1985 Indianapolis 500

1985 Indianapolis 500

The 69th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26, 1985. In one of the most dramatic moments in Indy 500 history, Danny Sullivan took the lead from Mario Andretti on lap 120. But in the process, Sullivan's car became loose and he spun directly in front of Andretti in turn one. Andretti slipped by unscathed, and Sullivan's car somehow did not make contact with the outside wall. Sullivan continued in the race, and about 20 laps later, took the lead for good to score his first and only Indianapolis 500 victory for Penske. It was considered one of the most unusual wins in Indy car history.

Due to the electrifying spin by Sullivan, and the subsequent recovery, the race became known in auto racing lore as the "Spin and Win".

The race was sanctioned by USAC, and was included as part of the 1985 CART/PPG Indy Car World Series. The Speedway also celebrated 40 years of ownership by the Hulman/George family.

The 1985 Indy 500 was the breakout race for the "stock block" Buick V-6 engine. Pancho Carter and Scott Brayton swept the top two spots on the starting grid with the pushrod Buick, setting new track record speeds in time trials. However, both cars still had questionable reliability for the full 500 miles, and both dropped out early with mechanical problems on race day.

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