Indianapolis 500 firsts - wikipedia Indianapolis 500 firsts Contents 1 Wins, Leaders and Race Competition 2 Race Average Finishing Speeds 3 Qualifications 3.1 Pole Position 4 Miscellenia 5 References Wins, leaders and race competition Year First Achiever ( s ) Notes 1911 Winning driver Ray Harroun Retired from racing competition upon victory Winning owner Nordyke & Marmon Company Withdrew from racing competition upon victory Rear - view mirror mounted, and winning, car Marmon Wasp First entry with rear - view mirror, all international motorsports competition 1913 Rookie winner ( excluding first race ) Jules Goux First to win in first career start, excluding first race Non-American winner European winner French winner 1915 Italian winner Ralph DePalma De Palma obtained his American citizenship in 1920 1916 Multiple - winning owner ( s ) Peugeot Winning owners, 1913, 1916 1922 Winner from pole position Jimmy Murphy Winner leading first lap Driver - Owner winner Race and Grand Prix winning car Duesenberg 1921 GP Won 1921 French Grand Prix 1923 Two - time winner Tommy Milton Winner, 1921, 1923 1924 Co-winners Lora L. Corum Joe Boyer Corum starting, Boyer finishing 1924 Repeat - winning owner ( s ) Duesenberg 1925 1926 Rain - shortened race winner Frank Lockhart Race concluded by rain at 160 laps, 400 miles ( 640 km ), with Lockhart holding a two lap lead 1936 Three - time winner Louis Meyer Winner, 1928, 1933, 1936 1939 Repeat - winning driver Repeat - winning car Wilbur Shaw Maserati 8CTF 1940 1947 First - and - second - place finish by teammates Mauri Rose Rose victorious Bill Holland Holland second Three consecutive - winning owner Lou Moore 1948 1949 1952 Rookie of the Year award winner Art Cross First awarded in 36th running of the race Youngest winner Troy Ruttman Winner with 22 years and 80 days 1965 Race and World Championship winner, and in same year Jim Clark British winner Dario Resta, 1916 winning driver, was Italian - born ; George Robson, 1946 winning driver, was a British - born American national Scottish winner Drivers originating from countries within the United Kingdom traditionally operate under British classification Rear - engined winning car Lotus 38 Team Lotus, entrant 1966 Race and Monaco Grand Prix winner Graham Hill Winner, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, and 1969 Monaco Grand Prix English winner 1967 Race and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, and in same year A.J. Foyt Dan Gurney, Le Mans teammate and co-driver 1969 Race and Daytona 500 winner Mario Andretti Winner, 1967 Daytona 500 Race and 12 Hours of Sebring winner Winner, 1967, 1970, and 1972 12 Hours of Sebring 1972 Race and 24 Hours of Daytona winner Mario Andretti Winner, 1969 and 1978 World Championships First year competed after winning 1972 24 Hours of Daytona Wing - mounted winning car McLaren M16 Entered by Roger Penske, driven by Mark Donohue 1977 Four - time winner A.J. Foyt Winner, 1961, 1964, 1967, 1977 Female qualifier Janet Guthrie Qualified 26th Oldest winner Al Unser Winner with 47 years and 360 days, Winner, 1970, 1971, 1978, 1987 1989 South American winner Emerson Fittipaldi Brazilian winner 1990 Dutch winner Arie Luyendyk 1991 African - American qualifier Willy T. Ribbs Qualified 29th 1992 Female Rookie of the Year Lyn St. James Finished 13th 1993 Two - time Race and two - time World Championship winner Emerson Fittipaldi Winner, 1989 ; Winner, 1972 and 1974 World Championships 1995 Canadian winner Jacques Villeneuve Winner, 1997 World Championships 1999 Swedish winner Kenny Bräck 2000 Colombian winner Juan Pablo Montoya Winner, 2000, 2015, Won 2003 Monaco Grand Prix and Winning 24 Hours of Daytona in 2007, 2008 and 2013 2001 Rookie and sophomore winner Hélio Castroneves First to win in first two career starts 2002 2005 Female leader Danica Patrick Led 19 laps ; Lap 192, latest 2008 New Zealand winner Scott Dixon 2009 Three females both starting and finishing Race Danica Patrick Sarah Fisher Milka Duno Danica Patrick finished 3rd, becoming the highest finishing female in race history. 