Indianapolis Motor Speedway

What is a lap of Indianapolis Motor Speedway like?

The road course ran clockwise, the opposite direction to the oval's Indianapolis 500, and combined a newly built infield section with the front straightaway, the short chute between oval Turns 1 and 2, and oval Turn 1 itself. Cars rejoined the oval on the short chute, took the banked final corner (oval Turn 1, run in reverse) flat out and crossed the Yard of Bricks on the front straight, staying on full throttle for about 23 seconds from the exit of Turn 11, which teams called the longest flat-out stretch of the season. The front straight ended in heavy braking for the tight Turn 1 right-hander, where a driver with a quick car could overtake easily. Formula 1 raced here eight times (2000 to 2007); the Grand Prix was dropped after 2007 and the Speedway's current road course used by IndyCar is a modified version running the same clockwise direction.

Lap length

4.192 km

Turns

13

Direction

clockwise

Downforce

Low

Longest straight

about 990 m

Altitude

221 m

Character

Fast and flowing (about 49% of the lap is cornering)

Layout described

Formula 1 road course (infield section plus the oval's front straight, the short chute between oval Turns 1 and 2, and oval Turn 1 run in reverse), 13 turns, 2.605 mi (4.192 km), used for the United States Grand Prix 2000 to 2007

Map, character and grey values are approximate (measured from a GPS trace). Report a correction.

Does pole position win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway?

The pole sitter has won 5 of 19 races here (26%). Across all circuits since 1950 the pole sitter wins 44% of races. The winner started from the front row (P1 or P2) in 9 of 19 races (47%) and from the top three in 9 (47%). Lowest grid position to win: 19th, Bill Vukovich in 1954.

Where the winner started, every race at this circuit. Pole sitter means the driver who set the fastest qualifying time (first on the grid where no qualifying data exists); a grid penalty can move the pole sitter back, and that race still counts for them. Compare every circuit.

How are races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway won?

1994 to 2009 (refuelling)

8 races; winners made 1 stop in 1, 2 stops in 6, 3 or more in 1; first stop at a median lap 24 (33% of the race)

Lap times over the years

All races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway