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Associated Press
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
Indy 500 Winners
2025 — Alex Palou 2024 — Josef Newgarden 2023 — Josef Newgarden 2022 — Marcus Ericsson 2021 — Helio Castroneves 2020 — Takuma Sato 2019 — Simon Pagenaud 2018 — Will Power 2017 — Takuma Sato 2016 — Alexander Rossi 2015 — Juan Montoya 2014 — Ryan Hunter-Reay 2013 — Tony Kanaan 2012 — Dario Franchitti 2011 — Dan Wheldon 2010 — Dario Franchitti 2009 — Helio Castroneves 2008 — Scott Dixon 2007 — Dario Franchitti 2006 — Sam Hornish Jr. 2005 — Dan Wheldon 2004 — Buddy Rice 2003 — Gil de Ferran 2002 — Helio Castroneves 2001 — Helio Castroneves 2000 — Juan Montoya 1999 — Kenny Brack 1998 — Eddie Cheever 1997 — Arie Luyendyk Sr. 1996 — Buddy Lazier 1995 — Jacques Villeneuve 1994 — Al Unser Jr. 1993 — Emerson Fittipaldi 1992 — Al Unser Jr. 1991 — Rick Mears 1990 — Arie Luyendyk Sr. 1989 — Emerson Fittipaldi 1988 — Rick Mears 1987 — Al Unser Sr. 1986 — Bobby Rahal 1985 — Danny Sullivan 1984 — Rick Mears 1983 — Tom Sneva 1982 — Gordon Johncock 1981 — Bobby Unser 1980 — Johnny Rutherford 1979 — Rick Mears 1978 — Al Unser Sr. 1977 — A.J. Foyt 1976 — Johnny Rutherford 1975 — Bobby Unser 1974 — Johnny Rutherford 1973 — Gordon Johncock 1972 — Mark Donohue 1971 — Al Unser Sr. 1970 — Al Unser Sr. 1969 — Mario Andretti 1968 — Bobby Unser 1967 — A.J. Foyt 1966 — Graham Hill 1965 — Jimmy Clark 1964 — A.J. Foyt 1963 — Parnelli Jones 1962 — Rodger Ward 1961 — A.J. Foyt 1960 — Jim Rathmann 1959 — Rodger Ward 1958 — Jimmy Bryan 1957 — Sam Hanks 1956 — Pat Flaherty 1955 — Bob Sweikert 1954 — Bill Vukovich Sr. 1953 — Bill Vukovich Sr. 1952 — Troy Ruttman 1951 — Lee Wallard 1950 — Johnnie Parsons 1949 — Bill Holland 1948 — Mauri Rose 1947 — Mauri Rose 1946 — George Robson 1942-45 — No races, World War II 1941 — Floyd Davis and Mauri Rose 1940 — Wilbur Shaw 1939 — Wilbur Shaw 1938 — Floyd Roberts 1937 — Wilbur Shaw 1936 — Louis Meyer 1935 — Kelly Petillo 1934 — Bill Cummings 1933 — Louis Meyer 1932 — Fred Frame 1931 — Louis Schneider 1930 — Billy Arnold 1929 — Ray Keech 1928 — Louis Meyer 1927 — George Souders 1926 — Frank Lockhart 1925 — Pete DePaolo 1924 — and Joe Boyer 1923 — Tommy Milton 1922 — Jimmy Murphy 1921 — Tommy Milton 1920 — Gaston Chevrolet 1919 — Howard Wilcox 1917-18 — No races, World War I 1916 — Dario Resta 1915 — Ralph DePalma 1914 — Rene Thomas 1913 — Jules Goux 1912 — Joe Dawson 1911 — Ray Harroun
Fox News
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
Who are the 10 best Indy 500 drivers of all time?
