| Venue | Indianapolis Motor Speedway |
|---|---|
| Corporate sponsor | none |
| First race | 1911 |
| First IndyCar race | 1996 |
| Distance | 500 miles |
| Number of laps | 200 |
| Previous names | International 500-Mile Sweepstakes (1911–1915)
International 300-Mile Sweepstakes (1916) Liberty Sweepstakes (1919) International 500-Mile Sweepstakes (1920–1941, 1946–1979) |
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, often shortened to Indianapolis 500 or Indy 500, and historically known simply as "The 500," is an American automobile race, held annually over the Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Auto racing (also known as automobile racing, motor racing or car racing) is a Motorsport involving Racing Cars It Memorial Day is a United States Federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (on May in) The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway Indiana (an Enclave of Indianapolis) in the United States, is the home of the Speedway is a town in Wayne Township, Marion County, Indiana, United States. The event lends its name to the IndyCar class of formula, or open-wheel, race cars that have competed in it. The IndyCar Series is the premier series of the Indy Racing League. Formula racing is a term that refers to various forms of open wheeled single seater motorsport. Open-wheel car (Often single-seater car, in UK English describes cars with the wheels outside the car's main body and in most cases one seat
The event, billed as "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing", is one of the oldest motorsport events, and is considered one of the three most significant motor racing events in the world. The Triple Crown of Motorsport is alternatively defined as winning either the Indianapolis 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix While the official attendance is not disclosed by Speedway management, with a permanent seating capacity for more than 257,000 people and infield seating that raises capacity to an approximate 400,000 it is the largest single-day sporting event in the world. [1]
The race has been broadcast live on radio by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network since 1952. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network (known typically as the IMS Radio Network) is a Radio syndication arrangement by which the Indianapolis 500 It was televised live from 1949-1950 on WFBM-TV. WRTV, channel 6 is the ABC Television affiliate in Indianapolis Indiana. From 1965-1985, ABC Sports broadcast the race via tape delay. Since 1986, ABC has televised the race live flag-to-flag (although live coverage is blacked out in the Indianapolis market). In Broadcasting, a blackout is when certain programming usually Sports, cannot be televised in a certain Media market. The Indianapolis - Carmel, IN Metropolitan Statistical Area is the 33rd largest Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA in the United States In 2007, the race was first broadcast in HD. The 91st Indianapolis 500 ran on Sunday May 27, 2007 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. High-definition television (HDTV is a Digital television Broadcasting system with higher resolution than traditional television systems (standard-definition
The 92nd running was held on Sunday May 25, 2008. The 92nd Indianapolis 500-Mile Race was run on Sunday May 25, 2008 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway Indiana, USA. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common It marked the 63rd consecutive year of uninterrupted occurrence.
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The Indianapolis Motor Speedway complex was built in 1909 as a gravel-and-tar track and hosted a smattering of small events before the promoters decided to focus on just one major event. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway Indiana (an Enclave of Indianapolis) in the United States, is the home of the The track was then paved with 3. 2 million bricks, urged by principal owner Carl G. Fisher after several deaths related to the unsteady racing surface. Carl Graham Fisher ( January 12, 1874 – July 15, 1939) was an American Entrepreneur. The creation of a 500 mile (805 km) race allowed the track to rapidly acquire a privileged status for automobile races. The first "500" was held at the Speedway on Memorial Day, May 30, 1911, with Ray Harroun piloting a Marmon "Wasp" — outfitted with his invention, the rear-view mirror — to victory. The 1911 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, or International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race, the first recorded Automobile race of such Memorial Day is a United States Federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (on May in) Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Ray Harroun ( January 12, 1879 - January 19, 1968) was an American racecar driver Marmon was an Automobile Brand name manufactured by Nordyke Marmon & Company of Indianapolis Indiana, USA, from 1902 through 80,200 spectators paid $1 admission, and an annual tradition had been established. Many considered Harroun to be a hazard during the race, as he was the only driver in the race driving without a riding mechanic, who checked the oil pressure and let the driver know when traffic was coming.
