1987 Indianapolis 500
Encyclopedia
The 71st Indianapolis 500 was held Sunday May 24, 1987 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
. During the month of May, an unusually high 25 crashes occurred during practice and qualifying. After dominating practice, qualifying, and most of the race, leader Mario Andretti
slowed with mechanical problems with only 23 laps to go. Five laps later, Al Unser, Sr.
assumed the lead, and won his record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500
victory.
Bobby Rahal
went on to win the 1986 CART championship. During the offseason, his Truesports
racing team made a highly-publicised switch from the March
chassis to the up and coming Lola chassis. Truesports, however, stayed with the proven Cosworth
engine. Rahal was a strong favorite to repeat as winner.
For 1987, the Ilmor Chevrolet Indy V-8 began expanding its participation into Indy car
racing. Penske Racing
fielded a three-car effort with the powerplant, while resuming its in-house chassis program. The PC-16 chassis was the primary car for the team, but as a backup, three 1986 March
chassis were also entered. Newman Haas Racing
joined the Ilmor Chevrolet program, and Mario Andretti
scored the engine's first victory a month earlier at Long Beach
. Patrick Racing
was the third team to utilize the Illmor Chevrolet.
During the offseason at Penske Racing
, three-time Indy 500 winner ('70
, '71
, '78
), and two-time CART champion ('83, '85) Al Unser, Sr.
was released. Businessman and media mogul
Ted Field
arranged a deal with Roger Penske
to field Indy veteran Danny Ongais
in the third Penske entry. Unser, Sr.
was unable to secure a ride before the month of May, and arrived at the track unemployed.
Goodyear
arrived at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time with a new radial tire
. After a few years of development in the CART series, the radials were ready for competition in the Indy 500.
The most noticeable construction project completed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
was a series of electronic dot matrix
scoreboards installed around the track.
Practice started on Opening Day, Saturday May 2. Rookie Ludwig Heimrath, Jr. was the first car on the track. A somewhat light day of activity saw several drivers pass their rookie tests. Michael Andretti
posted the fasted lap of the day, at 210.772 mi/h. His father Mario
, however, did not take any laps.
May 3
On the second day of practice, Sunday May 3, saw increased activity. Mario Andretti
posted the fasted lap of the day at 213.371 mi/h. Later in the day, the weather cooled, and wind picked up. At 5:58 p.m., Pancho Carter
suffered a spectacular crash. His car spun in turn three, air got underneath, and flipped upside-down. The car landed on the pavement on its roll bar, and proceeded to skid about 600 feet (182.9 m) through the North chute. The car hit the outside wall in turn four, and came to a rest still upside-down. Carter, however, was not seriously injured. His helmet had three major scrapes from rubbing along the pavement. Carter later proudly showed off the helmet, showing where he had rotated his head to spread the abrasion damage.
May 4
On Monday May 4, high winds kept the speeds down. Dennis Firestone
and Roberto Guerrero
tied for fast lap of the day (211.565 mph), while Mario Andretti
was third.
May 5
Tuesday May 5 saw the fastest lap in Indy history to date. Mario Andretti
blistered the track at an unofficial track record of 218.204 mi/h. It made him the favorite for the pole position. The next fastest time, turned in by Bobby Rahal
was a full 5 mi/h slower. The second crash of the month occurred, involving Dennis Firestone
. He spun and crashed in turn four, breaking bones in his left foot and fracturing his left leg.
May 6
Four crashes occurred during practice on Wednesday May 6. Kevin Cogan
drifted high exiting turn 1, and crashed into the outside wall. Later, Scott Brayton
hit the wall in turn four. Derek Daly
and Dick Ferguson
both brushed the wall in the south short chutes, but both nursed their cars back to the pits. None of the four drivers were seriously injured. Mario Andretti
continued his dominance of practice, leading the speed charts again, at 216.502 mi/h. A surprising second-fastest was Jim Crawford
, driving a Buick
powered 1986 March to a lap of 215.982 mi/h. Cogan
, Brayton
, and Daly
were all driving 1987 March
chassis. By mid-week, teams fielding the 1987 March chassis were finding the cars difficult to handle with the new Goodyear radial tires. Coupled with the warmer temperatures, and often windy conditions, many teams were finding the search for speed difficult.
May 7
Breezy conditions continued on Thursday May 7. The most serious crash of the month to date occurred less than an hour into the day. Danny Ongais
, driving the third Penske
entry, crashed hard into the outside wall in turn 4. He suffered a concussion and was sidelined for the rest of the month. The crash added to the frustration the Penske team
was having so far during the month. While they were having little trouble with the Ilmor Chevrolet engine, the PC-16 chassis was deemed a lemon
. Rick Mears
and Danny Sullivan
were struggling to keep pace, and were rarely amongst the top ten each day on the speed chart. Meanwhile, Mario Andretti
continued to top the speed chart, again by 2 mi/h, with a lap at 218.234 mi/h. Rocky Moran
upped the crash tally for the week to eight, when he crashed exiting turn 2.
Late in the afternoon of May 7, Penske Racing
decided to park the PC-16 chassis in favor of their stable of 1986 Marches
. However, none were presently at the track, nor immediately race ready. In some cases, they were serving as show car
s. The first car would arrive the following morning, and Rick Mears
and Danny Sullivan
flipped a coin to see who would drive it. Mears won the toss.
May 8
The final day of practice, Friday May 8 was warm and windy. Mario Andretti
led the speed chart once again (216.242 mph), but Bobby Rahal
was a close second (215.568 mph). Four more crashes occurred, bringing the total for the month to twelve. Tom Sneva
crashed exiting turn one. Dick Ferguson
crashed for the second time, and suffered major damage. Gary Bettenhausen
spun, and Phil Krueger
suffered rear suspension damage after tagging the turn four wall.
led the speed chart at 216.609 mi/h. Mario Andretti
was second-fastest. Rick Mears
, who only a day earlier stepped into a 1986 Marches
, already had the car up to speed at 213.371 mi/h. Stan Fox
was involved in the 13th crash of the month, when he spun out of turn three and tapped the inside wall.
Hot and windy conditions were observed during pole day. Many teams who had struggled during the week with handling problems, sat idle on pole day, waiting for better track conditions. The first two cars waved off, and Rick Mears
became the first car in the field at 211.467 mi/h.
Bobby Rahal
secured the provisional pole with a run of 213.316 mi/h. Over the next hour and a half, five cars started runs, but all were waved off. By 1 p.m., still only two cars were qualified.
At 1:09 p.m., Mario Andretti
took to the track. Despite hot conditions, and gusty winds, Andretti took the pole position with a speed of 215.39 mi/h. After Andretti's run, sparse activity took place until late in the day. Most teams stayed off the track altogether. Veteran drivers, Johnny Rutherford
and Dick Simon
managed successful runs, and filled the field to five cars.
Jim Crawford
, a darkhorse
favorite for the front row, made his first attempt at 2:25 p.m. The crew waved off after a slower-than-expected speed. A little over an hour later, Crawford returned to the track. After a quick warm-up lap, he lost control in turn one, and hit the wall nose-first. He suffered severe ankle injuries, and was sidelined for the rest of the year. Johnny Parsons
also brushed the wall in turn 2 during a practice run, upping the total to 15 accidents during the month.
Late in the day, several veterans took to the track in an attempt to qualify. Among the fastest were Roberto Guerrero
and Arie Luyendyk
. Shortly after 5 p.m., A. J. Foyt
qualified in 4th position, extending his streak to a record 30 consecutive Indy 500 races. With reluctance, Danny Sullivan
completed a slow qualifying run his PC-16/Chevrolet.
At the close of pole day, only 11 cars had completed qualifying runs.
, his second crash in three days.
Former winner Gordon Johncock
was announced as the replacement for the injured Jim Crawford
. Johncock initially retired before the 1985 race, but had tentative plans for a return in 1986. Johncock was expected to immediately begin practicing on the track.
The second day of time trials opened with two attempts, by rookie Ludwig Heimrath, Jr. and Rich Vogler
. Over hour and half hours later, more cars lined up to qualify. By the end of the day, the field was filled to 18 cars, with Heimrath the fastest of the afternoon. Among those not yet in the field were Al Unser, Jr.
, Tom Sneva
, and Kevin Cogan
.
Gordon Johncock
took to the track for his first stint of laps at speed. At night, the first significant rain in many days washed the track of some rubber buildup.
May 12
On Tuesday May 12, Penske Racing
driver Danny Ongais
was officially withdrawn from his entry. Following his crash on May 7, Ongais suffered a concussion, was not medically cleared to drive. No replacement was yet announced, but Al Unser, Sr.
was rumored as the choice.
Track activity was leisurely, with Mario Andretti
leading the speed chart at 212.916 in a back-up car. Rookie Fabrizio Barbazza
was the fastest driver not yet qualified at 206.091. Dominic Dobson
, another rookie, used the afternoon to finish the final phases of his rookie test.
May 13
On Wednesday May 13, three-time Indy 500 winner Al Unser, Sr.
was officially announced as the replacement for the injured Danny Ongais
at Penske Racing
. Unser
took his first laps of the month, driving a newly-arrived 1986 March
/Cosworth
. Unser had entered the month unemployed, and was at the track supporting his son Al Unser, Jr.
in his efforts at Doug Shierson Racing
. Unser, Jr. struggled to get his car up to speed during the first week of practice, and was unable to qualify during the first weekend of time trials. Unser, Sr. planned to go home to Albuquerque
by Monday, but decided to stay through the week to help Unser, Jr. get up to speed. About a day later, he was approached to drive for Penske.
Al Unser, Sr.'s Penske Racing
teammate Danny Sullivan
started taking laps for the first time in another 1986 March
chassis, powered by an Ilmor Chevrolet Indy V-8. Plans were being made to withdraw Sullivan's PC-16/Chevrolet from the qualified field, and re-qualify in the year-old March.
Late in the day by Geoff Brabham
broke a wheel, and slid into the wall in turn three. It was the 19th crash of the month.
May 14
On Thursday May 14, Al Unser, Jr.
, after two weeks of struggling with speed, led the non-qualified cars at 208.913 mi/h. Mario Andretti
continued to practice in his back-up car, posting the fourth-fastest speed of the day. Two single-car crashes by Johnny Parsons
and Rick Miaskiewicz
respectively, brought the total of the month to 21 crashes. Parsons suffered a broken ankle, and was sidelined for the rest of the month.
May 15
The final regular day of practice took place on Friday May 15. Dennis Firestone
suffered his second crash in a week, and 22nd overall for the month. In turn four, he slid into the outside wall, suffering a neck fracture and concussion. Al Unser, Jr.
again led the non-qualified cars at 210.231 mi/h.
Among the veterans qualifying early on were Al Unser, Jr.
, Gordon Johncock
, and Al Unser, Sr.
Danny Sullivan
withdrew his already-qualified PC-16 Chevrolet, and re-qualified with a 1986 March/Chevrolet. His qualifying speed increased by 5 mi/h.
Late in the afternoon, Kevin Cogan
made the field, as well as Tony Bettenhausen
. Tom Sneva
, after two crashes during the month, finally put a car in the field at over 207 mi/h. Shortly after, the track closed for the day.
was the first driver to attempt to qualify, but waved off after only one lap of 195 mi/h. Pancho Carter
withdrew his qualified car, and re-qualified faster in a backup.
