Tire Trivia
Related Llinks:
But first, here are some INDY 500 RACE SPECIFICS:

• The race is 500 miles long, which is 200 laps on the 2.5-mile oval.
• The race is usually about 3 hours long.  The fastest was in 2021 - 2 hours and 37 minutes.
• The race is limited to 33 cars and no one has a guaranteed spot; everyone must qualify.
• Qualifying, aka Time Trials, is two days long and is held on the weekend prior to the race.
• The cars do a warm-up and parade lap before the start of the 500.
• The cars are lined up evenly 3-wide on the parade lap.
• The pace speed on the parade laps is approximately 110 mph.
• The green flag waves on the third lap as the cars approach the flag stand.

Historical Records
• The first Indy 500 was held in 1911 and won by Ray Harroun.
• The race has been ran continuously since, except during WWI and WWII.
• The youngest person to win the race was Troy Ruttman (22) in 1952.
• The oldest person to win was Al Unser, Sr. (47) in 1987.
• The first driver to turn an official lap over 200 mph was Tom Sneva during 1977 qualifying.
The fastest official lap was 237.498 mph by Arie Luyendyk during qualifying May 12, 1996.
  (practice laps are not official.)

• Four Drivers have won the race Four Times:
1. A.J. Foyt, Jr. ((1961, 1964, 1967, 1977)
2. Al Unser, Sr. (1970, 1971, 1978, 1987)
3. Rick Mears (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991)
4. Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021)
Firestone manufactures 30,000 tires
a year for the IndyCar series
as of 2016.

In May alone, 5,000 tires will be used
during practice, qualifying and the race.


As of 2025, each entrant is alloted
32 sets of tires for Indy.
INDY 500 F.A.Q.
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What are the Qualifying rules?

Qualifying at Indy is much different than all other races.  First off, it takes about ten hours and is
spread out over two days - the weekend before race weekend.  Qualification times are based on a
4-lap average.  There is only one car allowed on the track at a time.  Drivers can continue to try and
beat their previous times.  Since there are usually more cars that want in the race than the 33 which
are allowed, bumping takes place and some drivers won't make the race.  This is a heartbreaking
moment for them.  For details, see my
Indy 500 Qualifying Procedures.
What is Carburation Day?

Held on the Friday before race weekend, It is the last chance cars can practice.  Instead of having a
whole day, the session is only from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.  After practice, there is a Pit Stop Competition.
After that the Carb Day Rock Concert takes place in the infield.  Carburation Day is a popular and
busy day at the speedway.  Note: Indy Cars no longer use carburators.
What is Happy Hour?

The track is open for practice or qualifying usually until 6 p.m. The last hour of the day is called Happy
Hour because the sun is going down and the track cools down and cars can run their fastest.
Can I pull my RV into the Speedway infield?

No tall vehicles, whether they are RVs, buses, pull-behinds, camper shells, etc. However, you can park
and camp in areas around the speedway.  The speedway has lots as do various local companies.
Check out my
Camping page and Parking page.
What hotels are the best?

The nicest hotels are found downtown and on the far north side.  Indy's only 5-star hotel, as of 2024,
is the Conrad Hilton.  For a rating scale of all hotels in Indy, see my Indy Hotel Listing.
Do you have to order tickets in advance?

No, not unless the Indy 500 sells out.  No other event can sell out due to the large number of seats
available.  Buying tickets or passes in advance will save you a little money as prices increase in
increments as the date nears.  For instance, a 2025 Carb Day ticket might cost you $25 if you bought
it in 2024.  By March 2025, the price might be $35.   When Carb Day arrives in May, it might cost you
$50. This price increase generally applies to all seats, special passes and parking.  When you buy a
race ticket, you will be able to renew it a few days after the event.  Many people do that and
consequently, many great seats are in the possession of the same person every year.  There are no
assigned seats for practice and qualifying sessions.  Everyone pays General Admission and sit where
they want.  You can pay at the gate when you enter, or buy far in advance and save some money.
INDIANAPOLIS 500 F.A.Q.
Is video and audio recording allowed?

Yes, you can bring any type of personal camera or recorder.
Can you bring your own food or drink?

Yes!  Glass bottles or containers are not allowed.  Coolers are limited in size to 18x14x14 due to
limited space in the crowded grand stands.

If you are parking in the infield of the speedway, you may choose to bring everything you need for a
picnic including a grill, but be sure and not dump hot coals when you leave.
Do I need a race ticket for my toddler?

Everyone with a reserved seat in the stands must have a race ticket, regardless of age. Even if your
child can sit on your lap. You will be happy for the extra space as seat room is pretty tight too. On
days other than race day, children under 12 are usually admitted for free with an adult.
Why was the distance of 500 miles selected?

After the speedway opened in 1909, there were numerous auto races per day held over 1909-1910.
Those races had distances of 5, 10, 20, 50, 200 and 300 miles and were broken down into engine
size categories There were even motorcycle races.  See my 1909-1910 Races.
The speedway leaders decide that in 1911, there would be just one event and wanted it to last
approximately seven hours, between mid-morning and late afternoon. A distance of 500 miles was
settled upon.  Ray Harroun won the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911 in six hours, 42 minutes and eight
seconds.
What is the distance of one lap around the oval?

