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Indy 500: Looking back at the last five Indianapolis 500 races

By Asher Fair

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 26: Ed Carpenter, driver of the #20 Fuzzy's Vodka / Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 26: Ed Carpenter, driver of the #20 Fuzzy's Vodka / Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /
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The sixth race of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season is the Indianapolis 500. Let’s look back at the last five Indy 500 races.

The 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500 is the sixth race of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season, and it is set to take place at the four-turn, 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval in Speedway, Indiana. The race is scheduled to start roughly one hour after the live broadcast of it begins on ABC at 11:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 27.

Before the 2018 Indy 500, let’s look back at what has happened in the last five Indy 500 races, which have featured five different winners.

2013

Tony Kanaan started the race in 12th place and went on to win it after leading 34 of its 200 laps. He won the race under caution ahead of Carlos Munoz in second. Race polesitter Ed Carpenter finished in 10th after leading 37 laps, which was a field-high total of laps led. The race featured an Indy 500 record 68 lead changes among 14 different drivers and five caution flag periods for 21 laps.

2014

Ryan Hunter-Reay started the race in 19th place and went on to win it after leading 56 of its 200 laps, which was a field-high total of laps led. He won the race by 0.0600 seconds over Helio Castroneves in second in what is the second closest finish in Indy 500 history. Race polesitter Ed Carpenter led 26 laps before crashing on lap 176 and finishing in 27th. The race featured 34 lead changes among 11 different drivers and five caution flag periods for 21 laps.

2015

Juan Pablo Montoya started the race in 15th place and went on to win it after leading only nine of its 200 laps and battling back from early damage that sent him to the back of the field. He won the race by 0.1046 seconds over Will Power in second in what is the fourth closest finish in Indy 500 history. Race polesitter Scott Dixon finished in fourth after leading 84 laps, which was a field-high total of laps led. The race featured 37 lead changes among 10 different drivers and six caution flag periods for 47 laps.

2016

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Alexander Rossi started the race in 11th place and went on to win it after leading 14 of its 200 laps. He crossed the finish line with just enough fuel to make it to the end of the race after going on an alternate strategy and stretching his final fuel stint. He won the race by 4.4975 seconds over Carlos Munoz in second. Ryan Hunter-Reay led the most laps of anyone in the field with 52 laps led, but he ended up finishing in 24th after starting in third thanks to his involvement in an accident in the pits. Race polesitter James Hinchcliffe finished in seventh after leading 27 laps. The race featured 54 lead changes among 13 different leaders and six caution flag periods for 46 laps.

2017

Takuma Sato started the race in fourth place and went on to win it after leading 17 of its 200 laps. He won the race by 0.2011 seconds over Helio Castroneves in second. Max Chilton led the most laps of anyone in the field with 50 laps led before finishing in fourth after starting in 15th. Race polesitter Scott Dixon led five laps before he was involved in a crash on lap 53 that ended his race. The race featured 35 lead changes among an Indy 500 record 15 different drivers and 10 caution flag periods for 50 laps.

Next: Top 10 IndyCar drivers of all-time

Who will win this year’s running of the Indy 500? Tune in to the live broadcast of the race from Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 27 at 11:00 am ET on ABC to find out.