Phil Krueger
was the third car out on the track, and his first lap would have been fast enough to ultimately make the field. On his second lap, however, he dipped low in turn one, hit the outside wall, then spun and hit the wall again. It was the 24th crash of the month. After the crash, the track stayed mostly quiet until 4:45 p.m.
Steve Chassey
made his second attempt to qualify, but again waved off following three, slow, inconsistent laps. Rocky Moran
was next, and despite only a 199 mi/h average, he completed his run. Dominic Dobson
and Davy Jones
(driving for Foyt Racing
) then filled the field to 33 cars.
With 49 minutes to go before the 6:00 p.m. gun
, George Snider
took another Foyt
back up car and bumped Rocky Moran
. It was the fourth Foyt entry to qualify for the field. The move left Dominic Dobson
(201.240 mph) on the bubble. Dobson survived attempts by Ed Pimm
and Rick Miaskiewicz
, and by 5:30, still clung to the starting field.
Steve Chassey
made his third and final allotted attempt to bump his way into the field. At 202.488 mi/h, he bumped his way into the field by just over 1 second. Sammy Swindell
(201.840 mph) then found himself on the bubble. Ed Pimm
easily bumped him out. That move dropped Chassey down to the bubble spot. In the final 20 minutes, Chassey held on, and the field was set.
About a half hour into the session, A. J. Foyt
, who qualified 4th on the grid, got into turbulence in turn one. He lost control, did a half spin, and crashed hard into the wall. About an hour later, Emerson Fittipaldi
, nursing an ill-handling car, spun and crashed in turn three.
Foyt's car was deemed repairable, and he was able to start in his qualified position. Fittipaldi's car, however, was a total
loss, and he would be required to start a backup car on race day. He was moved from the 10th starting position to the rear of the field.
Mario Andretti
continued his complete dominance of the month, and posted the fastest lap of the day. His speed of 211.515 mi/h was over 4 mi/h faster than Rick Mears
, who was second-fastest. Likewise, Andretti
marched closer towards a clean sweep for the month, guiding his Newman Haas
team to a win in the Miller Indy Pit Stop Championship. He beat Bobby Rahal
(Truesports
racing) in the final round.
caught fire, with a turbocharger
failure. Snider pulled into the pits, as the rest of the field took the green flag. Mario Andretti
charged from the pole position, and led the field into turn one.
In the first turn of the first lap, Josele Garza
was down low on the white line, and lost the back end of the car. Right next to Al Unser, Sr.
, he started spinning. Unser slipped by cleanly, but reported being tagged gently from behind. Garza spun up the track, and collected Pancho Carter
. Neither driver was injured, but both cars suffered damage.
Around the 100 miles (160.9 km) mark, several cars were dropping out of contention. Kevin Cogan
blew an engine, Randy Lewis dropped out, and Michael Andretti
broke a CV joint, then had a pit fire. On lap 34, Bobby Rahal
, who had been running as high as second, made an unscheduled, five minute long pit stop due to an electrical problem. After several long stops, Rahal would eventually drop out.
Mario Andretti continued to dominate, giving up the lead temporarily only through the sequence of pit stops. Roberto Guerrero
and Danny Sullivan
consistently were chasing him. Shortly before the halfway point, Rick Mears
was forced to the pits with an electrical problem, and would also be forced to drop out.
At the 90 lap mark, Al Unser, Sr.
had worked up to 4th, and Tom Sneva
5th. Andretti was still dominating, running laps in the low 200's mph range, while most other cars were in the 190 mi/h range, or slower. Dick Simon
was running 7th, but ran the car out of fuel on the backstrech. He lost several laps as he was towed back to the pits, but received fuel, and returned to the track.
continued in the second half, leading Roberto Guerrero
by several seconds. The rest of the field was at least one lap down. Several of the other competitors were falling by the wayside, including A. J. Foyt
(who was running 9th) and Rich Vogler
. Sullivan and Unser, Sr., both in the top 5, were now close to 2 laps down. Meanwhile, Tom Sneva
and Arie Luyendyk
, clinging to the top eight, both started losing ground to Fabrizio Barbazza
.
started suffering a handling problem exiting turn two. Down the backstrech, his right-front wheel lug nut may have come off the car, and the wheel began to loosen. In turn three, the wheel came off and began rolling though the north short chute. Second place Roberto Guerrero
came up on the wheel suddenly, and hit it with his nosecone. The nosecone cover was broken off, and the wheel was punted high into the air. The wheel cleared the catchfencing, and flew towards the "K" grandstand. Spectators were witnessed fleeing the seating in a "V" shape as the 18-pound wheel headed their direction. The wheel came down and struck 41-year-old Lyle Kurtenbach of Rothschild, Wisconsin
in the head, sitting in the top row the grandstand. He suffered massive head injuries, and was pronounced dead at Methodist Hospital
shortly afterwards. The wheel bounded and came to rest in the tunnel underneath the north short chute.
Guererro slowed, and nursed his car back to the pits. Under the caution flag, the pit crew worked to replace the nosecone, and got Guerrero back on to the track, albeit a lap down. It was not immediately discovered at the time, but striking the tire had damamged the clutch
master cylinder
, which was located in the nose. Fluid had begun to leak from the cylinder, which would ultimately render the clutch inoperable. At speed, use of the clutch was unnecessary, but exiting the pits would pose increasing difficulty.
The incident was reported live on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network
by fourth turn reporter Bob Jenkins
. The extent of injury, was unknown at the time. The live ABC television broadcast, however, was at commercial when it occurred. During the commercial, the incident was noticed by the producers and commentators. When they returned on-air, however, footage of the incident was not shown, nor where specific details given of what had occurred. Instead, still images of Guererro's nosecone and pit crew were shown. No further information was given during the remainder of the race. During the post-race coverage, Jim McKay
briefly announced on-air that the Associated Press
wire service
was reporting that a spectator fatality had occurred, but he did not connect the incidents.
held a one-lap lead over second place Roberto Guerrero
, and an almost two-lap lead over third place Al Unser, Sr.
The field had dwindeled down to only 12 cars running, most of which were many laps down. With Rick Mears
and Danny Sullivan
both out of the race, Roger Penske
took over the pit of Unser, Sr.
Andretti and Guerrero both had one final fuel stop to make. Unser, Sr., however, had already made his final pit stop. Roger Penske called Unser into the pits early, in an effort to "put the pressure on Guerrero" in hopes of moving up to second place.
After leading 170 laps, Mario Andretti
sudden slowed down the frontstrech on lap 177. An electrical failure in the fuel metering device
, part of the fuel injection
system, began flooding the engine with raw fuel
.
The misfortune reinforced the perceived Andretti Curse
. Andretti coasted around to the pit area, and the team immediately replaced the spark box
and wastegate
. Guererro stormed into the lead, but still had one pit stop remaining. Sitting still in the pit area, the once dominating Andretti
started slipping in the standings.
led second place Al Unser, Sr.
by almost a full lap. He came upon Unser, Sr.
in traffic, and put him a lap down on lap 180. Two laps later, Guerrero
went into the pits for his final fuel stop. With his clutch failing from the earlier incident, entering and exiting the pits was becoming increasingly difficult. During the race, Guererro had also broken third gear. While stopped in the pits, his car became stuck in gear. When refueling was complete, he attempted to pull out of the pits, but the engine stalled. Unser, Sr.
was driving through the third turn at the time. The crew refired the engine, and the car started to roll away. With Unser, Sr.
heading down the mainstrech, Guererro's car stalled once again. The lifeless car sat on the pit road as Unser, Sr.
drove by to take the lead.
Guererro finally got back on to the track with 18 laps to go. By that time, Unser, Sr.
had put him a full lap down. Meanwhile Mario Andretti
's team had made some hasty repairs, and returned him to the track. After one slow lap, still being scored in the top 8, he went back to the pits for more repairs.
Guerrero
spent the next several laps chasing Unser, Sr.
in an attempt to get his lap back. With 9 laps to go Guerrero
unlapped himself. Meanwhile, Mario Andretti
tried once again to get his car back up to speed.
Mario Andretti
's second return to the track was also short-lived, and his car stalled. His car coasted to a stop in turn four and brought out the caution on lap 192. The yellow flag bunched up the field, and allowed Guerrero
to make up the rest of the lap. he lined up only six cars behind Unser, Sr.
The green flag came out with four laps to go, and Al Unser, Sr.
held off Roberto Guerrero
by 4.496 seconds, to win his record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500 victory. By leading the final 18 laps, Unser, Sr.
tied the all time record for most laps led in Indy 500 competition. At 47 years of age, Unser became the oldest winner of the 500.
described the finish of the race for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network
.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....
. During the month of May, an unusually high 25 crashes occurred during practice and qualifying. After dominating practice, qualifying, and most of the race, leader Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
slowed with mechanical problems with only 23 laps to go. Five laps later, Al Unser, Sr.
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
assumed the lead, and won his record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
victory.
Background
Defending Indy 500 winner1986 Indianapolis 500
The 70th Indianapolis 500 was held at Indianapolis on Saturday, May 31, 1986. After being rained out on May 25–26, the race was rescheduled for the following weekend...
Bobby Rahal
Bobby Rahal
Robert "Bobby" Woodward Rahal is an American auto racing driver and team owner. As a driver, he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500...
went on to win the 1986 CART championship. During the offseason, his Truesports
Truesports
Truesports was an automobile racing team founded by Jim Trueman based in Hilliard, Ohio. The team is best known for winning the 1986 Indianapolis 500 and back-to-back CART championships in 1986 and 1987....
racing team made a highly-publicised switch from the March
March Engineering
March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better achievement in other categories of competition including Formula Two, Formula Three,...
chassis to the up and coming Lola chassis. Truesports, however, stayed with the proven Cosworth
Cosworth
Cosworth is a high performance engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in engines and electronics for automobile racing , mainstream automotive and defence industries...
engine. Rahal was a strong favorite to repeat as winner.
For 1987, the Ilmor Chevrolet Indy V-8 began expanding its participation into Indy car
American Championship Car Racing
Since 1916 there has been a recognized United States national automobile racing National Championship for drivers of professional-level, single-seat open wheel race cars. The championship has been under the auspices of several different sanctioning bodies since 1909. Since 1911, the Indianapolis...
racing. Penske Racing
Penske Racing
Penske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske...
fielded a three-car effort with the powerplant, while resuming its in-house chassis program. The PC-16 chassis was the primary car for the team, but as a backup, three 1986 March
March Engineering
March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better achievement in other categories of competition including Formula Two, Formula Three,...
chassis were also entered. Newman Haas Racing
Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing
Newman/Haas Racing was a motor racing team competing in the IndyCar Series. The team operations were based in Lincolnshire, Illinois. Newman/Haas Racing was formed when actor Paul Newman and long-time racer Carl Haas, competitors in the Can-Am championship, each began looking to Champ Car racing...
joined the Ilmor Chevrolet program, and Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
scored the engine's first victory a month earlier at Long Beach
Long Beach Grand Prix
The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is an open-wheel race held on a street circuit in Long Beach, California. Christopher Pook is the founder and promoter which began as a vision while working at a travel agency in downtown Long Beach. It was the premier circuit in the Champ Car from 1996, and...
