Indianapolis Motor Speedway In what year did the first Indianapolis 500 take place? 1911. Ray Harroun won in the Marmon "Wasp." Why was the distance of 500 miles selected? Having decided to dispense with multi-race programs and concentrate on one major race for 1911, Speedway leader Carl Fisher and his partners envisioned an event that would appeal to the public by lasting approximately seven hours between mid-morning and late afternoon. A distance of 500 miles was settled upon, and Ray Harroun won the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911 in six hours, 42 minutes and eight seconds. What is the distance of one lap around the oval? 2.5 miles. The track has four distinct turns and straightaways, a layout unchanged since the facility opened in 1909. The front and back straightaways are 5/8th of a mile each, with the "short chute" straightaways between Turns 1 and 2 and Turns 3 and 4 at 1/8th of a mile each. Each of the four turns is 1/4th of a mile long.

What is the degree of banking in the turns? Each of the four turns on the oval is banked at exactly 9 degrees, 12 minutes, the same dimensions as when the track opened in 1909. Which driver has won the Indianapolis 500 the most times? Three drivers have won the Indianapolis 500 four times each: A.J. Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977) Al Unser (1970, 1971, 1978, 1987) Rick Mears (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991) Who is the youngest winner of the Indianapolis 500? Troy Ruttman was 22 years, 80 days old when he won the 36th Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 1952. Q. Who is the oldest winner of the Indianapolis 500? A.

Al Unser was 47 years, 360 days old when he won the 71st Indianapolis 500 on May 24, 1987. What is the name of the trophy presented to the winner of the race each year? The Borg-Warner Trophy, which was commissioned in 1935 by the Borg-Warner Automotive Company. In 1936, Indianapolis 500 winner Louis Meyer was the first driver to receive the trophy. Why does the winner of the Indianapolis 500 drink milk in Victory Lane? Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Louis Meyer regularly drank buttermilk to refresh himself on a hot day and happened to drink some in Victory Lane as a matter of habit after winning the 1936 race. An executive with what was then the Milk Foundation was so elated when he saw the moment captured in a photograph in the sports section of his newspaper the following morning that he vowed to make sure it would be repeated in coming years. There was a period between 1947-55 when milk was apparently no longer offered, but the practice was revived in 1956 and has been a tradition ever since.

Have women competed in the Indianapolis 500? Nine women have raced in the Indianapolis 500: Janet Guthrie (1977-79) Lyn St. James (1992-97, 2000) Sarah Fisher (2000-04, 2007-10) Helio Castroneves (2001) Have there always been 33 cars in the starting field of the Indianapolis 500? No. After 40 cars started in the inaugural race in 1911, the Contest Board of the American Automobile Association (AAA), the sanctioning body at the time, mandated a formula for limiting the size of a starting field according to the size of the track. It was determined that the safe distance between each car spread equally around a course would be 400 feet, thereby limiting the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway to 33 cars. Speedway President Carl Fisher, however, placed a limit of only 30 cars for the "500" between 1912 and 1914 and did not adopt AAA's 33 maximum until 1915.

Although there had been numerous occasions between 1912 and 1928 when the field was not filled, the allowed number was increased during the Depression years to 40 cars between 1930 and 1932 (only 38 made it in 1930) and further to 42 in 1933. The maximum has been at 33 ever since 1934, although extenuating circumstances expanded the field to 35 starters in 1979 and 1997. What is the fastest official lap ever turned during the month of May? 237.498 mph by Arie Luyendyk during qualifying May 12, 1996. Luyendyk turned a lap of 239.260 during practice May 10, 1996. It was the fastest unofficial lap ever at the Speedway, as practice laps are not official. Has any driver ever won the Indianapolis 500 three times in a row or more? No.

Five drivers have won the race two years in a row: Wilbur Shaw (1939-40) Al Unser (1970-71) Helio Castroneves (2001-02). Who was the first driver and team to earn $1 million in one year for winning the Indianapolis 500? Emerson Fittipaldi and Patrick Racing, whose winner's share was $1,001,604 in 1989. Has any driver raced in the Indianapolis 500, Brickyard 400 and United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis during their career? Yes, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jacques Villeneuve. Montoya won the 2000 Indianapolis 500 in his only start in that event, drove in the United States Grand Prix from 2001-06 and raced in the Brickyard 400 in 2007-12.

Villeneuve raced in the Indianapolis 500 in 1994-95, winning in 1995, drove in the United States Grand Prix from 2000-03 and 2006, and raced in the Brickyard 400 in 2010. Fourteen drivers have raced in the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400: John Andretti, Geoff Brabham, A.J. Foyt, Larry Foyt, Robby Gordon, Sam Hornish Jr., Jason Leffler, Montoya, Max Papis, Scott Pruett, Tony Stewart, Danny Sullivan, Jacques Villeneuve and J.J. Yeley. Tomas Enge, Justin Wilson, Takuma Sato and Jean Alesi each have raced in the Indianapolis 500 and the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis. Scott Speed and Jacques Villeneuve have raced in the Brickyard 400 and the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis. Who created the term “The Greatest Spectacle In Racing?” Alice Greene coined the phrase in 1955. Camping Options Available Now!

