In-Depth
A starting grid for the ages
Whether it’s drivers, car owners, mechanics, track officials, media personalities or entertainers, many people have played key roles in the Indianapolis 500’s storied history. In the spirt of Indy 500 starting grids, here are 33 who have left their mark.
Row 1
Carl G. Fisher
Turn-of-the-century entrepreneur co-founded Indianapolis Motor Speedway and was the track’s first president.
Roger Penske
“The Captain” has won the Indy 500 an astounding 16 times as a car owner.
A.J. Foyt
Four-time winner is synonymous with the race.
Row 2
Tony Hulman
Bought IMS in 1945 and returned racing to the track following World War II.
Al Unser
A four-time winner, “Big Al” was leader of the family that kissed the bricks nine times overall.
Fred Offenhauser
Offenhauser engines, or the “Offy,” won the 500 a stunning 27 times from 1935 to 1976.
Row 3
Jim McKay
With a smooth, graceful style, served as race host and announcer on ABC for 20 years.
Eddie Rickenbacker
Speedway owner from 1927 to 1945, he introduced the Borg-Warner Trophy in 1936.
Louis Meyer
First three-time winner requested milk after his 1936 victory, launching a tradition that stands today.
Row 4
Rick Mears
A frequent face on the Borg-Warner Trophy as a four-time winner.
Chip Ganassi
Current power player has won the race four times since the turn of the century.
Harry Miller
Cars built by Miller won the 500 nine times, and his engines won the race three other times, in the 1920s and ’30s
Row 5
Mary Fendrich Hulman
Tony’s wife took over as chairman after his death and for years delivered the call “Gentlemen, start your engines.”
Bobby Unser
Three-time winner also served as a knowledgeable voice on ABC for more than a decade.
Keith Duckworth
Co-founder with Mike Costin of Cosworth, which powered 10 winners in the 1970s and ’80s, including this win by Bobby Unser in 1981.
Row 6
Roone Arledge
Broadcasting legend helped shape the race on television during his decades at ABC.
Jim Nabors
For 42 years, “Gomer” was “Back Home Again in Indiana.”
Mario Andretti
Won the 500 only once, but few people delivered more excitement to May at Indianapolis.
Row 7
Lou Moore
Former driver won the 500 five times as a car owner in the 1930s and ’40s, a record until Roger Penske.
Tony George
President and CEO of the racetrack for 20 years, though known mostly for the IRL-CART split.
Gian Paolo Dallara
Founder of a company that has designed and engineered cars that have won 15 times at The Brickyard.
Row 8
Janet Guthrie
First female driver in the 500, accomplishing the feat in 1977.
Jackie Stewart
British Formula One legend added a classic tone to ABC’s telecasts for years.
Mari Hulman George
Current chairman of IMS has given the command to start engines for nearly 20 years.
Row 9
Wilbur Shaw
Three-time 500 winner was also an early track president until Tony Hulman.
Jim Hall
Texas oil magnate founded the pioneering and successful Chaparral Cars in the 1960s.
Andy Granatelli
Longtime car owner who became CEO of STP and helped guide Mario Andretti to victory lane.
Row 10
A.J. Watson
Car builder and engineer won the race six times in a career that lasted decades.
Tom Carnegie
Legendary voice of the PA at The Brickyard, calling 61 Indy 500s.
Harvey Firestone
Tires from the company he founded in 1900 have been on 66 winning cars in the 500.
Row 11
Chris Economaki
Distinctive voice heard from the pits on ABC for 15 years.
Parnelli Jones
West Coast sprint car legend came to Indy and immediately made an impact, winning once as a driver and twice as a car owner.
Robert J. Hill
Designed the famous Borg-Warner Trophy in the 1930s.
Photos by Getty Images and Indianapolis Motor Speedway