2011 Winner leading only final lap Dan Wheldon Took lead from J.R. Hildebrand on the final lap. 2017 Japanese winner Takuma Sato 2018 Australian winner Will Power Race Average Finishing Speeds Year Speed Barrier Race Winner Time Average Speed Notes ( mph ) ( km / h ) 1911 70 mph Ray Harroun 6 : 42 : 08.92 74.602 129.060 First race 1914 80 mph René Thomas 6 : 03 : 46.12 82.47 132.72 1922 90 mph Jimmy Murphy 5 : 17 : 30.79 94.48 152.05 Victory in 1921 French Grand Prix winning car 1925 100 mph Peter DePaolo 4 : 56 : 39.45 101.127 162.748 First race completed in under 5 hours 1937 110 mph Wilbur Shaw 4 : 24 : 07.08 113.580 182.789 Last two - seat winning car 1949 120 mph Bill Holland 4 : 07 : 14.97 121.327 195.257 1954 130 mph Bill Vukovich 3 : 49 : 17.27 130.840 210.567 1962 140 mph Rodger Ward 3 : 33 : 50.33 140.293 225.780 1965 150 mph Jim Clark 3 : 19 : 05.34 150.686 242.506 1972 160 mph Mark Donohue 3 : 04 : 05.54 162.962 262.262 1986 170 mph Bobby Rahal 2 : 55 : 43.470 170.722 274.750 First race completed in under 3 hours 1990 180 mph Arie Luyendyk 2 : 41 : 18.404 185.981 299.307 Currently third - fastest time for 500 miles Qualifications Pole position Year Speed Barrier Driver Speed Notes ( mph ) ( km / h ) 1911 N / A Lewis Strang No full lap First race ; grid determined by entry date 1915 90 mph Howdy Wilcox 98.90 159.16 First year, grid position determined by qualification speed 1919 100 mph René Thomas 104.780 168.627 1925 110 mph Leon Duray 113.196 182.171 1927 120 mph Frank Lockhart 120.100 193.282 1939 130 mph Jimmy Snyder 130.138 209.437 1954 140 mph Jack McGrath 141.033 226.971 Engine augmented with nitromethane additive, then legal 1962 150 mph Parnelli Jones 150.370 241.997 1965 160 mph A.J. Foyt 161.233 259.479 1968 170 mph Joe Leonard 171.559 276.097 Turbine - engined car 1972 180 mph Bobby Unser † 195.940 315.335 17 mph ( 27 km / h ) increase in pole record speed, largest margin to date 190 mph 1978 200 mph Tom Sneva 202.156 325.339 Broke one - lap 200 mph qualifying barrier in 1977 1984 210 mph 210.029 338.009 1989 220 mph Rick Mears 223.885 360.308 1992 230 mph Roberto Guerrero 232.482 374.144 † - During time trials, Bill Vukovich II turned his first lap at 185.797 mph ( 299.011 km / h ), to set the one - lap track record, and was the first driver to officially break the 180 mph ( 290 km / h ) barrier. He, however, crashed on his second lap, and did not complete the four - lap qualifying run. Later in the afternoon, Joe Leonard qualified a four - lap average of 185.223 mph ( 298.088 km / h ) to break the four - lap 180 mph ( 290 km / h ) barrier. Later in the day, however, Bobby Unser qualified even faster, over 190 mph ( 310 km / h ), and became the first pole position winner to break 180 mph ( 290 km / h ) and 190 mph ( 310 km / h ) for his four - lap average. Miscellenia 1913 : Jules Goux is the first winner to go the full race distance without a relief driver, and is both the first French and European victor. Goux 's Peugeot entry is the first to win using wire wheels instead of wooden - spoke wheels. 1915 : Ralph DePalma is the first Italian - born victor. 1919 : Victory by state native Howdy Wilcox prompts crowd to sing Back Home Again in Indiana for the first time, immediately after conclusion of the race. Wilcox 's Peugeot is owned and entered by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the first winning entry to be directly affiliated with the facility itself. 1920 : Gaston Chevrolet is killed in a race at Beverly Hills and is the first ' 500 ' winner to die. 1921 : Howdy Wilcox is the first driver to finish in first and last place ( 1919 & 1921 ). 1923 : Jimmy Murphy is the first defending winner to lead the first lap. 1929 : Cliff Woodbury is the first pole winner to finish last ( crash on lap 3 ). 1936 : Louis Meyer becomes the first driver to drink milk in victory lane. He also becomes the first driver to receive the pace car for his winning effort. The Borg - Warner Trophy makes its first appearance. 1946 : George Robson is the first English - born victor. 1948 : The Speedway institutes its own ' Safety Patrol ' to replace the Indiana National Guard as policing force for the event, which had served in such capacity since the inaugural race. 1949 : Local station WTTV provides television coverage of the race during competition for the first time. 1950 : Walt Faulkner becomes the first rookie to qualify for the pole position. 1952 : Art Cross becomes the first Rookie of the Year. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network broadcasts flag - to - flag coverage of the race for the first time. 1958 : The front row drivers ( Dick Rathmann, Ed Elisian and Jimmy Reece ) fail to lead a lap, the only time this has occurred to date. 1965 : Jim Clark is the first former World Drivers ' Champion to win the race, the first driver to win the race en route to winning the Formula 1 World Championship, and the first Scottish victor. 1966 : Rookie Graham Hill, the first English - born victor, wins the race but not the Rookie of the Year award ( instead awarded to teammate Jackie Stewart ), the only time this has occurred to date. Jim Clark is the first driver to spin and recover twice in the same race. 1971 : Bettie Cadou becomes the first female reporter to be given a silver credential badge that permits access to the pit and garage areas. 