List of Drivers Who Have Won the Indianapolis 500

NASCAR fans might throw the Daytona 500 at me, but I will easily argue that there is no bigger accomplishment in racing than winning the Indianapolis 500. This year’s edition marks the 101st running of the storied race which was first run back in 1911.

Two different stints during the world wars caused the race to halt briefly, but other than that, it has been the focal point of sporting events during the Memorial Day weekend. This year’s race is scheduled for Sunday, May 28th.

Below you will find a look at some of the all-time greats at the Indianapolis 500, as well as a table at the bottom that lists every champion, along with their average speeds and much more. Notice how drastically the speeds have changed throughout history.

All-Time Great Drivers (Champions) of the Indianapolis 500

Ray Harroun

We have to commemorate the very first winner of this race who used an invention which he came up with to win that very first race. We know that gizmo as the rear view mirror today. The first Indianapolis 500 was not without its controversy, however. Many think that a scorer’s error cheated Ralph Mulford out of the win.

Wilbur Shaw

Mr. Shaw won the Indy 500 three times in four years from 1937-1940. It was an even more special feat for him as he was a home state kid from Shelbyville, Indiana. The great Shaw is tragically remembered to have crashed to death, in an airplane, not a race car, in 1954 at the young age of 51.

A.J. Foyt.

1961 marked the first of A.J. Foyt’s four Indianapolis 500 wins. Al Unser Sr. and Rick Mears join Foyt as the only drivers to win four times. Foyt won the race three times in the 1960’s and then again in 1977. Foyt is also famous for winning the Dayton 500.

Rick Mears

Mears was the last man to win the Indianapolis 500 four times, three of those wins came in different decades.

Bobby Unser

He, his brother, and his nephew have all won this event. In fact, they have all won multiple times. Bobby won three of them. His first came in 1968 and his last in 1981 just to show the competition that the old man still had it.

Al Unser Sr.

Al Unser is famous for having won four times and for also becoming one of five to win the race in consecutive years. He is the brother of fellow champion Bobby Unser and the father of fellow Indy 500 winner Al Unser Jr. There isn’t a better racing family in history, not even the Andretti’s.

Al Unser Jr.

I’m sorry if I’m wearing out the Unser’s, but these guys are the Manning family of Indy racing. Junior won this event twice to carry on the legacy of his family’s dominance.

Dario Franchitti

Franchitti was a 3-time winner of this event with the last coming in 2012. Franchitti failed to finish inside the Top 5 in each of his first four starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but quickly turned things around with three wins in a 5-year stretch (2007, 2010 & 2012). Unfortunately for Franchitti his racing career prematurely came to a stop, as he was forced to retire in 2013 after suffering head and spinal injuries.

Helio Castroneves

Helio is the modern day superman at this event. He became the fifth driver to win back-to-back titles (2001 & 2002). It is even more impressive that his first two wins at Indy were in his first two tries on the track. Castroneves would add his third title in 2009 and is now just one win away from tying Foyt Jr, Unser Sr, and Mears for the most all-time victories. Castroneves is one of two active drivers with multiple wins here. The other is Juan Pablo Montoya (2), who won this event in 2000 and most recently in 2015.

List of Drivers Who Won Indy 500 & Pole Winners

Multiple Indy 500 Wins