Indianapolis 500 Historical Stats

Indianapolis 500 Qualifying Records
Open
Fastest & Slowest Qualifiers
Year Fastest Qualifier Speed Slowest Qualifier Speed Field Avg.
1911 Positions assigned by date of entry; Minimum qualifying speed of 75 mph for .25 mile
1912 David Bruce-Brown* 88.45 Harry Knight 75.92 81.76
1913 Jack Tower* 88.23 Theodore Pilette 75.52 81.52
1914 Georges Boillot* 99.86 Ray Gilhooly 84.2 90.12
1915 Howard Wilcox 98.9 Willie Haupt 80.36 88.39
1916 John Aitken 96.69 Tom Alley 82.04 89.77
1919 Rene Thomas 104.78 J.J. McCoy 86.5 92.85
1920 Ralph DePalma 99.15 Jean Porporato 79.98 89.4
1921 Ralph DePalma 100.75 Tom Alley 80.5 91.19
1922 Jimmy Murphy 100.5 Howdy Wilcox 81.6 93.78
1923 Tommy Milton 108.17 Howdy Wilcox 81 94.64
1924 Jimmy Murphy 108.037 Fred Harder 82.77 97.922
1925 Leon Duray 113.196 M.C. Jones 88.478 104.488
1926 Earl Cooper 111.735 Jack McCarver 86.418 100.196
1927 Frank Lockhart 120.1 Al Melcher 102.918 110.183
1928 Leon Duray 122.391 Henry Kohlert 93.545 109.841
1929 Cliff Woodbury 120.599 Bill Lindau 102.509 110.954
1930 Billy Arnold 113.268 Harry Butcher 87.003 98.989
1931 Billy Arnold* 116.08 Dave Evans 96.871 106.673
1932 Lou Moore 117.363 Kelly Petillo 104.645 111.269
1933 Bill Cummings 118.53 Gene Haustein 107.603 112.426
1934 Kelly Petillo 119.329 Dave Evans 102.414 112.645
1935 Rex Mays 120.736 Bob Sall 110.519 114.896
1936 Rex Mays 119.644 Louis Tomei 111.078 116.685
1937 Jimmy Snyder* 125.287 Deacon Litz 116.372 119.288
1938 Ronney Householder*  125.769 Duke Nalon 113.828 120.032
1939 Jimmy Snyder 130.138 Billy DeVore 116.527 123.567
1940 Rex Mays 127.85 Rene LeBegue 118.981 122.853
1941 Mauri Rose 128.691 Overton Phillips 116.298 122.739
1946 Ralph Hepburn* 133.944 Al Putnam 116.283 122.328
1947 Bill Holland* 128.755 Cy Marshall 115.644 121.039
1948 Duke Nalon* 131.603 Johnny Mauro 121.79 125.505
1949 Duke Nalon 132.939 Manuel Ayulo 125.799 128.036
1950 Walt Faulkner 134.343 Jimmy Jackson 129.208 131.033
1951 Walt Faulkner* 136.872 Bill Mackey 131.473 133.556
1952 Chet Miller* 139.034 Jim Rigsby 133.904 135.504
1953 Bill Vukovich 138.392 Johnny Thomson 135.262 136.429
1954 Jack McGrath 141.033 Frank Armi 137.673 138.632
1955 Jack McGrath* 142.58 Johnny Thomson 134.113 138.796
1956 Pat Flaherty 145.596 Duke Dinsmore 138.43 142.507
1957 Paul Russo* 144.817 Don Freeland 139.649 141.444
1958 Dick Rathmann 145.974 Bob Christie 142.253 143.445
1959 Johnny Thomson 145.908 Jim McWithey 141.215 143.004
1960 Jim Hurtubise* 149.056 Jim McWithey 140.378 144.07
1961 Eddie Sachs 147.481 Bobby Grim 144.029 145.302
1962 Parnelli Jones 150.37 Elmer George 146.092 147.33
1963 Parnelli Jones 151.153 Dempsey Wilson 147.832 149.028
1964 Jim Clark 158.828 Bill Cheesbourg 148.711 152.54
1965 A.J. Foyt 161.233 Bill Cheesbourg 153.774 156.058
1966 Mario Andretti 165.899 Bobby Grim 158.367 160.251
1967 Mario Andretti 168.982 Larry Dickson 162.543 164.173
1968 Joe Leonard 171.559 Larry Dickson 161.124 164.958
1969 A.J. Foyt 170.568 Peter Revson 160.851 166.295
1970 Al Unser 170.221 Sam Sessions 165.373 167.139
1971 Peter Revson 178.696 Bob Harkey 169.197 171.665
1972 Bobby Unser 195.94 Cale Yarborough 178.864 183.655