Fun Fact #52 At speeds of 220 mph, the front tires of a race car rotate 43 times per second. During a lap at the IMS, front tires experience about 1,955 revolutions and rear tires experience 1,800 revolutions. Indianapolis 500 race updates Indianapolis 500 race updates Pin it Share INDIANAPOLIS – Welcome to "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." I'll be here throughout the race, along with colleague Bob Margolis, to provide you with updates from today's Indianapolis 500. I know who's going to win, but I don't want to spoil the suspense or keep you from following along. OK, just kidding. But be forewarned, it could be a bumpy ride as I unleash my twisted sense of humor (pray for an exciting race, or I'll be forced to ad-lib some jokes to make it sound exciting). 7:11 p.m.

ET: One final update before I head off for postrace interviews: The 11th-33rd positions: 11, Jeff Simmons, 12, Tony Kanaan, 13, Michael Andretti, 14, A.J. Foyt IV, 15, Alex Barron, 16, Kosuke Matsuura, 17, Ed Carpenter, 18, Sarah Fisher, 19, Buddy Lazier, 20, Darren Manning, 21, Roger Yasukawa, 22, Dan Wheldon, 23, Richie Hearn, 24, Marco Andretti, 25, Buddy Rice, 26, Al Unser Jr., 27, Jaques Lazier, 28, Marty Roth, 29, Phil Giebler, 30, John Andretti, 31, Milka Duno, 32, Jon Herb, 33, Roberto Moreno. Thanks, everyone for reading and sending in questions and comments. It's been a lot of fun. 7 p.m.

ET: It's now really official: Dario Franchitti just drank his victory milk. 6:58 p.m. ET: A soaking wet Ashley Judd just greeted her husband, Dario Franchitti, as he drove toward victory lane. They completed 166 laps before the rain halted the race for a final time. Scott Dixon finished second, followed by Helio Castroneves, Sam Hornish Jr., Ryan Briscoe, Scott Sharp, Tomas Scheckter, Danica Paitrck, Scott Hamilton and Vitor Meira. 6:56 p.m. ET: It was a surreal scene watching the cars cross the finish line in a pouring rain. Franchitti's famous actress wife Ashley Judd was shown on television climbing the pit wall in excitement. 6:54 p.m. ET: It's official, Dario Franchitti has won the Indianapolis 500. 6:53 p.m. ET: It's pouring rain again and Dario Franchitti is about to take the checkered flag under caution. 6:51 p.m.

ET: Replays show Marco Andretti drifted out toward the wall to make a move and clipped the front of Dan Wheldon's car. 6:49 p.m. ET: Marco Andretti is climbing out of the car and talking to the safety crew. 6:48 p.m. ET: Back to green, but a spectacular multi-car pileup with Dario Franchitti in the lead. Back to caution. Marco Andretti was involved with Buddy Rice. Marco's car flipped at least twice. He's still in the car, but doesn't appear to be seriously hurt. 6:42 p.m. ET: It now looks as though Tony Kanaan and Jaques Lazier tangled. Dario Franchitti has remained on the track and is in the lead. Scott Dixon is second, followed by Ryan Briscoe and Scott Sharp. Rain is imminent. 6:40 p.m. ET: Tony Kanaan has crashed! Apparently he had a flat tire. Who will win now? 6:38 p.m. ET: Tony Kanaan has pitted, putting Dario Franchitti in the lead. The big question: Did Kanaan have to pit?

It could cost him the race. 6:36 p.m. ET: Current top five: Tony Kanaan, Sam Hornish Jr., Dario Franchitti, Danica Patrick, Helio Castroneves. Drivers are trying to decide whether to pit or stay out. If rain is imminent, staying out would seem to be the prudent choice so as not to lose position. 6:30 p.m. ET: Marty Roth just hit the wall on lap 150. The race is under caution. If the rain hits before the caution ends, Tony Kanaan will win. If they go to green before then, he'll have to fend off a bunched-up field behind him to secure the win. Should be interesting. 6:29 p.m. ET: Rain is nearing metro Indianapolis again, and is estimated to be about 15 minutes from the track. It'll be an all-out sprint until then, with Tony Kanaan setting the pace. Sam Hornish Jr. has moved up to second, with Dario Franchitti third. He's followed by Danica Patrick and Helio Castroneves. 6:23 p.m. ET: There have been 23 lead changes.

Expect more of that, but Tony Kanaan should eventually work his way back to the front. He's clearly got the strongest car on the track at the moment. But is anyone holding back? 6:19 p.m. ET: The leaders are starting their scheduled pit stops, under green. The top of the charts will be temporarily shuffled. 6:15 p.m. ET: They've completed 130 laps and it's shaping up as a fantastic finish if the rain holds off. Tony Kanaan, Danica Patrick, Marco Andretti, Dan Wheldon, Helio Castroneves, Sam Hornish Jr., Dario Franchitti. Plenty of good storylines and possibilities at the front of the pack. 6:11 p.m. ET: Dan Wheldon is making a move, charging to fourth. Helio Castroneves has nearly recovered from his early pit stop woes to claim fifth place. 6:08 p.m. ET: Tony Kanaan is still running strong, but Danica Patrick has passed Marco Andretti for second place. Kanaan and Patrick are running laps at about 223 mph. 6:05 p.m.

