IRL IndyCar Series
Indianapolis 500 Pole Position Winners


YEAR DRIVER (TEAM) FOUR LAP AVG
2022 Scott Dixon (CHIP GANASSI) 234.046
2021 Scott Dixon (CHIP GANASSI) 231.685
2020 Marco Andretti (Andretti Autosport) 231.068 
2019 Simon Pagenaud (Team Penske) 229.992 
2018 Ed Carpenter (Ed Carpenter Racing) 229.618
2017 Scott Dixon (CHIP GANASSI) 232.164
2016 James Hinchcliffe (Schmidt Peterson Motorsports) 230.76
2015 Scott Dixon (TARGET CHIP GANASSI) 226.760 
2014 Ed Carpenter (Ed Carpenter Racing) 231.067
2013 Ed Carpenter (Ed Carpenter Racing) 228.762
2012 Ryan Briscoe (TEAM PENSKE) 226.484
2011 ALEX TAGLIANI (SAM SCHMIDT MOTORSPORTS) 227.472
2010 HELIO CASTRONEVES (TEAM PENSKE) 227.970
2009 HELIO CASTRONEVES (TEAM PENSKE) 224.864
2008 SCOTT DIXON (TARGET CHIP GANASSI) 226.366 
2007 HELIO CASTRONEVES (MARLBORO TEAM PENSKE) 225.817 
2006 SAM HORNISH JR. (MARLBORO TEAM PENSKE) 228.985 
2005 TONY KANAAN (ANDRETTI-GREEN RACING)  227.566 
2004 BUDDY RICE (RAHAL-LETTERMAN RACING) 222.024 
2003 HELIO CASTRONEVES (MARLBORO TEAM PENSKE) 231.725 
2002 BRUNO JUNQUEIRA (GANASSI RACING) 231.342 
2001 SCOTT SHARP (KELLEY RACING) 226.037 
2000 GREG RAY (TEAM MENARD) 223.471 
1999 ARIE LUYENDYK (TREADWAY RACING) 225.179 
1998  BILLY BOAT (A.J. FOYT ENTERPRISES) 223.503 
1997 ARIE LUYENDYK (TREADWAY RACING) 218.263  
1996 SCOTT BRAYTON (TEAM MENARD) 233.718 (X) 
ARIE LUYENDYK 236.986 (FQ) 
1995 SCOTT BRAYTON (TEAM MENARD) 231.604 
1994 AL UNSER JUNIOR (PENSKE RACING) 228.011 
1993 ARIE LUYENDYK (GANASSI RACING) 223.967 
1992 ROBERTO GUERRERO (KENNY BERNSTEIN) 232.482 
1991 RICK MEARS (PENSKE RACING) 224.113 
GARY BETTENHAUSEN (GLIDDEN PAINTS) 224.468 (FQ) 
1990 EMERSON FITTIPALDI (PENSKE RACING) 225.301 
1989 RICK MEARS (PENSKE RACING) 223.885  
1988 RICK MEARS (PENSKE RACING) 219.198 
1987 MARIO ANDRETTI (NEWMAN-HAAS RACING) 215.390 
1986 RICK MEARS (PENSKE RACING) 216.828 
1985 PANCHO CARTER (GALLES RACING) 212.583 
1984 TOM SNEVA (MAYER MOTOR RACING) 210.029 
1983 TEO FABI (FORSYTHE RACING) 207.395 
1982 RICK MEARS (PENSKE RACING) 207.004 
1981 BOBBY UNSER (PENSKE RACING) 200.546 
TOM SNEVA (BLUE POLY) 200.691 (FQ) 
1980 JOHNNY RUTHERFORD (CHAPARRAL RACING) 192.256 
1979 RICK MEARS (PENSKE RACING) 193.736 
1978 TOM SNEVA (PENSKE RACING) 202.156 
1977 TOM SNEVA (PENSKE RACING) 198.884 
1976 JOHNNY RUTHERFORD (TEAM MCLAREN) 188.957 
MARIO ANDRETTI (CAM2 MOTOR OIL) 189.404 (FQ) 
1975 A.J. FOYT (A.J. FOYT ENTERPRISES) 193.976 
1974 A.J. FOYT (A.J. FOYT ENTERPRISES) 191.632 
1973 JOHNNY RUTHERFORD (MCLAREN CARS) 198.413 
1972 BOBBY UNSER (OLSONITE DIVISION) 195.940 
1971 PETER REVSON (MCLAREN CARS) 178.696 
1970 AL UNSER (VEL'S PARNELLI JONES FORD) 170.22  
1969 A.J. FOYT (ANSTED-THOMPSON RACING) 170.568 
1968 JOE LEONARD (STP CORPORATION) 171.559 
1967 MARIO ANDRETTI (DEAN RACING ENTERPRISES) 168.982 
1966 MARIO ANDRETTI (DEAN RACING ENTERPRISES) 165.899 
1965 A.J. FOYT (ANSTED-THOMPSON RACING) 161.233 
1964 JIM CLARK (TEAM LOTUS) 158.828 
1963 PARNELLI JONES (J.C. AGAJANIAN) 151.153 
1962 PARNELLI JONES (J.C. AGAJANIAN) 150.370 
1961 EDDIE SACHS (DEAN VAN LINES RACING) 147.481 
1960 EDDIE SACHS (DEAN VAN LINES RACING) 146.592 
JIM HURTUBISE (TRAVELON TRAILER) 149.056 (FQ) 
1959 JOHNNY THOMSON (RACING ASSOCIATES) 145.908 
1958 DICK RATHMANN (KALAMAZOO SPORTS INC) 145.974 
1957 PAT O'CONNOR (CHAPMAN S. ROOT) 143.948 
PAUL RUSSO (NOVI AUTO AIR CONDITIONER) 144.817 (FQ) 
1956 PAT FLAHERTY (JOHN ZINK CO.) 145.596 
1955  JERRY HOYT (JIM ROBBINS) 140.045 
JACK MCGRATH (JACK B. HINKLE) 142.580 (FQ) 
1954 JACK MCGRATH (JACK B. HINKLE) 141.033 
1953 BILL VUKOVICH (HOWARD KECK CO.) 138.392 
1952 FRED AGABASHIAN (CUMMINS ENGINE CO.) 138.010 
CHET MILLER (NOVI PURE OIL) 139.034 (FQ) 
1951 DUKE NALON (JEAN MARCENAC) 136.498 
WALT FAULKNER (J.C. AGAJANIAN) 136.872 (FQ) 
1950 WALT FAULKNER (J.C. AGAJANIAN) 134.343 
1949 DUKE NALON (W.C. WINFIELD) 132.939 
1948 REX MAYS (BOWES RACING INC.) 130.577 
1947 TED HORN (H.C. HENNING) 126.564 
BILL HOLLAND (BLUE CROWN SPARK PLUG) 128.755 (FQ) 
1946 CLIFF BERGERE (SHIRLEY BERGERE) 126.471 
RALPH HEPBURN (NOVI GOVERNOR) 133.944 (FQ) 
1945 NO RACE  
1944 NO RACE  
1943 NO RACE  
1942 NO RACE  
1941 MAURI ROSE (LOU MOORE) 128.691 
1940 REX MAYS (BOWES RACING INC.) 127.850 
1939 JIMMY SNYDER (JOEL THORNE INC.) 130.138 
1938 FLOYD ROBERTS (LOU MOORE) 125.681 
RONNEY HOUSEHOLDER (THORNE-SPARKS) 125.769 (FQ) 
1937 BILL CUMMINGS (H.C. HENNING) 123.343 
JIMMY SNYDER (SPARKS) 125.287 (FQ) 
1936 REX MAYS (PAUL WEIRICK) 119.664 
1935 REX MAYS (PAUL WEIRICK) 120.736 
1934 KELLY PETILLO (JOE MARKS) 119.329 
1933 BILL CUMMINGS (M.J. BOYLE) 118.524 
1932 LOU MOORE (M.J. BOYLE) 117.363 
1931  RUSS SNOWBERGER (RUSSELL SNOWBERGER) 112.796 
BILLY ARNOLD (MILLER-HARTZ) 116.080 (FQ) 
1930 BILLY ARNOLD (HARRY HARTZ) 113.268 
1929 CLIFF WOODBURY (CLIFF R. WOODBURY) 120.599 
1928 LEON DURAY (LEON DURAY) 122.39  
1927  FRANK LOCKHART (FRANK S. LOCKHART) 120.100 
1926  EARL COOPER (HARRY A. MILLER) 111.735 
1925  LEON DURAY (HARRY HARTZ) 113.196 
1924  JIMMY MURPHY (JIMMY MURPHY) 108.03 
1923  TOMMY MILTON (H.C.S MOTOR CO.) 108.17 
1922  JIMMY MURPHY (JIMMY MURPHY) 100.50 
1921  RALPH DEPALMA (RALPH DEPALMA) 100.75 
1920  RALPH DEPALMA (RALPH DEPALMA) 99.15 
1919  RENE THOMAS (ERNEST BALLOT) 104.78 
1916  JOHN AITKEN (INDIANAPOLIS SPEEDWAY TEAM CO.) 96.69 
1915  HOWARD WILCOX (STUTZ MOTOR CAR CO.) 98.90 
1914  JEAN CHASSAGNE (SUNBEAM MOTOR CAR CO.) DREW POLE 
GEORGE BOILLET (PEUGEOT) 99.86 (FQ) 
1913  CALEB BRAGG (MERCER MOTORS CO.) DREW POLE 
JACK TOWER (MASON) 88.23 (FQ) 
1912  GIL ANDERSON (IDEAL MOTOR CO.) DREW POLE 
DAVID BRUCE-BROWN (NATIONAL) 88.45 (FQ) 
1911  LEWIS STRANG (J.I. CASE T.M. CO.) AWARDED POLE 

