List Of Indianapolis 500 Lap Leaders
All-time lap leaders *Two hundred fifty drivers have led the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, in 109 races. *Career lap leader percentage rounded to hundredths of a percent. *Green indicates drivers active as of most recent race. * Lora L. Corum and Floyd Davis are credited as being co-winners of the Indianapolis 500 in 1924 and 1941, respectively. However, as the winning entries in either race led only after their secondary drivers drove (and to the conclusion), Corum and Davis are not credited with leading any of those laps, nor did they lead throughout the remainder of their careers. Lap Leaders, Individual Races Most Laps Led ''Fifty-seven of one hundred seven Indianapolis 500-Mile Races have been won by the driver leading the most laps, 53.27%.'' More than 50% of race laps led, non-winning entries Twenty separate entries in equal years, driven by sixteen drivers, have failed to win despite leading over half a given race's completed laps. Lap leader records ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Wilbur Shaw
Warren Wilbur Shaw (October 31, 1902 – October 30, 1954) was an American racing driver. The second three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 (1937, 1939 and 1940), he is also remembered for serving as president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 1945 until his death in 1954. Early life Shaw was born in Shelbyville, Indiana on October 31, 1902. Racing career Shaw first participated in the 1927 Indianapolis 500. He eventually won the Indianapolis 500 race three times, in 1937, 1939, and 1940. Shaw was the second person to win the 500 three times, and the first to win it twice in a row. In 1939 and 1940, he won driving a Maserati 8CTF named the 'Boyle Special.' In the 1941 race, Shaw was injured when his car crashed; it was later discovered that a defective wheel had been placed on his car. Indianapolis Motor Speedway President During World War II, Shaw was hired by the tire manufacturer Firestone Tire and Rubber Company to test a synthetic rubber automobile tire ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1968 Indianapolis 500
The 52nd International 500 Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Thursday May 30, 1968. Bobby Unser won the first of his three Indy 500 victories (1968, 1975, 1981). This was the final Indianapolis 500 to feature a front-engined car in the starting field. Of the 33 cars, 32 were rear-engined machines (including three turbines). Jim Hurtubise's entry, which dropped out after only nine laps, was the last front-engine car to race in the 500. This was also the first 500 won by a turbocharged engine. For the second year in a row, one of Andy Granatelli's STP Turbine-powered machines was leading late in the race, but once again, it failed within sight of victory. On lap 174, Lloyd Ruby's engine misfired allowing Joe Leonard to take the lead in the Lotus 56 Turbine. Leonard, however, suffered a flameout on the lap 191 restart, and rolled to a silent and shocking halt. Unser, in the venerable piston-powered Offenhauser, inherited ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bobby Unser
Robert William Unser (February 20, 1934 – May 2, 2021) was an American automobile racer. At his induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994, he had the fourth most IndyCar Series wins at 35 (behind his brother Al Unser, Al, A. J. Foyt, and Mario Andretti). Unser won the 1968 and 1974 United States Automobile Club (USAC) national championships. He won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb overall title 10 times (13 times when class wins are included). He was the nephew of Louis Unser, brother of Al, Jerry Unser and Louie Unser, the father of Robby Unser and the uncle of Al Unser Jr. and Johnny Unser. The Unser family has won the Indianapolis 500 a record nine times, with Bobby and Al Unser Sr. being the only set of brothers to win in the race's history. Bobby Unser was one of ten drivers to have won the 500 three or more times and the first of two (followed by Rick Mears) to have won in three decades (1968, 1975, 1981). Early life Unser was born in Colorado ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1954 Indianapolis 500
The 38th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 31, 1954. The event was part of the 1954 AAA National Championship Trail, and was also race 2 of 9 in the 1954 World Championship of Drivers. Time trials Time trials was scheduled for four days. *Saturday May 15 – Pole Day time trials *Sunday May 16 – Second day time trials *Saturday May 22 – Third day time trials *Sunday May 23 – Fourth day time trials Bob Scott Qualifying Run Late in the afternoon on the final day of time trials, Bob Scott was bumped from the field. With help from his friend Bob Sweikert, Scott was able to find a new car to qualify, the number 18 owned by Ray Brady. With only minutes left in time trials, Scott went on track to qualify. His first three laps were fast enough to bump into the starting lineup. As the sun was setting low in the sky, Scott was unable to see the flag waved by the flagman, having lost track of how many laps he had run, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1953 Indianapolis 500
The 37th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 30, 1953. The event was part of the 1953 AAA National Championship, and was race 2 of 9 in the 1953 World Championship of Drivers. Bill Vukovich, after falling just short a year before, dominated the race, leading 195 of the 200 laps. Vukovich won the first of two consecutive "500" victories, finishing more than three minutes ahead of second place Art Cross. With the temperature in the high 90s (°F), and the track temperature exceeding , this race is often known as the "Hottest 500". Only twelve cars were running at the finish. Many starters needed relief drivers, and some relief drivers required their own relief drivers. Vukovich and Cross, however, both ran the full 500 miles solo. Owing to the excruciating conditions, driver Carl Scarborough dropped out of the race, and later died at the infield hospital due to heat prostration. Not only were drivers and crew member ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bill Vukovich