ET: They're racin' again, under green. Now the race to see if they can beat the next batch of rain. 6:01 p.m. ET: Well, things just got busy again. The cars are back on the track, running under caution. We're told they'll run under caution for at least a few laps to make sure the track is dry and then go to green. 5:58 p.m. ET: Things are pretty slow right now, so more on the rain tires issue: From Bob in Albany, N.Y.: The problem with running in the wet is less about traction and more about visibility, although both are an issue. Both Indy cars and F1 cars rely upon aerodynamic downforce for traction, with the Indy cars using much less wing, typically, on an oval. To run in the wet, they would probably have to add or change the wings completely to get enough downforce to run safely. With high levels of downforce, the air (and water) coming off the wings is flung high in the air. Inside the bowl of an oval, it will hang there obscuring the view of the drivers. If you have ever driven in a thick fog, imagine racing in one. Thanks.

There's nothing like a little controversy to spice up a rain delay. 5:49 p.m. ET: Paul from Waxahachie, Texas, asks: Can you give us the full placings when the race was stopped for rain? Here goes, from top to bottom: 1, Kanaan, 2, Marco Andretti, 3, Patrick, 4, Meira, 5, Franchitti, 6, Castroneves, 7, Simmons, 8, Dixon, 9, Carpenter, 10, Briscoe, 11, Jaques Lazier, 12, Sharp, 13, Wheldon, 14, Matsuura, 15, Hornish, 16, Rice, 17, Manning, 18, Michael Andretti, 19, Scheckter, 20, Hamilton, 21, Yasukawa, 22, Hearn, 23, Buddy Lazier, 24, Barron, 25, Fisher, 26, Foyt IV, 27, Roth, 28, Unser Jr.

They are all still running. Out of the race, in descending order: 29, Giebler, 30, John Andretti, 31, Duno, 32, Herb and 33, Moreno. 5:40 p.m. ET: Jessy from Mandan, N.D., offers this: Just to answer Patrick's concerns, the F1 cars are weighted with more powerful engines which allow them to run in the rain if they were on a road course. Neverless if it were F1 here today and not the IRL, I am sure they would halt their race too because of the concrete barriers. For the record NASCAR has ran a few races in Japan and one of them had the use of rain tires. As for lights, I would pretty much decide to install them on Indy Motor Speedway just so that we can do racing at night in regards to the 500 in order to ensure a finish. Plus how awesome would it be to see the Brickyard 400 run under the lights while the Truck series and Busch Series would also get to use the famed Brickyard? Thanks for the comment, Jessy. Makes perfect sense to my feeble little brain.

I agree that Indy under the lights would be awesome, but I don't see it happening. 5:31 p.m. ET: Ken, from Terre Haute, Ind., reports: I don't mean to be a downer or anything but I'm an hour west of Indy right now and it's raining like a big dog!! Thanks, Ken, for the bad news. We really appreciate it. Things were getting a little too upbeat around here! For those who aren't well-versed on Indiana geography, Terre Haute is about 70 miles southwest of Indianapolis and the rain has been coming from that direction all day. 5:25 p.m. ET: Adam wants to know: How many times has the 500 been rained out in the past? According to the IRL media guide, there have been complete postponements (the race could not be started on the scheduled date) in 1915, 1986 and 1997. There have been partial postponements (the race started but couldn't be finished until a subsequent day) in 1967 and 1973.

There were rain-shortened races (they completed the required 101 laps before the rains came) in 1926 (160 laps), 1950 (138 laps), 1973 (133 laps), 1975 (174 laps), 1976 (102 laps) and 2004 (180 laps). 5:12 p.m. ET: Ed from Wauconda, Ill., asks: If they get the race under way at 6:30 p.m. ET, are they going to declare it a timed race or will they attempt to get the last 87 laps in? There's another line of storms heading for Indy, but it won't get there for at least a couple of hours. You're right, Ed. I just checked the radar and there is, indeed, another line of storms coming this way. If they do manage to restart the race, they'll try to get all 87 laps in. If it rains before then or after the restart, the race will be over. 5:08 p.m.

ET: Brian asks: Do you think that Indianapolos Motor Speedway will put lights on its stadium so they can finish under the lights in event of rain in future seasons, and will they start the race at 5:00 and finish under the lights? No, not a chance on the lights. Sunset today in Indianapolis will be around 9 p.m. local time, so they can probably run until 8 p.m. safely. I guess we're about to find out. I do remember one year rain delayed the Brickyard 400 and it didn't finish until after 7 p.m. 5:03 p.m. ET: Patrick weighs in on the F1 rain tire issue: You may be fielding some not-so-civil responses to your earlier posting regarding racing in the rain, so let me respectfully offer this: there is not a great speed difference in F1 on the straights as compared to Indy Car racing (in general – obviously it depends on the track), and they must shave off ridiculous amounts of speed going into turns (190+ down to 30 at Montreal, as I recall).

There is also plenty of concrete to hit, including the possibility of head-ons into barriers (not present to same degree in Indy). I'm a fan of both; I'm just offering the observation that there may be something else keeping Indy from racing in the rain. Clearly NASCAR cannot, given weight and aerodynamics, but these factors are not present in Indy Car racing. Given your connections and experience, it would be wonderful to see you revisit this question – I know I would be very curious read what you found. Thanks, Patrick. Actually, the responses have been fairly civil. I didn't phrase my response very well, and to be honest I'm showing I'm not an expert on that topic. I'm in no way saying F1 cars are inferior to Indy Cars, or that F1 cars couldn't go as fast on the straights. On on oval, at speeds above 200 mph, the cars just couldn't stay off the walls. I'll defer to anyone else who can better explain it. 4:58 p.m. ET: Paul, from Plainfield, Ind., asks: Why is the Indy 500 not on local TV, in the Indianapolis area? I am sure it is a sellout every year.

