List of Indianapolis 500 pole-sitters

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Winners of the Pole position for the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. The pole position is the first starting position, and is held in high prestige at Indianapolis. Due to the nature of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500, the polesitter is normally determined 15 days before the day of the race. Therefore, he/she receives considerable pre-race attention and accolades in the two weeks leading up to the race. In most years, but not necessarily, the polesitter is the fastest car in the field.

Peak motor oil currently sponsors a $100,000 award given to the pole winner. Rick Mears holds the all-time record with six career pole positons.

Contents 1 History 2 Schedule 3 Indianapolis 500 pole-sitters 4 Multiple pole position winners 5 Consecutive pole position winners 6 Indianapolis 500 winners who started from the pole position 7 References

[edit] History

Since 1939, the pole position has been determined by four-lap qualifying time trials. Each car takes to the track one at a time to establish a qualifying speed. In most years since 1952, there have been four days of time trials scheduled. The fastest qualifier on the first day (or first complete round) of qualifying wins the pole position. If a driver records a speed faster than that of the pole position winner on a subsequent day (or subsequent round) he does not win the pole position, but instead lines up behind the previous day's qualifiers. Subsequent to 1914, the last year of qualifications not determining the starting grid order, 16 occasions have seen the pole position-winning entry not recording the fastest overall qualifying speed.

In 1911, the starting grid was determined by the order that entries were received by mail. To qualify for the race, entries had to average 75 miles per hour along a one-mile measured segment of the track. In 1912, all cars were required to complete one timed lap, but the grid order was still determined by the order the entries were received. From 1913-1914, all cars completed one timed lap, however, the grid was instead determined by a blind draw a few days before the race.

Starting in 1915-1919, the grid was set by one-lap qualifying speed. From 1920-1931, the grid was set using four lap qualifying runs. From 1932-1938, the grid was set using 10-lap qualifying runs. Since 1939, four laps have been used.

Beginning in 2008, the IndyCar Series began using the four-lap average qualification system of Indianapolis as the template for the remainder of oval track racing throughout the series, replacing the previous system for all races other than Indianapolis where the fastest of two laps determined the car's placement on the starting grid. In the event of a rainout of a qualifying session, however, the determination of the starting grid order by the respective positions of drivers in the year's national championship does not apply at Indianapolis, where a special abbreviated session is instead instituted to fill whatever remaining slots in the 500 field.

[edit] Schedule

Pole position qualifying, generally referred to as "Pole Day," is currently held on a Saturday two weekends before the day of the race. Four days of qualifying are scheduled in total, the Saturday and Sunday two weekends before the race, and the Saturday and Sunday one weekend before the race.

After WWII, the Speedway management began to stadardize the qualifying schedule. For a few years, six days (three weekends) of qualifying were held. Starting in 1952, it was reduced to four days (two weekends). In 1974, as a gesture to the ongoing Oil Crisis, qualifying was reduced to two days, the Saturday two weeks before the race, and the Saturday one week before the race. From 1998-2000, the schedule was reverted to two days of qualifying, the Saturday and Sunday one weekend before the race. From 2001-2004, the schedule was changed to three days of qualifying, the Saturday and Sunday two weekends before the race, and the Sunday one week before the race. Starting in 2005, the schedule was reverted back to the original four days, comprising of the two weekends before the race.

Springtime rain in the midwest is often a factor, and over the years, many days of qualifying have been delayed, ended early, or completely washed out due to rain. If pole day is rained out, it is moved to the next qualifying day scheduled. This happened most recently in 2006, when the first two days of qualifying were rained out. Pole position qualifying ended up being held on the third day, followed by what remained the fourth and final day.

Starting 2005, although due to rain it was not observed fully until 2007, the qualifying procedure was altered. The 33-car field would be split into three parts.

• On the first day of qualifying (pole day)- positions 1-11 would be filled; bumping amongst those 11 cars would occur
• On the second day of qualifying- positions 12-22 would be filled; bumping amongst those 11 cars would occur
• On the third day of qualifying- positions 23-33 would be filled; bumping amongst those 11 cars would occur
• On the fourth day of qualifying (bump day)- bumping begins immediately as the slowest car overall is "on the bubble," in danger of being bumped out by the next qualifier; all cars behind those bumped out are immediately slotted up one position regardless of their day of qualification, but no fourth-day qualifier is slotted ahead of first-, second- or third-day qualifiers still remaining in the field.

