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: Dario Franchitti of Scotland, driver of the #50 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MAY 27: Dario Franchitti of Scotland, driver of the #50 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /

#4 – Dario Franchitti

Dario Franchitti won three Indianapolis 500 races in only 10 attempts, making him one of only 10 drivers who have won the race three or more times.

In 1,940 career laps in the Indy 500, Franchitti led 329 (16.96%) of them, a total that ranks 16th on the all-time Indy 500 laps led list.

As referenced above, Franchitti only drove in the Indy 500 a total of 10 times, yet he still managed to win the race three times. In fact, all three of his wins in the race came in a six-year (five-race) span. He did not race in 2008 as a result of making the switch to become a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver.

Of the 10 drivers who have won the race at least three times, Franchitti’s win percentage of 30% (three out of 10) is the highest.

Franchitti first drove in the Indy 500 in 2002, and his first victory in the race came in 2007 in his fifth attempt. He missed the 2003 race as a result of injury. He started the 2007 race in 3rd place, which was tied for his highest career starting position in the race at the time and ended up still being tied for his highest career starting position in the race, before going on to win it.

He won the Indy 500 for the second time in 2010 after starting in 3rd for his third consecutive Indy 500 race and for the fourth time overall in the race.

In the 2012 Indy 500, Franchitti started the race  in 16th place and quickly fell to the back of the pack after being spun out in the pits. However, he rebounded to win the race for the third and final time of his career in what is considered one of the greatest comeback wins in Indy 500 history.

This win was his final career IndyCar win before he retired in the 2013 season. The 2013 Indy 500 was the only Indy 500 that Franchitti attempted but failed to finish.