Indianapolis 500

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Indianapolis 500

IndyCar Series
Venue	Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Location	Speedway, Indiana, U.S.
Corporate sponsor	PennGrade Motor Oil (2016-2018) Gainbridge Insurance Agency (2019–present)
First race	1911
First IndyCar race	1996
Distance	500 miles (805 km)
Laps	200
Previous names	500-Mile International Sweepstakes (1911–1915, 1920–1941, 1946–1980) 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 (20)
Most wins (manufacturer)	Chassis: Dallara (22) 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)

The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race,^[1][2] and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 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 IndyCar Series, the top level of American open-wheel car racing, a formula colloquially known as "Indy car racing". The track itself is nicknamed the "Brickyard", as the racing surface was first 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,^[3] is considered part of the Triple Crown of Motorsport along with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix, with which it typically shares a date.^[4]

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. In two different periods, the race was part of FIA World Championships; between 1925 and 1928, the World Manufacturers' Championship and between 1950 and 1960, the World Drivers' Championship.

Josef Newgarden, the winner in 2023–2024, is the reigning champion. The most successful drivers are A. J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr., Rick Mears and Hélio Castroneves, each of whom has won the race four times. The active driver with the most victories is Castroneves. Rick Mears holds the record for most career pole positions with six. The most successful car owner is Roger Penske, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Team Penske, which has 20 total wins and 18 poles. Penske also has five wins at the IndyCar 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 33-car 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, and the time trials are conducted on a separate weekend. The official attendance is not disclosed by Speedway management, but the permanent seating capacity is upwards of 250,000, and infield patrons raise the total race-day attendance to a range of approximately 300,000–350,000.^[5]