1973 Johnny Rutherford 198.413 Jim McElreath 188.64 192.329
1974 A.J. Foyt 191.632 Larry Cannon 173.963 182.787
1975 A.J. Foyt 193.976 Mike Hiss 181.754 185.057
1976 Mario Andretti* 189.404 Sheldon Kinser 181.114 183.785
1977 Tom Sneva 198.884 Steve Krisiloff 184.691 189.488
1978 Tom Sneva 202.156 Jerry Sneva 187.266 192.584
1979 Rick Mears 193.736 Roger McCluskey 183.908 186.737
1980 Johnny Rutherford 192.256 Gary Bettenhausen 182.463 185.57
1981 Tom Sneva* 200.691 Jerry Karl 186.008 191.244
1982 Rick Mears 207.004 Roger Mears 194.154 197.74
1983 Teo Fabi 207.395 Chet Fillip 183.146 198.406
1984 Tom Sneva 210.029 Chris Kneifel 199.831 203.686
1985 Pancho Carter 212.583 Tony Bettenhausen 204.824 208.138
1986 Rick Mears 216.828 Dick Simon 204.978 210.358
1987 Mario Andretti 215.39 Steve Chassey 202.488 207.194
1988 Rick Mears 219.198 Howdy Holmes 206.97 210.188
1989 Rick Mears 223.885 Bernard Jourdain 213.105 216.588
1990 Emerson Fittipaldi 225.301 Rocky Moran 211.076 217.437
1991 Gary Bettenhausen* 224.468 Gordon Johncock 213.812 218.59
1992 Roberto Guerrero 232.482 Ted Prappas 219.173 223.479
1993 Arie Luyendyk 223.967 Kevin Cogan 217.23 219.692
1994 Al Unser Jr. 228.011 Bryan Herta 220.992 223.27
1995 Scott Brayton 231.604 Eliseo Salazar 225.023 226.912
1996 Arie Luyendyk* 236.986 Scott Harrington 222.185 227.807
1997 Arie Luyendyk 218.263 Fermin Velez 206.512 212.286
1998 Billy Boat 223.503 Johnny Unser 216.316 218.305
1999 Arie Luyendyk 225.179 Wim Eyckmans 220.092 221.558
2000 Greg Ray 223.471 Andy Hillenberg 218.285 220.805
2001 Scott Sharp 226.037 Billy Boat 221.528 223.303
2002 Bruno Junqueira 231.342 Billy Boat 226.589 228.648
2003 Helio Castroneves 231.725 Airton Dare 223.609 223.609
2004 Buddy Rice 222.024 Robby McGehee 211.631 217.821
2005 Kenny Brack* 227.598 Felipe Giaffone 217.645 223.895
2006 Sam Hornish Jr. 228.985 Thiago Medeiros 215.729 222.688
2007 Helio Castroneves 225.817 Marty Roth 218.922 222.505
2008 Scott Dixon 226.366 Marty Roth 218.965 222.302
2009 Helio Castroneves 224.864 Ryan Hunter-Reay 220.597 222.48
2010 Helio Castroneves 227.97 Sebastian Saavedra 223.634 224.974
2011 Alex Tagliani 227.492 Ana Beatriz 223.879 225.273
2012 Ryan Briscoe 226.484 Jean Alesi 210.094 222.835
2013 Ed Carpenter 228.762 Katherine Legge 223.176 226.176
2014 Ed Carpenter 231.067 Buddy Lazier 227.920 229.698**
2015 Scott Dixon 226.760 James Davison 221.358 224.290
2016 James Hinchcliffe 230.760 Buddy Lazier 222.154 227.968
2017 Scott Dixon 232.164 Zach Veach 221.081 228.400
2018 Ed Carpenter 229.618 Conor Daly 224.426 226.685
2019 Simon Pagenaud 229.992 Pippa Mann 227.244 228.240

Legend:
* - Fastest qualifier was not the pole winner
** - Fastest field in history

Back to Top
2021 Indy 500 Tickets Media & News! Get the Gear!
Reserve one of our hospitality suites for your next event!
To start planning your event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway please fill out our Information Request Form or contact IMS Sales Department at (317) 492-8739 or email at hospitalitysales@brickyard.com.
Latest Tweets
It's Pole day on @CrownRoyal Armed Forces Weekend & we can't wait to see you! Check out details on the day: https://t.co/yKQ6Db3YRK
May 21
Indy 500 Merchandise