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98-527: The addition of a motorcycle race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway loosely coincided with the track's Centennial Era , which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the opening of the track (1909) and the 100th anniversary of the first 500 (1911). The motorcycle race represented a "throwback" to the early days of the Speedway, as motorcycle races were in fact the first competitive racing events held on

196-419: A formula of professional -level, single-seat, open cockpit , open-wheel , purpose-built race cars. As of 2020 , all entrants utilize 2.2 L V6 , twin- turbocharged engines, tuned to produce a range of 550–750 horsepower (410–560 kW). Chevrolet and Honda are the current engine manufacturers involved in the sport. Dallara is at present the sole chassis supplier to the series. Firestone , which has

294-406: A rain delay , the race will be postponed until rain showers cease, and the track is sufficiently dried. If rain falls during the race itself, officials will halt the race (red flag) and await safe conditions. The officials can end the race and declare the results official if more than half of the scheduled distance (i.e., 101 laps) has been completed. If less than half the distance has been completed,

392-705: A Yamaha for the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team. The 2020 season saw a third straight win for Cameron Beaubier and fifth overall championship in the Superbike classification in the top tier of American motorcycle racing, and he announced that he would be moving to the 2021 Moto2 World Championship with the American Racing Team. The most successful riders include Doug Chandler , Scott Russell , Miguel Duhamel , Mat Mladin , Ben Spies , Josh Hayes and Cameron Beaubier . Five non-Americans have won

490-407: A blind draw for the qualifying order. For each attempt, cars are allowed two warm-up laps. At that time, a member of the team is stationed at the north end of the main stretch. He or she must wave a green flag, signaling an attempt, or else the car will be waved off. The attempt can be waved off during any of the four laps by the team, driver, or race officials. (The series will wave off the run if it

588-487: A deep history in the sport, dating back to the first 500, is currently the exclusive tire provider. The traditional 33-car starting field at Indianapolis is larger than the fields at the other IndyCar races. The field at Indy typically consists of all of the full-time IndyCar Series entries (roughly 20–22 cars), along with roughly 10–15 part-time or "Indy-only" entries. The "Indy-only" entries, also known as "One-offs", may be an extra car added to an existing full-time team, or

686-415: A given car number—the "primary" car and a "backup" car. The backup car is identified by the letter "T". For example, the two cars for the #2 team would be numbered #2 and #2T. Both cars may be practiced during the month, but due to engine lease rules, they must share the same engine. It is not uncommon for teams to prefer their backup car, if it is deemed faster, or for other strategic reasons. Additionally, as

784-400: A gravel-and-tar track and hosted a smattering of small events, including ones for motorcycles . The first long-distance event, in "fearful conditions", was the 100-lap Prest-O-Lite Trophy in 1909, won by Bob Burman in a Buick . The breakup of the track surface led to two fatal accidents in the first two long-distance events (a 250 mi (400 km) and 300 mi (480 km), which

882-427: A hazard during the race, as he was the only driver in the race driving without a riding mechanic , who checked the oil pressure and let the driver know when traffic was coming. In 1912, the purse was raised to $ 50,000, the field was limited to 33 (where it remains), and a riding mechanic was made mandatory. This second event was won by Joe Dawson in a National , after Ralph DePalma 's Mercedes broke. Although

980-415: A late-race yellow. The race can be (and has at times) finished under caution. However, officials may call for a late-race red flag (in lieu of a lengthy yellow) to provide an opportunity for a green-flag finish, an option that was used in 2014 , 2019 , 2022 , and 2023 . The circuit lacks lights, therefore lateness can become a factor in the cases of lengthy delays. The event is contested by "Indy cars" ,

1078-505: A limited number of spectators. The MotoAmerica Stock 1000 series race was originally scheduled as a companion event to Motorcycles on Meridian in 2020. After Motorcycles on Meridian was canceled due to the 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic , the race occurred anyway in front of a limited number of spectators. This series was effectively the replacement of the Superstock 1000 class, with slight differences. The MotoAmerica Twins Cup series race

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1176-399: A part-time team altogether that does not enter any of the other races, or enters only a few selected races. The "Indy-only" drivers may come from a wide range of pedigrees but are usually experienced Indy car competitors who either lack a full-time ride, are former full-time drivers who have elected to drop down to part-time status, or occasional one-off drivers from other racing disciplines. It

1274-522: A race as support to the Red Bull Indianapolis GP . The MotoAmerica Superbike Championship ran two races, each with two classes being run concurrently, as support to the Red Bull Indianapolis GP . The Superstock 1000 class was abolished after 2017. In 2020, the series was originally scheduled to return as part of Motorcycles on Meridian. Because of the Indianapolis 500 being rescheduled for