Although the first race was won by an American driver at the wheel of an American car, European makers such as the Italian Fiat or French Peugeot companies soon developed their own vehicles to try to win the event, which they did from 1913 to 1919. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Fiat SpA (an Acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Automobile Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. For the article about the bicycle manufacturer see Cycles Peugeot. However, after World War I, the native drivers and manufacturers regained their dominance of the race, with the engineer Harry Arminius Miller setting himself up as the most competitive of the post-war builders. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Harry Arminius Miller ( December 9, 1875 – May 3, 1943) was an influential and famous American Race car builder most His technical developments allowed him to be indirectly connected to a history of success that would last into the mid-1970s.
In the early 1920s, Miller built his own 3. 0 litre (183 in³) engine, inspired by the Peugeot Grand Prix engine which had been serviced in his shop by Fred Offenhauser in 1914, installing it in Jimmy Murphy's Duesenberg and allowing him to win the 1922 edition of the race. For the article about the bicycle manufacturer see Cycles Peugeot. Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894 Fred Offenhauser (1888-1973 was an automotive engineer and mechanic who designed the Offenhauser racing engine nicknamed the "Offy" which dominated competition James Anthony (Jimmy Murphy (1894–1924 was a race car driver who was the American Racing Champion in 1922 and 1924 Duesenberg was an Auburn Indiana based luxury Automobile company active in various forms from 1913 to 1937 and is most famous for their high-quality record-breaking Miller then created his own automobiles, which shared the 'Miller' designation, which, in turn, were powered by supercharged versions of his 2. 0 and 1. 5 liter (122 and 91 in³) engine single-seaters, winning four more races for the engine up to 1929 (two of them, 1926 and 1928, in Miller chassis). The engines then won another seven races until 1938 (again two of them, 1930 and 1932, in Miller-designated chassis), then ran at first with stock-type motors before later being adjusted to the international 3. 0 liter formula.
However, in 1935, Miller's former employees, Fred Offenhauser and Leo Goosen, had already achieved their first win with the soon-to-become famous 4-cylinder Offenhauser or "Offy" engine. Offenhauser was a racing engine manufacturer that operated from 1933 to 1983 This motor was forever connected with the Brickyard's history with a to-date record total of 27 wins, in both naturally-aspirated and supercharged form, and winning a likewise record-holding 18 consecutive years between 1947 and 1964.
The race was originally advertised as the "International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race" from 1911-1916. However, from the start the race was known as the Indianapolis 500 or, more simply as the "500. "
In 1919, the race was referred to as the "Liberty Sweepstakes" following WWI. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All From 1920-1980, the race reverted to the "International Sweepstakes" name, or slight variations such as "International Sweepstakes Race, Distance 500 Miles. " Following WWII, the race was commonly recognized as "The 500", The 500-Mile Race," "Indianapolis 500," or "Indy 500," and usually the ordinal (e. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including In Set theory, an ordinal number, or just ordinal, is the Order type of a Well-ordered set. g. "50th") preceded it. Often the race was also advertised on the radio as the "Annual Memorial Day race," or similar variations.