[edit] Indianapolis 500 pole-sitters

Sixty-three drivers have qualified for the pole position, three less than the number of race winners.

Year	Driver	Speed (mph)	Speed (km/h)	Notes
1911	Lewis Strang	No full lap		Grid placement determined by order entries received by mail
1912	Gil Anderson	80.93	130.24	Track record; single-lap; grid placement determined by order entries received by mail
	David L. Bruce-Brown	88.45	142.35	New track record; single-lap; fastest qualifier, started 23rd
1913	Caleb Bragg	87.34	140.56	Single-lap; grid placement determined by pre-race blind drawing
	Jack Tower	88.23	141.99	Single-lap; fastest qualifier, started 25th
1914	Jean Chassagne	88.31	142.12	Single-lap; grid placement determined by pre-race blind drawing
	Georges Boillot	99.86	160.71	New track record; single-lap; fastest qualifier, started 29th
1915	Howdy Wilcox	98.80	159.00	Single-lap
1916	Johnny Aitken	96.69	155.61	Single-lap
1919	René Thomas	104.78	168.63	New track record; single-lap
1920	† Ralph DePalma	99.15	159.57
1921	† Ralph DePalma	100.75	162.14
1922	Jimmy Murphy	100.50	161.74
1923	Tommy Milton	108.17	174.08	New track record
1924	Jimmy Murphy	108.037	173.869
1925	Leon Duray	113.196	182.171	New track record
1926	Earl Cooper	111.735	179.820
1927	Frank Lockhart	120.100	193.282	New track record
1928	Leon Duray	122.391	196.969	New track record
1929	Cliff Woodbury	120.599	194.085
1930	Billy Arnold	113.268	182.287
1931	Russ Snowberger	112.796	181.528
	Billy Arnold	116.080	186.813	Fastest qualifier, started 18th
1932	Lou Moore	117.363	188.877	Ten-lap average
1933	Bill Cummings	118.530	190.756	Ten-lap average
1934	Kelly Petillo	119.329	192.041	Ten-lap average
1935	Rex Mays	120.736	194.306	Ten-lap average
1936	Rex Mays	119.644	192.548	Ten-lap average
1937	Bill Cummings	123.343	198.501	New track record; ten-lap average
	Jimmy Snyder	125.287	201.630	New track record; ten-lap average; fastest qualifier, started 19th
1938	Floyd Roberts	125.681	202.264	New track record; ten-lap average
	Ronney Householder	125.769	202.406	Ten-lap average qualifying record; fastest qualifier, started 10th
1939	Jimmy Snyder	130.138	209.437	New track record
1940	Rex Mays	127.850	205.755
1941	Mauri Rose	128.691	207.108
1946	Cliff Bergere	126.471	203.535
	Ralph Hepburn	133.944	215.562	New track record; fastest qualifier, started 19th
1947	Ted Horn	126.564	203.685
	Bill Holland	128.755	207.211	Fastest qualifier, started 8th
1948	Rex Mays	130.577	210.143
	Duke Nalon	131.603	211.794	Fastest qualifier, started 11th
1949	Duke Nalon	132.939	213.945
1950	Walt Faulkner	134.343	216.204	New track record
1951	Duke Nalon	136.498	219.672	New track record
	Walt Faulkner	136.872	220.274	New track record; fastest qualifier, started 14th
1952	Fred Agabashian	138.010	222.106	New track record
	Chet Miller	139.034	223.754	New track record; fastest qualifier, started 27th
1953	Bill Vukovich	138.392	222.720	Final 3/4 of final lap completed amid downpour
1954	Jack McGrath	141.033	226.791	New track record
