August 13, 2026

How Indianapolis 500 pole starters fared

The pole position starters in the Indianapolis 500, with average qualifying speed in mph and finish in the race (Fast qualifier, if different from pole--starter, listed in parentheses):

1911--Lewis Strang, awarded pole, finished 29th

1912--Gil Anderson, 80.93, drew pole, finished 16th (David Bruce--Brown, 88.45, started 23rd, finished 22nd)

1913--Caleb Bragg, 87.34, drew pole, finished 15th (Jack Tower, 88.23, started 25th, finished 19th)

1914--Jean Chassagne, 88.31, drew pole, finished 29th (George Boillot, 99.86, started 29th, finished 14th)

1915--Howdy Wilcox, 98.90, finished 7th

1916--Johnny Aitken, 96.69, finished 15th

1917-18--No races, World War I

1919--Rene Thomas, 104.78, finished 11th

1920--Ralph DePalma, 99.15, finished 5th

1921--Ralph DePalma, 100.75, finished 12th

1922--Jimmy Murphy, 100.50, finished 1st

1923--Tommy Milton, 108.17, finished 1st

1924--Jimmy Murphy, 108.037, finished 3rd

1925--Leon Duray, 113.196, finished 6th

1926--Earl Cooper, 111.735, finished 16th

1927--Frank Lockhart, 120.100, finished 18th

1928--Leon Duray, 122.391, finished 19th

1929--Cliff Woodbury, 120.599, finished 33rd

1930--Billy Arnold, 113.268, finished 1st

1931--Russ Snowberger, 112.796, finished 5th (Billy Arnold, 116.080, started 18th, finished 19th)

1932--Lou Moore, 117.363, finished 25th

1933--Bill Cummings, 118.524, finished 25th

1934--Kelly Petillo, 119.329, finished 11th

1935--Rex Mays, 120.736, finished 17th

1936--Rex Mays, 119.644, finished 15th

1937--Bill Cummings, 123.343, finished 6th (Jimmy Snyder, 125.287, started 19th, finished 32nd)

1938--Floyd Roberts, 125.681, finished 1st (Ronnie Householder, 125.769, started 10th, finished 14th)

1939--Jimmy Snyder, 130.138, finished 2nd

1940--Rex Mays, 127.850, finished 2nd

1941--Mauri Rose, 128.691, finished 26th

1942-45--No races, World War II

1946--Cliff Bergere, 126.471, finished 16th (Ralph Hepburn, 133.944, started 19th, finished 14th)

1947--Ted Horn, 126.564, finished 3rd (Bill Holland, 128.755, started 8th, finished 2nd)

1948--Rex Mays, 130.577, finished 19th (Duke Nalon, 131.603, started 11th, finished 3rd)

1949--Duke Nalon, 132.939, finished 29th

1950--Walt Faulkner, 134.343, finished 7th

1951--Duke Nalon, 136.498, finished 10th (Walt Faulkner, 136.872, started 14th, finished 15th)

1952--Freddie Agabashian, 138.010, finished 27th (Chet Miller, 139.034, started 27th, finished 30th)

1953--Bill Vukovich, 138.392, finished 1st

1954--Jack McGrath, 141.033, finished 3rd

1955--Jerry Hoyt, 140.045, finished 31st (Jack McGrath, 142.580, started 3rd, finished 26th)

1956--Pat Flaherty, 145.596, finished 1st

1957--Pat O'Connor, 143.948, finished 8th (Paul Russo, 144.817, started 10th, finished 4th)

1958--Dick Rathmann, 145.974, finished 27th

1959--Johnny Thomson, 145.908, finished 3rd

1960--Eddie Sachs, 146.592, finished 21st (Jim Hurtubise, 149.056, started 23rd, finished 18th)

1961--Eddie Sachs, 147.481, finished 2nd

1962--Parnelli Jones, 150.370, finished 7th

1963--Parnelli Jones, 151.153, finished 1st

1964--Jim Clark, 158.828, finished 24th

1965--A.J. Foyt, 161.233, finished 15th

1966--Mario Andretti, 165.889, finished 18th

1967--Mario Andretti, 168.982, finished 30th

1968--Joe Leonard, 171.559, finished 12th

1969--A.J. Foyt, 170.568, finished 8th

1970--Al Unser, 170.221, finished 1st

1971--Peter Revson, 178.696, finished 2nd

1972--Bobby Unser, 195.940, finished 30th

1973--Johnny Rutherford, 198.413, finished 9th

1974--A.J. Foyt, 191.632, finished 15th

1975--A.J. Foyt, 193.976, finished 3rd

1976--Johnny Rutherford, 188.957, finished 1st (Mario Andretti, 189.404, started 19th, finished 8th)

1977--Tom Sneva, 198.884, finished 2nd

1978--Tom Sneva, 202.156, finished 2nd

1979--Rick Mears, 193.736, finished 1st

1980--Johnny Rutherford, 192.256, finished 1st

1981--Bobby Unser, 200.546, finished 1st (Tom Sneva, 200.691, started 20th, finished 25th)

1982--Rick Mears, 207.004, finished 2nd

1983--Teo Fabi, 207.395, finished 26th

1984--Tom Sneva, 210.029, finished 16th

1985--Pancho Carter, 212.583, finished 33rd

1986--Rick Mears, 216.828, finished 3rd

1987--Mario Andretti, 215.390, finished 9th

1988--Rick Mears, 219.198 finished 1st

1989--Rick Mears, 223.885, finished 23rd

1990--Emerson Fittipaldi, 225.301, finished 3rd

1991--Rick Mears, 224.113, finished 1st (Gary Bettenhausen, 224.468, started 13th, finished 22nd)

1992--Roberto Guerrero, 232.482, finished 33rd

1993--Arie Luyendyk, 223.967, finished 2nd

1994--Al Unser Jr., 228.011, finished 1st

1995--Scott Brayton, 231.604, finished 17th

1996--a-Tony Stewart, 233.100, finished 24th (Arie Luyendyk, 236.986, started 20th, finished 16th)

1997--Arie Luyendyk, 218.263, finished 1st

1998--Billy Boat, 223.503, finished 23rd

1999--Arie Luyendyk, 225.179, finished 22nd

2000--Greg Ray, 223.471, finished 33rd

2001--Scott Sharp, 226.037

a-Scott Brayton qualified for the pole at 233.718 but was killed in practice

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