For the 1981 race, the name "65th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race" was officially adopted, with all references as the "International Sweepstakes" dropped. The 65th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday May 24, 1981. Since 1981, the race has been advertised in this fashion, complete with a unique annual logo and the ordinal always included. Around that same time, in the wake of the 1979 race entry controversy, and the formation of CART, the race changed to an invitational event, rather than an Open, rendering the "sweepstakes" description invalid. Results of the 1979 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Sunday May 27, 1979. Champ Car, was the name for a class and specification of cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades primarily for use in the Indianapolis An Open in Sports Terminology refers to a Sporting event or Game Tournament that is open to all people regardless of their age ability
The Borg-Warner Trophy, introduced in 1936, proclaims the event as the "Indianapolis 500-Mile Race," with no reference at all to the name "International Sweepstakes. The Borg-Warner Trophy, named for United States automotive supplier BorgWarner, is symbolic of victory in the Indianapolis 500 automobile race "
In the meantime, European manufacturers, gone from the Indianapolis 500 for nearly two decades, made a brief return just before World War II, with the competitive Maserati 8CM allowing Wilbur Shaw to become the first driver to win consecutively at Indianapolis in 1941. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Maserati is an Italian manufacturer of racing cars and Sports cars established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. Warren Wilbur Shaw ( October 31, 1902 - October 30, 1954) was a noted American Racing driver and president of the Indianapolis With the 500 having been a part of the World Drivers' Championship between 1950 and 1960, Ferrari made a discreet appearance at the 1952 event with Alberto Ascari, but European entries were few and far between during those days. The Formula One World Drivers' Championship (WDC is awarded by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ( FIA) to the most successful Formula One Ferrari SpA is an Italian Sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy Alberto Ascari ( July 13, 1918 &ndash May 26, 1955) was an Italian Racing driver and twice Formula One
In fact, it was not until the Indianapolis 500 was removed from the Formula One calendar European entries made their return, with Australian Jack Brabham driving his slightly modified F1 Cooper in the 1961 race. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Sir John Arthur "Jack" Brabham, AO, OBE (born April 2 1926) is an Australian former racing driver who was Formula One The Cooper Car Company was founded in 1946 by Charles Cooper and his son John Cooper. In 1963, technical innovator Colin Chapman brought his Team Lotus to Indianapolis for the first time, attracted by the large monetary prizes, far bigger than the usual at a European event. Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman ( 19 May 1928 - 16 December 1982) was an influential British designer inventor and builder in the automotive 1950s Colin Chapman established Lotus Engineering Ltd in 1952 at Hornsey, UK. Racing a mid-engined car, Scotsman Jim Clark was second in his first attempt in 1963, dominating in 1964 until suffering suspension failure on lap 47, and completely dominating the race in 1965, a victory which also interrupted the success of the Offy, and offering the 4. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Jim (or Jimmy) Clark OBE ( 4 March, 1936 &ndash 7 April, 1968) was a Scottish Formula One 2 litre Ford V8 its first success at the race. Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following The following year, 1966, saw another British win, this time Graham Hill in a Lola-Cosworth. Norman Graham Hill ( February 15, 1929 – November 29, 1975) was a British racing driver and two-time Formula One World Lola Racing Cars (also Lola Cars International) is a Racing car Engineering company founded in 1961 by Eric Broadley and based in Huntingdon Cosworth is an Automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958 specialising in engines for automobile racing (motorsport
Offenhauser too would join forces with a European maker, McLaren, obtaining three wins for the chassis, one with the Penske team in 1972 with driver Mark Donohue, and two for the McLaren works team in 1974 and 1976 with Johnny Rutherford. McLaren, founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren (1937&ndash1970 is a Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, UK Roger Penske (born February 20, 1937 in Shaker Heights Ohio) is the owner of the automobile racing team Penske Racing, the Penske Mark Neary Donohue Jr ( March 18, 1937 - August 19, 1975) was an American Racecar driver known for his ability to set This was also the last time the Offy would win a race, its competitiveness steadily decreasing until its final appearance in 1983. American drivers kept on filling the majority of entries at the Brickyard for the following years, but European technology had taken over. Starting in 1978, most chassis and engines were European, with the only American-based chassis to win during the CART era being the Wildcat and Galmer (which was actually built in Bicester, England) in 1982 and 1992 respectively. Galmer was an American racecar manufacturer that built cars used from 1992 through 1993 in CART competition and the Indianapolis 500. Bicester ( IPA /ˈbɪstɚ/ is a town in the Cherwell district of north-eastern Oxfordshire in England. Ford and Chevrolet engines were built in the UK by Cosworth and Ilmor, respectively. Chevrolet (ˌʃɛvroʊˈleɪ - French origin (also known as Chevy) is a Brand of Automobile, produced by General Motors (GM Ilmor, founded by Mario Illien and Paul Morgan in 1984 is a British independent high-performance autosport engineering company