1955	Jerry Hoyt	140.045	225.381	Record slowest pace versus field for pole position, 8th fastest
	Jack McGrath	142.580	229.460	New track record; fastest qualifier, started 3rd
1956	Pat Flaherty	145.596	234.314	New track record
1957	Pat O'Connor	143.948	231.662
	Paul Russo	144.817	233.060	Fastest qualifier, started 10th
1958	Dick Rathmann	145.974	234.922	New track record
1959	Johnny Thomson	145.908	234.816
1960	Eddie Sachs	146.592	235.917	New track record
	Jim Hurtubise	149.056	239.882	New track record; fastest qualifier, started 23rd
1961	Eddie Sachs	147.481	237.348
1962	Parnelli Jones	150.370	241.997	New track record
1963	Parnelli Jones	151.153	243.257	New track record
1964	Jim Clark	158.828	255.609	New track record
1965	A.J. Foyt	161.233	259.479	New track record
1966	† Mario Andretti	165.899	266.989	New track record
1967	† Mario Andretti	168.982	271.950	New track record
1968	Joe Leonard	171.559	276.097	New track record
1969	A.J. Foyt	170.568	274.503
1970	Al Unser	170.221	273.944
1971	Peter Revson	178.696	287.583	New track record
1972	Bobby Unser	195.940	315.335	New track record; largest track record incremental increase
1973	Johnny Rutherford	198.413	319.315	New track record
1974	A.J. Foyt	191.632	308.402
1975	A.J. Foyt	193.976	312.174
1976	Johnny Rutherford	188.957	304.097
	† Mario Andretti	189.404	304.816	Fastest qualifier, started 19th
1977	Tom Sneva	198.884	320.073	New track record
1978	Tom Sneva	202.156	325.339	New track record
1979	Rick Mears	193.736	311.788
1980	Johnny Rutherford	192.256	309.406
1981	Bobby Unser	200.546	322.748
	Tom Sneva	200.691	322.981	Fastest qualifier, started 20th
1982	Rick Mears	207.004	333.141	New track record
1983	Teo Fabi	207.395	333.770	New track record
1984	Tom Sneva	210.029	338.009	New track record
1985	Pancho Carter	212.583	342.119	New track record
1986	Rick Mears	216.828	348.951	New track record
1987	† Mario Andretti	215.390	346.637
1988	Rick Mears	219.198	352.765	New track record
1989	Rick Mears	223.885	360.308	New track record
1990	Emerson Fittipaldi	225.301	362.587	New track record
1991	Rick Mears	224.113	360.675
	Gary Bettenhausen	224.468	361.246	Fastest qualifier, started 13th
1992	Roberto Guerrero	232.482	374.144	New track record
1993	Arie Luyendyk	223.967	360.440
1994	Al Unser, Jr.	228.011	366.948
1995	Scott Brayton	231.604	372.731
1996	Tony Stewart*	233.100	375.138	New track record
	Arie Luyendyk	236.986	381.392	Official current all-time track record; fastest qualifier, started 20th
1997	Arie Luyendyk	218.263	351.260
1998	Billy Boat	223.503	359.693
1999	Arie Luyendyk	225.179	362.390
2000	Greg Ray	223.471	359.642
2001	Scott Sharp	226.037	363.771
2002	Bruno Junqueira	231.342	372.309
2003	Hélio Castroneves	231.725	372.925
2004	Buddy Rice	222.024	357.313
2005	Tony Kanaan	227.566	366.232
	Kenny Bräck	227.598	366.283	Fastest qualifier, started 23rd
2006	Sam Hornish, Jr.	228.985	368.516
2007	Hélio Castroneves	225.817	363.417
2008	Scott Dixon	226.366	364.301

