The inaugural race was held in 1911 and it was won by Ray Harroun. The event celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011, and the 100th running was held in 2016. The event was put on hiatus twice, from 1917 to 1918 due to World War I and from 1942 to 1945 due to World War II. In two different periods, the race was part of FIA World Championships; between 1925 and 1928, the World Manufacturers' Championship and between 1950 and 1960, the World Drivers' Championship.
For the 1996 racing season, Speedway owner Tony George formed his own racing series, the Indy Racing League (IRL), making the 500 its marquee event. The most popular drivers and teams in open-wheel racing remained with CART, setting the split in motion. The two series unified in 2008 ending the split. The damage to open-wheel racing caused by the split has been termed by many sports writers as "immeasurable." During this time, the Indianapolis 500 lost fans failing to sell out again until the 2016 running. NASCAR's Daytona 500 overtook the Indianapolis 500 as the most watched auto race on television until 2011. NASCAR's Brickyard 400 in the opinions of some fans and media writers overtook the Indianapolis 500 until a 2008 tire disaster in the 400.
In 2005, Danica Patrick and "Danica-mania" brought more attention back to the 500. While Patrick was not the first woman to race at Indy, she was the most popular and became the first to lead laps.
The Indianapolis 500 is held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a 2.5-mile (4 km) oval circuit. Traditionally, the field consists of 33 starters, aligned in a starting grid of eleven rows of three cars apiece. Drivers race 200 laps, counter-clockwise around the circuit, for a distance of 500 miles (800 km). Since its inception in 1911, the race has always been scheduled on or around Memorial Day. Since 1974, the race has been specifically scheduled for the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. The Sunday of Memorial Day weekend is widely considered one of the most important days on the motorsports calendar, as it is the day of the Indianapolis 500, the Coca-Cola 600 – and in numerous cases, the Monaco Grand Prix.
Felix Rosenqvist, the winner in 2026, is the reigning champion. The most successful drivers all-time are A. J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr., Rick Mears and Hélio Castroneves, each of whom has won the race four times. The active driver with the most victories is Castroneves. Rick Mears holds the record for most career pole positions with six, and Scott Dixon holds the record for most career laps led. The most successful car owner is Roger Penske, owner of Team Penske, which has 20 total wins and 19 poles.
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