The 2025 INDYCAR season has already delivered some stellar moments. That said, the season's biggest race happens Sunday with the highly anticipated Indianapolis 500. No race is bigger, and as a treat, Indiana fans are going to have an opportunity to partake in multiple huge events with the NBA's Indiana Pacers playing the third game of the Eastern Conference Finals at home later that day. The main event takes place at the storied Indianapolis Motor Speedway (coverage begins at 10 a.m. ET on FOX and streaming on the FOX Sports app). Ahead of all the action, we've rounded up the best drivers to grace the course. Here are the 10 best Indianapolis 500 drivers of all time. One of the shorter Indy 500 careers on this list, Franchitti managed to compile some impressive results. He earned three victories at the track between 2007-2012. Moreover, he added three other top 10 finishes to his name despite just 10 races in which he participated. His most impressive stretch was when he claimed six top seven finishes in seven attempts from 2005 and 2012. Luyendyk saw some definite success in Indy, winning there twice, but it was a mixed bag overall. He raced in the event every year from 1985 to 2002 and withdrew in 2023 but finished outside the top 10 in 10 different races. Still, few can match the success he found, finishing in the top 10 seven different times at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The first three-time winner in the race's history, Meyer is one of the top racers who isn't talked about nearly enough. He had a truly remarkable race in 1936, becoming just the second racer in history — and last — to win the race from a starting position of 28th or lower. Meyer grabbed first and second, respectively, in his first two tries in Indianapolis. It's not how you start, it's how you finish. Never has that been more true than with Unser, who had just one top 10 finish in his first four tries at Indy. However, in his last four starts, he had three top six finishes, including winning the event on his last time at the track in 1981. Unser would eventually win the Indy 500 three times (1968, 1975 and 1981). Another racer with three victories, Rutherford claimed three wins between 1974 and 1980. Rutherford had a bit of a slow start to this race, finishing 18th or lower in each of his first nine times at the track. He then turned in four top 10 finishes, including winning in 1974 and 1976 and grabbing second in 1975. As good as Rutherford's three-year stretch was, Shaw one-ups him with a bonkers four-year run. From 1937 to 1940, he placed first, second, first and first. A run like that automatically vaults you into the top five in the history of this race. Outside that four-year stretch, it was very much a mixed bag for Shaw, but you cannot overlook just how dominant he was early on, earning three first-place finishes. The first of three drivers tied for the most wins (four) at the Indy 500, Castroneves earned his most recent victory in 2021, while his previous three victories came between 2001 and 2009. He's also one of just five drivers to claim back-to-back Indy 500 victories, doing so in 2001 and 2002. Perhaps the most remarkable part of his driving career at IMS is the fact that he owns the record for the longest span between his first and last win — 20 years. One of the most interesting racers on the list, Unser earned two wins at the Indy 500 within three years, winning in 1992 and 1994. Most impressive, though, he placed eighth in between. A truly fantastic stretch. Before 1992, he had finished fourth in back-to-back years in 1990 and 1991. Stretch it out more and Unser claimed seven top five finishes in nine years. The second driver to have four Indy 500 victories, Foyt is undoubtedly deserving of one of the top spots in the course's history. Moreover, Foyt's history is etched in stone as the first four-time winner in the race's history. Most impressive about his career in Indy, though, is that Foyt has the most starts there of any driver (35), including racing in every single one from 1958 to 1992. The third driver tied for the most wins at IMS, Mears has dominated in Indy. He has earned a record six pole positions at the event, starting 11 times on the front row, with six of those times coming consecutively — both of the latter two a record at the track. He is also one of just 12 racers to earn back-to-back pole positions. Check out all of our Daily Rankers. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
USA Today
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- USA Today
Indy 500 history: Every Indianapolis 500 champion since 2000
Indy 500 history: Every Indianapolis 500 champion since 2000 The Indianapolis 500 is one of the most prestigious motorsports events in the world, and its checkered flag is coveted like no other. So much has to fall into place perfectly for a driver to win the race against the other 32 cars in the field, and one little detail or mistake can be the difference between a glorious victory or absolute heartbreak. But once a driver wins, their name is etched in IndyCar history, and they become embedded in Indy 500 lore. 2025 INDY 500: Every 2025 Indy 500 driver's choice of celebratory milk, should they win When most drivers would do anything to win the Indy 500 one time, several drivers in the last hundred-plus races have won more than once. In the last two decades, those with more than one Indy 500 win include Hélio Castroneves, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dario Franchitti and Takuma Sato. Here's a look back at every driver who has won the iconic race since 2000. 2000 Indy 500: Juan Pablo Montoya, Target/G Force Oldsmobile Starting position: 2 Race speed: 167.607 mph Runner-up: Buddy Lazier 2001 Indy 500: Hélio Castroneves, Marlboro Team Penske/Dallara/Oldsmobile Starting position: 11 Race speed: 141.574 mph Runner-up: Gil de Ferran 2002 Indy 500: Hélio Castroneves, Marlboro Team Penske/Dallara/Chevy Starting position: 13 Race speed: 166.499 mph Runner-up: Paul Tracy 2003 Indy 500: Gil de Ferran, Marlboro Team Penske/G Force/Toyota Starting position: 10 Race speed: 156.291 mph Runner-up: Hélio Castroneves 2004 Indy 500: Buddy Rice, Rahal Letterman Racing/Panoz G Force/Honda Starting position: 1 Race speed: 138.518 mph Runner-up: Tony Kanaan 2005 Indy 500: Dan Wheldon, Andretti Green Racing/Dallara/Honda Starting position: 16 Race speed: 157.603 mph Runner-up: Vitor Meira 2006 Indy 500: Sam Hornish Jr., Marlboro Team Penske/Dallara/Honda Starting position: 1 Race speed: 157.085 mph Runner-up: Marco Andretti 2007 Indy 500: Dario Franchitti, Andretti Green Racing/Dallara/Honda Starting position: 3 Race speed: 151.774 mph Runner-up: Scott Dixon 2008 Indy 500: Scott Dixon, Target Chip Ganassi Racing/Dallara/Honda Starting position: 1 Race speed: 143.567 mph Runner-up: Vitor Meira 2009 Indy 500: Hélio Castroneves, Team Penske/Dallara/Honda Starting position: 1 Race speed: 150.318 mph Runner-up: Dan Wheldon 2010 Indy 500: Dario Franchitti, Target Chip Ganassi Racing/Dallara/Honda Starting position: 3 Race speed: 161.623 mph Runner-up: Dan Wheldon 2011 Indy 500: Dan Wheldon, Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb/Agajanian/Dallara/Honda Starting position: 6 Race speed: 170.265 mph Runner-up: JR Hildebrand 2012 Indy 500: Dario Franchitti, Target Chip Ganassi Racing/Dallara/Honda Starting position: 16 Race speed: 167.734 mph Runner-up: Scott Dixon 2013 Indy 500: Tony Kanaan, KV Racing Technology/Dallara/Chevrolet Starting position: 12 Race speed: 187.433 mph Runner-up: Carlos Muñoz 2014 Indy 500: Ryan Hunter-Reay, DHL Honda/Dallara/Honda Starting position: 19 Race speed: 186.563 mph Runner-up: Hélio Castroneves 2015 Indy 500: Juan Pablo Montoya, Verizon Team Penske/Dallara/Chevrolet Starting position: 15 Race speed: 161.341 mph Runner-up: Will Power 2016: Alexander Rossi, Andretti Herta Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian/Dallara/Honda Starting position: 11 Race speed: 166.634 mph Runner-up: Carlos Muñoz 2017 Indy 500: Takuma Sato, Andretti Autosport/Dallara/Honda Starting position: 4 Race speed: 155.395 mph Runner-up: Hélio Castroneves 2018 Indy 500: Will Power, Verizon Team Penske/Dallara/Chevrolet Starting position: 3 Race speed: 166.935 mph Runner-up: Ed Carpenter 2019 Indy 500: Simon Pagenaud, Verizon Team Penske/Dallara/Chevrolet Starting position: 1 Race speed: 175.794 Runner-up: Alexander Rossi 2020 Indy 500: Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing/Honda Starting position: 3 Race speed: 157.824 mph Runner-up: Scott Dixon 2021 Indy 500: Hélio Castroneves, AutoNation/SiriusXM Meyer Shank Racing/Dallara/Honda Starting position: 8 Race speed: 190.690 mph Runner-up: Alex Palou 2022 Indy 500: Marcus Ericsson, Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Starting position: 5 Race speed: 175.428 mph Runner-up: Pato O'Ward 2023 Indy 500: Josef Newgarden, Shell Powering Progress Team Penske Starting position: 17Race speed: 168.193 mphRunner-up: Marcus Ericsson 2024 Indy 500: Josef Newgarden, Shell Powering Progress Team Penske Starting position: 3Race speed: 167.763 mphRunner-up: Pato O'Ward 2025 Indy 500: TBD
Fox News
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
'No attack, no chance': Plug-and-play Takuma Sato goes for third Indy 500 win
