List of Indianapolis 500 pole-sitters
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Winners of the Pole position for the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. The pole position is the first starting position, and is held in high prestige at Indianapolis. Due to the nature of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500, the polesitter is normally determined 15 days before the day of the race. Therefore, he/she receives considerable pre-race attention and accolades in the two weeks leading up to the race. In most years, but not necessarily, the polesitter is the fastest car in the field.
Peak motor oil currently sponsors a $100,000 award given to the pole winner. Rick Mears holds the all-time record with six career pole positons.
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[edit] History
Since 1939, the pole position has been determined by four-lap qualifying time trials. Each car takes to the track one at a time to establish a qualifying speed. In most years since 1952, there have been four days of time trials scheduled. The fastest qualifier on the first day (or first complete round) of qualifying wins the pole position. If a driver records a speed faster than that of the pole position winner on a subsequent day (or subsequent round) he does not win the pole position, but instead lines up behind the previous day's qualifiers. Subsequent to 1914, the last year of qualifications not determining the starting grid order, 16 occasions have seen the pole position-winning entry not recording the fastest overall qualifying speed.
In 1911, the starting grid was determined by the order that entries were received by mail. To qualify for the race, entries had to average 75 miles per hour along a one-mile measured segment of the track. In 1912, all cars were required to complete one timed lap, but the grid order was still determined by the order the entries were received. From 1913-1914, all cars completed one timed lap, however, the grid was instead determined by a blind draw a few days before the race.
Starting in 1915-1919, the grid was set by one-lap qualifying speed. From 1920-1931, the grid was set using four lap qualifying runs. From 1932-1938, the grid was set using 10-lap qualifying runs. Since 1939, four laps have been used.
Beginning in 2008, the IndyCar Series began using the four-lap average qualification system of Indianapolis as the template for the remainder of oval track racing throughout the series, replacing the previous system for all races other than Indianapolis where the fastest of two laps determined the car's placement on the starting grid. In the event of a rainout of a qualifying session, however, the determination of the starting grid order by the respective positions of drivers in the year's national championship does not apply at Indianapolis, where a special abbreviated session is instead instituted to fill whatever remaining slots in the 500 field.
[edit] Schedule
Pole position qualifying, generally referred to as "Pole Day," is currently held on a Saturday two weekends before the day of the race. Four days of qualifying are scheduled in total, the Saturday and Sunday two weekends before the race, and the Saturday and Sunday one weekend before the race.
After WWII, the Speedway management began to stadardize the qualifying schedule. For a few years, six days (three weekends) of qualifying were held. Starting in 1952, it was reduced to four days (two weekends). In 1974, as a gesture to the ongoing Oil Crisis, qualifying was reduced to two days, the Saturday two weeks before the race, and the Saturday one week before the race. From 1998-2000, the schedule was reverted to two days of qualifying, the Saturday and Sunday one weekend before the race. From 2001-2004, the schedule was changed to three days of qualifying, the Saturday and Sunday two weekends before the race, and the Sunday one week before the race. Starting in 2005, the schedule was reverted back to the original four days, comprising of the two weekends before the race.
Springtime rain in the midwest is often a factor, and over the years, many days of qualifying have been delayed, ended early, or completely washed out due to rain. If pole day is rained out, it is moved to the next qualifying day scheduled. This happened most recently in 2006, when the first two days of qualifying were rained out. Pole position qualifying ended up being held on the third day, followed by what remained the fourth and final day.
Starting 2005, although due to rain it was not observed fully until 2007, the qualifying procedure was altered. The 33-car field would be split into three parts.
- On the first day of qualifying (pole day)- positions 1-11 would be filled; bumping amongst those 11 cars would occur
- On the second day of qualifying- positions 12-22 would be filled; bumping amongst those 11 cars would occur
- On the third day of qualifying- positions 23-33 would be filled; bumping amongst those 11 cars would occur
- On the fourth day of qualifying (bump day)- bumping begins immediately as the slowest car overall is "on the bubble," in danger of being bumped out by the next qualifier; all cars behind those bumped out are immediately slotted up one position regardless of their day of qualification, but no fourth-day qualifier is slotted ahead of first-, second- or third-day qualifiers still remaining in the field.
[edit] Indianapolis 500 pole-sitters
Sixty-three drivers have qualified for the pole position, three less than the number of race winners.
Year | Driver | Speed (mph) |
Speed (km/h) |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1911 | Lewis Strang | No full lap | Grid placement determined by order entries received by mail | |
1912 | Gil Anderson | 80.93 | 130.24 | Track record; single-lap; grid placement determined by order entries received by mail |
David L. Bruce-Brown | 88.45 | 142.35 | New track record; single-lap; fastest qualifier, started 23rd | |
1913 | Caleb Bragg | 87.34 | 140.56 | Single-lap; grid placement determined by pre-race blind drawing |
Jack Tower | 88.23 | 141.99 | Single-lap; fastest qualifier, started 25th | |
1914 | Jean Chassagne | 88.31 | 142.12 | Single-lap; grid placement determined by pre-race blind drawing |
Georges Boillot | 99.86 | 160.71 | New track record; single-lap; fastest qualifier, started 29th | |
1915 | Howdy Wilcox | 98.80 | 159.00 | Single-lap |
1916 | Johnny Aitken | 96.69 | 155.61 | Single-lap |
1919 | René Thomas | 104.78 | 168.63 | New track record; single-lap |
1920 | † Ralph DePalma | 99.15 | 159.57 | |
1921 | † Ralph DePalma | 100.75 | 162.14 | |
1922 | Jimmy Murphy | 100.50 | 161.74 | |
1923 | Tommy Milton | 108.17 | 174.08 | New track record |
1924 | Jimmy Murphy | 108.037 | 173.869 | |
1925 | Leon Duray | 113.196 | 182.171 | New track record |
1926 | Earl Cooper | 111.735 | 179.820 | |
1927 | Frank Lockhart | 120.100 | 193.282 | New track record |
1928 | Leon Duray | 122.391 | 196.969 | New track record |
1929 | Cliff Woodbury | 120.599 | 194.085 | |
1930 | Billy Arnold | 113.268 | 182.287 | |
1931 | Russ Snowberger | 112.796 | 181.528 | |
Billy Arnold | 116.080 | 186.813 | Fastest qualifier, started 18th | |
1932 | Lou Moore | 117.363 | 188.877 | Ten-lap average |
1933 | Bill Cummings | 118.530 | 190.756 | Ten-lap average |
1934 | Kelly Petillo | 119.329 | 192.041 | Ten-lap average |
1935 | Rex Mays | 120.736 | 194.306 | Ten-lap average |
1936 | Rex Mays | 119.644 | 192.548 | Ten-lap average |
1937 | Bill Cummings | 123.343 | 198.501 | New track record; ten-lap average |
Jimmy Snyder | 125.287 | 201.630 | New track record; ten-lap average; fastest qualifier, started 19th | |
1938 | Floyd Roberts | 125.681 | 202.264 | New track record; ten-lap average |
Ronney Householder | 125.769 | 202.406 | Ten-lap average qualifying record; fastest qualifier, started 10th | |
1939 | Jimmy Snyder | 130.138 | 209.437 | New track record |
1940 | Rex Mays | 127.850 | 205.755 | |
1941 | Mauri Rose | 128.691 | 207.108 | |
1946 | Cliff Bergere | 126.471 | 203.535 | |
Ralph Hepburn | 133.944 | 215.562 | New track record; fastest qualifier, started 19th | |
1947 | Ted Horn | 126.564 | 203.685 | |
Bill Holland | 128.755 | 207.211 | Fastest qualifier, started 8th | |
1948 | Rex Mays | 130.577 | 210.143 | |
Duke Nalon | 131.603 | 211.794 | Fastest qualifier, started 11th | |
1949 | Duke Nalon | 132.939 | 213.945 | |
1950 | Walt Faulkner | 134.343 | 216.204 | New track record |
1951 | Duke Nalon | 136.498 | 219.672 | New track record |
Walt Faulkner | 136.872 | 220.274 | New track record; fastest qualifier, started 14th | |
1952 | Fred Agabashian | 138.010 | 222.106 | New track record |
Chet Miller | 139.034 | 223.754 | New track record; fastest qualifier, started 27th | |
1953 | Bill Vukovich | 138.392 | 222.720 | Final 3/4 of final lap completed amid downpour |
1954 | Jack McGrath | 141.033 | 226.791 | New track record |
1955 | Jerry Hoyt | 140.045 | 225.381 | Record slowest pace versus field for pole position, 8th fastest |
Jack McGrath | 142.580 | 229.460 | New track record; fastest qualifier, started 3rd | |
1956 | Pat Flaherty | 145.596 | 234.314 | New track record |
1957 | Pat O'Connor | 143.948 | 231.662 | |
Paul Russo | 144.817 | 233.060 | Fastest qualifier, started 10th | |
1958 | Dick Rathmann | 145.974 | 234.922 | New track record |
1959 | Johnny Thomson | 145.908 | 234.816 | |
1960 | Eddie Sachs | 146.592 | 235.917 | New track record |
Jim Hurtubise | 149.056 | 239.882 | New track record; fastest qualifier, started 23rd | |
1961 | Eddie Sachs | 147.481 | 237.348 | |
1962 | Parnelli Jones | 150.370 | 241.997 | New track record |
1963 | Parnelli Jones | 151.153 | 243.257 | New track record |
1964 | Jim Clark | 158.828 | 255.609 | New track record |
1965 | A.J. Foyt | 161.233 | 259.479 | New track record |
1966 | † Mario Andretti | 165.899 | 266.989 | New track record |
1967 | † Mario Andretti | 168.982 | 271.950 | New track record |
1968 | Joe Leonard | 171.559 | 276.097 | New track record |
1969 | A.J. Foyt | 170.568 | 274.503 | |
1970 | Al Unser | 170.221 | 273.944 | |
1971 | Peter Revson | 178.696 | 287.583 | New track record |
1972 | Bobby Unser | 195.940 | 315.335 | New track record; largest track record incremental increase |
1973 | Johnny Rutherford | 198.413 | 319.315 | New track record |
1974 | A.J. Foyt | 191.632 | 308.402 | |
1975 | A.J. Foyt | 193.976 | 312.174 | |
1976 | Johnny Rutherford | 188.957 | 304.097 | |
† Mario Andretti | 189.404 | 304.816 | Fastest qualifier, started 19th | |
1977 | Tom Sneva | 198.884 | 320.073 | New track record |
1978 | Tom Sneva | 202.156 | 325.339 | New track record |
1979 | Rick Mears | 193.736 | 311.788 | |
1980 | Johnny Rutherford | 192.256 | 309.406 | |
1981 | Bobby Unser | 200.546 | 322.748 | |
Tom Sneva | 200.691 | 322.981 | Fastest qualifier, started 20th | |
1982 | Rick Mears | 207.004 | 333.141 | New track record |
1983 | Teo Fabi | 207.395 | 333.770 | New track record |
1984 | Tom Sneva | 210.029 | 338.009 | New track record |
1985 | Pancho Carter | 212.583 | 342.119 | New track record |
1986 | Rick Mears | 216.828 | 348.951 | New track record |
1987 | † Mario Andretti | 215.390 | 346.637 | |
1988 | Rick Mears | 219.198 | 352.765 | New track record |
1989 | Rick Mears | 223.885 | 360.308 | New track record |
1990 | Emerson Fittipaldi | 225.301 | 362.587 | New track record |
1991 | Rick Mears | 224.113 | 360.675 | |
Gary Bettenhausen | 224.468 | 361.246 | Fastest qualifier, started 13th | |
1992 | Roberto Guerrero | 232.482 | 374.144 | New track record |
1993 | Arie Luyendyk | 223.967 | 360.440 | |
1994 | Al Unser, Jr. | 228.011 | 366.948 | |
1995 | Scott Brayton | 231.604 | 372.731 | |
1996 | Tony Stewart* | 233.100 | 375.138 | New track record |
Arie Luyendyk | 236.986 | 381.392 | Official current all-time track record; fastest qualifier, started 20th | |
1997 | Arie Luyendyk | 218.263 | 351.260 | |
1998 | Billy Boat | 223.503 | 359.693 | |
1999 | Arie Luyendyk | 225.179 | 362.390 | |
2000 | Greg Ray | 223.471 | 359.642 | |
2001 | Scott Sharp | 226.037 | 363.771 | |
2002 | Bruno Junqueira | 231.342 | 372.309 | |
2003 | Hélio Castroneves | 231.725 | 372.925 | |
2004 | Buddy Rice | 222.024 | 357.313 | |
2005 | Tony Kanaan | 227.566 | 366.232 | |
Kenny Bräck | 227.598 | 366.283 | Fastest qualifier, started 23rd | |
2006 | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 228.985 | 368.516 | |
2007 | Hélio Castroneves | 225.817 | 363.417 | |
2008 | Scott Dixon | 226.366 | 364.301 |
Notes
- * 1996: At the conclusion of pole day qualifying, Scott Brayton qualified for the pole-position, Arie Luyendyk qualified second, and Tony Stewart qualified third. Officially it was Brayton's second consecutive Indy pole (1995-1996). One hour and forty-five minutes after qualifying was over, Luyendyk was disqualified for his car being 7 pounds underweight. Stewart was elevated to second position. The following day, Luyendyk qualified with the fastest speed overall, but as a second day qualifier, was required to line up behind the first day qualifiers. Five days later, Brayton was killed in a practice session accident while driving a back-up car. His primary car was taken over by Danny Ongias, but rules required a substitute driver to move to the rear of the field. Thus, Stewart was elevated to the pole position for race day.