After foreign cars became the norm, foreign drivers started showing up at the Indianapolis 500 on a regular basis, choosing the United States as their primary base for their motor racing activities. Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi, Italian Teo Fabi and Colombian Roberto Guerrero, were able to obtain good outings in the 80s. Emerson Fittipaldi (born December 12, 1946 in São Paulo, Brazil) is a highly successful Brazilian automobile racing driver winning world championships Teodorico Fabi (born March 9, 1955) better known as Teo Fabi, is an Italian former Racing driver. Roberto José Guerrero Isaza (born November 16, 1958, in Medellín) is a former Racing driver from Colombia. However, it wasn't until 1993 that reigning Formula One World Champion Nigel Mansell shocked the racing world by moving to the United States, winning the CART PPG IndyCar World Series Championship and only losing the 500 in his rookie year because of inexperience with green-flag restarts. Biography Mansell was born in Upton-upon-Severn, a small Town in the English county of Worcestershire. Champ Car, was the name for a class and specification of cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades primarily for use in the Indianapolis PPG Industries ( is an American manufacturer of Glass and Chemical products including automotive safety glass Champ Car, was the name for a class and specification of cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades primarily for use in the Indianapolis Foreign-born or, at least, -bred drivers became a regular fixture of Indianapolis in the years to follow.
At the end of the 1995 season, the Indianapolis 500 was transferred to its fourth regulations ruling body since its inception. From 1911–1955, the race was organized under the auspices of the AAA. The AAA (usually read triple-A) formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is an American not-for-profit Automobile Following the 1955 Le Mans disaster, AAA ceased its auto racing division to concentrate on its membership program aimed at the general motoring public. The 1955 Le Mans disaster occurred during the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans when a racing car involved in an accident flew into the crowd killing the driver ( Pierre Levegh IMS owner Tony Hulman founded the United States Automobile Club (USAC) in 1956, which took over sanctioning of the race. Anton "Tony" Hulman Jr ( February 11 1901 - October 27 1977) was a businessman from Terre Haute Indiana and graduated The United States Automobile Club (USAC is an Open-wheel Auto racing sanctioning body
From 1950–1960, the Indianapolis 500 also counted toward the World Driving Championship (now synonymous with Formula 1), although most of the racers did not compete in the other races in the Championship.
Due to control issues of monetary prizes and regulation amendments in the 1970s, along with the death of Tony Hulman in 1977, and the loss of several key USAC officials in a 1978 plane crash, several key team owners banded together and formed Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), which started organizing the Indycar World Series in 1978. An aviation accident is defined in the International Civil Aviation Organization Annex 13 Champ Car, was the name for a class and specification of cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades primarily for use in the Indianapolis However, the Indianapolis 500 remained with USAC for the next several years and became the only high-level race the body still sanctioned after its own series was discontinued after 1979. The race was temporarily removed from the CART calendar, although the same cars and drivers were in attendance. The stand-off was eventually resolved and the race became part of the CART calendar in 1983, though race sanctioning remained in the hands of USAC. Although the race only awarded the same points as any of the other races it was by far the highest-profile event of the CART season, with the largest purse of the year.
Despite the CART/USAC divide, from 1983 to 1994 the race was run in relative harmony, with CART and USAC occasionally disagreeing over the technical regulations.
However, in 1994, IMS owner Tony George (Tony Hulman's grandson) announced that he planned to diminish influence from CART and make it the centerpiece of a new series, to be called the Indy Racing League (IRL). Anton Hulman "Tony" George (born December 30 1959) is the owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Indy Racing League, better known as IRL, is the sanctioning body of a predominantly American based Open-wheel racing series. Opinions varied on his motivations, with his supporters sharing his disapproval of Indy's lack of status within CART when it was obvious that it was the series' flagship, the increasing number of foreign drivers as American drivers instead gravitated towards NASCAR, and the decreasing number of oval-track races in the series. Detractors accused George of throwing his weight around and playing politics with the race and its heritage just for a power play furthering his own interests at the expense of the sport overall. Some mention was made of the fact that the race purse had not gone up in a long time.
