Best Indianapolis Motor Speedways

Indianapolis 500 Technical Specifications

The cars competing in the Indianapolis 500 must meet with certain tech specs, including:

* 117.5 – 121.5 inch wheelbase
* 201.7 inch length (approximate length)
* Width ranging from 75.5 inches minimum to 76.5 inches maximum
* Weight ranging from 1,590 pounds for speedways up to 1,630 pounds for road/street courses
* Rear Wheels must be 15 inches in diameter and 14 inches wide, with a minimum weight of 14.7 pounds.  Front Wheels must be 15 inches in diameter and 10 inches wide. The minimum weight is 13.48 pounds.
* Indy 500 cars must have a 2.2 L engine with V6, twin-turbocharged capacity, with a max bore diameter measuring 95 mm
* Expect power in the range of 550 HP - 700 HP, depending on turbo boosters and pressures on the track
* The fuel used on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is E 85 fuel containing 15% gasoline and 85% ethanol, with 18.5 US gallons single-rupture proof fuel cells
* The McLaren Applied Technologies Engine Control Unit is in effect.

Best Indianapolis 500 Motor Speedway Winners

It takes tremendous stamina, focus, and skill to out maneuver, outpace, and consistently perform at the highest level, at the Indianapolis 500. Many racers have competed and performed exceptionally well, but only 3 of them have won the race 4 times apiece. These include legendary Indy 500 stars including:

* Rick Mears won the Indy 500 in 1979, 1984, 1988, and 1991.
* Al Unser won the Indy 500 in 1970, 1971, 1978, and 1987.
* AJ Foyt won the Indy 500 in 1961, 1964, 1967, and 1977.

These champions have hoisted the Borg Warner Trophy high and proud, following a long tradition of annual winners which began as far back as 1936 when Louis Meyer was the first Indy 500 driver to receive this illustrious prize. Over the years, the Indy 500 has featured a steady selection of women as well – 9 to be precise.

These include the likes of Katherine Legge, Pippa Mann, Simona de Silverstro, Milka Duno, Ana Beatriz, Danica Patric, Lyn St. James, Sarah Fisher, and Janet Guthrie. Women began competing in the Indianapolis 500 motor Speedway in the 1970s, and this has only accelerated in recent years with superstars like Mann and Patrick holding their own among the proverbial big boys of the Speedway.

Greatest Spectacle in Racing

Everybody knows that the Indianapolis 500 is The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, but not everybody knows that it was a phrase coined in 1955 by the legendary Alice Greene. The first Indy 500 driver to cut a $1 million payday was Emerson Fittipaldi, from team Patrick Racing. In 1989, the payday amounted to $1,001,604 – a mega-money prize that has now been eclipsed multifold.

In 2019, the Indy 500 purse routinely tops $13 million, but the winner today only gets about 20% of the purse, unlike in 1911 (inception when the winner claimed 50% of the purse). Nonetheless, here are some payday examples from the 2018 Indianapolis 500:

* Will Power finished in first place for a prize of $2,525,454
* Ed Carpenter finished second for a prize of $911,504
* Scott Dixon claimed third place with $587,129
* Alexander Rossi finished fourth with $454,804
* Ryan Hunter-Reay finished in fifth place with $419,804

It is worth pointing out that the Indianapolis 500 purse has been shrinking every year for the past several years. It hit a peak in 2008 when it topped out at $14,406,580, and the winner in 2009 scooped up the biggest prize ever at $3,048,005 – Helio Castroneves.