The Indianapolis 500 is one of the biggest auto racing events in the world. It takes place right here in Indianapolis and draws in spectators from all over the world. With such a popular taking place in our community, we thought it would be good to provide a little history about this event, in case you're not familiar with it. Here's what you need to know about the Indianapolis 500.
History of the Indianapolis 500
Image via Pexels by Chris Peeters
The Indianapolis 500 has been held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1911, with an exception for the war years of 1917-1918 and from 1942-1945. The track was first built in 1909 as a place to test cars for the local automotive industry. Originally, the track was made of crushed rock and tar, but the surface was later replaced with bricks. This is why the track is sometimes referred to as the “Brickyard”, despite the fact that the track is now primarily asphalt, with only a strip of brick at the start/finish line remaining.
The first Indianapolis 500 race took place two years after the opening of the track in 1911. The leader of the speedway, Carl Fisher, wanted to create one large event that would take around 7 hours to complete. Based on this, they came up with a race that lasts for 500 miles. Each lap around the track was 2.5 miles, with 9-degree banks around the bends. The layout of the track remains the same to this day.
Originally, 40 cars took place in the race. However, this ultimately changed to a maximum of 33 cars. In 1935, the Borg-Warner Automotive Company commissioned the Borg-Warner trophy, which was to be given to the winner of the Indy 500. Louis Meyer was the first person to receive this trophy, and it continues to go to the winner each year.
Types of Cars Races in the Indy 500
The types of cars used in the Indy 500 have changed drastically over the years, as is expected. Originally, to qualify for the race, cars had to sustain a speed of 75 mph over a quarter-mile long straight. Now, some Indy 500 cars are capable of going over 230 mph. This makes them some of the fastest cars in the world - certainly much faster than the average new vehicles for consumers.
Today, there are very specific requirements a car needs to meet in order to be eligible. All vehicles are single-seat, open-cockpit, open-wheel, and purpose-built race cars. As of 2020, all cars use a 2,2L V6, twin-turbocharged engine, which produces around 550-700 horsepower. Both Chevrolet and Honda produce engines for the Indy 500 cars, while Firestone is the exclusive provider of tires. Dallara is the sole provider of the chassis for all vehicles as well.
Notable Winners and Record Holders of the Indy 500
Over the years, there have been some notable winners of the Indy 500. The first winner, in 1911, was Ray Harroun, who won in the Marmon car “Wasp”. A few drivers have won the Indy 500 a few times, with A.J Foyt, Al Unser, and Rick Mears each holding the record with 4 wins each. Al Unser also holds the record for the oldest winner of the Indy 500 at the age of 47 years, 360 days. The youngest winner was Troy Ruttman, who won the race when he was just 22 years and 80 days old back in 1952.
The Indy 500 also has a track record of being won by rookies. Ten drivers have won the race as rookies, including Jules Goux, Rene Thomas, Frank Lockart, George Souders, Louis Meyer, Graham Hill, Juan Pablo Montoya, Helio Castroneves, and Alexander Rossi. The 10th winner as a rookie was Ray Houran, as he won the inaugural race in 1911.
The fastest lap ever recorded at the Indy 500 took place in 1996. During a qualifying race, Arie Luyendyk turned a lap of 239.260. This is the fastest unofficial lap, as practice laps are unfortunately not official. There are also a few instances of winners winning back-to-back Indy 500 races, with Wilbur Shaw, Mauri Rose, Bill Vukovich, Al Unser, and Helio Castroneves all accomplishing this feat. However, no one has ever won the race 3 times in a row.
The Indy 500 Today
The Indy 500 draws hundreds of thousands of spectators every year, making it the world's best-attended single-day sporting event. It takes place every year on the Sunday before Memorial Day weekend, with the event starting in the morning and lasting until the early afternoon.
When someone wins the Indy 500, you'll often see them drinking milk on Victory Lane, which is a race tradition. The ritual was started by three-time winner Louis Meyer, who used to drink buttermilk to keep himself refreshed on hot days. An executive at the Milk Foundation was so happy to see the winner drinking milk on a photograph that he vowed to make it happen for every winner going forward.
Attending the Indianapolis 500 is a fun, all-day event for people from all over the world. Fans gather around the parking lot, socializing with each other before the race starts. Apart from the big event of the race, there are plenty of others going on, too, with concerts, celebrity appearances, and auto displays. You can also head over to Gasoline Alley and take a look at the race cars up close. If the idea of watching cars drive for hours straight doesn't appeal to you, don't worry, there's plenty of other things to do there in between checking out the race.
Get Ready for Your Next Indy 500
If you live in the Indianapolis area, you owe it to yourself to check out the Indianapolis 500 at least once. There's a reason that this race has become so popular, and you'll likely find yourself loving the race atmosphere.
So, what do you think? Do you think you'll head out to your first Indy 500 this year? Do you think we missed something in this article? Either way, let us know by contacting us today. We'd love to hear your thoughts about the Indianapolis 500 and what it means to this area.