In its first season in 1996, the IRL attracted mainly little known and inexperienced drivers, smaller teams and older cars. Because of this and other reasons, NASCAR's Daytona 500 has surpassed IRL's Indianapolis 500 in U. The Daytona 500 is a 200-lap long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach Florida. S. television ratings.
George announced that 25 of the 33 starting positions at the 1996 Indianapolis 500 would be reserved for the top 25 cars in the IRL points standings, effectively leaving only eight entries for teams who had not competed in the first two IRL races. Results of the 1996 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Sunday May 26, 1996. (This rule would be similar to NASCAR's exemption rules established in 2005. ) CART's reaction to this move was to announce a competing race, the U.S. 500, to run on the same day as Indianapolis. The US 500 was an automobile race sanctioned by CART on May 26, 1996 at the Michigan International Speedway as an alternative to the Relative unknown American Buddy Lazier, a driver who had however qualified for three previous 500's (1991, 1992, 1995), won a competitive but crash-filled race. Robert Buddy Lazier (born October 31, 1967 in Vail Colorado) is an American open-wheel Racecar driver Results of the 1991 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Sunday May 26, 1991. The 1992 Indianapolis 500 was held at Indianapolis on Sunday May 24, 1992. Results of the 1995 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Sunday May 28, 1995. The CART race had to be delayed when the front-row drivers collided at the start and triggered a massive pile-up. The U. S. 500 never generated much in the way of fan interest or television ratings associated with a major event. For 1997, it was moved from being directly opposite the Indianapolis 500 to July, and canceled altogether in 1999.
Since the IRL had decided that its crown jewel should be the climactic last race of the season, similar to the USAC Marlboro Championship Trail before the 1978 dispute, the 1996 IRL season consisted of only three races: the Indy 200 at Walt Disney World in January, Phoenix in March, and the Indianapolis 500 in May. The first season of Indy Racing League competition consisted of only three races Walt Disney World Speedway is a racing facility located on the grounds of the Walt Disney World resort near Orlando Florida. Phoenix International Raceway, or just PIR, is a one mile Tri-oval race track located in Avondale Arizona. The next race, at New Hampshire in August, began the 1996-97 season. New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a oval speedway located in Loudon New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s as The 1996-1997 Indy Racing League season was a result of the league abandoning the concept of ending each season with the Indianapolis 500 However, this caused confusion for fans used to the traditional calendar-year based schedule used by almost all motorsports organizations. It also did not meet the needs of corporate sponsors, whose budget sheets ran on the fiscal year. Therefore, in September 1996, the IRL announced its season would revert to a calendar-year based schedule. Since the second season had already commenced, the two races held in late 1996 (New Hampshire and Las Vegas were included in a 17-month schedule. New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a oval speedway located in Loudon New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s as Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada, just outside Las Vegas, is a 1200 acre (4 combined with all events held in 1997. This marathon season coming right after the three-race 1996 season did not help the league's image. By 1998, the IRL schedule fell into sync with the rest of the motorsports world.
In 1997, George made his next move and specified new technical rules for less expensive cars and "production based" engines that outlawed the CART-spec cars that had been the mainstay of the race since the late 1970s. For the next few years almost all of the CART teams and drivers did not compete in the race. While this situation allowed many American drivers to participate in an event they might otherwise have been unable to afford, the turbulent political situation and the absence of many of the top IndyCar drivers, the big-name sponsors and faster CART-spec cars cast something of a shadow over the race. It was certainly arguable that to the average fan, the replacement of at least fairly-well-known foreign drivers by almost-unknown American ones was not a real gain.
