Beyond the Flag
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Indy 500: Top 10 Indianapolis 500 drivers of all-time

By Asher Fair

INDIANAPOLIS - MAY 27: Helio Castroneves, driver of the #3 Team Penske Dallara Honda, leads a pack of cars at the start of the IRL IndyCar Series 91st running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27, 2007 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS - MAY 27: Helio Castroneves, driver of the #3 Team Penske Dallara Honda, leads a pack of cars at the start of the IRL IndyCar Series 91st running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27, 2007 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MAY 27: The Borg-Warner trophy is seen prior to practice on Carb Day at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on May 27, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MAY 27: The Borg-Warner trophy is seen prior to practice on Carb Day at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on May 27, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

#2 – Bill Vukovich

Bill Vukovich only raced in the Indianapolis 500 four times before he was killed in a crash during his fifth attempt in the race in 1955. However, he is still one of only 19 drivers who have won the race more than once, and he is one of only five drivers who have won it in back-to-back years.

In just 676 career laps in the Indy 500, Vukovich led 485 (71.75%) of them, a total that ranks 8th on the all-time Indy 500 laps led list. That percentage of 71.75% ranks second on the all-time percentage of Indy 500 laps led list, and it ranks first on that list among drivers with multiple Indy 500 victories.

Vukovich failed to qualify for the Indy 500 in his first attempt at doing so in 1950. However, he ended up qualifying for the race for the first time in 1951. He started the race in 29th place and ended up finishing in 29th after completing just 29 laps thanks to an oil tank issue.

In 1952, Vukovich returned to the Indy 500 for the second time. He started the race in 8th place but ended up getting to the lead very quickly. He dominated the race and led 150 of the first 191 laps before a steering issue prevented him from finishing the race yet again.

Vukovich ended up finished in 17th place in that race after leading 75% of the race’s laps, a percentage that is sixth highest of all-time among drivers who did not go on to win the race.

In 1953 and 1954, Vukovich would not be denied Indy 500 victories after starting from the pole position and 19th place, respectively. In the 1953 race, he led 195 of the race’s 200 laps en route to his first career victory in the race.

Only one Indy 500 race has been won by a driver who led more laps than Vukovich did in the 1953 race. In the 1954 race, he led 90 of the race’s 200 laps en route to his second and final victory in the race. He became the third driver to win the rack in back-to-back years.

In the 1955 Indy 500, Vukovich dominated the race yet again. He led the first 50 of 56 laps and had built up a 17-second lead over second place despite the fact that he started the race in 5th place. However, he was killed instantly in a chain-reaction crash on lap 57 of that race at age 36.