(X) - EARNED POLE POSITION, BUT DIED AS A RESULT OF INJURIES SUSTAINED IN A CRASH DURING PRACTICE
(FQ) - FASTEST QUALIFIER, BUT INELIGIBLE FOR POLE POSITION

INDY 500 POLE NOTES
Most pole positions: 6 – Rick Mears (1979, 1982, 1986, 1988-89, 1991)

Most consecutive pole positions: 2 – Ralph DePalma (1920-21), Rex Mays (1935-36), Eddie Sachs (1960-61), Parnelli Jones (1962-63), Mario Andretti (1966-67), A.J. Foyt (1974-75), Tom Sneva (1977-78), Rick Mears (1988-89), Scott Brayton (1995-96)

Most times starting on front row: 11 – Rick Mears (1978-79, 82-84, 86-91)

Most consecutive times starting on front row: 6 – Rick Mears (1986-91)

Highest starting position, rookie: Pole – Lewis Strang (1911, first entered), Jean Chassagne (1914, drew pole), Walt Faulkner (1950), Teo Fabi (1983), Tony Stewart (1996*)

Highest starting position, woman: 4th – Danica Patrick (2005)

Worst finish from pole: 33rd – Cliff Woodbury (1929), Pancho Carter (1985), Roberto Guerrero (1992), Greg Ray (2000), Scott Sharp (2001)

* – Tony Stewart started the 1996 Indianapolis 500 from the pole position after Scott Brayton was fatally injured in practice prior to the race.