2.5 miles. The track has four distinct turns and straightaways, a layout unchanged since the facility
opened in 1909. The front and back straightaways are 5/8th of a mile each, with the "short chute"
straightaways between Turns 1 and 2 and Turns 3 and 4 at 1/8th of a mile each. Each of the four
turns is 1/4th of a mile long.
What is the degree of banking in the turns?

Each of the four turns on the oval is banked at exactly 9 degrees, 12 minutes - the same
dimensions as when the track opened in 1909.
Why does the winner of the Indianapolis 500 drink milk in Victory Lane?

Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Louis Meyer regularly drank buttermilk to refresh himself on a
hot day and happened to drink some in Victory Lane as a matter of habit after winning the 1936
Indy 500. An executive with what was then the Milk Foundation was so elated when he saw the
moment captured in a photograph in the sports section of his newspaper the following morning,
that he vowed to make sure it would be repeated in coming years. There was a period between
1947-55 when milk was apparently no longer offered, but the practice was revived in 1956 and has
been a tradition ever since. The winning driver gets to select which type of milk he wants, although
often they pour it over themselves and drink very little of it.
Have women competed in the Indianapolis 500?

Yes. Janet Guthrie was first. She competed in 1977-79.  Other women have continued to race in
the Indy 500. To see them all, go to my
Women of the 500 page.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Have any rookies won the Indianapolis 500?

Yes. Nine drivers have won as Indianapolis 500 rookies:
1. Ray Harroun who won the first race, where everyone was a "rookie". He retired after winning the race!
2. Jules Goux (1913)
3. Rene Thomas (1914)
4. Frank Lockhart (1926)
5. George Souders (1927)
6. Graham Hill (1966)  (He began racing Formula 1 in 1958.)
7. Juan Pablo Montoya (2000)  (He won the 1999 CART Championship as a rookie.)
8. Helio Castroneves (2001)  (He began racing in CART in 1998.)
9. Alexander Rossi (2016)
Have there always been 33 cars in the starting field of the Indianapolis 500?

No. After 40 cars started in the inaugural race in 1911, the Contest Board of the American
Automobile Association (AAA), the sanctioning body at the time, mandated a formula for limiting
the size of a starting field according to the size of the track. It was determined that the safe
distance between each car spread equally around a course would be 400 feet, thereby limiting the
2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway to 33 cars. Speedway President Carl Fisher, however,
placed a limit of only 30 cars for the "500" between 1912 and 1914 and did not adopt AAA's 33
maximum until 1915. Although there had been numerous occasions between 1912 and 1928 when
the field was not filled, the allowed number was increased during the Depression years to 40 cars
between 1930 and 1932 (only 38 made it in 1930) and further to 42 in 1933. The maximum has
been at 33 ever since 1934, although extenuating circumstances expanded the field to 35 starters
in 1979 and 1997.
Has any driver ever won the Indianapolis 500 three times in a row or more?

No. Six drivers have won the race two years in a row:
Wilbur Shaw (1939-40)
Mauri Rose (1947-48)
Bill Vukovich (1953-54)
Al Unser, Sr. (1970-71)
Helio Castroneves (2001-02)
Josef Newgarden (2023-2024)
Who was the first driver to earn $1 million for winning the Indianapolis 500?

Emerson Fittipaldi won $1,001,604 in 1989, while racing for Patrick Racing.
Which drivers have won the Triple Crown of Auto Racing?

The Triple Crown is winning the Indy 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix
during one's career.  The only driver to accomplish that is
Graham Hill.

Other notable triple-discipline winners include:
Mario Andretti - He won the Indy 500, the Daytona 500 and the 1978 F1 championship.  He
finished 2nd at Le Mans.
A.J. Foyt, Jr. - He won the Indy 500, the Daytona 500 and Le Mans.

Multi-Discipline Drivers at IMS Only:
Juan Pablo Montoya raced in the Formula 1 US Grand Prix at Indianapolis, the Brickyard 400
and the Indy 500, which he won twice!

Eight drivers have raced in both the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400:
Juan Montoya, John Andretti, Geoff Brabham, A.J. Foyt, Robby Gordon, Jason Leffler, Scott
Pruett, Tony Stewart and Danny Sullivan.

Jacques Villeneuve won the IndyCar championship and the Indy 500 in 1995.  He won the F1
Championship in 1997 and competed at the F1 grand prix at Indianapolis. He came in 2nd at
Le Mans in 2008.
What drivers have competed in the Memorial Day Double?

The Double is racing the Indy 500,then flying to Charlotte and racing in the Nascar Coca-Cola 600
directly afterwards.

As of 2025, five drivers have attempted the feat.  None of them won.

1. John Andretti - did it first in 1994
2. Tony Stewart - the only one who completed the entire 1,100 miles.
3. Robby Gordon
4. Kurt Busch
5. Kyle Larson
Has the Indy 500 always been on Sunday?

No.
 In fact the race was never ran on Sunday until 1974!

Since the start, t
he 500 had always been scheduled for Decoration Day, May 30th, unless that
date fell on a Sunday, in which case the race was scheduled for Monday, May 31st.

Note: In 1968 the government changed the holiday
's date from May 30th to the last Monday in
May, in order to create a 3-day weekend each year.

Decoration Day was renamed
"Memorial Day" in 1971 and the race was ran on the last Saturday
of May for three years.

Finally, in 1973, the race was moved to the last Sunday in May, where it has remained ever since.