Indianapolis 500 Pole-sitters
Sixty-five drivers have qualified for the pole position, one less than the number of race winners.
| Year |
Driver |
Speed (mph) |
Speed (km/h) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | Lewis Strang | No full lap | The grid was arranged by the order that entries were received via U.S. mail. | |
| 1912 | Gil Anderson | 80.93 | 130.24 | Single lap qualifying; David L. Bruce-Brown (88.45 mph – New track record) was the fastest qualifier. The grid was arranged by the order that entries were received via U.S. mail. |
| 1913 | Caleb Bragg | 87.34 | 140.56 | Single-lap; Jack Tower (88.23 mph) was the fastest qualifier. The grid was arranged by a pre-race blind draw. |
| 1914 | Jean Chassagne | 88.31 | 142.12 | Single-lap; Georges Boillot (99.86 mph – New track record) was the fastest qualifier. The grid was arranged by a pre-race blind draw. |
| 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 initially sat on the pole, but was disqualified for having his brakes disconnected. Later on, Arnold qualified at 116.080 mph and was the 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; Billy Arnold (121.687 mph) qualified for the pole, but was disqualified for using 5/8 pint too much fuel. Mays was elevated to the pole. |
| 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 mph – New track record) was the fastest qualifier, and started 19th |
| 1938 | Floyd Roberts | 125.681 | 202.264 | New track record; ten-lap average; Ronney Householder (125.769 mph – New track record) was the fastest qualifier, and 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 mph – New track record) was the fastest qualifier, and started 19th. |
| 1947 | Ted Horn | 126.564 | 203.685 | Bill Holland (128.755 mph) was the fastest qualifier, and started 8th |
| 1948 | Rex Mays | 130.577 | 210.143 | Duke Nalon (131.603 mph) was the fastest qualifier, and 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; on the second weekend of time trials, Walt Faulkner (136.872 mph) broke Nalon's one-week-old track record, and became the fastest qualfier. He started 14th. |
| 1952 | Fred Agabashian | 138.010 | 222.106 | New track record; on the second weekend of time trials, Chet Miller (139.034 mph) broke Agabashian's one-week-old track record, and became the fastest qualfier. He 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 | Jack McGrath (142.580 mph) was the fastest qualifier, and started 3rd. Most cars stayed off the track on pole day due to gusting winds, and threatening rain. Near the end of the day, two cars completed attempts and took the top two spots. Hoyt's pole-winning speed was only the 8th-fastest overall in the field, the record slowest ranked pole speed. |
| 1956 | Pat Flaherty | 145.596 | 234.314 | New track record |
| 1957 | Pat O'Connor | 143.948 | 231.662 | Paul Russo (144.817 mph) was the fastest qualifier, and 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; On the second weekend of time trials, Jim Hurtubise (149.601 mph) broke Sachs' one-week-old track record, and became the fastest overall qualifier. He would start 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. Bolt-on wings were allowed for the first time, resulting in the largest one-year track record increase |
| 1973 | Johnny Rutherford | 198.413 | 319.315 | New track record; Rutherford's third lap of 199.071 mph was a single-lap track record, and just 0.21 seconds shy of the elusive 200 mph barrier. |
| 1974 | A.J. Foyt | 191.632 | 308.402 | Pop-off valves were fitted to the turbochargers, limiting boost to 80 inHG, effectively slowing speeds |
| 1975 | A.J. Foyt | 193.976 | 312.174 | |
| 1976 | Johnny Rutherford | 188.957 | 304.097 | Mario Andretti (189.404 mph) who qualified on the second weekend of time trials, was the fastest overall qualifier, and started 19th. |
| 1977 | Tom Sneva | 198.884 | 320.073 | New track record; entire track resurfaced in asphalt prior to the race; Sneva's first two laps of 200.401 and 200.535 marked the first-ever official laps over 200 mph (320 km/h) at Indianapolis. |