1372-451: A race fairing may be fitted, but the use of expensive replacement engines and certain other parts is prohibited. The Superstock 600 class was dropped, with its place on the program being taken by the new Twins Cup class. In contrast to the Stock 1000 series, this is a fairly open class where development and modifications are allowed with a great degree of freedom as long as a twin-cylinder machine

1470-503: A variety of AMA racing events across the United States and offered an alternative to purpose built racing competitions. Following the start of Superbike competitions as a support class for AMA motorcycle road racing, namely AMA Formula One (the US based version of MotoGP racing), the production based race competition quickly became a popular competition format and spread across the world. In fact

1568-454: Is 397 pounds Engine Configurations: Originally equipped, air-cooled, 2-cylinder, minimum displacement of 750cc, normally aspirated or forced induction. Originally equipped, water-cooled, 2-cylinder, minimum displacement of 750cc, normally aspirated. Street-legal production motorcycles with single electric motors. No motocross or dual-sport-type electric motorcycles allowed. All electric motorcycles must be pre-approved for competition before

1666-431: Is focused on safety aspects and is done on the pit lane qualifying queue. It is relatively brief, due to the time constraints of the qualifying procedure. The post-qualifying inspection is much more stringent and lengthy, taking place in the garage area. It is to detect deviations from the performance guidelines set forth by the league, and cars can and have been fined or outright disqualified if they fail inspection. During

1764-414: Is not uncommon for some drivers (particularly former Indy 500 winners) to quit full-time driving during the season, but race solely at Indy for numerous years afterward before entering full retirement. Technical specifications for the Indianapolis 500 are currently written by IndyCar . Rules are generally the same as every other IndyCar race. In the past, particularly during the era in which USAC sanctioned

1862-403: Is obvious the run will not be fast enough to qualify and it is getting late in the day.) If an attempt is waved off after the run starts, the attempt counts and the previous time is still forfeited unless race officials waved off the attempt because of weather. Weather can and often does affect qualifying and can result in last-minute format changes. From 1911 to 1955, the race was organized under

1960-434: Is the first time since 1980 that the "Sweepstakes" title has been used. In May 2009, the ordinal (93rd) was used very sparingly, and for the first time since 1981, was not identified on the annual logo. Instead, in most instances in print, television, and radio, the race was referred to as the "2009 Indianapolis 500". Since the race was not held during the United States' participation in the two World Wars (1917–1918, 1942–1945),

2058-476: Is the reigning champion. The most successful drivers are A. J. Foyt , Al Unser Sr. , Rick Mears and Hélio Castroneves , each of whom has won the race four times. The active driver with the most victories is Castroneves. Rick Mears holds the record for most career pole positions with six. The most successful car owner is Roger Penske , owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Team Penske , which has 20 total wins and 18 poles. Penske also has five wins at

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2156-550: Is used. The Junior Cup class was introduced as a replacement for the KTM RC 390 Cup. Encouraged by the success of the competitive series at the world championship level, this championship was introduced as a new entry-level class with an age restriction limiting competitors to 25 years old. Following a third-place finish in the 2019 Superbike season, Garrett Gerloff left his MotoAmerica Superbike team to join World Superbike aboard

2254-562: Is widely considered one of the most important days on the motorsports calendar, as it is the day of the Indianapolis 500, the Coca-Cola 600 , and (usually) the Monaco Grand Prix . Practice and time trials are held in the two weeks leading up to the race, while miscellaneous preliminary testing is held as early as April. The race is the most prestigious event of the IndyCar calendar, and one of

2352-472: The Red Bull Indianapolis GP . All participating motorcycles: Moriwaki chassis with Honda engines. The Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 series, sanctioned by AMA Pro Road Racing , held twin races, as support to the Red Bull Indianapolis GP . All participating motorcycles: Harley-Davidson XR1200. The North American series of the FIM eRoadRacing World Cup , a championship of electric motorcycle road racing, held

2450-691: The 2020 Indianapolis 500 being moved to the August event of the Motorcycles on Meridian date, both the Motorcycles on Meridian and the MotoAmerica round were changed. The Red Bull AMA Rookies Cup was an entry-level series for young riders, held as support features primarily at AMA Superbike events. It was the US counterpart to the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, a similar series held as support features at European MotoGP events. The Red Bull Riders Cup