William Vukovich (born Vaso Vukovich, December 13, 1918 – May 30, 1955) was an American racing driver. He won the 1953 and 1954 Indianapolis 500s, plus two more American Automobile Association National Championship races, and died while leading the 1955 Indianapolis 500. Several drivers of his generation have referred to Vukovich as the greatest ever in American motorsport. He is generally considered one of the best racing drivers of his generation, and is the only driver to lead the most laps in three consecutive Indianapolis 500s. Early life Childhood William Vukovich was born in Alameda, near Oakland, California. He was the fifth of eight children and the youngest of three sons born to John Vucurovich, a carpenter and police officer, and Mildred (née Syerković). Vukovich's parents emigrated from Serbia, and Anglicized their surname from "Vucurović" to Vucurovich to aid its pronunciation. Later, upon suggestion of the judge presiding over their naturalization, the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1963 Indianapolis 500
The 47th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Thursday, May 30, 1963. Rufus Parnelli Jones took his only Indy 500 win. This win was controversial because his car (nicknamed "Calhoun") spewed oil from a cracked overflow tank for many laps, which allegedly caused at least one driver to spin and crash. USAC officials put off black-flagging Jones after car owner J. C. Agajanian ran down pit lane and convinced them that the oil leak was below the level of a known crack and would not leak any further. Lotus owner Colin Chapman, whose English-built, rear-engined Lotus-Ford finished second in the hands of Scotsman Jim Clark, accused USAC officials of being biased in favor of the American driver and car. The non-black flagging of Jones remains controversial. Many, including Chapman and writer Brock Yates, believed that officials would have black flagged Jones if an American driver and car had been in second place instea ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Parnelli Jones
Rufus Parnell "Parnelli" Jones (August 12, 1933 – June 4, 2024) was an American professional racing driver and racing team owner. He is notable for his accomplishments while competing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Baja 1000 desert race, and the Trans-Am Series, Trans-Am Championship series. In 1962 Indianapolis 500, 1962, he became the first driver to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 at over 150 mph (240 km/h). He won the race in 1963 Indianapolis 500, 1963, then famously broke down while leading the 1967 Indianapolis 500, 1967 race with three laps to go in a STP-Paxton Turbocar, turbine car.Biography at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame During his career as an owner, he won the Indy 500 in 1970 Indianapolis 500, 1970–1971 Indianapolis 500, 1971 with driver Al Unser. Jones won races in many types of ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1993 Indianapolis 500
The 77th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 30, 1993. Emerson Fittipaldi took the lead with 16 laps to go, and won his second career Indy 500 victory. The race was sanctioned by the United States Auto Club (USAC) and was part of the 1993 PPG Indy Car World Series. Several sidebar stories during the month complemented one of the most competitive Indy 500 races in recent years. Much of the pre-race attention for the month focused heavily on rookie Nigel Mansell, the 1992 Formula One World Championship, reigning Formula One list of Formula One World Drivers' Champions, World Champion, who joined the Championship Auto Racing Teams, CART Indy car series during the offseason. A large international media contingent arrived at the track creating a huge frenzy surrounding the Englishman. Mansell was competitive all afternoon, and was leading the race on lap 184 as the field was coming to a restart. His inexperience on oval trac ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1989 Indianapolis 500
The 73rd Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 28, 1989. The race was won by Emerson Fittipaldi, a two-time Formula One World Drivers' Champion. Fittipaldi became the first Indianapolis 500 winner from Brazil, the first foreign-born winner of the race since Mario Andretti in 1969, and the first non-American winner since Graham Hill in 1966. Though Fittipaldi started on the front row and dominated much of the race, he found himself running second in the waning laps. Michael Andretti passed Fittipaldi for the lead on lap 154, then led until his engine blew. Al Unser Jr. moved up to second, but trailed Fittipaldi by a big margin. Gambling on fuel mileage, Unser caught up to Fittipaldi after a fortuitous caution period on lap 181, and subsequently took the lead on lap 196. On the 199th lap, Unser was leading Fittipaldi, at which time the two leaders encountered slower traffic. Down the backstretch, Unser and Fittipaldi w ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Emerson Fittipaldi
Emerson Fittipaldi (; born 12 December 1946) is a Brazilian former racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Fittipaldi won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with Team Lotus, Lotus and McLaren, respectively; he won 14 Formula One Grands Prix, Grands Prix across 11 seasons. In American open-wheel racing, Fittipaldi won the PPG Indy Car World Series, IndyCar World Series in 1989 PPG Indy Car World Series, 1989 with Patrick Racing, Patrick, and is a List of Indianapolis 500 winners, two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. Moving up from Formula Two, Fittipaldi made his race debut for Team Lotus as a third driver at the 1970 British Grand Prix. After Jochen Rindt was killed at the 1970 Italian Grand Prix, the Brazilian became Lotus's lead driver in only his fifth Grand Prix. He enjoyed considerable success with Lotus, winning the List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions, World Drivers' Championship in ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |