Winning Drivers and Teams
Ages of Winners
Joe Dawson and Troy Ruttman are tied as the youngest drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 at twenty-two years of age. Bobby Unser and Al Unser both scored victories at the age of forty-seven. View a breakdown of the ages of the winners of the Indianapolis 500.
Speed Barriers Broken
Over its history, the Indianapolis 500 has been completed with average speeds from 74.602 miles per hour in 1911 to 190.690 miles per hour in 2021. This section breaks down each ten mile per hour increment and what driver brought home the victory to break the barrier.
Winning Engines
Offenhauser. Miller. Honda. Chevrolet. Offenhauser. Did we mention Offenhauser? The Offenhauser engine leads the way with twenty-seven wins in the Indianapolis 500. This section shows race wins by engine manufacturer and the years they won.
Winner's Purses
We’ve come a long way from Ray Harroun’s $14,250 share of a total purse of $27,550 in 1911! In 2022, Marcus Ericsson came away with $3,100,00 of a total purse of $16,000,200. This list breaks down each winner’s share of the Indianapolis 500 Race Purse.
Winner Birthplaces
In the United States, there have been 74 victories among 50 different drivers from 21 states. Internationally, we have had 33 victories among 23 drivers from 12 countries. This section presents winning drivers and where they were born.
Winning Combinations
Twenty-one times, the winner has started on the pole. Rookies have brought home victory in ten races. No wins have come from the final row of the field. This section explores where in the field winners have started in the Indianapolis 500.
Louis Schwitzer Award Winners
The Louis Schwitzer Award, for innovation and engineering excellence, is related specifically to cars meeting championship specifications entered in the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race that have passed technical inspection for the year in which the award is given.
Scott Brayton Driver's Trophy Award Winners
The Scott Brayton Driver’s Trophy was awarded to the driver best exemplifying the character and racing spirit of late driver Scott Brayton. Brayton was fatally injured on May 17, 1996 during practice for the Indianapolis 500 just six days after winning the pole for the race.