2548-647: The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) , it features eight classes of road racing: Superbike, Stock 1000, Supersport, King of the Baggers, Super Hooligan National Championship, Twins Cup, Junior Cup, and Mini Cup. MotoAmerica's primary goal is to reinvigorate motorcycle road racing in North America and ultimately send its riders to

2646-585: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana , United States, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis . The event is traditionally held over Memorial Day weekend, usually the last weekend of May. It is contested as part of the IndyCar Series , the top level of American open-wheel car racing , a formula colloquially known as "Indy car racing". The track itself is nicknamed the "Brickyard", as

2744-528: The IndyCar Grand Prix , held on the combined road course . The event is steeped in tradition , in pre-race ceremonies, post-race celebrations, and race procedure. The most noteworthy and most popular traditions are the 33-car field lining up three-wide for the start, the annual singing of the chorus of " Back Home Again in Indiana ", and the victory lane bottle of milk. Also unique is that qualifying requires

2842-512: The MotoGP at Indianapolis but this was dropped from the MotoGP calendar for 2016. There was an extra round in 2016 at New Jersey Motorsports Park, bringing the total back up to 9 rounds. In 2017 it ran 10 events with a single round at New Jersey but additional rounds at Pittsburgh International Race Complex and Sonoma Raceway . For the 2018 season, there were changes in classes. The Superstock 1000 class

2940-493: The Petersen Automotive Museum Terry Karges. The series crowned its first champions in 2015, led by Superbike Championship winner Cameron Beaubier . The other champions were Jake Gagne (Superstock 1000), J. D. Beach (Supersport), Joe Roberts (Superstock 600) and Gage McAllister ( KTM RC 390 Cup). The series consisted of nine rounds and 18 races in 2015 with the championship getting started at

3038-529: The 100th running was held in 2016 . The event was put on hiatus twice, from 1917 to 1918 due to World War I and from 1942 to 1945 due to World War II . In two different periods, the race was part of FIA World Championships ; between 1925 and 1928 , the World Manufacturers' Championship and between 1950 and 1960 , the World Drivers' Championship . Josef Newgarden , the winner in 2023 – 2024 ,

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3136-553: The 1922 edition of the race. Miller then created his own automobiles, which shared the 'Miller' designation, which, in turn, were powered by supercharged versions of his 2.0- and 1.5-liter (122 and 91 in ) engine single-seaters, winning four more races for the engine up to 1929 (two of them, 1926 and 1928, in Miller chassis). The engines powered another seven winners until 1938 (two of them, 1930 and 1932, in Miller chassis), then ran at first with stock-type motors before later being adjusted to

3234-628: The 1958 race. It was not until the Indianapolis 500 was removed from the World Championship calendar that European entries made their return. In 1963, technical innovator Colin Chapman brought his Team Lotus to Indianapolis for the first time, attracted by the large monetary prizes, far bigger than the usual at a European event. Racing a mid-engined car, Scotsman Jim Clark was second in his first attempt in 1963, dominated in 1964 until suffering suspension failure on lap 47, and completely dominated

3332-523: The 1970s. Soon after the death of Tony Hulman in 1977, and the loss of several key USAC officials in a 1978 plane crash, several key team owners banded together and formed CART in late 1978 to sanction the sport of Indy car racing . The Indianapolis 500 itself, however, remained under the sanctioning control of USAC. It became the lone top-level race the body still sanctioned, as it ultimately dropped all other Indy car races (as well as their stock car division ) to concentrate on sprints and midgets . For

3430-540: The 1970s. The new series of corners precluded the bikes from using any of the banked oval corners. The double-hairpin near the museum and before the Hulman Straight was replaced with more traditional esses. Furthermore, the motorcycles stay low in the south short chute (approaching the Snake Pit section) between oval turn 1 and 2, using the pavement of the warm-up lane rather than the oval track's short chute. The circuit

3528-542: The 1980s with BMW , Suzuki and Kawasaki taking control in the first half of the 1980s. Honda's presence took time to bring returns, but they ultimately won five consecutive titles from 1984 until 1988 with Fred Merkel , Wayne Rainey and Bubba Shobert . Parity, popularity and rivalries followed the series through the 1990s and often as a prelude to the more international rivalries across manufacturers as well as riders. Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki all won championships during this time and Harley-Davidson even joined

3626-604: The Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, and ending at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey. MotoAmerica shared three rounds of its series with Dorna properties MotoGP (Circuit of The Americas and Indianapolis Motor Speedway ) and World Superbike ( WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca ). In 2016 the series again operated over nine rounds despite the loss of the Indianapolis event. In 2015 MotoAmerica had run alongside

