffered a broken pelvis, and his riding mechanic, Spider Matlock, broke his shoulder.
  • 1952: Bill Vukovich - Vukovich led 150 laps, and was leading on lap 192 when a steering linkage failed. Vukovich nursed his car to a stop by driving up against the outside wall at the end of the back straightaway at the beginning of turn three, preventing other drivers from getting involved in the incident.
  • 1989: Al Unser Jr. - On the 199th lap, Al Unser Jr. was leading Fittipaldi down the backstretch. The two cars weaving through lap traffic, and Fittipaldi dove underneath Unser exiting turn two. Racing side-with Unser drawing back ahead by a nose entering turn three, the two cars touched wheels, and Unser spun out, crashing into the outside wall. Fittipaldi coasted around the final lap under caution to score his first race victory.
  • 1994: Emerson Fittipaldi - while leading the race on lap 184, Fittipaldi was attempting to lap his teammate Al Unser Jr., who was running second. Coming out of turn four, Fittipaldi's left wheels touched the rumble strips on the inside, causing the left side tires to lose adhesion, and the rear of the car to swing wide at the turn exit, resulting in the rear tagging the outside wall and knocking Fittipaldi out of the race. Unser Jr. went on to win.
  • 2002: Tomas Scheckter - After leading 85 laps during the race, the rookie was leading on lap 173. Coming out of turn 4, he slid high and smacked the outside wall down the frontstretch.
  • 2011: J. R. Hildebrand - During the final ten laps, a sequence of green flag pit stops shuffled the field. Rookie J. R. Hildebrand was attempting to stretch his fuel to the finish, and took over the lead with just over two laps to go. On the final lap, he was leading going into the final turn, when he came up on the lapped car of Charlie Kimball, who was slowing to the inside. Hildebrand went high, got into the "marbles," and smacked the outside wall. Without steering, and only on three wheels, his car slid down the frontstretch towards the finish line and the checkered flag. However, Hildebrand was passed by Dan Wheldon on the final 1,000 feet and Hildebrand finished second.