Special Report

Indy 500 Drivers With the Most Wins

Grant Suneson

Published: May 29, 2022 9:00 am

One of the world’s most famous races, the Indianapolis 500, will run for the 106th time on May 29. Some of the best drivers in motorsports will put their skills and their cars to the test each Memorial Day weekend, regularly topping speeds of over 200 mph.

Many of the drivers are hoping to win the prestigious race for the first time in their careers. Others have already established themselves as legends, with multiple Indy 500 wins under their belts. Here’s a list of every winner of the Indianapolis 500 since 2000.

To determine the drivers that have won the Indianapolis 500 the most times, 24/7 Tempo reviewed historical data on the race from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Most of the drivers on this list have scored two victories, while half a dozen have won three times and only four have finished first on four occasions.

Click here to see the Indy 500 drivers with the most wins

Brazilian racing legend Helio Castroneves is aiming to rewrite the record books, as he competes to be the first driver to win the Indy 500 five times. Castroneves is the defending champion of the race, with his 2021 win coming 20 years after his first triumph at the Indy 500. 

The margin between victory and coming up just short in the Indianapolis 500 can be razor thin. Many of the drivers on this list won the race in thrilling fashion, edging out their opponents by just fractions of a second. These are the most exciting races in Indy 500 history.

20. Tommy Milton
> Indy 500 wins: 2
> Years: 1921, 1923

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19. Bill Vukovich
> Indy 500 wins: 2
> Years: 1953, 1954

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18. Rodger Ward
> Indy 500 wins: 2
> Years: 1959, 1962

Gordon Johncock (CC BY-SA 2.0) by The359

17. Gordon Johncock
> Indy 500 wins: 2
> Years: 1973, 1982

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16. Emerson Fittipaldi
> Indy 500 wins: 2
> Years: 1989, 1993

15. Arie Luyendyk
> Indy 500 wins: 2
> Years: 1990, 1997

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14. Al Unser Jr.
> Indy 500 wins: 2
> Years: 1992, 1994

13. Juan Pablo Montoya
> Indy 500 wins: 2
> Years: 2000, 2015

12. Dan Wheldon
> Indy 500 wins: 2
> Years: 2005, 2011

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11. Takuma Sato
> Indy 500 wins: 2
> Years: 2017, 2020

10. Louis Meyer
> Indy 500 wins: 3
> Years: 1928, 1933, 1936

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9. Wilbur Shaw
> Indy 500 wins: 3
> Years: 1937, 1939, 1940

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Mauri Rose, 1941 (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Insomnia Cured Here

8. Mauri Rose
> Indy 500 wins: 3
> Years: 1941 (shared with Floyd Davis), 1947, 1948

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7. Bobby Unser
> Indy 500 wins: 3
> Years: 1968, 1975, 1981

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6. Johnny Rutherford
> Indy 500 wins: 3
> Years: 1974, 1976, 1980

5. Dario Franchitti
> Indy 500 wins: 3
> Years: 2007, 2010, 2012

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4. A.J. Foyt
> Indy 500 wins: 4
> Years: 1961, 1964, 1967, 1977

3. Al Unser
> Indy 500 wins: 4
> Years: 1970, 1971, 1978, 1987

RickMearsMonterey1991 (CC BY 2.0) by Stuart Seeger

2. Rick Mears
> Indy 500 wins: 4
> Years: 1979, 1984, 1988, 1991

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1. Helio Castroneves
> Indy 500 wins: 4
> Years: 2001, 2002, 2009, 2021