3724-496: The European trends, engine sizes were limited to 183 cu in (3,000 cc) during 1920–1922, 122 cu in (2,000 cc) for 1923–1925, and 91 cu in (1,490 cc) in 1926–1929. The 1920 race was won by Gaston Chevrolet in a Frontenac , prepared by his brothers, powered by the first eight-cylinder engine to win the 500. For 1923, riding mechanics were no longer required. A supercharged car, ID, first won

3822-464: The Indianapolis 500 is typically held early in the IndyCar Series season. That is unique to most sports where major events are usually at the end of the respective season. Currently, the Indy 500 is the sixth event of the 17-race IndyCar schedule. From the 1970s to the 1990s, Indianapolis was often the second or third race of the season, and as late as the 1950s, it was sometimes the first championship event of

3920-546: The Indy 500 (but CART sanctioned the other Indy car races), rules at Indy slightly differed at times. The result, for example, would be a particular chassis or engine configuration being legal at Indy, but not so at the CART-sanctioned events. This was rather commonplace in the 1980s and early 1990s, when "stock-block" engines (namely the V-6 Buick) were allotted an increased level of turbocharger boost by USAC at Indy, compared to

4018-550: The McLaren works team in 1974 and 1976 with Johnny Rutherford . This was also the last time the Offy would win a race, its competitiveness steadily decreasing until its final appearance in 1983. American drivers continued to fill the majority of entries at the Brickyard in the following years, but European technology had taken over. Starting in 1978, most chassis and engines were European, with

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4116-454: The Meridian weekend, the races occurred in mid-October with limited number of spectators. The MotoAmerica Supersport series held a race as support to the Red Bull Indianapolis GP . In 2020, the series was originally scheduled to return as part of Motorcycles on Meridian. After Motorcycles on Meridian was canceled due to the 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic , the races occurred anyway in front of

4214-445: The Motorcycles on Meridian motorcycle rally , held on Meridian Street near Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis, attracting approximately 10,000 cyclists each night. Various dirt tracks held flat-track motorcycle races during the weekend which became analogous to midget car racing 's " Night Before the 500 " held during the Indianapolis 500, often drawing star MotoGP riders in attendance. The event continued to be held, and with

4312-520: The Speedway added two more road course races in October as part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge meeting, where attendance was capped to 10,000 per event. In 2024, the race was delayed for over four hours due to heavy rain and thunderstorms in the area. The race was originally advertised as the "International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race" from 1911 to 1916. However, from its inception,

4410-498: The Speedway during the first week of activities. Six years later, in 2016 , the race celebrated its 100th running with about 350,000 in attendance. Four local actors were hired to portray the Founding Four of James Allison, Carl Fisher, Frank Wheeler, and Arthur Newby during multiple Centennial Era events and the 100th race. Harold Hefner (Allison), Tom Harrison (Fisher), Jeff Angel (Wheeler), and Matthew Allen (Newby). In 2020,

4508-518: The advertised Centennial Era occurred during the 93rd to 95th runnings. To avoid confusion between the 100th anniversary, and the actual number of times the race has been run, references to the ordinal during the Centennial Era were curtailed. In the 2014 meeting, the road course became part of the race meeting for the first time. The GMR Grand Prix road course event, and the three upper tiers of Road to Indy , participated in road course events at

4606-666: The auspices of the AAA Contest Board . Following the 1955 Le Mans disaster , AAA dissolved the Contest Board to concentrate on its membership program aimed at the general motoring public. Speedway owner Tony Hulman founded USAC in 1956, which took over sanctioning of the race and the sport of Championship racing . From 1950 to 1960, the Indianapolis 500 also counted toward the FIA 's World Championship of Drivers (now synonymous with Formula One ), although few drivers participated in

4704-491: The crews. More lengthy repairs are allowed, and since 1998 teams are permitted to return to the garage area to make repairs. However, there are limitations to the extent of repair work allowed and the practicality of such work. Teams are not allowed to change engines, and since 1933 a rule has been in place where teams are not allowed to add oil . In addition, the officials designate a certain lap after which off-track cars being serviced/repaired are no longer permitted to return to

4802-406: The driver to complete four, rather than one, timed laps, and the time trials are conducted on a separate weekend. The official attendance is not disclosed by Speedway management, but the permanent seating capacity is upwards of 250,000, and infield patrons raise the total race-day attendance to a range of approximately 300,000–350,000. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway complex was built in 1909 as

4900-448: The estimated distance a race car could run before dark descended on the track, and a spectacular purse of $ 25,000, equivalent to 82.93 pounds (37.62 kg) of pure gold . The combination allowed the track to rapidly acquire a privileged status for automobile races. The first "500" was held at the Speedway in 1911 on Decoration Day , May 30, (as it was known from its inception in 1868 to 1967, when federal law made "Memorial Day"

