Indy 500 Past Champions
Written May 22, 2008 by Jason Lowry
The Indy 500 is the biggest IRL racing event of the year, and one of the biggest races to ever take place. Winning this event can make or break a career just as many people judge other sports teams on whether they can win the Super Bowl or World Championships. With the Indy 500 set to take place this Sunday afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during your Memorial Day weekend. The Indy 500 has taken place since the early 1900’s and is a tradition like any other. This year marks the 92 running of the Indy 500, as it took a couple years off during the wars. While many of the drivers would tell you the money isn’t near as big of deal as crossing that finish line first, but whoever ends up winning the race will also be taking home a solid paycheck as well, as first place will pay out over $1 million dollars.
Defending champion Dario Frachitti will not be defending his championship this weekend and the field will also be without 2006 winner Sam Hornish Jr. This means in 2008 we are going to have a field that only has 3 drivers that own this coveted title. The last guy to win this race that will be racing Sunday is Dan Wheldon who won the race in 2005. Buddy Rice will is your 2004 champion, but they aren’t giving him much of a chance to win this year. With odds at 50/1 Rice would make a big payday for those who think he has another big race in him. The other driver with an Indy 500 win has two of them, as Helio Castroneves was able to go back-to-back in 2001 and 2002. This means that we could very well see yet another driver ink his name into history this weekend.
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There are a couple big stories surrounding this year’s race. If Danica Patrick were able to build off her first career win earlier this year and take the Indy 500, it would be one of the biggest stories in sports of our era. There is definitely a chance that this could happen, but it might be a year or two away before it does. Another big story would be if third generation driver Marco Andretti could take home the crown this weekend. He is the grandson of racing legend Mario Andretti and son to team owner Michael Andretti. As good as Mario was he was only able to win this race once, so Marco to do it so early in his career would be something special. Other drivers with a good chance to win their first Indy 500 are Scott Dixon who is coming off a 2nd place finish in last year’s race, and Tony Kanaan is another member of Andretti Green Racing had the most wins out of anybody in 2007.
So lets take a look at the complete list of drivers that have won the Indy 500. If you are looking to place a bet on this weekends race be sure to check out Sportsbook.com. Also f you are looking for some more Indy 500 info be sure to check out our Indy 500 odds and Indy 500 prediction articles.
Here is the complete list of Indy 500 winners and their average speed
2007 Dario Franchitti, Honda, 151.774 m.p.h.\
2006 Sam Hornish Jr, Honda, 157.085 m.p.h.
2005 Dan Wheldon, Honda, 157.603 m.p.h.
2004 Buddy Rice, Honda, 138.518 m.p.h.
2003 Gil de Ferran, Toyota, 156.291 m.p.h.
2002 Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet, 166.499 m.p.h.
2001 Helio Castroneves, Oldsmobile, 131.294 m.p.h.
2000 Juan Montoya, Oldsmobile, 167.704 m.p.h.
1999 Kenny Brack, Oldsmobile, 153.176 m.p.h.
1998 Eddie Cheever Jr, Oldsmobile, 145.155 m.p.h.
1997 Arie Luyendyk, Oldsmobile, 145.827 m.p.h.
1996 Buddy Lazier, Ford, 147.956 m.p.h.
1995 Jacques Villeneuve, Ford, 153.616 m.p.h.
1994 Al Unser Jr, Mercedes, 160.872 m.p.h.
1993 Emerson Fittipaldi, Chevrolet, 157.207 m.p.h.
1992 Al Unser Jr, Chevrolet, 134.477 m.p.h.
1991 Rick Mears, Chevrolet, 176.457 m.p.h.
1990 Arie Luyendyk, Chevrolet, 185.981 m.p.h. (race record)
1989 Emerson Fittipaldi, Chevrolet, 167.581 m.p.h.
1988 Rick Mears, Chevrolet, 144.809 m.p.h.
1987 Al Unser, Cosworth, 162.175 m.p.h.
1986 Bobby Rahal, Cosworth, 170.722 m.p.h.
1985 Danny Sullivan, Cosworth, 152.982 m.p.h.
1984 Rick Mears, Cosworth, 163.612 m.p.h.
1983 Tom Sneva, Cosworth, 162.117 m.p.h.
1982 Gordon Johncock, Cosworth, 162.029 m.p.h.
1981 , Bobby Unser Cosworth, 139.084 m.p.h.