Print Close Published May 19, 2025 Bruce Martin Special to INDIANAPOLIS — Takuma Sato is the ultimate plug-and-play driver in the 109th Indianapolis 500. Just put him in the cockpit and watch him go fast. His motto is no attack, no chance. The 48-year-old driver from Tokyo competes in one race a year — the Indianapolis 500 — and he continues to be one of the fastest drivers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The two-time Indianapolis 500-winning driver has an excellent chance to become a three-time Indy winner on Sunday. He drove the No. 75 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda to the second starting position, the middle of Row 1, with a four-lap average speed of 232.478 miles per hour. "I know one thing, I know Takuma is fast," one of the team's three owners, Michael Lanigan, told FOX Sports. "He's brave, and he's smart. It gives me a big comforting feeling knowing that whenever he's in the car, there's a chance for him to win." Sato is making his 16th start in the Indianapolis 500 and his seventh in the 500-Mile Race for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. His first Indy 500 start was in 2010 with KV Racing Technology. He started 31st and finished 20th. Two years later, he was in the Indy 500 with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, and it's a day that changed his career path. He battled Dario Franchitti of Chip Ganassi Racing to the end. Franchitti was attempting to win the Indy 500 for the third time in his career. Sato was trying to score his first INDYCAR win. As the two drivers went into Turn 1 on the final lap, Sato dove to the low side of the turn to pass Franchitti on the inside. Franchitti pinched off the lane, Sato's car dipped across the painted white line that separates the race track from the apron and lost control. Sato's Honda spun and slammed hard into the outside wall in Turn 1. Franchitti went on to take the checkered flag, but from that point forward, Sato became a fan favorite for his daring racing style. "I think I've said it many times, but Takuma is a pro," primary owner and winning driver of the 1986 Indianapolis 500 Bobby Rahal told FOX Sports. "The guy, he's a hell of a race car driver. I've watched him race when he was in Formula 3, when I was at Jaguar Formula One, and he was always at the front. "When he came to us in 2012, we damn near won this race, and I didn't think we had a chance in hell. "It wasn't because we had the best car. It was because he took it there." Sato had gained the respect, love and friendship of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Unfortunately, the team did not have enough sponsorship to retain Sato for the 2013 season, and he signed a contract with AJ Foyt Racing. Sato drove to his first INDYCAR win with Foyt in the 2013 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. It was the last time AJ Foyt Racing has won a race in INDYCAR. He nearly won a second-straight race in the next contest on the schedule in Sao Paulo, Brazil and entered the month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway leading the INDYCAR Series points. Sato remained with Foyt through the 2016 season before joining what is now known as Andretti Global. It was a combination that made tremendous sense because Sato was the hero of Japan and Andretti was the top Honda team in IndyCar. With Sato behind the wheel of the Andretti Honda, he became the first driver from Japan to win the Indianapolis 500 in its long history when he drove to the victory in 2017. It was a popular victory internationally, and the famed Borg-Warner Trophy went on the road for an international trip for the first time ever. Fans in Japan turned out by the thousands during the many personal appearances Palou made with the Borg-Warner Trophy in Tokyo and at Twin Ring Motegi, a race course about three hours away from the world's largest city. They also made a stop in Mount Fuji. Sato returned home to Rahal Letterman Lanigan in 2018 and won at Portland. In 2019 he won from the pole at Barber Motorsports Park and won on the oval at Gateway Motorsports Park later that season, finishing ninth in the championship. Sato was on a roll entering 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world. The INDYCAR Series season was delayed until June 6 of that year, and most of the races were held with severe limitations for spectators. That included the Indianapolis 500, the only time in the history of the race it was moved off its traditional Memorial Day Weekend race date because of COVID. It was held on August 23, 2020, at an empty Indianapolis Motor Speedway because fans were not allowed to attend. Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing led 111 laps in the 200-lap contest, but he couldn't shake Sato, who led 27 laps. Late in the race, Sato was stretching his tank of fuel and if the race remained green, he was going to have to pit in the closing laps. But fate intervened as Spencer Pigot slammed into the pit road attenuators in a massive crash with five laps to go. The caution came out and Dixon was convinced Sato couldn't make it to the finish. But Sato was good to the last drop and made it to the checkered flag, winning his second Indianapolis 500. "I think Scott Dixon still hasn't gotten over the fact that he was going to make it on fuel," Rahal said. "He's just a pro. I just love having him with us. I think he brings great value to us as a driver, as a person. And also, let's face it, he's a great representative for the country of Japan. "That's pretty cool to have somebody like that in your car." Sato had full-time rides in 2021 and 2022 before