Who won the Indianapolis 500 the year you were born?
Every true NASCAR fan would want to know who won the Indianapolis 500 the year he or she was born, and the real fanatics want to know every since the race's inception. This list chronicles every champion since 1911, many of whom kissed the track and drank the milk.
2018: Will Power
Will Power won for Team Penske in just under three hours. He became the first Australian to win the race, averaging nearly 167 miles per hour.
2017: Takuma Sato
Takuma Sato became not only the first Japanese driver to win the Indy 500 but also the first Asian driver to accomplish the feat. Racing for Andretti Autosport, Sato won in just over three hours and 13 minutes, averaging 155 miles per hour.
2016: Alexander Rossi
With an average speed of 166.6 miles per hour, American Alexander Rossi took home the checkered flag at the 2016 Indy 500. It was his first victory in the heralded race.
2015: Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya won at Indy 15 years after his first win, averaging 161 miles per hour.
2014: Ryan Hunter-Reay
Hunter-Reay was the first American to win the race since 2006, finishing in two hours and 48 minutes.
2013: Tony Kanaan
Kanaan became the fourth Brazilian to win the Indianapolis 500 in 2013, averaging over 187 miles per hour and finishing in the fastest time ever at just over two hours and 40 minutes.
2012: Dario Franchitti
Franchitti won for the second time in three years and third time overall in 2012.
2011: Dan Wheldon
Wheldon returned as the Indy 500 winner six years after his first win.
2010: Dario Franchitti
Franchitti won the Indianapolis 500 for the second time, in 2010, albeit at a slower pace than his first.
2009: Helio Castroneves
Castroneves won for the third time in 2009 and celebrated by climbing the fence on the track.
2008: Scott Dixon
Dixon became the first Aussie to win at Indy in 2008 in one of the slower paces in the race's history, finishing in just under three-and-a-half hours.
2007: Dario Franchitti
Franchitti was the second English driver to win in three years, taking home the first of his three Indy 500 victories.
2006: Sam Hornish Jr.
Hornish Jr. won for Marlboro Team Penske in 2006.
2005: Dan Wheldon
Wheldon was the first Brit to win the Indianapolis 500 since Graham Hill in 1966.
2004: Buddy Rice
Rice won for Rahal Letterman Racing in 2004 in a shortened 450-mile race.
2003: Gil de Ferran
Gil de Ferran prevented Helio Castroneves from three-peating, but he did keep alive the streak of having a Brazilian win at Indy.
2002: Helio Castroneves
Castroneves won his second straight Indy 500 in 2002.
2001: Helio Castroneves
Castroneves became the second Brazilian to win at Indy, in 2001, the first of his three victories.
2000: Juan Pablo Montoya
The legendary Colombian driver won at Indy in 2000, finishing in just under three hours.
1999: Kenny Brack
Brack won for A.J. Foyt Enterprises and became the first Swede to win at Indy.
1998: Eddie Cheever Jr.
Cheever won in 1998 as both an owner and driver, averaging 145 miles per hour.
1997: Arie Luyendyk
Luyendyk won his second Indy 500 in 1997, seven years after winning his first in 1990.
1996: Buddy Lazier
Lazier won the race in 1996 for Hemelgarn Racing, averaging 148 miles per hour.
1995: Jacques Villeneuve
Villeneuve became the first Canadian to win the Indianapolis 500, finishing in just over three hours and 15 minutes.
1994: Al Unser Jr.
Unser Jr. won for the second time in three years in 1994, averaging nearly 161 miles per hour.
1993: Emerson Fittipaldi
Fittipaldi won for the second time in 1993, four years after his first victory.
1992: Al Unser Jr.
Unser Jr. claimed victory, winning only five years after his father won at Indy.
1991: Rick Mears
Mears won the race for the fourth time, in 1991, tying Al Unser Sr. and A.J. Foyt for the most Indy 500 wins in history.
1990: Arie Luyendyk
The Dutch Luyendyk made it two straight wins for non-U.S. drivers, averaging almost 187 miles per hour.
1989: Emerson Fittipaldi
Fittipaldi, one of the best drivers ever, won Indy in 1989. He was the first non-U.S. driver to win since 1966.
1988: Rick Mears
Mears won the Indy 500 for the third time, in 1988.
1987: Al Unser
Unser won his fourth Indianapolis 500, in 1987, tying him for the most ever with A.J Foyt. Rick Mears, who won in 1988, joined Unser and Foyt in 1991 with his fourth win at Indy.
1986: Bobby Rahal
Legendary driver Bobby Rahal won at Indy in 1986, averaging nearly 171 miles per hour.
1985: Danny Sullivan
Sullivan made it back-to-back wins for Penske, in 1985, following up the victory in 1984 by Rick Mears.
1984: Rick Mears
Mears won his second Indy 500, in 1984, halfway to his record-tying fourth.
1983: Tom Sneva
Tom Sneva won the race in 1983, finishing in three hours and five seconds.
1982: Gordon Johncock
Johncock claimed victory for the second time, with his previous win coming in 1973.
1981: Bobby Unser
Unser won his third Indy 500 and his first since 1975.
1980: Johnny Rutherford
Rutherford won his third Indianapolis 500 in 1980.
1979: Rick Mears
Mears claimed the win for Penske Racing at Indy in 1979, the first of four victories for Mears.
1978: Al Unser
Unser won his third Indy 500, in 1978.
1977: A.J. Foyt
Foyt became the first driver to win Indy four times, in 1977.
1976: Johnny Rutherford
Just two years after winning the Indy, Rutherford won a rain-shortened race in 1976.
1975: Bobby Unser
Unser won his second Indy 500 and his first since 1968.
1974: Johnny Rutherford
Rutherford won the Indy in 1974, his 11th time in the race.
1973: Gordon Johncock
Johncock won a rain-shortened Indy 500 in 1973, which went only 333 miles.
1972: Mark Donohue
Donohue won the Indy 500 in 1972, driving for Roger Penske Enterprises.
1971: Al Unser
Unser won his second Indianapolis 500 in a row, in 1971, finishing more than two seconds faster than his 1970 time.
1970: Al Unser
Just two years after his brother Bobby won the Indy 500, Al claimed victory.
1969: Mario Andretti
Legendary driver Mario Andretti won the race in 1969, adding to his long list of accomplishments.
1968: Bobby Unser
The first Indianapolis 500 win for the legendary Unser family came in 1968 with Bobby's victory.
1967: A.J. Foyt
Foyt claimed his third Indianapolis 500 win, in 1967.
1966: Graham Hill
Hill made it back-to-back wins for British drivers, following up Jim Clark in 1965 with a victory of his own.
1965: Jim Clark
Clark was the first non-U.S. winner of the Indy 500 since 1920.
1964: A.J. Foyt
Foyt won his second Indianapolis 500, in 1964.
1963: Parnelli Jones
Jones won the Indianapolis 500 in 1963, finishing in just under three-and-a-half hours.
1962: Rodger Ward
Ward claimed his second Indy 500 in 1962 after first tasting Victory Lane in 1959.
1961: A.J. Foyt
Legendary driver A.J. Foyt won his first Indy 500 in 1961, and he became the first driver to win four, a record he now shares with two other drivers.
1960: Jim Rathmann
Rathmann won in 1960 with a time of 3:36:11.384.
1959: Rodger Ward
Ward won in 1959 with a record 16 cars participating in the race.
1958: Jimmy Bryan
Owner George Salih won for the second year in a row when Jimmy Bryan claimed victory in 1958.
1957: Sam Hanks
Hanks set a then record time of 3:41:14.238 in 1957.
1956: Pat Flaherty
Flaherty won with a time of 3:53.28.872.
1955: Bob Sweikert
Sweikert won the race with a time of 3:53:59.576 in 1955.
1954: Bill Vukovich
Vukovich became the second back-to-back Indianapolis 500 winner, in 1954.
1953: Bill Vukovich
Vukovich won in 1953 with a time of 3:53:01.668.
1952: Troy Ruttman
Ruttman won with a time of 3:52:41.930 in 1952.
1951: Lee Wallard
Wallard was the first winner to break four hours over the full race.
1950: Johnnie Parsons
Parsons won a rain-shortened Indy 500 in 1950.
1949: Bill Holland
Holland won in 1949 with a time of 4:07:15.939, easily the fastest ever at the time.
1948: Mauri Rose
Rose became the first back-to-back Indianapolis 500 winner in 1948.
1947: Mauri Rose
Rose, the 1941 co-winner, won as a solo driver in 1947.
1946: George Robson
Robson won the first Indy 500 since 1941 with a time of 4:21:16.711.
1942-1945 (no race)
No race was held from 1942-45 due to World War II.
1931-1941
1931: Louis Schneider; 1932: Fred Frame; 1933: Louis Meyer; 1934: Bill Cummings (pictured); 1935: Kelly Petillo; 1936: Louis Meyer; 1937: Wilbur Shaw; 1938: Floyd Roberts; 1939: Wilbur Shaw; 1940: Wilbur Shaw; 1941: Floyd Davis/Mauri Rose
1919-1930
1919: Howdy Wilcox; 1920: Gaston Chevrolet; 1921: Tommy Milton; 1922: Jimmy Murphy; 1923: Tommy Milton (pictured); 1924: L.L. Corum/Joe Boyer; 1925: Peter DePaolo; 1926: Frank Lockhart; 1927: George Souders; 1928: Louis Meyer; 1929: Ray Keech; 1930: Billy Arnold
1917-1918 (no race)
The Indianapolis 500 wasn't held in 1917 or 1918 due to World War I.
1911-1916
1911: Ray Harroun (pictured); 1912: Joe Dawson; 1913: Jules Goux; 1914: Rene Thomas; 1915: Ralph DePalma; 1916: Dario Resta
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