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A.J. Foyt
Perhaps no driver is more closely associated with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
than Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. In an IMS career spanning more than half a century,
Foyt was the ‘500’s’ first four-time winning driver, and he added
a fifth Indy victory as a car owner...
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Airton Dare
Airton Dare became one of the Brazilians that migrated to Indianapolis in the past
decade. “My first year was a really good race,” he said. “I was
21st, I think. But it was a really good experience for me.We struggled all month,
and a guy from (Chip) Ganassi gave us a motor to use...
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Al Unser
If the Unsers have often been called “Indy’s First Family,” then
Al Unser is the leader, with four of the Albuquerque-based clan’s nine Indianapolis
500 victories. Al, frequently called the ‘quiet’ Unser in comparison
to his older brother Bobby, dominated the 1970s...
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Al Unser Jr.
The Unsers are the most successful family in the history of the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway, with a total of nine victories in the Indianapolis 500. The most recent
two fell to Al Unser Jr. , the son of four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser,
making the Unsers the only family to...
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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...
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Billy Arnold
Many auto racing stars from the pre-World War II era often don’t get the recognition
they deserve, and Billy Arnold is a classic example. Arnold was the undisputed man
to beat at Indianapolis from 1930-32 and one can only speculate what he would have
achieved had he not retired...
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Bobby Allison
Throughout his career, Bobby Allison has always been known as a “racer’s
racer.” Even at the height of his stardom as a NASCAR stock car driver, Allison
still competed at the local short tracks throughout the United States so that he
kept in touch with “his people”...
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Bobby Rahal
Bobby Rahal personified Indy car racing’s shift from its oval racing roots
to more of a technology-driven form of racing dominated by road racers. Rahal’s
father, Mike, was a successful amateur sports car racer, and Bobby made his debut
at age 17 in 1970 driving Mike’s Elva-Porsche...
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Bobby Unser
Bobby Unser is without question one of the most colorful characters in the history
of the Indianapolis 500. He’s also one of the most successful drivers, with
three victories (1968, ’75 and ‘81’) in a long and successful
career...
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Cale Yarborough
He was a halfback in high school, played four years of semi-pro football and was
offered a tryout with the Washington Redskins. But he turned to auto racing and
claimed three NASCAR Winston Cup championships. When a factory glitch occurred in
NASCAR, he came north to participate in four..
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Danny Sullivan
Danny Sullivan parlayed one of the most famous moments in Indianapolis 500 history
into a glamorous, Hollywood lifestyle. His popularity helped fuel one of the greatest
periods of growth in the century-long history of Indy car racing...
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Dario Franchitti
Dario Franchitti was an established star in the CART-sanctioned Indy car series
long before he made his first Indianapolis 500 start in 2002. The native of Edinburgh,
Scotland now boasts two Indy victories in eight attempts at IMS and is a perennial
favorite to win the ‘500...
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Donnie Allison
When it comes to trivia bench racing, save this one until the rent money is on the
table.
Question: Before Nigel Mansell in 1993, who was the last rookie to complete 500
miles in the Indianapolis 500...
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E.G. "Cannonball" Baker
There exists a group of drivers that are known not only for their IndyCar ventures
at IMS, but their races on two wheels as well. "Cannonball" Baker is one
of these...
Cannonball Baker
| Other Drivers
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Emerson Fittipaldi
Emerson Fittipaldi is one of the most infleuntial figures in increasing international
flavor of the Indianapolis 500. The charismatic Brazilian’s highly successful
“second career” as an Indy car racer blazed a trail to America for many
other South American and European drivers.
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Felipe Giaffone
The year was 2002, and the big issue was Helio Castroneves and Paul Tracy for the
Indianapolis 500 victory. But another driver could very well have won that race
except for circumstances. Castroneves won when Tracy was unable to appeal the disputed
decision, but Felipe Giaffone ran into a situation...
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Gordon Johncock
Gordon Johncock was part of the stellar rookie class that filled one-third of the
field for the 1965 Indianapolis 500. The Michigan native remained one of Indy car
racing’s top stars into the 1980s, winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1973 and
1982 as well as the 1976 USAC National Championship...
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Graham Hill
Graham Hill was a key member of a wave of international drivers who tested their
skill at the Indianapolis 500 in the 1960s. He holds the unique distinction of being
the only driver who has won the Indianapolis 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the
Formula 1 world championship...