a limited schedule with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2023. He finished seventh in that year's Indy 500. Sato came back home, once again, to Rahal Letterman Racing for one race in 2024. He started 10th and finished 14th in the 108th Indianapolis 500. He is back again this May and with one of the fastest rides in the field, Sato could join the likes of Louis Meyer, Wilbur Shaw, Mauri Rose, Bobby Unser, Johnny Rutherford and Dario Franchitti as three-time winners of the Indianapolis 500. Sato is plugged in, and now he is ready to hit play. "There is no secret, I just simply enjoy it," Sato told FOX Sports in an exclusive interview. "The moment in the cockpit with the steering wheel, pedals I love it. And the sensation of going fast, the age hasn't slowed me down so far. "I enjoy the environment and like the challenge." Sato admitted being out of the cockpit for 11 months before returning for the month of May is not an ideal situation, but he remains sharp because of experience. "I have a lot of adrenaline and feel good," Sato said. "I have enough experience, even being out of the car for a long time, that I can get back in the car and immediately get back to where I was. "I can't express the reason I jump into a car immediately and do well. I just simply like it." Sato helps young drivers in Japan with a driver development program. He also uses the Honda simulator for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, but that doesn't replace real-life racing. Sato is confident he has a "great chance" of winning his third Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. "We have narrowed with the top teams, the Ganassi boys and Penskes are strong in traffic, but hopefully we will be as competitive as they are," Sato said. He backed up his qualifying pace from Sunday with the third-fastest speed in Monday's full-field practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Sato's top speed was 226.087 mph in race setup. INDYCAR points leader Alex Palou was the fastest at 226.765 mph in the No. 10 DHL Honda followed by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves at 226.441 mph in the No. 06 Honda for Meyer Shank Racing followed by Sato. Castroneves is the oldest driver in the field at 50 and he is going for a record fifth Indy 500 win. Sato is the second oldest and the two are proving that the old guys can still drive a fast race car. "Takuma sometimes can really go for it," Castroneves told FOX Sports. "No wonder he's a two-time Indy 500 champ. He likes the style of this race. He has experience. He takes risks and it pays off sometimes. "With the experience he has, it shows they are doing a great job. It's good to see him up there. "It will be good to get up to him and race him during the Indianapolis 500." For the plug-and-play driver of the Indianapolis 500, Sato is determined to hit the winning note on Sunday. Bruce Martin is a veteran motorsports writer and contributor to Follow him on X at @BruceMartin_500 . BEST OF FOX SPORTS' INDY 500 COVERAGE: Print Close URL
STV News
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- STV News
Only FIA-approved race circuit in Scotland celebrates 50 years of racing
Knockhill Circuit celebrates 50 years of racing with a special event bringing champions and race winners of the past together. It's where F1 driver David Coulthard and Indy 500 champion Dario Franchitti took their first steps as race car drivers, and this weekend, Knockhill racetrack in Fife, the only FIA-approved circuit in Scotland, celebrates its 50th anniversary. On Sunday, May 18, exactly 50 years ago to the day, the track will mark the first-ever car event to be held at the circuit, with more than 100 former champions of the 70s, 80s, and beyond joining a host of famous championship-winning cars. While Knockhill Motor Sports Club and SMRC racing championships are being given the spotlight on Saturday, Sunday will feature Scottish champions across the five decades, many with their original competition cars on display and on track during special parades and track sessions. 'We have 100 drivers who are either past champions or past race winners from the last 50 years, and we really feel it's going to be such a social event for them to see each other as well,' explains Jillian Shedden, Knockhill Race Circuit CEO. 'We've also got 50 iconic race cars from the last five decades as well, so a lot of our spectators will be able to come back and see cars that they saw when they came to visit us, whether that was in the 70s, 80s, 90s, or 2000s. 'And we've got action on track as well with some of these iconic cars doing demos – some are a little faster than others. 'We've got an ex-Martin Brundle F3 car, which is similar to the cars that were here at the first event. 'And we have a demonstration from a Pilbeam Sprint car, which is a V10, five-litre super-duper mega fast, so the noise is going to be incredible.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
