The 99th Running of the Indy 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 24 and will feature drivers of the Verizon IndyCar Series.
The Indy 500 race is the most prestigious event of the IndyCar calendar, and one of the oldest and most important automobile races. It has been considered to be the largest single-day sporting event in the entire world. In addition, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway itself is regarded as the world's largest sporting facility in terms of capacity.
The Indy 500-Mile Race is an automobile race held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. The event is held over Memorial Day weekend, which is typically the last weekend in May. It is contested as part of the Verizon IndyCar Series, the top level of American Championship Car racing, an open-wheel formula colloquially known as "Indy Car Racing."
The event, billed as The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, is considered part of the Triple Crown of Motorsport, which comprises three of the most prestigious motorsports events in the world. The official attendance is not disclosed by Speedway management, but the permanent seating capacity is upwards of 250,000, and infield patrons raise the race-day attendance to approximately 300,000.
The Indy 500 has been broadcast by ABC since 1965. It is currently one of the longest-running relationships between a sporting event and television network In 2014.
Venue Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Location Speedway, Indiana
First race 1911
First IndyCar race 1996
Distance 500 miles (805 km)
Laps 200
Previous names International Sweepstakes (1911–1915, 1920–1980)
Liberty Sweepstakes (1919)
Most wins (driver) A. J. Foyt (4)
Al Unser (4)
Rick Mears (4)
Most wins (team) Penske (15)
Most wins (manufacturer) Chassis: Dallara (10)
Engine: Offenhauser (27)
Circuit information
Surface Asphalt
Turns 4
Lap record 37.895 sec (237.498 mph; 382.182 km/h) (Arie Luyendyk, Reynard/Ford-Cosworth XB, 1996)
The total purse exceeded $13 million in 2011, with over $2.5 million awarded to the winner, making it one of the richest cash prize funds in sports.
The Indy 500 is held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a 2.5 mile oval circuit. Drivers race 200 laps, counterclockwise around the circuit, for a distance of 500 miles. Since its inception in 1911, the race has always been scheduled on or around Memorial Day. Since 1974, the race has been scheduled for the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Practice and time trials are held in the two weeks leading up to the race.
Indy 500 live, Indy 500 winner, Watch Indy 500 Live Online 2015 on ABC Network.