. Patrick Racing
Patrick Racing
Patrick Racing was an auto racing team in both Champ Car and the Indy Racing League.Patrick Racing was started by Pat Patrick with the formation of CART in 1978. Patrick Racing would win three Indianapolis 500s and two CART championships, making it one of the most successful CART teams ever.In...
was the third team to utilize the Illmor Chevrolet.
During the offseason at Penske Racing
Penske Racing
Penske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske...
, three-time Indy 500 winner ('70
1970 Indianapolis 500
The 1970 Indianapolis 500 was held at Indianapolis on Saturday, May 30, 1970.Following in the footsteps of his brother, Bobby, Al Unser dominates the 500, leading 190 laps, matching Jim Clark's total in 1965, and the most since 1953, when Bill Vukovich led all but five laps in the race...
, '71
1971 Indianapolis 500
The 1971 Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 29, 1971. ABC television broadcast the race for the first time in same-day tape delay....
, '78
1978 Indianapolis 500
The 1978 Indianapolis 500 was held at Indianapolis on Sunday, May 28, 1978. For the first time, Mary Fendrich Hulman, widow of Tony Hulman, delivered the command for drivers to start engines....
), and two-time CART champion ('83, '85) Al Unser, Sr.
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
was released. Businessman and media mogul
Business magnate
A business magnate, sometimes referred to as a capitalist, czar, mogul, tycoon, baron, oligarch, or industrialist, is an informal term used to refer to an entrepreneur who has reached prominence and derived a notable amount of wealth from a particular industry .-Etymology:The word magnate itself...
Ted Field
Ted Field
Frederick Woodruff "Ted" Field is an American media mogul and entrepreneur and film producer.-Biography:Field was born in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, the son of Katherine Woodruff Fanning, an editor of the Christian Science Monitor, and Marshall Field IV, who owned the Chicago Sun-Times. He is...
arranged a deal with Roger Penske
Roger Penske
Roger S. Penske is the owner of the automobile racing team Penske Racing, the Penske Corporation, and other automotive related businesses. A winning racer in the late 1950s, Penske was named 1961's Sports Car Club of America Driver of the Year by Sports Illustrated...
to field Indy veteran Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais is a former racecar driver from the United States.He is the only native Hawaiian to compete at the Indianapolis 500...
in the third Penske entry. Unser, Sr.
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
was unable to secure a ride before the month of May, and arrived at the track unemployed.
Goodyear
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. Goodyear manufactures tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, SUVs, race cars, airplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-mover machinery....
arrived at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time with a new radial tire
Radial tire
A radial tire is a particular design of automotive tire . In this design, the cord plies are arranged at 90 degrees to the direction of travel, or radially ....
. After a few years of development in the CART series, the radials were ready for competition in the Indy 500.
The most noticeable construction project completed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....
was a series of electronic dot matrix
Dot matrix
A dot matrix is a 2-dimensional array of LED used to represent characters, symbols and images.Typically the dot matrix is used in older computer printers and many digital display devices. In printers, the dots are usually the darkened areas of the paper...
scoreboards installed around the track.
Practice - week 1
May 2Practice started on Opening Day, Saturday May 2. Rookie Ludwig Heimrath, Jr. was the first car on the track. A somewhat light day of activity saw several drivers pass their rookie tests. Michael Andretti
Michael Andretti
Michael Mario Andretti is a retired American CART and Formula One driver and owner of the Andretti Autosport team in the IndyCar Series. Andretti is the son of Mario Andretti. His son is Marco Andretti.-Early career:...
posted the fasted lap of the day, at 210.772 mi/h. His father Mario
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
, however, did not take any laps.
May 3
On the second day of practice, Sunday May 3, saw increased activity. Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
posted the fasted lap of the day at 213.371 mi/h. Later in the day, the weather cooled, and wind picked up. At 5:58 p.m., Pancho Carter
Pancho Carter
Duane "Pancho" Carter, Jr. is a retired American race car driver. He is most famous for his participation in CART races.-Background:...
suffered a spectacular crash. His car spun in turn three, air got underneath, and flipped upside-down. The car landed on the pavement on its roll bar, and proceeded to skid about 600 feet (182.9 m) through the North chute. The car hit the outside wall in turn four, and came to a rest still upside-down. Carter, however, was not seriously injured. His helmet had three major scrapes from rubbing along the pavement. Carter later proudly showed off the helmet, showing where he had rotated his head to spread the abrasion damage.
May 4
On Monday May 4, high winds kept the speeds down. Dennis Firestone
Dennis Firestone
Dennis Firestone is a former CART driver from 1979 to 1987. He was the Rookie of the year in CART 1980 season finishing in 12th in season points, his best season. His best finish in a CART race was a pair of 5th places that year...
and Roberto Guerrero
Roberto Guerrero
Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982...
tied for fast lap of the day (211.565 mph), while Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
was third.
May 5
Tuesday May 5 saw the fastest lap in Indy history to date. Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
blistered the track at an unofficial track record of 218.204 mi/h. It made him the favorite for the pole position. The next fastest time, turned in by Bobby Rahal
Bobby Rahal
Robert "Bobby" Woodward Rahal is an American auto racing driver and team owner. As a driver, he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500...
was a full 5 mi/h slower. The second crash of the month occurred, involving Dennis Firestone
Dennis Firestone
Dennis Firestone is a former CART driver from 1979 to 1987. He was the Rookie of the year in CART 1980 season finishing in 12th in season points, his best season. His best finish in a CART race was a pair of 5th places that year...
. He spun and crashed in turn four, breaking bones in his left foot and fracturing his left leg.
May 6
Four crashes occurred during practice on Wednesday May 6. Kevin Cogan
Kevin Cogan
Kevin Cogan is a former racecar driver who drove in Formula One from to . Driving a RAM Williams in the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix, he failed to qualify, suffering the same result driving for Tyrrell at the 1981 US GP West...
drifted high exiting turn 1, and crashed into the outside wall. Later, Scott Brayton
Scott Brayton
Scott Everets Brayton was a race car driver from Coldwater, Michigan, on the American open-wheel circuit. He competed in 14 Indianapolis 500s, beginning with the 1981 event...
hit the wall in turn four. Derek Daly
Derek Daly
Derek Daly is a former racing driver from the Republic of Ireland. He won the 1977 British Formula Three Championship, and competed as a professional racing driver for 17 years participating in 64 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on April 2, 1978. He scored a total of 15...
and Dick Ferguson
Dick Ferguson
Dick Ferguson , is a former driver in the CART Championship Car series. He raced in the 1979-1985 and 1987-1988 seasons, with 26 career starts, including the 1980 Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top ten 5 times, with a best finish of 6th position in 1981 at Michigan.-External Links:*...
both brushed the wall in the south short chutes, but both nursed their cars back to the pits. None of the four drivers were seriously injured. Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
continued his dominance of practice, leading the speed charts again, at 216.502 mi/h. A surprising second-fastest was Jim Crawford
Jim Crawford (driver)
Jim Crawford was a Scottish racing driver. He first came to the racing community's notice when he borrowed Stephen Choularton's Lotus 69 and won on his first outing at Croft Racing Track in the North East of England...
, driving a Buick
Buick
Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...
powered 1986 March to a lap of 215.982 mi/h. Cogan
Kevin Cogan
Kevin Cogan is a former racecar driver who drove in Formula One from to . Driving a RAM Williams in the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix, he failed to qualify, suffering the same result driving for Tyrrell at the 1981 US GP West...
, Brayton
Scott Brayton
Scott Everets Brayton was a race car driver from Coldwater, Michigan, on the American open-wheel circuit. He competed in 14 Indianapolis 500s, beginning with the 1981 event...
, and Daly
Derek Daly
Derek Daly is a former racing driver from the Republic of Ireland. He won the 1977 British Formula Three Championship, and competed as a professional racing driver for 17 years participating in 64 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on April 2, 1978. He scored a total of 15...
were all driving 1987 March
March Engineering
March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better achievement in other categories of competition including Formula Two, Formula Three,...
chassis. By mid-week, teams fielding the 1987 March chassis were finding the cars difficult to handle with the new Goodyear radial tires. Coupled with the warmer temperatures, and often windy conditions, many teams were finding the search for speed difficult.
May 7
Breezy conditions continued on Thursday May 7. The most serious crash of the month to date occurred less than an hour into the day. Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais is a former racecar driver from the United States.He is the only native Hawaiian to compete at the Indianapolis 500...
, driving the third Penske
Penske Racing
Penske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske...
entry, crashed hard into the outside wall in turn 4. He suffered a concussion and was sidelined for the rest of the month. The crash added to the frustration the Penske team
Penske Racing
Penske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske...
was having so far during the month. While they were having little trouble with the Ilmor Chevrolet engine, the PC-16 chassis was deemed a lemon
Lemon (automobile)
A lemon is a car, often new, that is found to be defective only after it has been bought. Any vehicle with numerous, severe issues can be termed a "lemon", and, by extension, any product with flaws too great or severe to serve its purpose can be described as a "lemon".-Origin:The use of the word...
. Rick Mears
Rick Mears
Rick Ravon Mears is a retired American race car driver. He is one of three men to have won the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race four times , and the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six...
and Danny Sullivan
Danny Sullivan
Daniel John "Danny" Sullivan III is a former racing driver from the United States. He is best known for winning the 1985 Indianapolis 500.-Before racing:...
were struggling to keep pace, and were rarely amongst the top ten each day on the speed chart. Meanwhile, Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
continued to top the speed chart, again by 2 mi/h, with a lap at 218.234 mi/h. Rocky Moran
Rocky Moran
Rocky Moran, Sr. is a retired American race car driver. Moran, Sr. started three Indianapolis races with a best finish of 14th in 1989....
upped the crash tally for the week to eight, when he crashed exiting turn 2.
Late in the afternoon of May 7, Penske Racing
Penske Racing
Penske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske...
decided to park the PC-16 chassis in favor of their stable of 1986 Marches
March Engineering
March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better achievement in other categories of competition including Formula Two, Formula Three,...
. However, none were presently at the track, nor immediately race ready. In some cases, they were serving as show car
Show car
A show car, sometimes called a dream car, is a custom-made automobile created specifically for public display, rather than sale. They are shown at auto shows and other exhibitions.Show cars generally fall into one or more of three categories:...
s. The first car would arrive the following morning, and Rick Mears
Rick Mears
Rick Ravon Mears is a retired American race car driver. He is one of three men to have won the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race four times , and the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six...
and Danny Sullivan
Danny Sullivan
Daniel John "Danny" Sullivan III is a former racing driver from the United States. He is best known for winning the 1985 Indianapolis 500.-Before racing:...
flipped a coin to see who would drive it. Mears won the toss.
May 8
The final day of practice, Friday May 8 was warm and windy. Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
led the speed chart once again (216.242 mph), but Bobby Rahal
Bobby Rahal
Robert "Bobby" Woodward Rahal is an American auto racing driver and team owner. As a driver, he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500...
was a close second (215.568 mph). Four more crashes occurred, bringing the total for the month to twelve. Tom Sneva
Tom Sneva
Tom Sneva is a former Indy Car driver who was named to the prestigious Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2005. Sneva is best remembered for winning the 1983 Indianapolis 500. Nicknamed "The Gas Man," Sneva was an outstanding qualifier, winning the pole position for the Indianapolis 500 three...
crashed exiting turn one. Dick Ferguson
Dick Ferguson
Dick Ferguson , is a former driver in the CART Championship Car series. He raced in the 1979-1985 and 1987-1988 seasons, with 26 career starts, including the 1980 Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top ten 5 times, with a best finish of 6th position in 1981 at Michigan.-External Links:*...
crashed for the second time, and suffered major damage. Gary Bettenhausen
Gary Bettenhausen
Gary Bettenhausen is a retired American auto racing driver. He was born in Blue Island, Illinois, raised in Tinley Park, Illinois, and currently resides in Monrovia, Indiana.-Racing family:...
spun, and Phil Krueger
Phil Krueger
Phil Krueger , is a former driver in the CART Championship Car series. He raced in 9 seasons , with 23 career starts, including the 1986 and 1988 Indianapolis 500...
suffered rear suspension damage after tagging the turn four wall.
Pole day qualifying
During morning practice on Saturday May 9, Bobby RahalBobby Rahal
Robert "Bobby" Woodward Rahal is an American auto racing driver and team owner. As a driver, he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500...
led the speed chart at 216.609 mi/h. Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
was second-fastest. Rick Mears
Rick Mears
Rick Ravon Mears is a retired American race car driver. He is one of three men to have won the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race four times , and the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six...
, who only a day earlier stepped into a 1986 Marches
March Engineering
March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better achievement in other categories of competition including Formula Two, Formula Three,...
, already had the car up to speed at 213.371 mi/h. Stan Fox
Stan Fox
Stan Fox was a United States open wheel race car driver. Fox was one of the last links between the midget car racing world and the Indianapolis 500.-Midget car career:...
was involved in the 13th crash of the month, when he spun out of turn three and tapped the inside wall.
Hot and windy conditions were observed during pole day. Many teams who had struggled during the week with handling problems, sat idle on pole day, waiting for better track conditions. The first two cars waved off, and Rick Mears
Rick Mears
Rick Ravon Mears is a retired American race car driver. He is one of three men to have won the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race four times , and the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six...
became the first car in the field at 211.467 mi/h.
Bobby Rahal
Bobby Rahal
Robert "Bobby" Woodward Rahal is an American auto racing driver and team owner. As a driver, he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500...
secured the provisional pole with a run of 213.316 mi/h. Over the next hour and a half, five cars started runs, but all were waved off. By 1 p.m., still only two cars were qualified.
At 1:09 p.m., Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
took to the track. Despite hot conditions, and gusty winds, Andretti took the pole position with a speed of 215.39 mi/h. After Andretti's run, sparse activity took place until late in the day. Most teams stayed off the track altogether. Veteran drivers, Johnny Rutherford
Johnny Rutherford
For the Major League Baseball pitcher, see Johnny Rutherford . For other people with a similar name, see John RutherfordJohn Sherman Rutherford III , better known as Johnny Rutherford, and also known as "Lone Star JR" is a former U.S...
and Dick Simon
Dick Simon
Dick Simon is one of the oldest men to ever have raced in the Indianapolis 500. He was 55 years old during his final Indy 500 start in 1988. A multiple starter and top-ten finisher in the race, he also became a car owner, founding Dick Simon Racing helping to begin the IndyCar careers of Stéphan...
managed successful runs, and filled the field to five cars.
Jim Crawford
Jim Crawford (driver)
Jim Crawford was a Scottish racing driver. He first came to the racing community's notice when he borrowed Stephen Choularton's Lotus 69 and won on his first outing at Croft Racing Track in the North East of England...
, a darkhorse
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
favorite for the front row, made his first attempt at 2:25 p.m. The crew waved off after a slower-than-expected speed. A little over an hour later, Crawford returned to the track. After a quick warm-up lap, he lost control in turn one, and hit the wall nose-first. He suffered severe ankle injuries, and was sidelined for the rest of the year. Johnny Parsons
Johnny Parsons
Johnny Parsons is an American racecar driver.-Racing family:Parsons is the son of Arza and 1950 Indianapolis 500 winner Johnnie Parsons. His parents divorced, and Johnny was raised with half-brothers Dana and Pancho Carter, the product of Arza'a marriage with Duane Carter. The Carters grew up...
also brushed the wall in turn 2 during a practice run, upping the total to 15 accidents during the month.
Late in the day, several veterans took to the track in an attempt to qualify. Among the fastest were Roberto Guerrero
Roberto Guerrero
Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982...
and Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500....
. Shortly after 5 p.m., A. J. Foyt
A. J. Foyt
Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr., or as he is universally known as in motorsports circles, A. J. Foyt , is a retired American automobile racing driver. He raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes USAC Champ cars and midget cars. He raced stock cars in NASCAR and USAC. He won...
qualified in 4th position, extending his streak to a record 30 consecutive Indy 500 races. With reluctance, Danny Sullivan
Danny Sullivan
Daniel John "Danny" Sullivan III is a former racing driver from the United States. He is best known for winning the 1985 Indianapolis 500.-Before racing:...
completed a slow qualifying run his PC-16/Chevrolet.
At the close of pole day, only 11 cars had completed qualifying runs.
Second day qualifying
Three more crashes occurred on Sunday May 10, lifting the total for the month to 18. The most serious by Tom SnevaTom Sneva
Tom Sneva is a former Indy Car driver who was named to the prestigious Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2005. Sneva is best remembered for winning the 1983 Indianapolis 500. Nicknamed "The Gas Man," Sneva was an outstanding qualifier, winning the pole position for the Indianapolis 500 three...
, his second crash in three days.
Former winner Gordon Johncock
Gordon Johncock
Gordon Johncock is a former racing driver, best known as a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 and the 1976 USAC Marlboro Championship Trail champion. Johncock was most often simply referred to as "Gordy."...
was announced as the replacement for the injured Jim Crawford
Jim Crawford (driver)
Jim Crawford was a Scottish racing driver. He first came to the racing community's notice when he borrowed Stephen Choularton's Lotus 69 and won on his first outing at Croft Racing Track in the North East of England...
. Johncock initially retired before the 1985 race, but had tentative plans for a return in 1986. Johncock was expected to immediately begin practicing on the track.
The second day of time trials opened with two attempts, by rookie Ludwig Heimrath, Jr. and Rich Vogler
Rich Vogler
Rich Vogler was a champion sprint car and midget car driver. He was nicknamed "Rapid Rich". He competed in the Indianapolis 500 five times, his best finish was eighth in 1989.-Racing career:...
. Over hour and half hours later, more cars lined up to qualify. By the end of the day, the field was filled to 18 cars, with Heimrath the fastest of the afternoon. Among those not yet in the field were Al Unser, Jr.
Al Unser, Jr.
Alfred Unser, Jr. , nicknamed "Little Al", "Al Junior" or simply "Junior" is a retired American race car driver and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner.-History:...
, Tom Sneva
Tom Sneva
Tom Sneva is a former Indy Car driver who was named to the prestigious Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2005. Sneva is best remembered for winning the 1983 Indianapolis 500. Nicknamed "The Gas Man," Sneva was an outstanding qualifier, winning the pole position for the Indianapolis 500 three...
, and Kevin Cogan
Kevin Cogan
Kevin Cogan is a former racecar driver who drove in Formula One from to . Driving a RAM Williams in the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix, he failed to qualify, suffering the same result driving for Tyrrell at the 1981 US GP West...
.
Practice - week 2
May 11Gordon Johncock
Gordon Johncock
Gordon Johncock is a former racing driver, best known as a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 and the 1976 USAC Marlboro Championship Trail champion. Johncock was most often simply referred to as "Gordy."...
took to the track for his first stint of laps at speed. At night, the first significant rain in many days washed the track of some rubber buildup.
May 12
On Tuesday May 12, Penske Racing
Penske Racing
Penske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske...
driver Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais is a former racecar driver from the United States.He is the only native Hawaiian to compete at the Indianapolis 500...
was officially withdrawn from his entry. Following his crash on May 7, Ongais suffered a concussion, was not medically cleared to drive. No replacement was yet announced, but Al Unser, Sr.
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
was rumored as the choice.
Track activity was leisurely, with Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
leading the speed chart at 212.916 in a back-up car. Rookie Fabrizio Barbazza
Fabrizio Barbazza
Fabrizio Barbazza is an Italian former Formula One driver who raced for the AGS and Minardi teams.-Career:...
was the fastest driver not yet qualified at 206.091. Dominic Dobson
Dominic Dobson
Dominic Dobson is a German-born former CART and Craftsman Truck Series driver who made 7 starts in the Indianapolis 500 with a best finish of 12th in 1992, over 60 starts in the CART , with a best finish of 3rd at the Michigan 500 in 1994...
, another rookie, used the afternoon to finish the final phases of his rookie test.
May 13
On Wednesday May 13, three-time Indy 500 winner Al Unser, Sr.
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
was officially announced as the replacement for the injured Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais is a former racecar driver from the United States.He is the only native Hawaiian to compete at the Indianapolis 500...
at Penske Racing
Penske Racing
Penske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske...
. Unser
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
took his first laps of the month, driving a newly-arrived 1986 March
March Engineering
March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better achievement in other categories of competition including Formula Two, Formula Three,...
/Cosworth
Cosworth
Cosworth is a high performance engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in engines and electronics for automobile racing , mainstream automotive and defence industries...
. Unser had entered the month unemployed, and was at the track supporting his son Al Unser, Jr.
Al Unser, Jr.
Alfred Unser, Jr. , nicknamed "Little Al", "Al Junior" or simply "Junior" is a retired American race car driver and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner.-History:...
in his efforts at Doug Shierson Racing
Doug Shierson Racing
Doug Shierson Racing is a former racing team that competed in the CART Championship Car Series from 1982 to 1990. The team was sponsored by Domino's Pizza for its entire run in CART.-Early years:...
. Unser, Jr. struggled to get his car up to speed during the first week of practice, and was unable to qualify during the first weekend of time trials. Unser, Sr. planned to go home to Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
by Monday, but decided to stay through the week to help Unser, Jr. get up to speed. About a day later, he was approached to drive for Penske.
Al Unser, Sr.'s Penske Racing
Penske Racing
Penske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske...
teammate Danny Sullivan
Danny Sullivan
Daniel John "Danny" Sullivan III is a former racing driver from the United States. He is best known for winning the 1985 Indianapolis 500.-Before racing:...
started taking laps for the first time in another 1986 March
March Engineering
March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better achievement in other categories of competition including Formula Two, Formula Three,...
chassis, powered by an Ilmor Chevrolet Indy V-8. Plans were being made to withdraw Sullivan's PC-16/Chevrolet from the qualified field, and re-qualify in the year-old March.
Late in the day by Geoff Brabham
Geoff Brabham
Geoff Brabham is an Australian racing driver. He is the son of three-time Formula One World Champion Jack Brabham. Brabham spent the majority of his racing career in the United States. He raced successfully in CART early in his career. In ten appearances in the Indianapolis 500, with a best result...
broke a wheel, and slid into the wall in turn three. It was the 19th crash of the month.
May 14
On Thursday May 14, Al Unser, Jr.
Al Unser, Jr.
Alfred Unser, Jr. , nicknamed "Little Al", "Al Junior" or simply "Junior" is a retired American race car driver and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner.-History:...
, after two weeks of struggling with speed, led the non-qualified cars at 208.913 mi/h. Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
continued to practice in his back-up car, posting the fourth-fastest speed of the day. Two single-car crashes by Johnny Parsons
Johnny Parsons
Johnny Parsons is an American racecar driver.-Racing family:Parsons is the son of Arza and 1950 Indianapolis 500 winner Johnnie Parsons. His parents divorced, and Johnny was raised with half-brothers Dana and Pancho Carter, the product of Arza'a marriage with Duane Carter. The Carters grew up...
and Rick Miaskiewicz
Rick Miaskiewicz
Rick Miaskiewicz is a former American race car driver from Pittsburgh. He won the Can-Am championship in 1985, the series' next to last year of operations and then moved to the CART series for 1986. He competed in five races in a Cosworth powered March chassis. He returned the following year...
respectively, brought the total of the month to 21 crashes. Parsons suffered a broken ankle, and was sidelined for the rest of the month.
May 15
The final regular day of practice took place on Friday May 15. Dennis Firestone
Dennis Firestone
Dennis Firestone is a former CART driver from 1979 to 1987. He was the Rookie of the year in CART 1980 season finishing in 12th in season points, his best season. His best finish in a CART race was a pair of 5th places that year...
suffered his second crash in a week, and 22nd overall for the month. In turn four, he slid into the outside wall, suffering a neck fracture and concussion. Al Unser, Jr.
Al Unser, Jr.
Alfred Unser, Jr. , nicknamed "Little Al", "Al Junior" or simply "Junior" is a retired American race car driver and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner.-History:...
again led the non-qualified cars at 210.231 mi/h.
Third day qualifying
The third day of time trials took place on Saturday May 16. Several veteran drivers, as well as a couple rookies, completed qualifying runs, and filled the field to 30 cars.Among the veterans qualifying early on were Al Unser, Jr.
Al Unser, Jr.
Alfred Unser, Jr. , nicknamed "Little Al", "Al Junior" or simply "Junior" is a retired American race car driver and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner.-History:...
, Gordon Johncock
Gordon Johncock
Gordon Johncock is a former racing driver, best known as a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 and the 1976 USAC Marlboro Championship Trail champion. Johncock was most often simply referred to as "Gordy."...
, and Al Unser, Sr.
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
Danny Sullivan
Danny Sullivan
Daniel John "Danny" Sullivan III is a former racing driver from the United States. He is best known for winning the 1985 Indianapolis 500.-Before racing:...
withdrew his already-qualified PC-16 Chevrolet, and re-qualified with a 1986 March/Chevrolet. His qualifying speed increased by 5 mi/h.
Late in the afternoon, Kevin Cogan
Kevin Cogan
Kevin Cogan is a former racecar driver who drove in Formula One from to . Driving a RAM Williams in the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix, he failed to qualify, suffering the same result driving for Tyrrell at the 1981 US GP West...
made the field, as well as Tony Bettenhausen
Tony Bettenhausen, Jr.
Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. was a Champ Car team owner and driver who died in a 2000 plane crash. He was the son of former 14-time Indianapolis 500 competitor Tony Bettenhausen and the brother of 21-time Indy racer Gary Bettenhausen. The family holds the dubious distinction of the most combined starts...
. Tom Sneva
Tom Sneva
Tom Sneva is a former Indy Car driver who was named to the prestigious Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2005. Sneva is best remembered for winning the 1983 Indianapolis 500. Nicknamed "The Gas Man," Sneva was an outstanding qualifier, winning the pole position for the Indianapolis 500 three...
, after two crashes during the month, finally put a car in the field at over 207 mi/h. Shortly after, the track closed for the day.
Bump day qualifying
The final day of qualifying was held on Sunday May 17. At the start of the day, three positions in the starting field were vacant. Steve ChasseySteve Chassey
Steve Chassey , is a former driver in the CART Championship Car series. He raced in 9 seasons , with 44 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in 1983, 1987, and 1988. He finished in the top ten 4 times, with his best finish in 5th position in 1981 at Watkins Glen International...
was the first driver to attempt to qualify, but waved off after only one lap of 195 mi/h. Pancho Carter
Pancho Carter
Duane "Pancho" Carter, Jr. is a retired American race car driver. He is most famous for his participation in CART races.-Background:...
withdrew his qualified car, and re-qualified faster in a backup.
Phil Krueger
Phil Krueger
Phil Krueger , is a former driver in the CART Championship Car series. He raced in 9 seasons , with 23 career starts, including the 1986 and 1988 Indianapolis 500...
was the third car out on the track, and his first lap would have been fast enough to ultimately make the field. On his second lap, however, he dipped low in turn one, hit the outside wall, then spun and hit the wall again. It was the 24th crash of the month. After the crash, the track stayed mostly quiet until 4:45 p.m.
Steve Chassey
Steve Chassey
Steve Chassey , is a former driver in the CART Championship Car series. He raced in 9 seasons , with 44 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in 1983, 1987, and 1988. He finished in the top ten 4 times, with his best finish in 5th position in 1981 at Watkins Glen International...
made his second attempt to qualify, but again waved off following three, slow, inconsistent laps. Rocky Moran
Rocky Moran
Rocky Moran, Sr. is a retired American race car driver. Moran, Sr. started three Indianapolis races with a best finish of 14th in 1989....
was next, and despite only a 199 mi/h average, he completed his run. Dominic Dobson
Dominic Dobson
Dominic Dobson is a German-born former CART and Craftsman Truck Series driver who made 7 starts in the Indianapolis 500 with a best finish of 12th in 1992, over 60 starts in the CART , with a best finish of 3rd at the Michigan 500 in 1994...
and Davy Jones
Davy Jones (racing driver)
Davy Jones is an American racing driver.In 1983 he came 3rd in the British Formula Three Championship behind Ayrton Senna and Martin Brundle. He also that year tested the Brabham F1 car at Brands Hatch with Bernie Ecclestone, the then team owner, looking at Jones as the next American hope for F1...
(driving for Foyt Racing
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
A.J. Foyt Enterprises is a racing team in the IZOD Indycar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A. J. Foyt. Foyt Enterprises won IRL titles in 1996 with Scott Sharp and 1998 with Kenny Bräck, the latter driver also winning the Indianapolis 500 for the team...
) then filled the field to 33 cars.
With 49 minutes to go before the 6:00 p.m. gun
Starting pistol
A starting pistol or starter pistol is a handgun or electronic toy weapon that is fired to start track and field races, as well as competitive swimming races at some meets. The loud report of the gun going off is a signal to the athletes to begin the event. Usually a cloud of smoke can be seen...
, George Snider
George Snider
George "Ziggy" Snider is a retired American race car driver. A longtime driver in the United States Automobile Club Silver Crown series, Snider is also a 22-time starter of the Indianapolis 500, the most starts without winning the race. His best finish was eighth in the 1975 Indianapolis 500...
took another Foyt
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
A.J. Foyt Enterprises is a racing team in the IZOD Indycar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A. J. Foyt. Foyt Enterprises won IRL titles in 1996 with Scott Sharp and 1998 with Kenny Bräck, the latter driver also winning the Indianapolis 500 for the team...
back up car and bumped Rocky Moran
Rocky Moran
Rocky Moran, Sr. is a retired American race car driver. Moran, Sr. started three Indianapolis races with a best finish of 14th in 1989....
. It was the fourth Foyt entry to qualify for the field. The move left Dominic Dobson
Dominic Dobson
Dominic Dobson is a German-born former CART and Craftsman Truck Series driver who made 7 starts in the Indianapolis 500 with a best finish of 12th in 1992, over 60 starts in the CART , with a best finish of 3rd at the Michigan 500 in 1994...
(201.240 mph) on the bubble. Dobson survived attempts by Ed Pimm
Ed Pimm
Ed Pimm , is a former driver in the CART Championship Car series.He raced in the 1984-1988 seasons, with 42 career starts, including the 1985-1987 Indianapolis 500s. He drove two CART events for Gary Trout Motorsports finishing 12th at Mid-Ohio and 14th at Elkart Lake...
and Rick Miaskiewicz
Rick Miaskiewicz
Rick Miaskiewicz is a former American race car driver from Pittsburgh. He won the Can-Am championship in 1985, the series' next to last year of operations and then moved to the CART series for 1986. He competed in five races in a Cosworth powered March chassis. He returned the following year...
, and by 5:30, still clung to the starting field.
Steve Chassey
Steve Chassey
Steve Chassey , is a former driver in the CART Championship Car series. He raced in 9 seasons , with 44 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in 1983, 1987, and 1988. He finished in the top ten 4 times, with his best finish in 5th position in 1981 at Watkins Glen International...
made his third and final allotted attempt to bump his way into the field. At 202.488 mi/h, he bumped his way into the field by just over 1 second. Sammy Swindell
Sammy Swindell
Samuel Alan "Sammy" Swindell is a three-time World of Outlaws champion, winning the title in 1981, 1982, and 1997, with hundreds of A-main victories to his credit. He also competed in the CART series in 1985 and 1986 and failed to qualify for the 1987 Indianapolis 500 in a March-Pontiac...
(201.840 mph) then found himself on the bubble. Ed Pimm
Ed Pimm
Ed Pimm , is a former driver in the CART Championship Car series.He raced in the 1984-1988 seasons, with 42 career starts, including the 1985-1987 Indianapolis 500s. He drove two CART events for Gary Trout Motorsports finishing 12th at Mid-Ohio and 14th at Elkart Lake...
easily bumped him out. That move dropped Chassey down to the bubble spot. In the final 20 minutes, Chassey held on, and the field was set.
Carburetion Day
On Thursday May 21, the final scheduled practice session was held. The weather continued to be hot and dry. Two incidents during the session altered the grid for race day, bringing the total for the month to 25 crashes leading up to the race.About a half hour into the session, A. J. Foyt
A. J. Foyt
Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr., or as he is universally known as in motorsports circles, A. J. Foyt , is a retired American automobile racing driver. He raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes USAC Champ cars and midget cars. He raced stock cars in NASCAR and USAC. He won...
, who qualified 4th on the grid, got into turbulence in turn one. He lost control, did a half spin, and crashed hard into the wall. About an hour later, Emerson Fittipaldi
Emerson Fittipaldi
Emerson Fittipaldi |São Paulo]], Brazil) is a Brazilian automobile racing driver who throughout a long and successful career won the Indianapolis 500 twice and championships in both Formula One and CART.-Early and personal life:...
, nursing an ill-handling car, spun and crashed in turn three.
Foyt's car was deemed repairable, and he was able to start in his qualified position. Fittipaldi's car, however, was a total
Totaled
In motor insurance, a total loss is a situation in which a vehicle is damaged and the cost of repair and salvage would exceed the vehicle's market value...
loss, and he would be required to start a backup car on race day. He was moved from the 10th starting position to the rear of the field.
Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
continued his complete dominance of the month, and posted the fastest lap of the day. His speed of 211.515 mi/h was over 4 mi/h faster than Rick Mears
Rick Mears
Rick Ravon Mears is a retired American race car driver. He is one of three men to have won the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race four times , and the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six...
