Honestly, the list of Indy 500 winners is a bit of a chaotic masterpiece. It’s not just a clean tally of names and dates. It is a century-long record of heartbreak, mechanical miracles, and some of the most bizarre technicalities in sports history. If you look at the 109 editions we’ve had since 1911, you see a evolution of human speed that’s frankly hard to wrap your head around.
Ray Harroun won the first one in 1911 going about 74 mph. Last year, in 2025, Alex Palou drank the milk after averaging nearly 190 mph. That is a massive jump.
But here is the thing: everyone knows the big names. They know the legends who have reached the "Four Win Club." But when you actually dig into the full roster, you start seeing the weird stuff. Like the years where two guys shared a single win, or the time a driver won in a car he didn’t even start the race in. It’s messy. It’s loud. It’s exactly what the Greatest Spectacle in Racing should be.
The Titans of the Brickyard
Four wins. That’s the magic number. It is the peak of the mountain, and only four human beings have ever stood there.
A.J. Foyt was the pioneer, grabbing his fourth in 1977. Then came Al Unser Sr. in 1987, followed by Rick Mears in 1991. For decades, it felt like a closed shop. A three-man brotherhood that nobody else could break into. Then Hélio Castroneves happened. When he climbed the fence in 2021, he didn't just win a race; he bridged the gap between the old-school legends and the modern era.
What's wild about Mears, specifically, is his efficiency. He didn't just win four; he took six pole positions. That’s a record that still stands in 2026. The man basically owned the month of May.
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The Three-Win Club and Near Misses
- Louis Meyer: The first-ever three-time winner (1928, 1933, 1936). He’s also the reason winners drink milk today—he just wanted a glass of buttermilk after a hot race.
- Wilbur Shaw: Won in 1937, 1939, and 1940. He was the first to go back-to-back.
- Mauri Rose: A technicality king. He won in 1941, 1947, and 1948. In '41, he actually started in one car, it broke, he hopped into Floyd Davis's car, and drove that to victory. Both are credited as winners.
- Bobby Unser: Won in three different decades (1968, 1975, 1981). That kind of longevity is just stupidly impressive.
- Dario Franchitti: The modern master of fuel saving and track position (2007, 2010, 2012).
List of Indy 500 Winners: The Recent Era (2010–2025)
The last 15 years have been dominated by two things: Team Penske and absolute parity. It’s harder than ever to win this thing twice. Look at Josef Newgarden. He went back-to-back in 2023 and 2024, a feat we hadn't seen since Castroneves did it at the turn of the millennium.
2025: Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing)
2024: Josef Newgarden (Team Penske)
2023: Josef Newgarden (Team Penske)
2022: Marcus Ericsson (Chip Ganassi Racing)
2021: Hélio Castroneves (Meyer Shank Racing)
2020: Takuma Sato (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing)
2019: Simon Pagenaud (Team Penske)
2018: Will Power (Team Penske)
2017: Takuma Sato (Andretti Autosport)
2016: Alexander Rossi (Andretti Herta Autosport)
2015: Juan Pablo Montoya (Team Penske)
2014: Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport)
2013: Tony Kanaan (KV Racing)
2012: Dario Franchitti (Chip Ganassi Racing)
2011: Dan Wheldon (Bryan Herta Autosport)
2010: Dario Franchitti (Chip Ganassi Racing)
Palou’s 2025 win was a big deal because it was his first oval victory. For a guy who has dominated road courses, finally getting that face on the Borg-Warner Trophy basically cemented his "all-time great" status.
The Shared Victories and Weird Rules
You’ve gotta love early 20th-century racing. It was basically the Wild West.
In 1924, Lora L. Corum started the race in the No. 15 Duesenberg. He wasn't fast enough. The team pulled him out, put Joe Boyer in, and Boyer tore through the field to win. Both guys got the credit. It happened again in 1941 with Floyd Davis and Mauri Rose.
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Nowadays, if you start the car, you're the driver of record. If a relief driver finishes it, only the guy who started it technically "wins" in the modern points sense, though the history books are still a bit polite about the old-school shared trophies.
Also, did you know 1916 was only 300 miles? They shortened it because of World War I. Dario Resta won it, but he’s the only guy on the list of Indy 500 winners who technically only did 3/5ths of the work.
The Team Owner Dynasty: Roger Penske
If you're talking about winners, you have to talk about "The Captain." Roger Penske.
His team has won the race 20 times. 20! That is a statistical anomaly. To put that in perspective, the next closest team is nowhere near that. Penske’s first win was with Mark Donohue in 1972. His most recent was Newgarden in 2024. That is a 52-year span of winning at the highest level.
There’s a saying at the Speedway: "The track chooses the winner." If that’s true, the track has a massive crush on Roger Penske.
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What This Means for 2026
As we look toward the 110th Running in May 2026, the storylines are heavy.
Castroneves is still hunting for number five. He’s 50 years old now, but he finished in the top 10 last year. It’s not impossible. Then you’ve got Newgarden trying to become the only person ever to win three out of four years in the modern era.
And don't sleep on the young guns. Guys like Pato O'Ward have been "the bridesmaid" for years now. O’Ward has finished 2nd, 4th, and 6th—he’s knocking on the door so hard it's about to fall off the hinges.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're trying to keep track of the history or betting on the next name to join the list of Indy 500 winners, keep these things in mind:
- Qualifying Matters (Mostly): While the race is 500 miles, the winner usually comes from the first three rows. Starting deep in the field is a recipe for getting caught in someone else's mess.
- The "Andretti Curse" is Real-ish: Mario won in 1969. Since then, the family has had legendary bad luck. Michael, Jeff, Marco—they’ve all led hundreds of laps, but the Borg-Warner stays elusive.
- Watch the Manufacturers: Honda and Chevrolet swap dominance every few years. In 2025, the Chevy power seemed to have a slight edge in the final 10 laps, which is exactly how Palou held off the field.
The list of winners isn't just a document. It's a survival log. Every name on it represents 500 miles of dodging walls, managing 220 mph turbulence, and keeping a 1,600-pound machine from exploding. Whether it's a legend like Foyt or a one-hit-wonder like Alexander Rossi (who won as a rookie on fumes), they all share the same immortality.
To prep for the 2026 race, your best move is to watch the Open Test in April. That is where the speed truly reveals itself before the circus officially comes to town in May.