4998-411: The event as the "Indianapolis 500-Mile Race", with no reference at all to the name "International Sweepstakes". The Indianapolis 500 is held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway , a 2.5-mile (4 km) oval circuit . The track is a rounded rectangle, with four distinct turns of identical dimensions, connected by four straightaways (two long straightaways and two "short chutes"). Traditionally ,

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5096-476: The field consists of 33 starters, aligned in a starting grid of eleven rows of three cars apiece. Drivers race 200 laps, counter-clockwise around the circuit, for a distance of 500 miles (800 km). Since its inception in 1911 , the race has always been scheduled on or around Memorial Day . Since 1974 , the race has been specifically scheduled for the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. The Sunday of Memorial Day weekend

5194-506: The first World Superbike title held in 1988 was won by a US competitor Fred Merkel . During the 1970s and 1980s the competition between European and Japanese manufacturers reflected the same level of rivalry that took place in US Formula 1 and international Grand Grix racing. However, that began to change with the inclusion of Honda who also brought Freddie Spencer along as their featured rider. Ducati , BMW and Moto Guzzi dominated up to

5292-523: The first driver to win consecutively at Indianapolis, in 1939 and 1940. With the 500 having been a part of the World Drivers' Championship between 1950 and 1960, Ferrari made a discreet appearance at the 1952 event with Alberto Ascari , but European entries were few and far between during those days. Among the Formula One drivers who did drive at the speedway was five-time world champion Argentinian Juan Manuel Fangio , though he failed to qualify for

5390-433: The first events on the newly paved circuit drew 60,000 spectators; Ray Harroun won the 200-mile (320 km) Wheeler-Schebler Trophy in a Marmon . The crowds grew progressively smaller for the rest of the season, however, so the track owners chose to focus on a single race, and considered a 24-hour contest, in the fashion of Le Mans , or a one-thousand-mile (1,600 km) event. They decided on 500 miles (800 km),

5488-471: The first race was won by an American driver at the wheel of an American car, European makers such as the Italian Fiat or French Peugeot companies soon developed their vehicles to try to win the event, which they did from 1912 to 1919. The 1913 event saw a change to a 450-cubic-inch (7,400 cc) maximum engine size. After World War I , the native drivers and manufacturers regained their dominance of

5586-447: The first six Indianapolis 500 winners were non-American drivers. In 2009, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway began a three-year-long "Centennial Era" to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the opening of the track (1909), and the 100th anniversary of the first Indy 500 (1911). As a gesture to the nostalgic Centennial Era celebration (2009–2011), tickets for the 2009 race donned the moniker "93rd 500 Mile International Sweepstakes". It

5684-408: The fray (though they never won a race). It also provided a proving ground for eventual World Champions Nicky Hayden and Ben Spies . The competition was sold to Daytona Motorsports Group in 2007, but the financial downturn in 2008 caused a significant decrease in funding and popularity. After MotoAmerica took over the series in 2015, the competition has seen a dramatic resurgence with Yamaha taking

5782-444: The international 3.0-liter formula. After purchasing the Speedway in 1927, Eddie Rickenbacker prohibited supercharging and increased the displacement limit to 366 cu in (6,000 cc), while also re-introducing the riding mechanic. In 1935, Miller's former employees, Fred Offenhauser and Leo Goossen , had already achieved their first win with the soon-to-become famous 4-cylinder Offenhauser or "Offy" engine. This motor

5880-465: The month wears on, a "T car" may be split off into a separate entry, and reassigned a new number, or be sold to another team. All cars must pass a rigorous technical inspection before receiving a sticker signifying that the car is eligible to practice. Various criteria include minimum weight, dimensions, and approved parts, particularly safety equipment. Before and after qualification attempts, cars must pass another inspection. The pre-qualifying inspection

5978-611: The most championships with riders Josh Hayes , Josh Herrin , Garrett Gerloff , J.D. Beach and Cameron Beaubier . Feeder classes to the premier Superbike competition are consistently referred to as Superstock, Stock 1000, Supersport, AMA Formula 1 and AMA Formula Xtreme competitions. MotoAmerica's premier race class, Superbike showcases the top road racers aboard top-of-the-line, highly modified motorcycles capable of speeds approaching 200 miles per hour. Engine configurations and minimum weight requirements are listed below: A feeder class for Superbike, Stock 1000 gives MotoAmerica riders