The race is blacked out in a 70-mile radius, I believe it is, to minimize its impact on attendance. It always seemed a flimsy excuse back in the day when the race was a sellout far in advance, but with it less than a sellout these days, I can't say that I blame them. But, having lived in Indy, I know the frustration of not being able to watch the race live. 4:40 p.m. ET: Angie wants to know: Is this yet another example of the Andretti curse? Well, I guess we'll find out. It looks like they're going to finish the race. However, if it is declared official as it stands, I think there will be some – the Andrettis chief among them – who might believe that. My take is that the Andrettis certainly have had their share of bad breaks at the Speedway, but Mario won in 1969 so they haven't been totally shut out. I feel for Michael, having led more laps than any other driver who has not won this race. So, I guess the perfect finish from his perspective would be to lead no laps and pass for the win on the final lap as Sam Hornish Jr.

did to Michael's son Marco last year. That would be ironic. 4:29 p.m. ET: Scott from the Netherlands, asks a good question: Just heard that the cars have gone back to the garage, while they dry the track and pit area. What adjustments or alterations are the teams allowed to do on the cars, while the track is drying? They can't make any adjustments. The cars are held in a staging area and watched over by track officials. 4:23 p.m. ET: We're being told that track officials are planning to restart the race at 6:30 p.m. ET. Stay tuned. 4:16 p.m. ET: Joe from Gulfport, Miss.: Why does it take 2 hours to dry this track? With the money spent there they could have more equipment to handle this scenario. That sounds like the same argument I remember hearing every winter when it snowed in Indianapolis. Why aren't there more snow plows! Well, if it makes you feel better, I always wondered the same thing. But instead of fighting it, I moved to California. Now, all I have to worry about is earthquake season.

Anyway, the track has at least four jet dryers and a whole fleet of trucks they drive around the track to dry it out. I honestly don't know if more equipment would dry the track faster. There are other factors, such as the level of humidity and whether the sun is shining. 4:11 p.m. ET: Craig asks: F1 races in the rain with rain tires, why can't the Indy cars do the same? Declare it wet and put on the soft tires! Great question, Craig. F1 runs on road courses, which means lower speeds and far fewer concrete walls. The IRL runs mostly on ovals and the speeds are just too great to run in the rain. It would be a crash-fest and it would not be safe, or pretty. 4:05 p.m. ET: Steve, from Springfield, Ill.: I just checked the NOAA website and it looks like it might clear up. How long do you think it will take for the track to dry? You're correct. It has stopped raining and the radar to the west of the track looks clear. It normally takes a little more than 2 hours to dry the track.

Then you have to get all the cars back on the track and warmed up for a restart. So, best-case scenario would be a restart around 6:30 p.m. ET, which might be enough time. I sense we're near the point of no return, so we should know something soon. Whatever, the decision, it will probably be controversial. 4 p.m. ET: Eric from Ashburn, Va., asks: How disappointed will you be if we don't get to see the last 89 laps of this race? Funny you should ask. I was just thinking about that as I watched A.J. Foyt complaining about the "damn rain" on a video feed in the media center. I think I'm in the majority here when I say it would leave me with an empty feeling. I don't think anyone, perhaps except for Tony Kanaan, wants it to end short of the full 200 laps. And I'm sure even Tony would prefer to win a full race. 3:55 p.m. ET: Lonnie wants to know: Who sang "Back Home Again In Indiana" this year since Jim Nabors was ill? The crowd stood in for Nabors this year.

It sure didn't seem the same without Nabors here this year. 3:48 p.m. ET: Joseph, from Bakersfield, Calif., asks: Why on the most important race of the year and one of the biggest races in the world with many millions following the race why can't they run a full race rain or no rain. If the rain persists finish the next day. Well, Joseph, I guess the easiest answer is tradition. And Indy is big on tradition. Plus, the logistics of bringing everybody back on Monday is so great that it's not worth it unless there's a good reason. And IMS officials have decided that only something less than 101 laps completed is a good enough reason. For what it's worth, NASCAR operates the same way. 3:45 p.m. ET: Kim, from somewhere in cyberland, asks: My daughter Chelsea would like to know where the other women are in the race. Thanks for the easy question! One I can answer. Danica Patrick is third, Sarah Fisher is 25th and Milka Duno finished 31st after her crash on lap 65.

If the current standings hold, Danica's finish will be the best ever for a woman at the Indy 500 (she previously finished fourth). 3:41 p.m. ET: Joe, from Phoenix, asks: What are the odds this thing gets going again? Well, Joe, I'm not a betting man, but I lived in Indianapolis for 22 years and I would lean toward the odds being not good that the race is restarted. But don't quote me. 3:37 p.m. ET: While we wait for the rain to end and track officials to decide whether to try to resume the race, time to answer some email. Tenna from Danville, Ill, asks: Wow, now what? How long will they hold a rain delay before they call a winner? Brian Barnhart, director of competition for the Indy Racing League, says they're monitoring the situation and won't make any decisions until the rain stops. He says they can run until around 7:30 p.m. ET, so if it stops raining they'll decide if there's time to dry the track (which takes a little over 2 hours) and still get the race in.

