Final practice, air demonstrations and music acts round out schedule Friday, May 24 at IMS. Read More>
Two departure times provide more flexibility for fans who want to commute to the track on their bike on Race Day. Read More>
This partnership represents the first time a major athlete's sponsorship has been decided by a vote using blockchain technology. Read More>
View images from the shortened first day of the Indianapolis 500 Open test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. View Photos>
View images from the once-in-a-lifetime Total Solar Eclipse event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. View Photos>
Josef Newgarden unveils the 2024 Indianapolis 500 Ticket View Photos>
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway prides itself on its fire rescue and medical response teams that arrive to the scene of an accident within seconds. But how do they get that good? On Behind the Bricks, IMS President Doug Boles takes you through the annual Motorsports Safety Training at IMS, which features specific training scenarios for INDYCAR, NASCAR, IMSA and more to make sure every driver at IMS is safe. Watch Video>
On this episode of Doug and Drivers, 2022 Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson sits down with Doug Boles to talk about the pain of coming so close to scoring back-to-back wins, how he wanted to compete on ovals after his Formula 1 career and the transition to Andretti Global. Watch Video>
Why does Scott McLaughlin move his hands around so much in the car? What "button" is he pushing? What's the pressure of the iconic Yellow Submarine like? We cover that and so much more with Scott McLaughlin on the latest Doug and Drivers. Watch Video>
March 29, 2018 | By Paul Kelly, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Check out the IMS YouTube page every Thursday through May for more videos going down "Memory Lane," showcasing historical moments from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The 1961 Indianapolis 500 served as a junction between two eras in the history of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” It was the last year of a distinctive look at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the start of an era of dominance by one of the greatest drivers in history. Young Texan A.J. Foyt started to make waves in USAC competition in 1957 before making his Indianapolis 500 debut with a 16th-place result as a 23-year-old in 1958. Foyt finished 10th in 1959 and 25th in 1960 but entered the 1961 race as a favorite after winning the 1960 USAC National Championship. Foyt qualified seventh in the No. 1 Bowes Seal Fast Trevis roadster powered by an Offenhauser engine but quickly climbed into contention for victory. He was one of seven drivers who swapped the lead 20 times, first taking the top spot on Lap 76. Pole sitter Eddie Sachs and Foyt traded the lead nine times in the last 105 laps in one of the most stirring duels for victory in “500” history. After the third and presumably final pit stop, Foyt began to pull away from an incredulous Sachs after the two had been evenly matched for most of the race. Unknown to either driver, Foyt’s refueling mechanism malfunctioned on the recent stop, and he received no fuel. Foyt’s car, not weighed down by a full fuel tank, gained speed and pulled away. With 16 laps remaining, Foyt had to pit for an emergency “splash and go” of fuel. Sachs inherited a 30-second lead, but his effort to catch the speedy Foyt wore his tires. Sachs was forced to pit with three laps remaining for a new right rear tire, and Foyt sped away for an 8.28-second victory. It was the first of three Indy 500 victories in the 1960s by Foyt, who also became the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 four times with his triumph in 1977. Foyt’s victory in 1961 also was the last in which the entire front straightaway was still paved with the original bricks laid on the 2.5-mile oval in 1909. In October 1961, the remaining bricks on the front straight were paved with asphalt, with only a 3-foot strip of bricks left exposed at the start-finish line, creating the famous “Yard of Bricks.”