1974 : The Speedway rescinds its `` never on a Sunday '' policy, altering a tradition dating to 1911 ; the race is scheduled to be run, for the first time, on the Sunday before the national observance of Memorial Day, the last Monday of May. 1978 : The timing and scoring computer system designed by Arthur W Graham III ( Indianapolis 500 Director ) was first used to accurately track drivers times and simultaneously display race leaders and laps. 1983 : Al Unser and son Al Unser, Jr. are the first father and son to compete together in the same race. 1984 : Michael Andretti becomes the first son of a previous Rookie of the Year award winner ( Mario Andretti, 1965 ) to win the award himself, shared with Colombian Roberto Guerrero. 1986 : ABC Sports provides flag - to - flag television coverage for the first time. 1988 : Bill Vukovich III becomes the first third - generation driver to qualify and drive in the race, following his two - time winning grandfather and once second - place finishing father. 1992 : Al Unser, Jr. becomes the first second - generation winner of the race, following his four - time winning father. 2002 : Hélio Castroneves becomes the first rookie winner to become a multiple - race winner. 2005 : Danica Patrick becomes the first female driver to lead the race, for a total of 19 laps. 2006 : Marco Andretti becomes the first third - generation winner of the Rookie of the Year award ( Mario Andretti, 1965 ; Michael Andretti, co-1984 ). 2007 : First Indy 500 race with three women competing in the field ( Duno, Fisher, Patrick ) ; also the first race where two women were running at the completion of the event ( Fisher, Patrick ). 2009 : First Indy 500 race where three females finished the race, ( Duno, Fisher, Patrick ). Also the highest finish for a woman, 3rd ( Patrick ). 2010 : First Indy 500 race with four women competing in the field ( Fisher, Patrick, Silvestro, Beatriz ) ; The Rookie of the year it was for the Swiss dirver ( Silvestro ). 2017 : Takuma Sato of Japan becomes the first Asian - born victor. References Indianapolis 500 Chronicle, John Pope, copyright 1999 2005 Indianapolis 500 - Mile Race Program 2006 Indianapolis 500 - Mile Race Program Indianapolis 500 Races by year 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Track Indianapolis Motor Speedway Race results IMS Museum Statistics Winners Pole - sitters Lap leaders Rookie of the Year Fatalities Firsts Pace cars Records Fastest laps By year Scott Brayton Award Louis Schwitzer Award Pit Stop Challenge Drivers List of drivers Non-qualifying drivers Female participants Sanctioning bodies AAA Contest Board ( 1909 -- 1955 ) FIA ( 1950 -- 1960 ) USAC ( 1956 -- 1997 ) INDYCAR ( 1998 -- present ) Ownership Carl Fisher James Allison Arthur Newby Frank A. Wheeler Eddie Rickenbacker Tony Hulman Wilbur Shaw Mary F. Hulman Mari Hulman George Tony George Joie Chitwood Jeff Belskus Hulman & Company Officials Charlie Merz Tommy Milton Harry McQuinn Harlan Fengler Tom Binford Brian Barnhart Broadcasting Radio Bill Slater Sid Collins Paul Page Lou Palmer Bob Jenkins Mike King Donald Davidson Television Jim McKay Jackie Stewart Chris Schenkel Chris Economaki Sam Posey Jack Arute Jim Lampley Paul Page Bob Jenkins Todd Harris Marty Reid Allen Bestwick Other Tom Carnegie Robin Miller Ron McQueeney Related events Month of May Mini-Marathon IndyCar Grand Prix Indy Lights road course Freedom 100 Brickyard 400 Brickyard 400 Lilly Diabetes 250 Other U.S. Grand Prix Red Bull Grand Prix Triple Crown of Motorsport Brickyard Grand Prix Brickyard Sports Car Challenge IROC at Indy Indy Legends Charity Pro -- Am race Red Bull Air Race of Indianapolis Golf at IMS Champions Tour PGA Tour LPGA Tour Related area Town of Speedway Indianapolis Sports in Indianapolis Indiana Fairgrounds ( Hoosier Hundred ) Lucas Oil Raceway ( Carb Night Classic ) Lore Riding mechanic Andretti Curse Borg - Warner Trophy Indy / Charlotte `` Double Duty '' Entertainment Traditions Jigger Award 100 mph Club The Greatest 33 Jim Nabors Straight No Chaser Turbo No races held in 1917 -- 1918 or 1942 -- 1945 due to World War I and World War II, respectively. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indianapolis_500_firsts&oldid=843469383 '' Categories : Indianapolis 500 - related lists Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from October 2011 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 29 May 2018, at 10 : 26 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who became the first driver to win four indianapolis 500 races
Answer: A. J. Foyt