If not, Tony Kanaan is your winner, because the race only needs to complete 101 laps to be considered an official race. They've finished 113 laps. 3:07 p.m. ET: The rain has arrived in bucketfuls, with Tony Kanaan leading the race under caution and 113 laps complete. Marco Andretti is second, Danica Patrick third, Vitor Meira fourth and Dario Franchitti fifth. It's an official race, so if the rain doesn't stop in time for the track to be dried for a restart, Kanaan will be declared the winner. 2:57 p.m. ET: Tony Kanaan quickly passes Marco Andretti for the lead on the restart on lap 107, but Phil Giebler hit the wall shortly after and the race immediately goes back to caution. Officials are saying the rain will arrive within the next 10 minutes. The leaders have completed 109 laps. 2:44 p.m. ET: John Andretti has hit the wall on lap 99 with Tony Kanaan leading.

Marco Andretti is second, Jeff Simmons third, Danica Patrick fourth and Helio Castroneves has moved up to fifth as the drivers jockey through their pit stops. The race is nearly halfway finished, and will become official after 101 laps. Thunderstorms are about to move in from the southwest. 2:34 p.m. ET: Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon have ducked into the pits under green and Michael Andretti has taken the lead, with son Marco right behind him. 2:34 p.m. ET: Sam Hornish Jr. has headed into the pits after touching tires with Tomas Scheckter and damaging his front wing. Now, Scheckter is in the pits and two of the top cars are falling out of contention. Dario Franchitti is still in the lead with Michael Andretti surging up to third behind Scott Dixon. 2:29 p.m. ET: Dario Franchitti is your race leader after 80 laps, with Sam Hornish Jr. second and Tomas Scheckter third. Scott Dixon is fourth, followed by Jaques Lazier. Helio Castroneves is 20th. 2:22 p.m.

ET: Scott Dixon leads the field on the restart on lap 72, but Sam Hornish Jr. quickly overtakes him and Dario Franchitti moves into second. Tomas Scheckter is fourth and Jaques Lazier fifth. Michael Andretti is seventh. 2:17 p.m. ET: Milka Duno hit the wall on lap 65, the third car out due to a crash. She lost control going into the first turn, spun around and smacked the wall pretty hard. Tony Kanaan is the leader, with Scott Dixon in second and Jeff Simmons third. Thunderstorms are brewing to the southwest of Indianapolis, so the race is on to reach 101 laps before the rain returns. 2:05 p.m. ET: Davey Hamilton gets the Helio Castroneves pit stop award after his crew failed to properly attach his right rear tire. When Hamilton took off, the wheel fell off. After a few anxious moments, the tire was reattached and Hamilton was on his way. 2 p.m. ET: For those of you scoring at home, Jon Herb has become the second driver to hit the wall. He is out of his car and appears to be OK.

It's the third caution of the day, with 53 laps completed. 1:56 p.m. ET: They're racing under green again, with Marco Andretti still in the lead. Scott Dixon is second, followed by Dan Wheldon, Sam Hornish Jr., Tony Kanaan, Dario Franchitti, Tomas Scheckter, Ed Carpenter, Danica Patrick and Ryan Briscoe. The other women in the field: Milka Duno is 22nd and Sarah Fisher is 24th. Helio Castroneves fell all the way to 25th after his disastrous pit stop. The field has completed 50 laps. 1:49 p.m. ET: Helio Castroneves just suffered through a terrible pit stop when his crew had trouble dispensing fuel into his car. Marco Andretti came out of the pits in first place. The race is still under caution through 41 laps. 1:45 p.m. ET: Marco Andretti has stormed into second place behind Helio Castroneves. Tony Kanaan has slipped back to fourth, but it's not known if he's having problems with his car or just taking a breather.

The first driver out of the race is Roberto Moreno, who just hit the wall in the first turn on lap 38. 1:38 p.m. ET: Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves are waging an epic battle at the front, with Castroneves passing Kanaan on the front straightaway to regain the lead. They've completed 30 laps. 1:35 p.m. ET: Tony Kanaan is back in the lead through 25 laps. Helio Castroneves is second, with defending champion Sam Hornish Jr. in third, followed by Dan Wheldon and Marco Andretti. Kanaan is setting a blistering pace, turning laps in excess of 223 mph. Sarah Fisher had a problem in the pits and has fallen to last place. 1:28 p.m. ET: Back to green, and Helio Castroneves leads the field. They've completed 16 laps. 1:25 p.m. ET: Most drivers take advantage of the caution to make their first pit stop. 1:21 p.m.

ET: The first caution comes out for debris on the course … John Andretti apparently lost a mirror. The drivers have completed 11 laps, with Tony Kanaan still in the lead. 1:15 p.m. ET: The start of the race is one of the most exciting moments in sports, and this one was no different. The field was spread out by the start command instead of lined up in 11 rows of three, but truth be told it probably made for a safer run into Turn 1. Tony Kanaan surged into the lead on the second lap and they've made it through the first several laps without incident. 1:08 p.m. ET: The command, "Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!" has just been given and the car of polesitter Helio Castroneves did not respond initially. It finally roared to life and the 33 cars are under way. 12:53 p.m. ET: As Florence Henderson sings "God Bless America," I'm reminded of the traditions of the 500. Florence is one of them, along with Jim Nabors singing "Back Home Again In Indiana" and the winner drinking milk in victory lane.

