Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis Speedway
Indiana, USA
The Indianapolis 500, billed as The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, is considered one of the three most prestigious motorsports events in the world.
Completed in 1909 - The Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana had a total capacity of 400,000 spectators, making it the world’s largest spectator sporting facility at the time. Todays capacity is 257,325.
By the early 1930s, rising race speeds began to make the track increasingly dangerous. In the period of 1931 to 1935 there was a total of 15 fatalities.
LAP RECORD
0:00:37s - Arie Luyendyk (1996)
track characteristics
The track is a 2.5 mile, nearly rectangular oval with dimensions that have remained essentially unchanged since its inception. Modern day cars can reach upwards of 250mph
RACE TYPE
Circuit
Death toll
42
THE DANGER FILES
In 1909, driver Charlie Merz's front tire blew on his car and he mowed down five fence posts and toppled dozens of spectators – Killing two, along with his mechanic, Claude Kellum
Race length
500 miles
established
1909
circuit