, who was second-fastest. Likewise, Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
marched closer towards a clean sweep for the month, guiding his Newman Haas
Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing
Newman/Haas Racing was a motor racing team competing in the IndyCar Series. The team operations were based in Lincolnshire, Illinois. Newman/Haas Racing was formed when actor Paul Newman and long-time racer Carl Haas, competitors in the Can-Am championship, each began looking to Champ Car racing...
team to a win in the Miller Indy Pit Stop Championship. He beat Bobby Rahal
Bobby Rahal
Robert "Bobby" Woodward Rahal is an American auto racing driver and team owner. As a driver, he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500...
(Truesports
Truesports
Truesports was an automobile racing team founded by Jim Trueman based in Hilliard, Ohio. The team is best known for winning the 1986 Indianapolis 500 and back-to-back CART championships in 1986 and 1987....
racing) in the final round.
Start
Race day dawned warm with clear blue skies. During the pace lap, the car of George SniderGeorge Snider
George "Ziggy" Snider is a retired American race car driver. A longtime driver in the United States Automobile Club Silver Crown series, Snider is also a 22-time starter of the Indianapolis 500, the most starts without winning the race. His best finish was eighth in the 1975 Indianapolis 500...
caught fire, with a turbocharger
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
failure. Snider pulled into the pits, as the rest of the field took the green flag. Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
charged from the pole position, and led the field into turn one.
In the first turn of the first lap, Josele Garza
Josele Garza
Josele Garza is a Mexican professional race car driver. He started seven Indianapolis 500 races. Garza was the 1981 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year after rolling off sixth and finishing 23rd at the age of 19...
was down low on the white line, and lost the back end of the car. Right next to Al Unser, Sr.
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
, he started spinning. Unser slipped by cleanly, but reported being tagged gently from behind. Garza spun up the track, and collected Pancho Carter
Pancho Carter
Duane "Pancho" Carter, Jr. is a retired American race car driver. He is most famous for his participation in CART races.-Background:...
. Neither driver was injured, but both cars suffered damage.
First half
On lap 6, the green came back out, with Mario Andretti continuing to lead. Driving at a blistering pace, it took only 7 laps for him to start lapping backmarkers. On lap 25, Ludwig Heimrath, Jr. was running 7th, and made his first pit stop, but one of the wheels was not properly secured. The wheel came off, and he spun in turn four. Under the caution, Mario Andretti pitted, and managed to stay in the lead. Only 7 cars remained on the lead lap.Around the 100 miles (160.9 km) mark, several cars were dropping out of contention. Kevin Cogan
Kevin Cogan
Kevin Cogan is a former racecar driver who drove in Formula One from to . Driving a RAM Williams in the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix, he failed to qualify, suffering the same result driving for Tyrrell at the 1981 US GP West...
blew an engine, Randy Lewis dropped out, and Michael Andretti
Michael Andretti
Michael Mario Andretti is a retired American CART and Formula One driver and owner of the Andretti Autosport team in the IndyCar Series. Andretti is the son of Mario Andretti. His son is Marco Andretti.-Early career:...
broke a CV joint, then had a pit fire. On lap 34, Bobby Rahal
Bobby Rahal
Robert "Bobby" Woodward Rahal is an American auto racing driver and team owner. As a driver, he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500...
, who had been running as high as second, made an unscheduled, five minute long pit stop due to an electrical problem. After several long stops, Rahal would eventually drop out.
Mario Andretti continued to dominate, giving up the lead temporarily only through the sequence of pit stops. Roberto Guerrero
Roberto Guerrero
Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982...
and Danny Sullivan
Danny Sullivan
Daniel John "Danny" Sullivan III is a former racing driver from the United States. He is best known for winning the 1985 Indianapolis 500.-Before racing:...
consistently were chasing him. Shortly before the halfway point, Rick Mears
Rick Mears
Rick Ravon Mears is a retired American race car driver. He is one of three men to have won the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race four times , and the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six...
was forced to the pits with an electrical problem, and would also be forced to drop out.
At the 90 lap mark, Al Unser, Sr.
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
had worked up to 4th, and Tom Sneva
Tom Sneva
Tom Sneva is a former Indy Car driver who was named to the prestigious Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2005. Sneva is best remembered for winning the 1983 Indianapolis 500. Nicknamed "The Gas Man," Sneva was an outstanding qualifier, winning the pole position for the Indianapolis 500 three...
5th. Andretti was still dominating, running laps in the low 200's mph range, while most other cars were in the 190 mi/h range, or slower. Dick Simon
Dick Simon
Dick Simon is one of the oldest men to ever have raced in the Indianapolis 500. He was 55 years old during his final Indy 500 start in 1988. A multiple starter and top-ten finisher in the race, he also became a car owner, founding Dick Simon Racing helping to begin the IndyCar careers of Stéphan...
was running 7th, but ran the car out of fuel on the backstrech. He lost several laps as he was towed back to the pits, but received fuel, and returned to the track.
Second half
The dominance by Mario AndrettiMario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
continued in the second half, leading Roberto Guerrero
Roberto Guerrero
Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982...
by several seconds. The rest of the field was at least one lap down. Several of the other competitors were falling by the wayside, including A. J. Foyt
A. J. Foyt
Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr., or as he is universally known as in motorsports circles, A. J. Foyt , is a retired American automobile racing driver. He raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes USAC Champ cars and midget cars. He raced stock cars in NASCAR and USAC. He won...
(who was running 9th) and Rich Vogler
Rich Vogler
Rich Vogler was a champion sprint car and midget car driver. He was nicknamed "Rapid Rich". He competed in the Indianapolis 500 five times, his best finish was eighth in 1989.-Racing career:...
. Sullivan and Unser, Sr., both in the top 5, were now close to 2 laps down. Meanwhile, Tom Sneva
Tom Sneva
Tom Sneva is a former Indy Car driver who was named to the prestigious Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2005. Sneva is best remembered for winning the 1983 Indianapolis 500. Nicknamed "The Gas Man," Sneva was an outstanding qualifier, winning the pole position for the Indianapolis 500 three...
and Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500....
, clinging to the top eight, both started losing ground to Fabrizio Barbazza
Fabrizio Barbazza
Fabrizio Barbazza is an Italian former Formula One driver who raced for the AGS and Minardi teams.-Career:...
.
Spectator fatality
On the 130th lap, Tony BettenhausenTony Bettenhausen, Jr.
Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. was a Champ Car team owner and driver who died in a 2000 plane crash. He was the son of former 14-time Indianapolis 500 competitor Tony Bettenhausen and the brother of 21-time Indy racer Gary Bettenhausen. The family holds the dubious distinction of the most combined starts...
started suffering a handling problem exiting turn two. Down the backstrech, his right-front wheel lug nut may have come off the car, and the wheel began to loosen. In turn three, the wheel came off and began rolling though the north short chute. Second place Roberto Guerrero
Roberto Guerrero
Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982...
came up on the wheel suddenly, and hit it with his nosecone. The nosecone cover was broken off, and the wheel was punted high into the air. The wheel cleared the catchfencing, and flew towards the "K" grandstand. Spectators were witnessed fleeing the seating in a "V" shape as the 18-pound wheel headed their direction. The wheel came down and struck 41-year-old Lyle Kurtenbach of Rothschild, Wisconsin
Rothschild, Wisconsin
Rothschild is a village in Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the Wausau, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,970 at the 2000 census. Rothschild is the northern terminus of Interstate 39, which starts in Normal, Illinois.-Geography:Rothschild is...
in the head, sitting in the top row the grandstand. He suffered massive head injuries, and was pronounced dead at Methodist Hospital
Methodist Hospital of Indianapolis
Methodist Hospital of Indianapolis is a hospital part of Indiana University Health, located in Indianapolis, state of Indiana, United States. It is the largest hospital in the state of Indiana and one of only two regional Level I Trauma Centers in the state...
shortly afterwards. The wheel bounded and came to rest in the tunnel underneath the north short chute.
Guererro slowed, and nursed his car back to the pits. Under the caution flag, the pit crew worked to replace the nosecone, and got Guerrero back on to the track, albeit a lap down. It was not immediately discovered at the time, but striking the tire had damamged the clutch
Clutch
A clutch is a mechanical device which provides for the transmission of power from one component to another...
master cylinder
Master cylinder
The master cylinder is a control device that converts non-hydraulic pressure into hydraulic pressure, in order to move other device which are located at the other end of the hydraulic system, such as one or more slave cylinders...
, which was located in the nose. Fluid had begun to leak from the cylinder, which would ultimately render the clutch inoperable. At speed, use of the clutch was unnecessary, but exiting the pits would pose increasing difficulty.
The incident was reported live on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network , is an in-house radio syndication arrangement which broadcasts the Indianapolis 500, IndyCar, and the Brickyard 400 to radio stations covering most of North America....
by fourth turn reporter Bob Jenkins
Bob Jenkins
Bob Jenkins is an American television and radio sports announcer with NBC Sports Network, also known for his work at ABC and ESPN calling IndyCar and NASCAR telecasts. He is currently the lead commentator for the IndyCar Series on NBC Sports Network.-ESPN and ABC:Bob Jenkins was born in Richmond,...
. The extent of injury, was unknown at the time. The live ABC television broadcast, however, was at commercial when it occurred. During the commercial, the incident was noticed by the producers and commentators. When they returned on-air, however, footage of the incident was not shown, nor where specific details given of what had occurred. Instead, still images of Guererro's nosecone and pit crew were shown. No further information was given during the remainder of the race. During the post-race coverage, Jim McKay
Jim McKay
James Kenneth McManus , better known by his professional name of Jim McKay, was an American television sports journalist....
briefly announced on-air that the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
wire service
Wire Service
Wire Service is an American drama series that aired on ABC as part of its 1956-57 season lineup.-Synopsis:Wire Service focuses on three reporters for the fictional Trans-Globe wire service, which was similar to real-life news wire services such as the Associated Press and United Press International...
was reporting that a spectator fatality had occurred, but he did not connect the incidents.
Late race
With 25 laps to go, Mario AndrettiMario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
held a one-lap lead over second place Roberto Guerrero
Roberto Guerrero
Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982...
, and an almost two-lap lead over third place Al Unser, Sr.
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
The field had dwindeled down to only 12 cars running, most of which were many laps down. With Rick Mears
Rick Mears
Rick Ravon Mears is a retired American race car driver. He is one of three men to have won the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race four times , and the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six...
and Danny Sullivan
Danny Sullivan
Daniel John "Danny" Sullivan III is a former racing driver from the United States. He is best known for winning the 1985 Indianapolis 500.-Before racing:...
both out of the race, Roger Penske
Roger Penske
Roger S. Penske is the owner of the automobile racing team Penske Racing, the Penske Corporation, and other automotive related businesses. A winning racer in the late 1950s, Penske was named 1961's Sports Car Club of America Driver of the Year by Sports Illustrated...
took over the pit of Unser, Sr.
Andretti and Guerrero both had one final fuel stop to make. Unser, Sr., however, had already made his final pit stop. Roger Penske called Unser into the pits early, in an effort to "put the pressure on Guerrero" in hopes of moving up to second place.
After leading 170 laps, Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
sudden slowed down the frontstrech on lap 177. An electrical failure in the fuel metering device
Air-fuel ratio meter
An air–fuel ratio meter monitors the air–fuel ratio of an internal combustion engine. Also called air–fuel ratio gauge, air–fuel meter, or air–fuel gauge...
, part of the fuel injection
Fuel injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
system, began flooding the engine with raw fuel
Methanol
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH . It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable liquid with a distinctive odor very similar to, but slightly sweeter than, ethanol...