Unfortunately, Nabors was unable to be here this year because of illness. Other celebrities in attendance are Ray Liotta, Tyler Christopher, Alison Sweeney, Peyton Manning, Chris "Lights Out" Lytle, Ludacris, Patrick Dempsey (who will drive the pace car), Eric Dane, Richard Petty and Marcus Allen. Oh, and Melissa Rivers, of course. 12:48 p.m. ET: This just in from the Indy 500 PR folks: Melissa Rivers is happy to be here. "It's unbelievable. It's absolutely mind-boggling to see in person," she is quoted as saying. No mention what she is wearing, or what she thinks about what everyone else is (or is not) wearing. Hmm, I wonder if Billy Crystal is here. 12:44 p.m. ET: The rain that drenched the track this morning has moved out and prerace festivities are under way. Track officials say everything is on schedule, but I get the sense that things are moving along slower than usual. The sooner they start the race (scheduled for 1:11 p.m.), the faster they can get to 101 laps.

After that point, if rain moves back in, they can declare a winner and go home. Clearly, everyone wants a full 200-lap race, but not too many want to come back on Monday. Reblog Indy 500 Database Indy 500 Database Making convenient and publicly available as much factual data about the Indianapolis 500 as time and resources allow. Monday, May 30, 2016 The combined distance of all of the Indy 500s (48,932 miles) is longer than the combined distance of all of the Interstate Highways in the U.S. (47,856 miles). Posted by Greatest career percentage of laps led. (Min. 1,000 laps raced) Parnelli Jones, 43.5% Version 4.0 My on-again-off again, when I have time project of updating the Indy 500 Database has been on again. I have uploaded version 4.0 which includes data through the 2015 race. You can download the Excel file from the link at the right.

Posted by Jack Brabham The legendary Jack Brabham has passed at the age of 88. He raced in the 1961, 1964 1969 and 1970 Indy 500s with a best finish of 9th in the 1961 race. He had been the second oldest living Indy 500 competitor. Posted by Statement from Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the passing last night of Jason Leffler. He raced in the 2000 Indy 500 at the age of 24; starting 17th and finishing 17th. Posted by 2013 Leaders It was well documented that the 2013 Indy 500 had a record 68 lead changes among a record 14 drivers. The previous record for lead changes was 34 in the 2012 race. The old record for lead drivers was 12 in the 1993 race. The most consecutive laps led in the 2013 race was 14 by Will Power. That's also a record low.

The previous record was 19 by Tony Kanaan in the 2007 race. Laps 120-126 of the race were led by 7 different drivers (Tony Kanaan, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Carlos Munoz, Alex Tagliani, Townsend Bell, James Hinchcliffe, Marco Andretti). That's also a record for most different drivers leading consecutive laps. The old record was 4 each in the 1954 and 1981 races. Posted by Arie Luyendyk Back to Indianapolis 500 Drivers Arie Luyendyk Arie Luyendyk quietly compiled some of the most impressive achievements in the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Aside from being a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, Luyendyk holds the IMS one- and four-lap speed records, and his average speed over 500 miles of 185.981 mph in 1990 is a mark that is unlikely to ever be broken.

A native of Holland, Luyendyk rose through the European open-wheel formula car ranks in the late 1970s but his break came when he moved to America to compete in the SCCA Super Vee championship. He attracted the attention of his countryman Aat Groenevelt, who began to sponsor Luyendyk under the Provimi Veal banner. “It was like he became my American dad,” Luyendyk recalled. “He saved my career and made my career, and he was also a friend of mine.” Luyendyk won the 1984 Super Vee championship and finished eighth in his Indy car debut at Road America. The following year, he and Groenevelt teamed up for a full season in the CART-sanctioned IndyCar World Series. One of his best races was the Indianapolis 500, where he finished seventh and claimed “Rookie of the Year” honors. The Dutchman was pretty much a journeyman in the later half of the 1980s, his best year coming in 1987 when he complied eight top-six finishes to end up seventh in the CART championship.

His career advanced in 1990 when he joined Doug Shierson Racing; driving the memorable Domino’s Pizza-liveried Lola-Cosworth, he dominated the latter stages of the Indy 500, pulling away to win by nearly 11 seconds over Bobby Rahal. Although it was Luyendyk’s first Indy car race win, it was anything but a fluke. He always ran well at IMS, and after qualifying third in 1990, he kept leader Emerson Fittipaldi in sight as the Brazilian led 128 of the first 135 laps. But Fittipaldi’s pace may have been too fast, because his Penske-Chevrolet began blistering tires in the searing heat. Fittipaldi would finish third. It took Luyendyk just 2 hours, 41 minutes and 18.404 seconds to complete the 500 miles, with an average speed nearly 10 mph faster than any other Indy 500 in history or to date.

“The record for the race speed all depends on how many crashes, and there weren’t that many that day (four cautions for 28 laps),” said Luyendyk. “Of course now they close the pits and pack up the field and by the time they let everybody back in a lot of time has passed so the average speed always drops. Then you have the pit speed limit, which we didn’t have. “After I won the race in 1990 it definitely became a huge part of my life. Obviously the Speedway always wants you around to do certain things and the fans recognize you no matter what you have done outside of the Indy 500. But they always mainly recognize you for winning that race.” Throughout the rest of his career, Luyendyk’s best performances came at Indianapolis. He finished third in 1991, but after qualifying fourth a year later, was one of many drivers to crash in one of the coldest days in Indianapolis 500 history. Luyendyk secured the first Indianapolis pole position for himself and Chip Ganassi Racing in 1993, and they finished second behind old nemesis Fittipaldi.