1980 Johnny Rutherford, Cosworth, 142.862 m.p.h.
1979 Rick Mears, Cosworth, 158.899 m.p.h.
1978 Al Unser, Cosworth, 161.361 m.p.h.
1977 A.J. Foyt, Foyt, 161.331 m.p.h.
1976 Johnny Rutherford, Offenhauser, 148.275 m.p.h.
1975 Bobby Unser, Offenhauser, 149.213 m.p.h.
1974 Johnny Rutherford, Offenhauser, 158.589 m.p.h.
1973 Gordon Johncock, Offenhauser, 159.036 m.p.h.
1972 Mark Donohue, Offenhauser, 162.962 m.p.h.
1971 Al Unser, Ford, 157.735 m.p.h.
1970 Al Unser, Ford, 155.749 m.p.h.
1969 Mario Andretti, Ford, 156.867 m.p.h.
1968 Bobby Unser, Offenhauser, 152.882 m.p.h.
1967 A.J. Foyt, Ford, 151.207 m.p.h.
1966 Graham Hill, Ford, 144.317 m.p.h.
1965 Jim Clark, Ford, 150.686 m.p.h.
1964 A.J. Foyt, Offenhauser, 147.350 m.p.h.
1963 Parnelli Jones, Offenhauser, 143.137 m.p.h.
1962 Rodger Ward, Offenhauser, 140.293 m.p.h.
1961 A.J. Foyt, Offenhauser, 139.131 m.p.h.
1960 Jim Rathmann, Offenhauser, 138.767 m.p.h.
1959 Rodger Ward, Offenhauser, 135.857 m.p.h.
1958 Jimmy Bryan, Offenhauser, 133.791 m.p.h.
1957 Sam Hanks, Offenhauser, 135.601 m.p.h.
1956 Pat Flaherty, Offenhauser, 128.490 m.p.h.
1955 Bob Sweikert, Offenhauser, 128.209 m.p.h.
1954 Bill Vukovich, Offenhauser, 130.840 m.p.h.
1953 Bill Vukovich, Offenhauser, 128.740 m.p.h.
1952 Troy Ruttman, Offenhauser, 128.922 m.p.h.
1951 Lee Wallard, Offenhauser, 126.244 m.p.h.
1950 Johnnie Parsons, Offenhauser, 124.002 m.p.h.
1949 Bill Holland, Offenhauser, 121.327 m.p.h.
1948 Mauri Rose, Offenhauser, 119.814 m.p.h.
1947 Mauri Rose, Offenhauser, 116.338 m.p.h.
1946 George Robson, Sparks, 114.820 m.p.h.
1945 , , Not Held
1944 , , Not Held
1943 , , Not Held
1942 , , Not Held
1941 Floyd Davis and Mauri Rose, Offenhauser, 115.117 m.p.h.
1940 Wilbur Shaw, Maserati, 114.277 m.p.h.
1939 Wilbur Shaw, Maserati, 115.035 m.p.h.
1938 Floyd Roberts, Miller, 117.200 m.p.h.
1937 Wilbur Shaw, Offenhauser, 113.580 m.p.h.
1936 Louis Meyer, Miller, 109.069 m.p.h.
1935 Kelly Petillo, Offenhauser, 106.240 m.p.h.
1934 William Cummings, Miller, 104.863 m.p.h.
1933 Louis Meyer, Miller, 104.162 m.p.h.
1932 Fred Frame, Miller, 104.144 m.p.h.
1931 Louis Schneider, Miller, 96.629 m.p.h.
1930 Billy Arnold, Miller, 100.448 m.p.h.
1929 Ray Keech, Miller, 97.585 m.p.h.
1928 Louis Meyer, Miller, 99.482 m.p.h.
1927 George Souders, Duesenberg, 97.545 m.p.h.
1926 Frank Lockhart, Miller, 95.904 m.p.h.
1925 Peter DePaolo, Duesenberg, 101.127 m.p.h.
1924 L.L.Corum and Joe Boyer, Duesenberg, 98.234 m.p.h.
1923 Tommy Milton, Miller, 90.954 m.p.h.
1922 Jimmy Murphy, Miller, 94.484 m.p.h.
1921 Tommy Milton, Frontenac, 89.621 m.p.h.
1920 Gastno Chevrolet, Frontenac, 88.618 m.p.h.
1919 Howard Wilcox, Peugeot, 88.050 m.p.h.
1918 , , Not Held
1917 , , Not Held
1916 Dario Resta, Peugeot, 84.001 m.p.h.
1915 Ralph DePalma, Mercedes, 89.840 m.p.h.
1914 Rene Thomas, Delage, 82.474 m.p.h.
1913 Jules Goux, Peugeot, 75.933 m.p.h.
1912 Joe Dawson, National, 78.719 m.p.h.
1911 Ray Harroun, Marmon, 74.602 m.p.h.