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6076-411: The most common and most popularly used moniker. As such, since 2016, the official race logo has used the contemporary and colloquial term "Indy 500". For the 1981 race , the name "65th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race" was officially adopted, with all references as the "International Sweepstakes" dropped. Since 1981, the race has been formally advertised in this fashion, complete with a unique annual logo with

6174-640: The next three years, the race was not officially recognized on the CART calendar, but the CART teams and drivers comprised the field. By 1983, an agreement was made for the USAC-sanctioned Indy 500 to be recognized on the CART calendar and the race awarded points towards the CART championship. Motoamerica MotoAmerica is the organization that promotes the AMA Superbike Series since 2015. Sanctioned by

6272-484: The official name), run to a 600-cubic-inch (9,800 cc) maximum engine size formula. It saw a field of 40 starters, with Harroun piloting a Marmon Model 32-based Wasp racer—outfitted with his invention, the rear-view mirror . Harroun (with relief from Cyrus Patschke ) was declared the winner, although Ralph Mulford protested the official result. Eighty thousand spectators were in attendance, and an annual tradition had been established. Many considered Harroun to be

6370-449: The oldest and most important automobile races. It has been reported to be the largest single-day sporting event in the world. Likewise, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway itself is regarded as the world's largest sporting facility in terms of capacity. The total purse exceeded $ 13 million in 2011 , with over $ 2.5 million awarded to the winner, making it one of the richest cash prize funds in sports. Similar to NASCAR 's Daytona 500 ,

6468-550: The only American-based chassis to win during the CART era being the Wildcat and Galmer (which was technically built in Bicester , England) in 1982 and 1992, respectively. Ford and Chevrolet engines were built in the UK by Cosworth and Ilmor , respectively. As of 2023, the most recent active Formula One driver to have entered the 500 is Fernando Alonso , who drove in the 2017 race. Alonso

6566-447: The opportunity to gain experience aboard 1,000cc motorcycles with an eye toward eventually moving up to Superbike. Engine configurations and minimum weight requirements are listed below: MotoAmerica's middleweight race class, Supersport features the series’ rising stars competing aboard production-based motorcycles. Engine configurations and minimum weight requirements are listed below: Putting middleweight, twin-cylinder motorcycles in

6664-402: The ordinal almost always included. Around that same time, in the wake of the 1979 entry controversy, and the formation of CART , the race changed to an invitational event, rather than an Open , rendering the " sweepstakes " description inappropriate. For nearly a century, the race eschewed any sort of naming rights or title sponsor , a move, though uncommon in the modern sports world, that

6762-439: The other races of that series. Italian driver Alberto Ascari was the only European-based driver to race in the 500 during its World Championship years. His appearance in 1952 in a Ferrari was also the only time a Ferrari has ever appeared in the race. Juan Manuel Fangio practiced at the track in 1958 but declined an offer to race. Control issues of monetary prizes and squabbles over technical regulations caused conflict in

6860-530: The purpose-built V-8 quad-cam engines. While the "stock block" engines were technically legal in CART competition, they were not given the increased boost advantage, which effectively rendered them uncompetitive, and precluded their use by teams. The most famous manifestation of the USAC rules disparity was the Ilmor -built Mercedes-Benz 500I engine fielded by Roger Penske in 1994 . Teams may enter up to two machines under

6958-407: The race has been widely known as the Indianapolis 500 or, more simply "the 500", as for many years, it was the only noteworthy auto race of such distance. In 1919, the race was referred to as the "Liberty Sweepstakes" following WWI . From 1920 to 1980, the race officially reverted to the "International Sweepstakes" moniker, as printed on the tickets and other paraphernalia, with slight variations over

7056-530: The race in 1924. In 1925, Pete DePaolo was the first to win at an average over 100 mph (160 km/h), with a speed of 101.13 mph (162.75 km/h). In the early 1920s, Miller built his 3.0-liter (183 in ) engine, inspired by the Peugeot Grand Prix engine which had been serviced in his shop by Fred Offenhauser in 1914, installing it in Jimmy Murphy 's Duesenberg and allowing him to win

7154-475: The race in 1965, a victory which also interrupted the success of the Offy, and giving the 4.2-liter Ford V8 its first success at the race. The following year, 1966, saw another British win, this time Graham Hill in a Lola - Ford . The Offenhauser engine was also paired with a European maker, McLaren , obtaining three wins for the chassis, one with the Penske team in 1972 with driver Mark Donohue , and two for

