You know that feeling when you're standing near the Yard of Bricks and the air literally vibrates? It’s not just the 700-horsepower engines. It’s the weight of over a century of history. Honestly, when people talk about past winners of indy 500, they usually just rattle off names like Foyt or Mears and call it a day. But that's kinda like reading the ingredients on a cereal box and thinking you’ve had a five-course meal.
There is so much weirdness buried in those record books.
Take the very first race in 1911. Everyone knows Ray Harroun won it in the Marmon Wasp. Simple, right? Except historians still argue about whether Ralph Mulford actually finished ahead of him. The scoring system basically had a nervous breakdown because of a mid-race crash, and the officials basically just... picked a winner the next morning. It was the "wild west" of racing, and that chaotic energy has never really left the Speedway.
The Mount Rushmore of the Brickyard
Only four human beings have ever managed to win this thing four times. Think about that. In 109 editions of the race, only four people reached that peak.
- A.J. Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977)
- Al Unser (1970, 1971, 1978, 1987)
- Rick Mears (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991)
- Hélio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021)
Foyt is "Super Tex." He's the guy who would probably try to punch a car if it didn't start. He won his fourth a full decade after his third, proving that the past winners of indy 500 aren't just about raw speed—they're about outlasting the track itself.
Then you've got Rick Mears.
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Mears wasn't a brawler like Foyt. He was a surgeon. He holds the record for most poles (six!) because he understood how to dance with the car on the edge of a knife. If you watch his 1991 pass on Michael Andretti on the outside of Turn 1, you're seeing maybe the gutsiest move in the history of the sport. It’s the kind of moment that defines why these names stick around in our heads for decades.
The Most Recent Shock: Alex Palou’s 2025 Statement
If you missed the 2025 Indianapolis 500, you missed a masterclass.
Álex Palou finally did it. After years of being the "best driver to not win it," the Spaniard put his Chip Ganassi Racing machine into victory lane. It was his first oval win in IndyCar, which is sort of hilarious when you consider he’s a multi-time series champion. It just goes to show that the Speedway doesn't care about your resume. It cares about those specific 500 miles.
Palou’s win was significant because it tied Chip Ganassi with 6 total Indy 500 victories as an owner. That puts him in a tie for second all-time, though he’s still chasing the absolute titan of the sport: Roger Penske. Team Penske has 20 wins. Twenty. That’s not a record; that’s a dynasty.
The Guys Who Just Can't Catch a Break
You can't talk about winners without talking about the "Andretti Curse." Mario won in 1969. Since then? Nothing for the family.
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Michael Andretti led more laps (431) than many past winners of indy 500 ever did, yet he never drank the milk. Marco Andretti came within feet of it in 2006, only to be passed by Sam Hornish Jr. in the final seconds. It’s a brutal reminder that the track "chooses" the winner. You can be the fastest car all month and still end up with a broken water pump on lap 198.
Surprising Facts and Bizarre Victories
Did you know two people have shared a win?
In 1924 and 1941, the official winner's list shows two names for one car. Back then, "relief drivers" were a huge thing. In '41, Mauri Rose’s car broke down early. He jumped into Floyd Davis’s car, charged from the back, and won the race. Davis got the credit, but Rose did the heavy lifting.
Then there’s the milk.
Louis Meyer started that tradition in 1936 because his mom told him buttermilk was refreshing. Now, if a driver tries to drink orange juice (looking at you, Emerson Fittipaldi in 1993), the fans will practically riot. It's these little quirks that make the list of past winners of indy 500 feel like a living, breathing thing rather than a dry Wikipedia entry.
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- Youngest Winner: Troy Ruttman (22 years old in 1952).
- Oldest Winner: Al Unser (47 years old in 1987).
- Closest Finish: Al Unser Jr. over Scott Goodyear in 1992 (0.043 seconds).
The 1992 race was particularly wild. It was freezing cold, cars were crashing under yellow, and "Little Al" had to hold off Goodyear in a sprint to the line that still gives me goosebumps.
What You Should Do Next
If you really want to appreciate the history of the Brickyard, don't just look at the stats. Go find the 1985 "Spin and Win" footage of Danny Sullivan. He did a full 360-degree spin while trying to pass Mario Andretti, didn't hit anything, kept going, and went on to win.
Understanding the past winners of indy 500 requires seeing the risks they took.
Visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum if you ever get the chance to see the Borg-Warner Trophy in person. It’s over five feet tall and has the literal faces of every winner sculpted onto it. Seeing those tiny silver faces makes you realize that these aren't just names—they were people who stared down 230 mph turns and didn't blink.
To get the full picture, look up the 2011 race too. Dan Wheldon won because the leader, rookie J.R. Hildebrand, crashed into the wall on the very last turn of the very last lap. It was heartbreaking and exhilarating all at once. That's Indy. That's the 500.
Explore the full year-by-year results on the official IndyCar website to see how speeds have jumped from 74 mph in 1911 to over 190 mph averages today.
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