The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was constructed in 1909 as a gravel-and-tar surface. Following a series of fatal accidents during early long-distance events, principal owner Carl G. Fisher had the surface repaved with 3.2 million bricks, earning the circuit its enduring nickname, the "Brickyard." The first 500-mile race was held on Decoration Day, May 30, 1911. Ray Harroun won the inaugural event driving the Marmon Wasp, a car notable for Harroun's use of a rear-view mirror in place of a riding mechanic.
The 500-mile distance was chosen because organisers estimated it could be completed before dark. The initial prize purse was $25,000. The field for the first race consisted of 40 starters; from 1912 the grid was limited to 33 cars, a tradition that has largely been maintained ever since.
In the years following the inaugural race the event became a focal point for international engineering competition. European manufacturers including Fiat and Peugeot won every race between 1912 and 1919. After World War I, American engineer Harry Miller emerged as a dominant force, developing engines that won multiple races throughout the 1920s and 1930s. In 1925, Pete DePaolo became the first driver to win the race with an average speed exceeding 100 mph.
The mid-1930s saw the introduction of the four-cylinder Offenhauser engine — known universally as the "Offy" — developed by Fred Offenhauser and Leo Goossen. The Offenhauser recorded 27 total wins, including a record 18 consecutive victories between 1947 and 1964.
The post-World War II period saw the race included in the FIA World Drivers' Championship from 1950 to 1960, though few European Formula One regulars competed. A significant shift came in 1963 when Colin Chapman brought Team Lotus to the Speedway. In 1965, Jim Clark won in a mid-engined Lotus-Ford, ending the dominance of front-engined roadsters and snapping the Offenhauser's long winning streak.
The 1970s and 1980s were marked by a transition to European-based chassis technology from constructors such as McLaren, Lola, and March. In 1972, Mark Donohue earned the first of what would become a record 20 wins for car owner Roger Penske. The 1980s also brought an influx of international driving talent, including Emerson Fittipaldi and Arie Luyendyk, establishing the race as a genuinely global destination.
In 1996, a schism in American open-wheel racing occurred when Speedway owner Tony George founded the Indy Racing League. This triggered a prolonged "split" with the rival CART series, which boycotted the Indianapolis 500 until 2000. The two organisations eventually unified in 2008, restoring the race as the unchallenged centrepiece of American open-wheel competition.
Individual editions of the race have been shaped by technical controversy and weather. In 1994, Roger Penske exploited a USAC rule disparity by fielding a purpose-built Mercedes-Benz 500I "stock-block" engine that dominated the field. The 2020 race was postponed to August due to the COVID-19 pandemic and became the first Indianapolis 500 held without spectators in attendance.
The event maintains several long-standing traditions: a 33-car starting grid arranged in rows of three, the singing of "Back Home Again in Indiana" before the start, and the winner drinking milk in victory lane — a custom that caused brief controversy in 1993 when winner Emerson Fittipaldi chose orange juice instead. Since 1936, winners have been commemorated on the Borg-Warner Trophy.
Rick Mears holds the record for career pole positions at Indianapolis with six. The 100th running in 2016 drew a capacity crowd of approximately 350,000 people. Scott Dixon holds the record for the most career laps led at the event.
The race has a well-documented history of drivers competing across disciplines. Mario Andretti and A. J. Foyt both won the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500. Since 1993, several NASCAR drivers have attempted "Double Duty," starting at Indianapolis and then driving in the Coca-Cola 600 the same afternoon. Tony Stewart remains the only driver to have completed the full 1,100-mile distance of both races on the same day, achieving this in 2001.
The Indianapolis 500 is one of the three events that constitute the Triple Crown of Motorsport. The race annually presents a Rookie of the Year award, and the Grand Prix of Indianapolis — a road course event at the same venue — has been run as a support event during the month of May since 2014.
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