| 1978 | Tom Sneva | 202.156 | 325.339 | New track record |
| 1979 | Rick Mears | 193.736 | 311.788 | Pop-off valves limiting boost to 50 inHG |
| 1980 | Johnny Rutherford | 192.256 | 309.406 | Pop-off valves limiting boost to 48 inHG |
| 1981 | Bobby Unser | 200.546 | 322.748 | Rain stretched the pole qualifying round over three days. After the initial qualifying line was passed through, Unser was awarded the pole. Moments later, Tom Sneva (200.691 mph) became the overall fastest qualifier, but since he was officially a "third day" qualifier, started 20th. |
| 1982 | Rick Mears | 207.004 | 333.141 | New track record |
| 1983 | Teo Fabi | 207.395 | 333.770 | New track record; Pop-off valves limiting boost to 47 inHG. The first weekend of time trials was rained out, and pole qualifying was held on the third day of time trials. |
| 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 | Radial tires introduced. Many teams stayed off the track due to windy conditions and handling problems, and only 11 cars qualified on pole day. |
| 1988 | Rick Mears | 219.198 | 352.765 | New track record; Pop-off valves limiting boost to 45 inHG |
| 1989 | Rick Mears | 223.885 | 360.308 | New track record; entire track resurfaced in asphalt prior to the race. Pole day (Sat.) was rained out, and pole qualifying was held on Sunday, the second day of time trials. |
| 1990 | Emerson Fittipaldi | 225.301 | 362.587 | New track record. Pole day was rained out on Saturday, and was pushed to Sunday. The qualifying line was not completed before the end of the day, and the conclusion of pole qualifying was extended to the third day of qualifying (Sat.) |
| 1991 | Rick Mears | 224.113 | 360.675 | Gary Bettenhausen (224.468 mph) who qualified on the second day, was the overall fastest qualifier, and 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; entire track resurfaced in asphalt prior to the race; Arie Luyendyk (236.986 mph) who was a second day qualifier, was the fastest qualifier, and started 20th. He set the current an all-time 1-lap track record (237.498 mph) and 4-lap track record. |
| 1997 | Arie Luyendyk | 218.263 | 351.260 | Turbochargers banned, rules changed to 4.0L normally aspirated engines |
| 1998 | Billy Boat | 223.503 | 359.693 | |
| 1999 | Arie Luyendyk | 225.179 | 362.390 | |
| 2000 | Greg Ray | 223.471 | 359.642 | rules changed to 3.5L normally aspirated engines |
| 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 | rules changed to 3.0L normally aspirated engines |
| 2005 | Tony Kanaan | 227.566 | 366.232 | Kenny Bräck (227.598 mph) was the overall fastest qualifier, and started 23rd; Entire track resurfaced in asphalt prior to the race |
| 2006 | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 228.985 | 368.516 | |
| 2007 | Hélio Castroneves | 225.817 | 363.417 | rules changed to ethanol-fueled 3.5L normally aspirated engines |
| 2008 | Scott Dixon | 226.366 | 364.301 | |
| 2009 | Hélio Castroneves | 224.864 | 361.880 | |
| 2010 | Hélio Castroneves | 227.970 | 367.809 | Pole position determined by the Fast Nine "Shootout" session |
| 2011 | Alex Tagliani | 227.472 | 366.081 | Pole position determined by the Fast Nine "Shootout" session |
| 2012 | Ryan Briscoe | 226.484 | 364.491 | Pole position determined by the Fast Nine "Shootout" session |
Notes
- 1935: Billy Arnold qualified at 121.687 mph (10-lap qualifying runs) to win the pole position. In post-inspection, it was determined he used too much fuel. Rules allowed drivers to use 3 gallons of fuel maximum for the run, with a margin of error of 1 pint. It was measured that he used ⅝ pint over, and he was disqualified. Rex Mays, the second-fastest qualifier, was elevated to the pole position.
- 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 Ongais, 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
Read more about this topic: List Of Indianapolis 500 Pole-sitters