In 2000, Target Chip Ganassi Racing, while still racing in the CART Series, made the decision to return to Indianapolis with his drivers, 1996 CART Series Champion Jimmy Vasser, and 1999 CART Series Champion Juan Pablo Montoya. Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates is an automotive racing organization with teams competing in NASCAR, IRL, and Grand-Am racing Jimmy Vasser (born November 20 1965 in Canoga Park, California) is an American racing driver and current race team owner Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán (born September 20, 1975, in Bogotá, Colombia) is a Race car driver in NASCAR for Chip On race day Montoya put on a dominating performance, leading 167 of the 200 laps to win. The defeat was somewhat humiliating for the IRL teams, with Target Chip Ganassi Racing's advantage primarily being pit stops that were frequently several seconds quicker than their main rivals. A year later, Roger Penske, historically CART and Indianapolis' most successful team owner, also came back to Indianapolis and won. Roger Penske (born February 20, 1937 in Shaker Heights Ohio) is the owner of the automobile racing team Penske Racing, the Penske In 2002, Penske and Ganassi became permanent entrants in the IRL, with many other former CART teams joining them in switching sides. In 2003 Honda and Toyota switched their engine supply from CART to the IRL Indycar Series. () is a Multinational corporation, engine Manufacturer and engineering corporation headquartered in Japan. (pronounced) is a Multinational corporation headquartered in Japan, and is currently the world's largest Automaker. CART went bankrupt later in the year, with its rights and infrastructure purchased by remaining car owners.
The Champ Car World Series continued to operate as a separate series and by 2007 had eliminated all oval races from its schedule. Champ Car, was the name for a class and specification of cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades primarily for use in the Indianapolis Prior to the 2008 season, a deal was brokered to reunite Champ Car World Series and the IndyCar Series, bringing an end to the 12 year long split. The 2008 Indianapolis 500 will see all major American open wheel racing teams attempt to qualify. The 92nd Indianapolis 500-Mile Race was run on Sunday May 25, 2008 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway Indiana, USA.
Between 1994 and 2005, several NASCAR drivers were able to compete in both the 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina, which is held the evening of the Sunday before Memorial Day, usually just after the conclusion of the 500. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of Stock cars in the United States. The Coca-Cola 600 (formerly the World 600) and also known as the "Coke 600" is a in length Stock car race held annually at Lowe's Motor Speedway Lowe's Motor Speedway (formerly Charlotte Motor Speedway) is a speedway in Concord North Carolina, north of Charlotte. North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States In order to make it on time, drivers usually caught a helicopter directly from the Speedway to take them to the Indianapolis International Airport, flew into Concord Regional Airport, and even then barely made it in time to race. Indianapolis International Airport is a public Airport located seven miles (11 km) southwest of the Central business district of Indianapolis Concord Regional Airport is a public Airport located seven miles (11 km) west of the Central business district (CBD of Concord, a city Notable drivers include Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon, and John Andretti who all started their careers in Indy Cars. Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971 in Columbus Indiana) is an American race car driver/car owner/entrepreneur in NASCAR 's Robert W Gordon (born in Bellflower California, on January 2, 1969) is an American Racing driver who currently competes in the NASCAR John Andretti (born March 12, 1963 in Bethlehem Pennsylvania) is an American race car driver Stewart "did the double" in 1999 and 2001, but contract limits restricted him from doing so in 2004. Gordon has done it the most number of times; in 2004 the rain caused him to have to hand over driving duties to fellow driver Jaques Lazier, the first occasion for a relief driver at Indianapolis since 1978. Jaques Lazier is an Indy Racing League driver born January 25, 1971 in Denver Colorado and is the younger brother of 1996 Indianapolis In 1999 Gordon missed the start of the Coca-Cola 600, which started pace laps when the Indianapolis 500 finished. Gordon, who was his own team owner, placed P. J. Jones, an Indianapolis 500 veteran, in his NASCAR car while Gordon finished (and on a fuel-conservation strategy, came within two laps of winning) the Indianapolis 500. P J Jones (born April 23, 1969 in Torrance California) is a racing car driver Jones received the driver's points but the owner's points were not affected.
