The 95th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday May 29, 2011. The race was part of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season. The track opened for practice on May 14 and time trials were held from May 21 to 22. Alex Tagliani won the pole position, and the race was won by Dan Wheldon. It was his second Indy 500 win after the 2005 race, and the last win of his racing career. It was the first of two Indy victories for car owner Bryan Herta.
Differing strategies from the frontrunners led to one of the wildest finishes in race history. American rookie J. R. Hildebrand of Panther Racing took the lead with two laps to go. As the leaders were cycling through pit stops, Hildebrand was nursing a car very low on fuel. He was attempting to stretch his tank to the finish line and hold on for an unexpected victory. It would have been the first Indy 500 win for Panther Racing, after three consecutive runner-up finishes, and two series championships. On the final turn of the final lap, Hildebrand went high to pass the slow car of Charlie Kimball. He drifted wide and crashed into the outside wall. As his wrecked car coasted down the front straight, Wheldon slipped by in the final 1,000 feet to take the victory. Hildebrand slid across the finish line to finish second. It was the second Indianapolis 500 that ended in a last lap pass after the 2006 race, and the only time to date that the race winner led only the final lap. Four months later, Wheldon was killed in a crash in the IZOD IndyCar World Championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, driving the car Tagliani had qualified on the pole in.[6]
The race was the culmination of the three-year-long Centennial era, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the opening of the track (1909) and the 100th anniversary of the inaugural race in 1911. Throughout May, the race was advertised as the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 and the Centennial Indianapolis 500. Since the race was suspended during World War I and World War II, the 100th running of the 500 would not be held until 2016.
^ abSurber, Tom (May 30, 2011). "Wheldon Earns $2.56 Million For 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Victory". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. IMS Group. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
^"Jim Nabors will sing Back Home Again in Indiana at the 2011 Indianapolis 500". JimNabors.com. Archived from the original on January 13, 2018. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
^Kelly, Paul (May 6, 2011). "Legend Foyt To Drive 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Pace Car". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. IMS Group. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
^Surber, Tom (May 19, 2011). "Medal Of Honor Winner Crandall To Serve As Honorary Starter". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. IMS Group. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
^"IIndianapolis 500 Hits Three-Year Viewership High". Sports Media Watch. Sports Media Watch. June 3, 2011. Archived from the original on March 11, 2012. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
^"Dan Wheldon dies after IndyCar crash". ESPN.com. October 17, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
and 29 Related for: 2011 Indianapolis 500 information
The 95th Indianapolis500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday May 29, 2011. The race was part of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar...
The Indianapolis500 (also called the Indianapolis500-Mile Race) is an annual American open-wheel car race held on American Memorial Day weekend at the...
The Indianapolis500, formally known as the Indianapolis500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis...
Due to the longevity of the Indianapolis500, numerous traditions surrounding the race have developed over the years. Traditions include procedures for...
The 2024 Indianapolis500, branded as the 108th Running of the Indianapolis500 presented by Gainbridge for sponsorship reasons, was a 500-mile (804.5 km...
The 2023 Indianapolis500, branded as the 107th Running of the Indianapolis500 presented by Gainbridge for sponsorship reasons, was a 500-mile (804.7 km...
Motorsport (Indianapolis500, Monaco Grand Prix, and 24 Hours of Le Mans): Graham Hill (1966 / 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969 / 1972) Won Indianapolis500, F1 World...
the Indianapolis500 (including the race, qualifying, and practice). Fatalities have also occurred in conjunction with the precursors to the 500 (which...
The 2022 Indianapolis500 (branded as the 106th Running of the Indianapolis500 presented by Gainbridge for sponsorship reasons) was a 500-mile (804.7 km...
The 2018 Indianapolis500 (branded as the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil for sponsorship reasons) was a Verizon...
The 96th Indianapolis500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday May 27, 2012. It was the premier event of the 2012...
This is a list of female motor racing drivers who have entered an Indianapolis500 race. Ten women racing drivers have officially entered at least once...
The 2021 Indianapolis500 (branded as the 105th Running of the Indianapolis500 presented by Gainbridge for sponsorship reasons) was a 500-mile (800 km...
The 93rd Indianapolis500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday May 24, 2009. It was the 14th Indy 500 sanctioned...
The 97th Indianapolis500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday May 26, 2013. It was the premier event of the 2013...
The 94th Indianapolis500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 30, 2010. It was the 15th Indy 500 sanctioned...
The 79th Indianapolis500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 28, 1995. Sanctioned by USAC, it was part of...
year-by-year history of the Indianapolis500 race. The first motorcycle and automobile races and demonstration runs are held the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in...
The 2020 Indianapolis500 (branded as the 104th Running of the Indianapolis500 presented by Gainbridge for sponsorship reasons) was a 500-mile (800 km...
running at the finish. Indianapolis500 Chronicle, John Pope, copyright 1999 2005 Indianapolis500-Mile Race Program 2006 Indianapolis500-Mile Race Program...
The 2019 Indianapolis500 (branded as the 103rd Running of the Indianapolis500 presented by Gainbridge for sponsorship reasons) was an IndyCar Series...
The 57th 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Wednesday, May 30, 1973. The race was...
The 77th Indianapolis500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 30, 1993. Emerson Fittipaldi took the lead with...
The 98th Indianapolis500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday May 25, 2014. It is the premier event of the 2014...
The 1912 Indianapolis500-Mile Race, or International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race, the second such race in history, was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway...
The 48th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Saturday, May 30, 1964. The race was won...
The Indianapolis500 has been broadcast on network television in the United States since 1965. From 1965 to 2018, the event was broadcast by ABC, making...
The 36th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was a motor race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday, May 30, 1952. It was the opening race of...
The 88th Indianapolis500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 30, 2004. It was part of the 2004 IndyCar Series...
Global Information
Dan Wheldon[1]
Alex Tagliani
J. R. Hildebrand[1]
Scott Dixon (73)