7252-420: The race must be resumed and achieve at least the 101-lap distance in order to be official. A primary limiting factor is available daylight, as the track does not have lighting. If the race is halted and cannot be resumed before sunset, the resumption will be scheduled for the next possible day. The Indianapolis 500, as well as other IndyCar Series races, does not utilize the green–white–checker finish in case of

7350-677: The race was delayed for the first time from its usual Memorial Day running to August due to the COVID-19 pandemic . There was no audience in attendance, so as to comply with pandemic guidelines. The road course race was moved to the NASCAR weekend in July (which led to an IndyCar road course race added to the NASCAR weekend permanently in 2021 ), and the support races on the road course moved to its own September weekend. As races were cancelled because of local restrictions,

7448-527: The race, and engineer Harry Miller set himself up as the most competitive of the post-war builders. His technical developments allowed him to be indirectly connected to a history of success that would last into the mid-1970s. For musical entertainment before the start of the race, the Purdue All-American Marching Band has been the host band of the race since 1919. In 1946, American operatic tenor and car enthusiast James Melton started

7546-425: The race, work on the car is permitted, but it is usually limited to routine pit stop work (changing tires and refueling) and minor adjustments (wing angles, etc.) Pit stop activity is rigorously rehearsed by the crews and in modern times, routine pits stops are regularly completed in under ten seconds. Other more involved work, such as replacing damaged bodywork (wings, nose cones, etc.), can also be completed quickly by

7644-451: The race. Throughout the years, the race has used several different qualifying procedures. The current four-lap (ten-mile) qualifying distance was first introduced in 1920 and has been used every year since 1939. Presently, qualifying occurs on over two days. On Day 1, positions 13–30 (or 13–33 if there are only 33 entries) have their position set with all other positions set on Day 2. Following Fast Friday practice, all cars are entered into

7742-576: The racing surface was first paved in brick in the fall of 1909. One yard of brick remains exposed at the start/finish line. The event, billed as The Greatest Spectacle in Racing , is considered part of the Triple Crown of Motorsport along with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix , with which it typically shares a date. The inaugural race was held in 1911 and was won by Ray Harroun . The event celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011 , and

7840-483: The song. In 2015, the a cappella group Straight No Chaser sang the song before the race, and in the two races held after Nabors' retirement (and before he became the regular singer), the singing of the song was done on a rotating basis, with the Spring 2014 winner of The Voice Josh Kaufman performing in 2016. However, the Speedway has returned to a standard singer with Jim Cornelison doing it since 2017. Following

7938-714: The spotlight, Twins Cup enables regional and club racers from around the country to step up to the MotoAmerica series and compete on a national level. Engine configurations and minimum weight requirements are listed below: This class features motorcycles from various disciplines, along with a broad set of rules meant to bring new riders and brands into road racing. The MotoAmerica Championship in this class features 750cc and up, air- or water-cooled, 2 cylinders, 125 horsepower or less, minimum weight of 420 pounds, no bodywork, stock frames, high-bar motorcycles. Electric motorcycles are also eligible for competition. Minimum Weight in this class

8036-483: The title: Englishman Reg Pridmore , Australians Mat Mladin and Troy Corser , Canadian Miguel Duhamel and Spaniard Toni Elías . From 1976, the American Motorcycle Association has organized and supported motorcycle racing through a variety of Superbike organizations. A full description of this history is available on the MotoAmerica 101 website. The competition began with sporadic inclusion in

8134-532: The top-level international championships: MotoGP and World Superbike . The series is run by the KRAVE Group, a partnership led by three-time 500cc World Champion Wayne Rainey . The other three partners include energy sector investor and CEO Richard Varner, former vice president of motorsports operations at COTA and former managing director of Team Roberts in MotoGP Chuck Aksland, and executive director of

8232-508: The track consisted of 7 motorcycle races, ranging from 1 to 10 miles in length, on August 14, 1909 on the 2.5 mile oval. All races were sanctioned by the Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM). A planned feature race of 25 miles was canceled, as was a proposed second day of competition, due to concerns over suitability of track surface for motorcycle use. The race became part of a major motorcycle event organized by Indianapolis Motor Speedway,

8330-510: The track in August 1909. The circuit used is a modified version of the combined road course used for the Formula One United States Grand Prix from 2000 to 2007. The circuit was reversed to a counterclockwise orientation, and a new complex of corners was added inside the infield of oval turn one. The new "Snake Pit" section, as it became known, was nicknamed for its location where notorious revelry once took place during

8428-463: The tradition of singing " Back Home Again in Indiana " with the Purdue Band before the race when asked to do so on the spur of the moment by Speedway president Tony Hulman . This tradition has continued through the years, notably by actor and singer Jim Nabors from 1972 until 2014. Nabors announced in 2014, citing health-related reasons, that the 2014 Indy 500 would be the last at which he would sing

