This Sunday, we've got the legendary Indianapolis 500. Put together a little intro for you guys here... 🙂
The Indianapolis 500—also known as the
Indianapolis 500, Indy 500 or just
500—is a massive staple of American auto racing. It happens every single year over Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana.
This whole thing is called the
Greatest Racing Spectacle for a reason. It’s one of the oldest races out there, and honestly, it's easily one of the top three most important races in the world (alongside the Monaco Grand Prix and Le Mans). The very first one went down back in 1911, where about 80,200 fans showed up—all paying just a buck a ticket! Since then, the only times they haven't run the race were during World War I and World War II.
Nowadays, the complex can hold about 400,000 people, making it basically the biggest stadium on the planet.
As far as wins go, three legends sit at the top with four victories each: A. J. Foyt, Al Unser, and Rick Mears.
When it comes to winning as a team owner, Roger Penske is the king with 15 wins. That's why everyone calls him "Captain."
Fastest qualifying lap (four-lap average):
236.986 mph / 237 miles/h Arie Luyendyk, 1996
Fastest race lap:
236.103 mph / 236 miles/h Eddie Cheever, 1996
Youngest winner: Troy Ruttman (22 years old)
Oldest winner: Al Unser (47 years old)
Best finish by a woman: Danica Patrick, 3rd place (2009)
Latest lead change: 2006, when Sam Hornish Jr. passed Marco Andretti on the very last lap right at the finish line.
Since 1936, the winner gets handed the
Borg-Warner Trophy. It has the names, dates, and lap averages of every single winner since 1911 engraved right on it. It’s made of pure silver, stands over five feet tall (162.5 cm), and weighs about 100 pounds.
And this is how things wrapped up last year... a total rookie mistake led to Dan Wheldon taking the win.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tFV-85gyzQ