Indy 500 Superstars

For those who don't know, the Indy 500 is the bees knees. It is the oldest operational race which is held every year at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in the heart of Indiana. It features 200 laps with a length of 2.5 miles per lap. The fastest lap ever recorded was clocked at 237.5 mph by speed demon Arie Luyendyk. There are 3 drivers who have won the Indianapolis 500 4 times, including Rick Mears, Al Unser, and A.J. Foyt. We begin our adrenaline-fueled expose with none other than high-speed whippet, A.J. Foyt.

The Indy 500 routinely features cars blazing across the track at 220 mph, a thrill ride for drivers and spectators alike. Dozens of men have died during practice rounds and the actual races over the years, a chilling reminder of just how quickly things can spiral out of control.

A.J. Foyt is a name that struck fear into the hearts of his opponents, and for good reason. He will go down in IndyCar as arguably the greatest ever. The man, the myth, the legend who is A.J. Foyt may be brash and uncouth at times, but he's certainly not lacking in confidence, ability, and dogged determination. There are many fabulous drivers in the Indy 500, and we will pay tribute to some of these guys in short order. Let's get down to business, with some insights before you start betting online!

A.J. Foyt

A.J. Foyt has won an incredible 7 X IndyCar National Championships throughout his illustrious career. These wins came in the following years: 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1975, and 1979. In total, A.J. Foyt racked up 67 IndyCar race wins – that unassailable record stands to this day. Even more impressive is the fact that he is the only driver in history to have won 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Daytona 500, as well as the Indy 500. Overall, he managed to win 158 times with the USAC, and he remains the only race car driver in history to have 20+ wins across 4 major categories including Midget Cars, Sprint Cars, Indy Cars, and Stock Cars.

Al Unser

Al Unser is a name that every single Indy 500 fan knows all too well. In fact, he comes from blueblood in the Indy 500 arena, since his brother Bobby Unser won the Indy 500, 3 times. Al’s son, the eponymous Al Unser Jr won the championship twice. But today's tribute is to the senior, elder Al Unser – the man who made it all happen. He claimed a record 10/18 races in a single year in Champ Car. His most successful year for the Indy 500 was 1970, and he competed for three decades at the highest levels of the game. He quit in 1994, on his 55th birthday. The championship title was his in 1970, 1971, 1978, and astonishingly in 1987 too. A legend of the track – you can bet on that!

Rick Mears

Rick ‘Ravon’ Mears a.k.a. Rocket Rick needs no introduction to IndyCar fans. The speed demon slots right in with A.J. Foyt, and Al Unser as one of the greatest ever. His AAA/USAC Champ Car Series stats tell an impressive story, across multiple racing formats. Mears began racing in 1976 and continued with this championship through 1992, for 16 years. He raced 40 times, won 7 titles, completed 4,731 laps, and led 610 times. Over the years he amassed $4,447,124 from his AAA racing. In 1979, he started racing in CART/CCWS, and continued for 14 years. He competed in 179 races, won 26 of them, and earned $8,446,853. In IROC (International Race of Champions), he competed in 1979, 1980, 1986, and 1989. He raced 12 times, without any wins, but generated $84,900.

These are some of the legends of the Indy 500 arena. Naturally, we could go on to include many other stars including Tony Stewart, Scott Dixon, Jackie Stewart, Ted Horn, Michael Andretti, Tony Kanaan, Ralph DePalma, Johnny Rutherford, Danica Patrick, Helio Castroneves, and Wilbur Shaw. One thing's for sure, the Indy 500 is here to stay!

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* Image courtesy of Michael Conroy and AP