[edit] Multiple pole position winners
Seventeen drivers have qualified for the pole position multiple times, accounting for 46 pole positions out of 91 races, 50.55%.
Poles | Driver | Years | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
6 | Rick Mears | 1979, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991 | First five- and six-time pole position qualifier; second-fastest qualifier, 1991 |
4 | Rex Mays | 1935, 1936, 1940, 1948 | First three- and four-time pole position qualifier; second-fastest qualifier, 1948 |
A.J. Foyt | 1965, 1969, 1974, 1975 | ||
3 | † Mario Andretti | 1966, 1967, 1987 | Fastest qualifier, 1976 |
Johnny Rutherford | 1973, 1976, 1980 | Second-fastest qualifier, 1976 | |
Tom Sneva | 1977, 1978, 1984 | Fastest qualifier, 1981 | |
Arie Luyendyk | 1993, 1997, 1999 | Fastest qualifier, 1996 | |
2 | † Ralph DePalma | 1920, 1921 | First two-time pole position qualifier |
Jimmy Murphy | 1922, 1924 | ||
Leon Duray | 1925, 1928 | ||
Bill Cummings | 1933, 1937 | Second-fastest qualifier, 1937 | |
Duke Nalon | 1949, 1951 | Second-fastest qualifier, 1951 | |
Eddie Sachs | 1960, 1961 | Second-fastest qualifier, 1960 | |
Parnelli Jones | 1962, 1963 | ||
Bobby Unser | 1972, 1981 | Second-fastest qualifier, 1981 | |
Scott Brayton | 1995, 1996* | Qualified for pole position, and second-fastest qualifier, 1996 | |
Hélio Castroneves | 2003, 2007 |
Notes
- * Scott Brayton qualified for the pole position in 1996, but was killed in a practice session accident with a back up-car six days later. Tony Stewart, the second-place qualifier, subsequently moved onto the pole position, while Brayton's car, thereafter assigned to Danny Ongais to drive, was, by rule in driver-replacement situations, moved to the last starting position.
[edit] Consecutive pole position winners
Qualification for and start from the pole-position in consecutive races has been accomplished nine times. No driver has qualified for three consecutive pole positions.
Poles | Driver | Years | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2 | † Ralph DePalma | 1920, 1921 | |
Rex Mays | 1935, 1936 | ||
Eddie Sachs | 1960, 1961 | Second-fastest qualifier, 1960 | |
Parnelli Jones | 1962, 1963 | ||
† Mario Andretti | 1966, 1967 | ||
A.J. Foyt | 1974, 1975 | ||
Tom Sneva | 1977, 1978 | Started from second position, 1979, closest attempt to three consecutive to date | |
Rick Mears | 1988, 1989 | ||
Scott Brayton | 1995, 1996 | Scott Brayton finished 1st at the pole position in 1996. He was killed in a practice run before the race. Tony Stewart started the race in his place |
[edit] Indianapolis 500 winners who started from the pole position
Seventeen drivers have won the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race from the pole position. Two consecutive wins from the pole position has occurred once, in years 1922-1923, and three consecutive also once, in years 1979-1981.
Wins | Driver | Years | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
3 | Rick Mears | 1979, 1988, 1991 | First three-time winner from the pole position; accounts for 3 of Mears' 4 career wins. |
2 | Johnny Rutherford | 1976, 1980 | First multiple-winner from the pole position. Accounts for 2 of Rutherford's 3 career victories. |
1 | Jimmy Murphy | 1922 | First winner from the pole position |
Tommy Milton | 1923 | First year with consecutive wins from the pole position; accounts for 1 of Milton's 2 career victories. | |
Billy Arnold | 1930 | Led final 198 laps of race, most ever by pole-sitter or race winner | |
Floyd Roberts | 1938 | ||
Mauri Rose* | 1941 | *Started from pole position in separate entry than that co-driven to victory, only such occurrence to date | |
Bill Vukovich | 1953 | Accounts for 1 of Vukovich's 2 career victories. | |
Pat Flaherty | 1956 | ||
Parnelli Jones | 1963 | ||
Al Unser | 1970 | Accounts for 1 of Unser's 4 career victories. | |
Bobby Unser | 1981 | First year with three consecutive wins from the pole position; Accounts for 1 of Unser's 3 career victories. | |
Al Unser, Jr. | 1994 | Accounts for 1 of Unser's 2 career victories. | |
Arie Luyendyk | 1997 | Accounts for 1 of Luyendyk's 2 career victories. | |
Buddy Rice | 2004 | ||
Sam Hornish, Jr. | 2006 | ||
Scott Dixon | 2008 |
[edit] References
Indianapolis 500 Chronicle, copyright 1999, Rick Pope
2006 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race Official Program