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Helio Castroneves
Helio Castroneves has parlayed his success in the Indianapolis 500 into mainstream
stardom in America. The native of Sao Paulo, Brazil was already a two-time Indianapolis
winner when he made a victorious appearance on ABC’s “Dancing with the
Stars” in 2008...
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Jacques Villeneuve
Two drivers named Jacques Villeneuve competed in the Indianapolis 500, both related
to legendary Formula 1 racer Gilles Villeneuve. Gilles’ brother Jacques made
one start in the ‘500,’ qualifying 15th and finishing 20th in 1986...
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Jim Clark
Many auto racing historians consider Jim Clark one of the greatest drivers of all
time. Clark won 25 of the 72 Formula 1 races he contested before he was killed at
age 32 during a Formula 2 race at Hockenheim, Germany...
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Jim Rathmann
Jim Rathman, who died in 2011 at the age of 83, could probably be considered Indy
car racing’s first superspeedway specialist. Two of Rathmann’s three
official Indy car race wins were at fearsomely fast ovals, topped by his victory
in the 1960 Indianapolis 500...
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Johnny Rutherford
Johnny Rutherford, dubbed ‘Lone Star JR’ dues to his Texas heritage,
is one of only nine men to have won the Indianapolis 500 three times or more...
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Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya raced only once in the Indianapolis 500, yet he has compiled
perhaps the most diverse overall career in the history of the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway...
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Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti is renowned as perhaps the most versatile racer of all
time and he was named “Driver of the Century” by the Associated Press
in 2000...
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Mark Donohue
Mark Donohue was the driving force behind Penske Racing in the 1960s and ‘70s.
He was one of the most analytical and engineering-focused drivers in history, and
it is interesting to speculate how he would have utilized the telemetry and computer
data available to today’s racers...
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Michael Andretti
A handful of drivers are synonymous with bad luck at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,
and Michael Andretti is certainly a preeminent member of that group. The second-generation
star led nine of his sixteen Indianapolis 500 starts for a total of 431 laps...
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Mike Hiss
Roger Penske has had the best of racing in his cars at Indianapolis — Emerson
Fittipaldi, Rick Mears, Helio Castroneves, Al Unser, Mark Donohue. Back in 1974,
his drivers were Mike Hiss and Gary Bettenhausen. And Hiss put the Penske entry
into its now-familiar spot on the front row...
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Parnelli Jones
Rufus “Parnelli” Jones’ career at the Indianapolis 500 lasted
from just 1961-67. But he is revered as one of the greatest racers in the history
of the Memorial Day classic. Jones moved to Torrance, California when he was a child
and adopted the moniker ‘Parnelli’ in an attempt to keep his racing
exploits a secret from his parents...
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Ray Harroun
More than anything else, Ray Harroun considered himself an engineer who claimed
that he raced only to observe his creations being tested in battle conditions. So
it’s no surprise that the man nicknamed “The Little Professor”
helped design and build the Marmon Wasp...
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Rick Mears
Rick Mears is the third and most recent member of the three-man club of four-time
Indianapolis 500 winners. With a record six Indy pole positions to his credit as
well, the Bakersfield, California native is undeniably one of the greatest drivers...
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Roberto Guerrero
He is a familiar name who made his mark at the Speedway but you wish it could’ve
been just a touch better. Roberto Guerrero was racing in Europe after leaving his
native Colombia when the Indy cars drew his attention. He was lightning fast...
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Roger Mears
As the eldest member and leader of the famed “Mears Gang,” Roger Mears
took a unique path to the Indianapolis 500. He actually followed his younger brother,
Rick, to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
In fact, Rick – who is 5 years younger than Roger — had already competed
in four Indy 500s...
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Scott Dixon
For a five year period that ended in 2006, Scott Dixon was the youngest-ever winner
of an Indy car race. The native of Auckland, New Zealand was just 20 years old when
he triumphed in a CART-sanctioned race...
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Stephan Gregoire
The year was 1993 and media people and fans swarmed around the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway to see Formula One champion Nigel Mansell in an Indy car. Virtually ignored
was a 24-year-old driver and girlfriend who were making their first visit to the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway...
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Tom Sneva
Tom Sneva holds the distinction of being the first man to circulate the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway at more than 200 miles per hour...
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Wilbur Shaw
Aside from being a three-time Indianapolis 500 winner (1937, ’39 and ’40),
Wilbur Shaw is one of the most important figures in the history of the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway...
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