Tony Stewart is the only driver to complete the full race distance (1100 miles {1770 km}) in both races on the same day.
For 2005, the start of Indianapolis was pushed back one hour from noon to 1 p. m. Eastern Daylight Time to improve national television air-time. The Eastern Time Zone ( ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of North America and the west coast of South America This makes it virtually impossible for NASCAR drivers to be able to compete at Indy and Lowe's on the same day; that decision made the starting times of the races (1 p. m. and 5:30 p. m. , respectively) too close for drivers to compete in both races on the same day in the foreseeable future. However, in 2006, Casey Mears, nephew of four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears, said that car owner Chip Ganassi--who also presently runs a two-car IRL operation--was open to entering Mears if he won the 2006 Daytona 500 [2]; he eventually finished 2nd. Casey James Mears (born March 12 1978 in Bakersfield California) is the driver of the #5 Kellogg's / CARQUEST Chevrolet Impala SS in the The Daytona 500 is a 200-lap long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach Florida.
Two winners of the Indianapolis 500 have also won NASCAR's premiere event, the Daytona 500: the first being Mario Andretti in 1967, two years before triumphing at Indianapolis, and A.J. Foyt becoming the second to do so in 1972, five years after his third 500 victory in 1967. The Daytona 500 is a 200-lap long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach Florida. Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an Italian American former racecar driver and one of the most successful Americans in the Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr (born January 16, 1935, in Houston, Texas) is a retired American Automobile racing driver Foyt is also the only driver to date to win the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (also in 1967). The 24 Hours of Le Mans ( 24 Heures du Mans) is a sports car endurance race held annually since near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe,
Technical specifications for the Indianapolis 500 are currently specified by the Indy Racing League. Rules are the same as every other IRL IndyCar race except for special low-drag adjustable "Speedway" wings that are only used for the Indy 500. In the past, especially during the years when USAC sanctioned the race but CART was the dominant sanctioning body, rules between the race and the sanctioning body differed at times, resulting in chassis and engines being legal for Indy, yet not being legal for other events that season. The most famous manifestation of that disparity was the Ilmor-built Mercedes-Benz 500I engine fielded by Roger Penske in 1994. Ilmor, founded by Mario Illien and Paul Morgan in 1984 is a British independent high-performance autosport engineering company Ilmor, founded by Mario Illien and Paul Morgan in 1984 is a British independent high-performance autosport engineering company Roger Penske (born February 20, 1937 in Shaker Heights Ohio) is the owner of the automobile racing team Penske Racing, the Penske Results of the 1994 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Sunday May 29, 1994.
Teams may enter up to two cars on a given car number. The second "backup" car is given that number followed by a "T". For example the two cars for the #2 team would be numbered #2 and #2T. Both cars may be practiced during the month, or even simultaneously. Additionally, as the month wears on a "T car" may be split off into its own entry with another number or sold to another team who may have lost its primary car and does not have a backup.
All cars must pass a rigorous technical inspection before receiving a sticker signifying that the car is eligible to practice. Prior to and following qualification attempts, cars must pass another inspection. The first inspection is focused on safety aspects while the second is largely to detect deviations from the performance guidelines set forth by the league.
Throughout the years the race has used a number of qualifying procedures. In the first few races every entrant who posted the entry fee and attained a minimum qualifying speed was given a spot in the field and entries started in the order that their applications were received or a random draw. [3] Speed-based qualifying began in 1915 and the field was capped at 33 entries where it has stood ever since. The current four-lap qualifying distance was introduced in 1920. [3] For most of the post war era each car, regardless of driver, was allotted three qualifying attempts to make the field of 33. Drivers on lined up in order of the day they qualified and within that day they were ranked in order of speed. Once the field was full, the slowest car, regardless of the day it qualified, was bumped from the field if another driver drove faster. Qualifying attempts were set at the average speed of four laps around the speedway, totaling 10 miles, a rule that has stood since 1939. [3] Cars qualify one at a time. Once the four laps were completed the attempt was official; that car could not qualify again for that race, even if it was bumped from the field or if its four lap average was not adequate to bump into the field. However, the driver could attempt to qualify his "T car" or another entry. In order to use additional qualifying attempts, the car would have to "wave off" its attempt prior to taking the checkered flag at the end of the fourth lap by either the team owner waving a yellow flag from his vantage point at the beginning of the front stretch or by the driver pulling into pit lane. In addition, a driver wishing to better his time must withdraw his earlier qualifying time prior to beginning his new attempt, meaning that if he drives slower then the slower time stands and if he is unable to complete his attempt, he will no longer have a spot in the field.