In 1995, Luyendyk qualified a Menard-Buick powered car on the front row and finished seventh. In 1996, Luyendyk was arguably the top Indy car driver who chose to join the newly-formed Indy Racing League. Arie was in a league of his own throughout the month of May, but he had little or no luck. After setting the unofficial IMS track record with a 239.260 mph practice lap, Arie was not able to complete a first-day qualifying run. He came back the following day to set one (237.498) and four-lap (236.986 mph) records, but it earned him only the 20th starting position. The race wasn’t much better, as a collision with an inexperienced driver eliminated Luyendyk. Arie bounced back to secure pole position for the 1997 race, at a much reduced speed of 218.263 mph in the new IRL-specification car with a normally-aspirated engine.

Many caution flags led to a jumbled race with seven different leaders, but the final battle came down to between Luyendyk and his Treadway Racing teammate, Scott Goodyear. Luyendyk got the jump on Goodyear on a Lap 194 restart and held off his teammate through two additional restarts in the last four laps. “Some people don’t regard 1997 as a true win because all the CART teams were not there, and I can totally understand that,” Luyendyk said. “On the other hand, that was a hard fought win. It wasn’t easy at all. Those early IRL cars were not easy to drive. They had too much weight in the back and the back end never felt great. It was nothing like my 1990 car or my 1996 car. So you were always a little bit on edge and it was a nerve-wracking deal.

“I was nursing or babying it a little bit and with about 40 laps to go, I said to the guys, ‘Can I run it in fifth gear with higher RPM?’ And they said ‘Go for it, the engine is good!’ So then I used it a little bit harder and it worked out.” In addition to holding the one-lap, four-lap and race records, Luyendyk thus holds the unique distinction of being the only driver to win the Indianapolis 500 in cars built to CART and IRL specifications. Luyendyk drove in four additional 500s from 1998 to 2002 but his best result was 13th place. “Indianapolis has been nothing but positive for me, I have to say,” Luyendyk remarked. “I have pride in being able to be a guy who was able to win races but also go fast in qualifying, and in that regard, be versatile. I know a lot of guys who were really good racers at Indy, but they didn’t care for qualifying. They didn’t want to hang it out, they didn’t want to run low downforce. I always enjoyed putting together that one phenomenal lap.

“I could have won some more races but that’s not necessary to mention, because if you talk to Mario Andretti or even Rick Mears, all those guys could have won more races. I’m pretty proud of what I accomplished there.” Indianapolis 500 Frequently Asked Questions - Indy Speedway FAQ • The race is 500 miles, 200 laps on the 2.5-mile oval. • The race becomes official after 101 laps. • The pit road speed is 60 mph. • The pit speed zone starts at a cone approximately 300 feet inside pit lane. • The green flag to start the race will be shown on the third time past the flag stand. • The pace speed on the parade laps will be approximately 110 mph. • At the start of the race, no passing is allowed until the start/finish line. • The restart zone is located between Turns 3 and 4. The lead car may accelerate at any time after that zone. • Cars may pass as soon as the green flag waves. • There will be no tow-ins or returns from the garage within 20 laps of the end of the race.

• Only two tires may cross the blend line at the exit of pit lane. Crossing the line with all four tires may result in a penalty. Indy 500 F.A.Q. Indy 500: How often do you pit? - GTPlanet GTPlanet #1 Hi All, Yesterday, I did the Indy 500 with a Peugeot 908 HDI. I did some experiments on tire and tankful mileage that I wanted to share and ask about your experience. Findings: 1. A tankful of diesel lasts ~42 laps on Indy in a diesel LM car. How many laps are you getting on petrol LM cars? The sole point of using a diesel for endurance is the lower fuel consumption. Let's try to confirm this is in the game as well. 2. Soft tires 1#: On maximum attack, soft tires last ~20-23 laps. Laptimes around 40 sec. (sometimes dipping under). 3. Hard tires: 32 laps driven hard (43-44 secs per lap). 4. Medium tires: similar result, 42-43 secs. Findings so far: no set of tires can last a fuel tank.

If so, diesel doesn't make much sense. 5. A pit stop takes around 90 seconds. 6. Soft tires second try: Now I tried to drive as smooth as possible, almost without getting any skiding and squeling from the tires. Right tires were wearing off much quicker than left under maximum attack (surely), so I tried hard to prevent that. The result was astonishing. I did 40 laps on a set of soft tires, lapping at 42-43 secs. This is approximately as much as a fuel tank lasts, which was the main objective. Also laptimes were under the best possible on hard tires, under maximum attack, lasting less (32-32 laps). I tried to do the same with the medium tires (in order to get over 40 laps per set), but it wasn't possible with decent pace. Actually mediums wore faster. I haven't tried hards with such aggressive tire saving approach, but I think the results will be even worse and laptimes too slow. Conclusion: fastest around Indy endurance is on racing soft tires. Driven just under the limit of skidding/squeling, they can outlast hard tires, while maintaining much better pace.