8526-404: The year. Due to the high prestige of the Indianapolis 500—rivaling or even surpassing the season championship—it is not uncommon for some teams and drivers to focus heavily on preparing for that race during the early part of the season, and not focus fully on the championship battle until after Indy. Due to safety issues such as aquaplaning , the race is not held in wet conditions. In the event of

8624-402: The years. Following WWII , the race was commonly recognized as "The 500", "The 500-Mile Race", "Indianapolis 500-Mile Race", "Indianapolis 500", or the simple form "Indy 500". Usually the ordinal (e.g. "50th") preceded it. Often the race was also advertised on the radio as the "Annual Memorial Day race", or similar variations. By the late 20th century, the term "Indy 500" had slowly emerged as

8722-416: Was Dutchman Arie Luyendyk . In 1993, reigning Formula One World Champion Nigel Mansell shocked the racing world by leaving Formula One for CART . While he came in only third in the 500 , he won the 1993 CART championship . Foreign-born drivers became a regular fixture of Indianapolis in the years to follow. Despite the increase in foreign drivers commonly being associated with the CART era, three of

8820-572: Was an all-star event combining the leading riders in the AMA Rookies Cup and MotoGP Rookies Cup series. The Red Bull AMA Rookies Cup and Red Bull Riders Cup each held a race, as support to the Red Bull Indianapolis GP . All participating motorcycles: KTM . The Moriwaki MD250H series is an entry-level category for young riders, sanctioned by the United States Grand Prix Racers Union. The series held twin races, as support to

8918-476: Was canceled due to the 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic , the races occurred anyway in front of a limited number of spectators. This series is an entry-level class exclusively designated for riders younger than 25 years old. Indianapolis 500#Centennial Era The Indianapolis 500 , formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race , and commonly shortened to Indy 500 , is an annual automobile race held at

9016-482: Was dropped from the schedule, partly because there were now sufficient full Superbikes to fill a moderately sized grid (16-18 machines as opposed to as few as 9 in previous seasons) and the introduction of a relatively low cost, but still fast class. The Stock 1000 class differs from the Superstock 1000 class it replaced, by permitting very few modifications from the showroom specifications of the road-legal machines. Lights, indicators, stands, and mirrors must be removed and

9114-434: Was forever connected with the Brickyard's history with a to-date record total of 27 wins, in both naturally aspirated and supercharged form, and winning a likewise record-holding 18 consecutive years between 1947 and 1964. Meanwhile, European manufacturers, gone from the Indianapolis 500 for nearly two decades, made a brief return just before World War II , with the competitive Maserati 8CTF allowing Wilbur Shaw to become

9212-404: Was originally scheduled as a companion event to Motorcycles on Meridian in 2020. After Motorcycles on Meridian was canceled due to the 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic , the race occurred anyway in front of a limited number of spectators. The MotoAmerica Liqui Moly Junior Cup series races were originally scheduled as a companion event to Motorcycles on Meridian in 2020. After Motorcycles on Meridian

9310-412: Was re-profiled in 2014, with three new motorcycle-only sections: one in the Snake Pit (which has become a prime overtaking spot), a more open entrance to Hulman Straight, and the final esses leading to the pit straight was changed to be more open and flowing. The inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP took place 99 years after the previous motorcycle race at the track, in 1909. The first motorsports event at

9408-400: Was shortened to 235 mi (378 km) after two severe wrecks). That these spectacles had attracted 15,000 paying customers (and crowds of up to 40,000) persuaded principal owner Carl G. Fisher to spend $ 155,000 on repaving the track with 3.2 million bricks; he also added a 33-inch (0.84 m) concrete wall around the track's circumference. During the 1910 Decoration Day weekend,

9506-407: Was the first Formula One driver to enter the 500 since Teo Fabi in 1984 . After foreign cars became the norm, foreign drivers began competing in the Indianapolis 500 regularly, choosing the United States as their primary base for their motor racing activities. Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi , Italian Teo Fabi , and Colombian Roberto Guerrero were able to obtain good outings in the 1980s, as

9604-451: Was well received by fans. This tradition finally ended in 2016 when a presenting sponsor, PennGrade, was added for the first time. In the 21st century, the facility has also slowly added sponsorship ads on the retaining walls and infield grass. The ESPN-produced ABC telecast of the event did not recognize this sponsorship and instead had Firestone Tires as its presenting sponsorship. The Borg-Warner Trophy , introduced in 1936, proclaims

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