In 2005, the speedway changed its qualifying rules in order to increase fan interest, especially in the second and third days of the four days of qualifying. Under the current rules, each car is allowed 3 attempts each day and cars are now allowed to be qualified again, even after completing an attempt if they are bumped or their time is withdrawn. The most significant change is limiting the number spots in the field available each day. On the first day, starting positions 1 through 11 are available, on the second day - 12 through 22, on day 3 - 23 through 33, and on day four the slowest driver regardless of day is bumped once the field is full. On days one through three, only the slowest driver on that day can be bumped from the field. For example if the field stood at 22 on day two, but the slowest driver qualified on day 1 in the 11th position, the driver sitting in the 22nd position would be bumped if he was surpassed in speed, not the driver sitting 11th. However, if the 11th place driver was still slowest on fourth day and the field was full, he would then be on the bubble. If spots are not filled on a given day, they carry over to the next day. For example, if at the end of the second day only 20 cars had registered qualifying times, positions 21 through 33 would be available on day 3. Qualifiers still start in the order of the day they qualified and then by speed, meaning that all day four qualifiers still start after the day 3 qualifiers. [3]
On a given day of qualifying, the track is open for qualifications from 12 noon to 6 PM local time. The Eastern Time Zone ( ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of North America and the west coast of South America Prior to the day's activities, numbers are drawn for each entry that determine the order that the cars will be eligible to attempt to qualify starting at noon of that day. If any attempts are allowed that day, every entry that draws a number will be guaranteed at least one attempt to qualify that day, even if the attempt actually occurs on another day, they will be treated as a qualifier for the day they drew for. For example, if forty cars draw numbers for pole day, but rain starts after only 10 cars have made attempts and qualifications do not resume, the remaining entries will be allowed to make one attempt to qualify at the beginning of the session on Sunday and be treated as first day qualifiers. Once the list of drawn numbers has been exhausted by every entry either making an attempt or forgoing their opportunity, the track is open to all qualifiers to present their car to make an attempt. If there are no cars in line to make an attempt, the track is opened for practice. A car must only take to the track prior to the 6 PM gun in order for its attempt to count, meaning the driver may actually take the green or checkered flag after 6 PM.
Rain can and often does interfere with the track's practice and qualifying schedule and decisions made in the interest of safety and fair competition may differ from year to year based on different situations. Speedway COO Joie Chitwood III and IRL COO Brian Barnhart are ultimately charged with such decisions. Brian Barnhart is the Chief Operating Officer of the Indy Racing League.
Due to the longevity of the Indianapolis 500, a number of traditions have developed over the years. For many fans, these traditions are almost as important as the race itself, and they have often reacted quite negatively when the traditions are changed or broken.
Many people promote and share information about the Indy 500 and its memorabilia collecting. [10] The National Indy 500 Collectors Club is an independent active organization that has been dedicated to support such activities. The organization was established January 1, 1985 in Indianapolis by its founder John Blazier and includes an experienced membership available for discussion and advice on Indy 500 memorabilia trading and Indy 500 questions in general. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar)
The Indianapolis 500 has been the subject of several films, and has experienced countless references in television, movies, and other media.
Indianapolis 500 Legends, a Wii and DS game based on the race was released on December 18, 2007[11]
See main article: Indianapolis 500 in film and media
Indy: The Race and Ritual of the Indianapolis 500, Second Edition, Terry Reed, 2005
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