Indy 500 can be done with only 4 pit stops (908 HDI). I guess, similar results can be recreated on other tracks. However, I am yet to test it (no time for endurance). Also, it will be much more difficult to drive under the skidding limit on other tracks (braking and slow corners, you see ). What do you think? Do you agree and are you getting similar results? I'm going to do the Indy 500 with the Peugeot 908 tonight. I was wondering the same thing about the mileage and tires. Thanks for your research, now I know what to do I will give the soft tires a try and see how many laps I can manage. Was it an easy race by the way ? Can you post your setup also ? Click to expand... Setup: I cannot check it right now. I did some test laps. Suspension was hard and low (obviously). Don't remember the downforce, but wasn't maxed out. However, I might try increasing it, since theoretically can help reduce even more high speed tire skidding, thus helping the tire life. Transimission was 440 km/h, due to the diesel power curve.

I hit 420 in a massive draft, once. Do a few test laps. I won by 2+ laps. However, I barely made it to the finish with the last tires. If I had to pit, it would be very close. It seems the AI have some boost enabled, once you pull off. They were actually lapping at decent pace (43-44?), but pitting much rarely than me in the beginning. Obviously, they were preserving tires better than me, before I made dedicated efforts on that. Other remark: on maximum attack, front right tire was wearing faster than rear right (some understeer). While driving for preserving the tires, rear right was going down faster. You might want to make some adjustments (dowforce, susp.) to even that out. Skidding wears off tires much faster than driving itself. The softs have much higher threshold. Try to corner just under that threshold without any tire squeling (or very minimal). Let's see whether you can recreate 40+ laps on soft tires with decent pace (I'm not doing this again ).

#8 On the FGT I can get 37 laps out of a tank, running lap times between 37.8 - 39.5 seconds. (Lap times < 38 seconds require lucky drafts with the backmarkers) Don't seem to have any problem making racing softs last that distance, unless I spin out 'cos I hit a backmarker at speed. Didn't notice a lot of difference in wear/grip between racing softs and racing mediums. Also: I tend to map the pit changes across the whole of the 200 laps, so I pit on laps 35, 70, 105, 140 & 170. I guess it's worth using a car that can go 40 laps per tank, because you could cut out the 5th pit; but I find running on ragged tyres more effort than I can be bothered with whilst driving 200 circles. I did play around with fuel loads as well, but found that refuelling time per litre was less than the time advantage gained per lap per litre less of fuel (didn't measure anything scientifically, just used the ready-reckoner in my skull).

FGT on a DFGT, default tune, got 42 laps out of the first tank. Assumed I could get 42 out of 2nd tank of fuel. Nope, just 41. However, fuel ran out long before tires, so pitted on fuel. Second pit, ran out on lap 84 at turn 2. Third pit, ran out of fuel lap 126, turn 3. Fourth pit was scheduled for lap 168, went in as soon as fuel turned red, no problems. Finally learned my lesson. AI starts pitting when I was on lap 42, and maintains same pit interval, so the AI was getting about 40 laps. Chaosdd: I don't know for sure, but 40/45/50 seems about right.

#16 I *believe* (don't quote me on this) that Indy car drivers plan between five and eight stops in the Indy 500, depending on race pace (crashes bring out caution flags that *greatly* extend fuel mileage), how hot they have to run the engine (leaders can usually dial the power back a notch or two and save fuel), gearing (many set up their cars so that the top three gears can be used all the way around the track--fourth for passing, fifth for cruising, and sixth for fuel-misering), and what the current rule is on fuel tank size. That would indicate, depending on strategy, pitting, on average, every 25-33 laps, though this is often thrown off by full-course cautions seeing everyone pit to try and avoid a green-flag stop that can cost two laps or more. Last I heard, IRL rules set a 35-gallon limit, running straight (denatured) ethanol fuel, very roughly equivalent in terms of energy content to 25 gallons of gasoline, so take that as you will.

#21 Zonda R '09 - 20 Laps (Racing Soft & IIRC 65L Fuel) Using the Medium or Hard compound was worse on tyre wear (more tyre slip/squeal) as I had to push very hard to ensure I was making up enough time to win the race with double the pit stops . Ended up winning by 1.75 laps (saw them in turn 1 as crossed the line... ) and made 9 stops (obviously). By turns 3 & 4 on lap 19 I was needing to brake to get initial turn-in of car as tyres were so badly worn but managed 41.0-41.2 consistently or dipped into high 40.x with good draft when passing other cars. So, if you want a good challenge. Do it in the Zonda R! Using the Medium or Hard compound was worse on tyre wear Click to expand... I had the same experience with a Minolta. I did Indy 500 the first time today using a joypad and no driving aids whatsoever, but automatic shifting.

I didn`t pay alot attention first, but later I tryed every tyre and felt hard racing tyres were worn out faster than soft. It could be such a high speed during a corner destroys hard material on a hard surface faster than softer material. Thats the only explanation i have for this experience today. The Minolta was set to a top speed of 410km/h ...it hit 385km/h on a straight 397km/h with drafting and slowed down to 350-360km/h through corners. Laptimes reached from 38,7 to 40,0. Although i had noticable more pitstops than the AI I won with 12 laps ahead. I don`t see the benefit of hard racing tyres. You could use them for races about 25-30 laps on regular tracks avoiding any pitstop compared to soft tyres. But you have to pay more attention, you can`t take certain sectors as fast and you may even have to brake or roll while you could go full throttle with soft tyres in some cases (car<>track<>corner).

Considering you risk to spin out alot more with hard tyres which takes away alot from their lifespan thats another point to choose soft racing tyres. All in all the lifespan of hard tyres don`t seem to be noticable longer to accept all drawbacks they have.

Question: How many laps does it take to take to complete the Indianapolis 500
Answer: 200