.
The misfortune reinforced the perceived Andretti Curse
Andretti Curse
The Andretti Curse, sometimes referred to as Andretti Luck, and in some rare circles, the Curse of Andy Granatelli's kiss, is in reference to the unexplainable bad luck the Andretti racing family has experienced in their efforts to win the Indianapolis 500. Patriarch and auto racing legend Mario...
. Andretti coasted around to the pit area, and the team immediately replaced the spark box
Engine control unit
An engine control unit is a type of electronic control unit that determines the amount of fuel, ignition timing and other parameters an internal combustion engine needs to keep running...
and wastegate
Wastegate
A wastegate is a valve that diverts exhaust gases away from the turbine wheel in a turbocharged engine system. Diversion of exhaust gases regulates the turbine speed, which in turn regulates the rotating speed of the compressor. The primary function of the wastegate is to regulate the maximum boost...
. Guererro stormed into the lead, but still had one pit stop remaining. Sitting still in the pit area, the once dominating Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
started slipping in the standings.
Finish
With 20 laps to go, Roberto GuerreroRoberto Guerrero
Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982...
led second place Al Unser, Sr.
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
by almost a full lap. He came upon Unser, Sr.
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
in traffic, and put him a lap down on lap 180. Two laps later, Guerrero
Roberto Guerrero
Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982...
went into the pits for his final fuel stop. With his clutch failing from the earlier incident, entering and exiting the pits was becoming increasingly difficult. During the race, Guererro had also broken third gear. While stopped in the pits, his car became stuck in gear. When refueling was complete, he attempted to pull out of the pits, but the engine stalled. Unser, Sr.
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
was driving through the third turn at the time. The crew refired the engine, and the car started to roll away. With Unser, Sr.
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
heading down the mainstrech, Guererro's car stalled once again. The lifeless car sat on the pit road as Unser, Sr.
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
drove by to take the lead.
Guererro finally got back on to the track with 18 laps to go. By that time, Unser, Sr.
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
had put him a full lap down. Meanwhile Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
's team had made some hasty repairs, and returned him to the track. After one slow lap, still being scored in the top 8, he went back to the pits for more repairs.
Guerrero
Roberto Guerrero
Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982...
spent the next several laps chasing Unser, Sr.
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
in an attempt to get his lap back. With 9 laps to go Guerrero
Roberto Guerrero
Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982...
unlapped himself. Meanwhile, Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
tried once again to get his car back up to speed.
Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
's second return to the track was also short-lived, and his car stalled. His car coasted to a stop in turn four and brought out the caution on lap 192. The yellow flag bunched up the field, and allowed Guerrero
Roberto Guerrero
Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982...
to make up the rest of the lap. he lined up only six cars behind Unser, Sr.
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
The green flag came out with four laps to go, and Al Unser, Sr.
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
held off Roberto Guerrero
Roberto Guerrero
Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982...
by 4.496 seconds, to win his record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500 victory. By leading the final 18 laps, Unser, Sr.
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
tied the all time record for most laps led in Indy 500 competition. At 47 years of age, Unser became the oldest winner of the 500.
Results
| Finish | Start | No | Name | Qual | Rank | Laps | Led | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | 25 |  Al UnserAl Unser Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr.... |
207.424 | 15 | 200 | 18 | Running |
| 2 | 5 | 4 |  Roberto GuerreroRoberto Guerrero Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982... |
210.680 | 5 | 200 | 8 | Running |
| 3 | 17 | 12 |  Fabrizio BarbazzaFabrizio Barbazza Fabrizio Barbazza is an Italian former Formula One driver who raced for the AGS and Minardi teams.-Career:... |
208.039 | 11 | 198 | 0 | Flagged |
| 4 | 22 | 30 | Al Unser, Jr. Al Unser, Jr. Alfred Unser, Jr. , nicknamed "Little Al", "Al Junior" or simply "Junior" is a retired American race car driver and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner.-History:... |
206.751 | 17 | 196 | 0 | Flagged |
| 5 | 15 | 56 | Gary Bettenhausen Gary Bettenhausen Gary Bettenhausen is a retired American auto racing driver. He was born in Blue Island, Illinois, raised in Tinley Park, Illinois, and currently resides in Monrovia, Indiana.-Racing family:... |
204.504 | 29 | 195 | 0 | Flagged |
| 6 | 6 | 22 | Dick Simon Dick Simon Dick Simon is one of the oldest men to ever have raced in the Indianapolis 500. He was 55 years old during his final Indy 500 start in 1988. A multiple starter and top-ten finisher in the race, he also became a car owner, founding Dick Simon Racing helping to begin the IndyCar careers of Stéphan... |
209.960 | 7 | 193 | 0 | Flagged |
| 7 | 26 | 41 | Stan Fox Stan Fox Stan Fox was a United States open wheel race car driver. Fox was one of the last links between the midget car racing world and the Indianapolis 500.-Midget car career:... |
204.518 | 28 | 192 | 0 | Flagged |
| 8 | 12 | 11 | Jeff MacPherson Jeff MacPherson Jeff MacPherson , is a former driver in the CART Championship Car series. He raced in the 1986 and 1987 seasons, with 18 career starts, including the 1987 Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top ten 5 times, with his best finish in 8th position in 1987 at both Indianapolis and Milwaukee... |
205.688 | 23 | 182 | 0 | Flagged |
| 9 | 1 | 5 | Mario Andretti Mario Andretti Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR... |
215.389 | 1 | 180 | 170 | Ignition |
| 10 | 27 | 16 | Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. was a Champ Car team owner and driver who died in a 2000 plane crash. He was the son of former 14-time Indianapolis 500 competitor Tony Bettenhausen and the brother of 21-time Indy racer Gary Bettenhausen. The family holds the dubious distinction of the most combined starts... |
203.892 | 30 | 171 | 0 | Engine |
| 11 | 8 | 21 | Johnny Rutherford Johnny Rutherford For the Major League Baseball pitcher, see Johnny Rutherford . For other people with a similar name, see John RutherfordJohn Sherman Rutherford III , better known as Johnny Rutherford, and also known as "Lone Star JR" is a former U.S... |
208.296 | 9 | 171 | 0 | Flagged |
| 12 | 13 | 91 | Scott Brayton Scott Brayton Scott Everets Brayton was a race car driver from Coldwater, Michigan, on the American open-wheel circuit. He competed in 14 Indianapolis 500s, beginning with the 1981 event... |
205.647 | 24 | 167 | 0 | Engine |
| 13 | 16 | 3 | Danny Sullivan Danny Sullivan Daniel John "Danny" Sullivan III is a former racing driver from the United States. He is best known for winning the 1985 Indianapolis 500.-Before racing:... |
210.271 | 6 | 160 | 4 | Engine |
| 14 | 21 | 33 | Tom Sneva Tom Sneva Tom Sneva is a former Indy Car driver who was named to the prestigious Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2005. Sneva is best remembered for winning the 1983 Indianapolis 500. Nicknamed "The Gas Man," Sneva was an outstanding qualifier, winning the pole position for the Indianapolis 500 three... |
207.254 | 16 | 143 | 0 | Crash T2 |
| 15 | 19 | 77 |  Derek DalyDerek Daly Derek Daly is a former racing driver from the Republic of Ireland. He won the 1977 British Formula Three Championship, and competed as a professional racing driver for 17 years participating in 64 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on April 2, 1978. He scored a total of 15... |
207.521 | 14 | 133 | 0 | Engine |
| 16 | 33 | 20 |  Emerson FittipaldiEmerson Fittipaldi Emerson Fittipaldi |São Paulo]], Brazil) is a Brazilian automobile racing driver who throughout a long and successful career won the Indianapolis 500 twice and championships in both Formula One and CART.-Early and personal life:... |
205.584 | 25 | 131 | 0 | Lost Power |
| 17 | 25 | 55 |  Josele GarzaJosele Garza Josele Garza is a Mexican professional race car driver. He started seven Indianapolis 500 races. Garza was the 1981 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year after rolling off sixth and finishing 23rd at the age of 19... |
205.692 | 22 | 129 | 0 | Flagged |
| 18 | 7 | 71 |  Arie LuyendykArie Luyendyk Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500.... |
208.337 | 8 | 125 | 0 | Suspension |
| 19 | 4 | 14 | A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr., or as he is universally known as in motorsports circles, A. J. Foyt , is a retired American automobile racing driver. He raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes USAC Champ cars and midget cars. He raced stock cars in NASCAR and USAC. He won... |
210.935 | 4 | 117 | 0 | Oil Seal |
| 20 | 11 | 81 | Rich Vogler Rich Vogler Rich Vogler was a champion sprint car and midget car driver. He was nicknamed "Rapid Rich". He competed in the Indianapolis 500 five times, his best finish was eighth in 1989.-Racing career:... |
205.887 | 21 | 109 | 0 | Rocker Arm |
| 21 | 30 | 98 | Ed Pimm Ed Pimm Ed Pimm , is a former driver in the CART Championship Car series.He raced in the 1984-1988 seasons, with 42 career starts, including the 1985-1987 Indianapolis 500s. He drove two CART events for Gary Trout Motorsports finishing 12th at Mid-Ohio and 14th at Elkart Lake... |
203.284 | 31 | 109 | 0 | Lost Boost |
| 22 | 18 | 2 | Gordon Johncock Gordon Johncock Gordon Johncock is a former racing driver, best known as a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 and the 1976 USAC Marlboro Championship Trail champion. Johncock was most often simply referred to as "Gordy."... |
207.990 | 12 | 76 | 0 | Valve |
| 23 | 3 | 8 | Rick Mears Rick Mears Rick Ravon Mears is a retired American race car driver. He is one of three men to have won the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race four times , and the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six... |
211.467 | 3 | 75 | 0 | Coil Wire |
| 24 | 14 | 15 |  Geoff BrabhamGeoff Brabham Geoff Brabham is an Australian racing driver. He is the son of three-time Formula One World Champion Jack Brabham. Brabham spent the majority of his racing career in the United States. He raced successfully in CART early in his career. In ten appearances in the Indianapolis 500, with a best result... |
205.503 | 26 | 71 | 0 | Oil Pressure |
| 25 | 32 | 87 | Steve Chassey Steve Chassey Steve Chassey , is a former driver in the CART Championship Car series. He raced in 9 seasons , with 44 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in 1983, 1987, and 1988. He finished in the top ten 4 times, with his best finish in 5th position in 1981 at Watkins Glen International... |
202.488 | 33 | 68 | 0 | Engine |
| 26 | 2 | 1 | Bobby Rahal Bobby Rahal Robert "Bobby" Woodward Rahal is an American auto racing driver and team owner. As a driver, he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500... |
213.316 | 2 | 57 | 0 | Ignition |
| 27 | 29 | 29 | Pancho Carter Pancho Carter Duane "Pancho" Carter, Jr. is a retired American race car driver. He is most famous for his participation in CART races.-Background:... |
205.154 | 27 | 45 | 0 | Valve |
| 28 | 28 | 44 | Davy Jones Davy Jones (racing driver) Davy Jones is an American racing driver.In 1983 he came 3rd in the British Formula Three Championship behind Ayrton Senna and Martin Brundle. He also that year tested the Brabham F1 car at Brands Hatch with Bernie Ecclestone, the then team owner, looking at Jones as the next American hope for F1... |
208.117 | 10 | 34 | 0 | Engine |
| 29 | 9 | 18 | Michael Andretti Michael Andretti Michael Mario Andretti is a retired American CART and Formula One driver and owner of the Andretti Autosport team in the IndyCar Series. Andretti is the son of Mario Andretti. His son is Marco Andretti.-Early career:... |
206.129 | 19 | 28 | 0 | CV Joint |
| 30 | 10 | 23 |  Ludwig HeimrathLudwig Heimrath Ludwig Heimrath, Jr. - born September 9, 1956 in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. Started his driving career racing Go-karts and Formula Fords. In 1979 and 1980 he won the Ontario Formula Ford Championship winning seven races in total. In 1981 and 1982, he competed in selected International Motorsport... |
207.591 | 13 | 25 | 0 | Spin |
| 31 | 24 | 7 | Kevin Cogan Kevin Cogan Kevin Cogan is a former racecar driver who drove in Formula One from to . Driving a RAM Williams in the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix, he failed to qualify, suffering the same result driving for Tyrrell at the 1981 US GP West... |
205.999 | 20 | 21 | 0 | Oil Pump |
| 32 | 23 | 24 | Randy Lewis |
206.209 | 18 | 8 | 0 | Gearbox |
| 33 | 31 | 84 | George Snider George Snider George "Ziggy" Snider is a retired American race car driver. A longtime driver in the United States Automobile Club Silver Crown series, Snider is also a 22-time starter of the Indianapolis 500, the most starts without winning the race. His best finish was eighth in the 1975 Indianapolis 500... |
203.192 | 32 | 0 | 0 | Fuel Leak |
Grid
| Row | Inside | Middle | Outside |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mario Andretti Mario Andretti Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR... |
Bobby Rahal Bobby Rahal Robert "Bobby" Woodward Rahal is an American auto racing driver and team owner. As a driver, he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500... |
Rick Mears Rick Mears Rick Ravon Mears is a retired American race car driver. He is one of three men to have won the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race four times , and the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six... |
| 2 | A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr., or as he is universally known as in motorsports circles, A. J. Foyt , is a retired American automobile racing driver. He raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes USAC Champ cars and midget cars. He raced stock cars in NASCAR and USAC. He won... |
Roberto Guerrero Roberto Guerrero Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982... |
Dick Simon Dick Simon Dick Simon is one of the oldest men to ever have raced in the Indianapolis 500. He was 55 years old during his final Indy 500 start in 1988. A multiple starter and top-ten finisher in the race, he also became a car owner, founding Dick Simon Racing helping to begin the IndyCar careers of Stéphan... |
| 3 | Arie Luyendyk Arie Luyendyk Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500.... |
Johnny Rutherford Johnny Rutherford For the Major League Baseball pitcher, see Johnny Rutherford . For other people with a similar name, see John RutherfordJohn Sherman Rutherford III , better known as Johnny Rutherford, and also known as "Lone Star JR" is a former U.S... |
Michael Andretti Michael Andretti Michael Mario Andretti is a retired American CART and Formula One driver and owner of the Andretti Autosport team in the IndyCar Series. Andretti is the son of Mario Andretti. His son is Marco Andretti.-Early career:... |
| 4 | Ludwig Heimrath Ludwig Heimrath Ludwig Heimrath, Jr. - born September 9, 1956 in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. Started his driving career racing Go-karts and Formula Fords. In 1979 and 1980 he won the Ontario Formula Ford Championship winning seven races in total. In 1981 and 1982, he competed in selected International Motorsport... |
Rich Vogler Rich Vogler Rich Vogler was a champion sprint car and midget car driver. He was nicknamed "Rapid Rich". He competed in the Indianapolis 500 five times, his best finish was eighth in 1989.-Racing career:... |
Jeff MacPherson Jeff MacPherson Jeff MacPherson , is a former driver in the CART Championship Car series. He raced in the 1986 and 1987 seasons, with 18 career starts, including the 1987 Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top ten 5 times, with his best finish in 8th position in 1987 at both Indianapolis and Milwaukee... |
| 5 | Scott Brayton Scott Brayton Scott Everets Brayton was a race car driver from Coldwater, Michigan, on the American open-wheel circuit. He competed in 14 Indianapolis 500s, beginning with the 1981 event... |
Geoff Brabham Geoff Brabham Geoff Brabham is an Australian racing driver. He is the son of three-time Formula One World Champion Jack Brabham. Brabham spent the majority of his racing career in the United States. He raced successfully in CART early in his career. In ten appearances in the Indianapolis 500, with a best result... |
Gary Bettenhausen Gary Bettenhausen Gary Bettenhausen is a retired American auto racing driver. He was born in Blue Island, Illinois, raised in Tinley Park, Illinois, and currently resides in Monrovia, Indiana.-Racing family:... |
| 6 | Danny Sullivan Danny Sullivan Daniel John "Danny" Sullivan III is a former racing driver from the United States. He is best known for winning the 1985 Indianapolis 500.-Before racing:... |
Fabrizio Barbazza Fabrizio Barbazza Fabrizio Barbazza is an Italian former Formula One driver who raced for the AGS and Minardi teams.-Career:... |
Gordon Johncock Gordon Johncock Gordon Johncock is a former racing driver, best known as a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 and the 1976 USAC Marlboro Championship Trail champion. Johncock was most often simply referred to as "Gordy."... |
| 7 | Derek Daly Derek Daly Derek Daly is a former racing driver from the Republic of Ireland. He won the 1977 British Formula Three Championship, and competed as a professional racing driver for 17 years participating in 64 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on April 2, 1978. He scored a total of 15... |
Al Unser, Sr. Al Unser Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr.... |
Tom Sneva Tom Sneva Tom Sneva is a former Indy Car driver who was named to the prestigious Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2005. Sneva is best remembered for winning the 1983 Indianapolis 500. Nicknamed "The Gas Man," Sneva was an outstanding qualifier, winning the pole position for the Indianapolis 500 three... |
| 8 | Al Unser, Jr. Al Unser, Jr. Alfred Unser, Jr. , nicknamed "Little Al", "Al Junior" or simply "Junior" is a retired American race car driver and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner.-History:... |
Randy Lewis |
Kevin Cogan Kevin Cogan Kevin Cogan is a former racecar driver who drove in Formula One from to . Driving a RAM Williams in the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix, he failed to qualify, suffering the same result driving for Tyrrell at the 1981 US GP West... |
| 9 | Josele Garza Josele Garza Josele Garza is a Mexican professional race car driver. He started seven Indianapolis 500 races. Garza was the 1981 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year after rolling off sixth and finishing 23rd at the age of 19... |
Stan Fox Stan Fox Stan Fox was a United States open wheel race car driver. Fox was one of the last links between the midget car racing world and the Indianapolis 500.-Midget car career:... |
Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. was a Champ Car team owner and driver who died in a 2000 plane crash. He was the son of former 14-time Indianapolis 500 competitor Tony Bettenhausen and the brother of 21-time Indy racer Gary Bettenhausen. The family holds the dubious distinction of the most combined starts... |
| 10 | Davy Jones Davy Jones (racing driver) Davy Jones is an American racing driver.In 1983 he came 3rd in the British Formula Three Championship behind Ayrton Senna and Martin Brundle. He also that year tested the Brabham F1 car at Brands Hatch with Bernie Ecclestone, the then team owner, looking at Jones as the next American hope for F1... |
Pancho Carter Pancho Carter Duane "Pancho" Carter, Jr. is a retired American race car driver. He is most famous for his participation in CART races.-Background:... |
Ed Pimm Ed Pimm Ed Pimm , is a former driver in the CART Championship Car series.He raced in the 1984-1988 seasons, with 42 career starts, including the 1985-1987 Indianapolis 500s. He drove two CART events for Gary Trout Motorsports finishing 12th at Mid-Ohio and 14th at Elkart Lake... |
| 11 | George Snider George Snider George "Ziggy" Snider is a retired American race car driver. A longtime driver in the United States Automobile Club Silver Crown series, Snider is also a 22-time starter of the Indianapolis 500, the most starts without winning the race. His best finish was eighth in the 1975 Indianapolis 500... |
Steve Chassey Steve Chassey Steve Chassey , is a former driver in the CART Championship Car series. He raced in 9 seasons , with 44 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in 1983, 1987, and 1988. He finished in the top ten 4 times, with his best finish in 5th position in 1981 at Watkins Glen International... |
Emerson Fittipaldi Emerson Fittipaldi Emerson Fittipaldi |São Paulo]], Brazil) is a Brazilian automobile racing driver who throughout a long and successful career won the Indianapolis 500 twice and championships in both Formula One and CART.-Early and personal life:... † |
- † - Emerson FittipaldiEmerson FittipaldiEmerson Fittipaldi |São Paulo]], Brazil) is a Brazilian automobile racing driver who throughout a long and successful career won the Indianapolis 500 twice and championships in both Formula One and CART.-Early and personal life:...
qualified 10th on pole day. On Carburetion Day, he crashed his already-qualified car, and it was damaged beyond repair. The car was replaced with a back-up car, and was moved the rear of the field.
Failed to Qualify
- Jim CrawfordJim Crawford (driver)Jim Crawford was a Scottish racing driver. He first came to the racing community's notice when he borrowed Stephen Choularton's Lotus 69 and won on his first outing at Croft Racing Track in the North East of England...
(#2T) - wrecked qualifying on pole day; suffered serious injuries to feet and legs - Sammy SwindellSammy SwindellSamuel Alan "Sammy" Swindell is a three-time World of Outlaws champion, winning the title in 1981, 1982, and 1997, with hundreds of A-main victories to his credit. He also competed in the CART series in 1985 and 1986 and failed to qualify for the 1987 Indianapolis 500 in a March-Pontiac...
(#59) - bumped - Phil KruegerPhil KruegerPhil Krueger , is a former driver in the CART Championship Car series. He raced in 9 seasons , with 23 career starts, including the 1986 and 1988 Indianapolis 500...
(#10T) - wrecked qualifying on bump day - Rocky MoranRocky MoranRocky Moran, Sr. is a retired American race car driver. Moran, Sr. started three Indianapolis races with a best finish of 14th in 1989....
(#76) - bumped - Dominic DobsonDominic DobsonDominic Dobson is a German-born former CART and Craftsman Truck Series driver who made 7 starts in the Indianapolis 500 with a best finish of 12th in 1992, over 60 starts in the CART , with a best finish of 3rd at the Michigan 500 in 1994...
(#17) - bumped - Rick MiaskiewiczRick MiaskiewiczRick Miaskiewicz is a former American race car driver from Pittsburgh. He won the Can-Am championship in 1985, the series' next to last year of operations and then moved to the CART series for 1986. He competed in five races in a Cosworth powered March chassis. He returned the following year...
(#97) - too slow
Quotes
"And history is matched as the twin checkered flags come out for our second four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, Al Unser" - Paul PagePaul Page
Paul Page is an American motorsports broadcaster who was the lead announcer for ABC Sports' coverage of CART and the IRL from 1988 to 2004. He currently is the lead announcer for NHRA.-Early life and career:...
described the finish of the race for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network , is an in-house radio syndication arrangement which broadcasts the Indianapolis 500, IndyCar, and the Brickyard 400 to radio stations covering most of North America....
.