Notes

* 1996: At the conclusion of pole day qualifying, Scott Brayton qualified for the pole-position, Arie Luyendyk qualified second, and Tony Stewart qualified third. Officially it was Brayton's second consecutive Indy pole (1995-1996). One hour and forty-five minutes after qualifying was over, Luyendyk was disqualified for his car being 7 pounds underweight. Stewart was elevated to second position. The following day, Luyendyk qualified with the fastest speed overall, but as a second day qualifier, was required to line up behind the first day qualifiers. Five days later, Brayton was killed in a practice session accident while driving a back-up car. His primary car was taken over by Danny Ongias, but rules required a substitute driver to move to the rear of the field. Thus, Stewart was elevated to the pole position for race day.

† Italian-born

[edit] Multiple pole position winners

Seventeen drivers have qualified for the pole position multiple times, accounting for 46 pole positions out of 91 races, 50.55%.

Poles	Driver	Years	Notes
6	Rick Mears	1979, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991	First five- and six-time pole position qualifier; second-fastest qualifier, 1991
4	Rex Mays	1935, 1936, 1940, 1948	First three- and four-time pole position qualifier; second-fastest qualifier, 1948
	A.J. Foyt	1965, 1969, 1974, 1975
3	† Mario Andretti	1966, 1967, 1987	Fastest qualifier, 1976
	Johnny Rutherford	1973, 1976, 1980	Second-fastest qualifier, 1976
	Tom Sneva	1977, 1978, 1984	Fastest qualifier, 1981
	Arie Luyendyk	1993, 1997, 1999	Fastest qualifier, 1996
2	† Ralph DePalma	1920, 1921	First two-time pole position qualifier
	Jimmy Murphy	1922, 1924
	Leon Duray	1925, 1928
	Bill Cummings	1933, 1937	Second-fastest qualifier, 1937
	Duke Nalon	1949, 1951	Second-fastest qualifier, 1951
	Eddie Sachs	1960, 1961	Second-fastest qualifier, 1960
	Parnelli Jones	1962, 1963
	Bobby Unser	1972, 1981	Second-fastest qualifier, 1981
	Scott Brayton	1995, 1996*	Qualified for pole position, and second-fastest qualifier, 1996
	Hélio Castroneves	2003, 2007

Notes

* Scott Brayton qualified for the pole position in 1996, but was killed in a practice session accident with a back up-car six days later. Tony Stewart, the second-place qualifier, subsequently moved onto the pole position, while Brayton's car, thereafter assigned to Danny Ongais to drive, was, by rule in driver-replacement situations, moved to the last starting position.

† Italian-born

[edit] Consecutive pole position winners

Qualification for and start from the pole-position in consecutive races has been accomplished nine times. No driver has qualified for three consecutive pole positions.

Poles	Driver	Years	Notes
2	† Ralph DePalma	1920, 1921
	Rex Mays	1935, 1936
	Eddie Sachs	1960, 1961	Second-fastest qualifier, 1960
	Parnelli Jones	1962, 1963
	† Mario Andretti	1966, 1967
	A.J. Foyt	1974, 1975
	Tom Sneva	1977, 1978	Started from second position, 1979, closest attempt to three consecutive to date
	Rick Mears	1988, 1989
	Scott Brayton	1995, 1996	Scott Brayton finished 1st at the pole position in 1996. He was killed in a practice run before the race. Tony Stewart started the race in his place

[edit] Indianapolis 500 winners who started from the pole position

Seventeen drivers have won the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race from the pole position. Two consecutive wins from the pole position has occurred once, in years 1922-1923, and three consecutive also once, in years 1979-1981.

Wins	Driver	Years	Notes
3	Rick Mears	1979, 1988, 1991	First three-time winner from the pole position; accounts for 3 of Mears' 4 career wins.
2	Johnny Rutherford	1976, 1980	First multiple-winner from the pole position. Accounts for 2 of Rutherford's 3 career victories.
1	Jimmy Murphy	1922	First winner from the pole position
	Tommy Milton	1923	First year with consecutive wins from the pole position; accounts for 1 of Milton's 2 career victories.
	Billy Arnold	1930	Led final 198 laps of race, most ever by pole-sitter or race winner
	Floyd Roberts	1938
	Mauri Rose*	1941	*Started from pole position in separate entry than that co-driven to victory, only such occurrence to date
	Bill Vukovich	1953	Accounts for 1 of Vukovich's 2 career victories.
	Pat Flaherty	1956
	Parnelli Jones	1963
	Al Unser	1970	Accounts for 1 of Unser's 4 career victories.
	Bobby Unser	1981	First year with three consecutive wins from the pole position; Accounts for 1 of Unser's 3 career victories.
	Al Unser, Jr.	1994	Accounts for 1 of Unser's 2 career victories.
	Arie Luyendyk	1997	Accounts for 1 of Luyendyk's 2 career victories.
	Buddy Rice	2004
	Sam Hornish, Jr.	2006
	Scott Dixon	2008

[edit] References

Indianapolis 500 Chronicle, copyright 1999, Rick Pope
2006 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race Official Program

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