Helio Castroneves passed Alex Palou with two laps left and only led the 2021 Indianapolis 500 for 20 laps throughout the entirety of the race, but it was enough for him to come away with the win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
It was a momentous victory for several reasons. For one, he became only the fourth driver 46 or older to win the Indy 500. For another, certainly more important, it moved him to a tie with three other drivers for the most wins in the history of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
When Castroneves takes the wheel for Sunday’s race, he’ll have a chance to stand atop the all-time wins list should he prevail from the 200-lap, 500-mile race.
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What is the record for most all-time wins? And what other marks is Castroneves chasing? The Sporting News breaks down the history Castroneves could make on Sunday.
Most Indy 500 wins
With Castroneves' win in the 2021 Indy 500, he tied A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears for the most wins all-time in the history of the race with four.
None of the four drivers have spread their wins around as much as Castroneves has, however, as he had a 20-year gap between his first and fourth win in the race.
| Driver | Wins |
|---|---|
| Helio Castroneves | 2001, 2009, 2009, 2021 |
| Rick Mears | 1979, 1984, 1988, 1991 |
| Al Unser | 1970, 1971, 1978, 1987 |
| A.J. Foyt | 1961, 1964, 1967, 1977 |
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There are currently only six other drivers in history who even have three wins in the Indy 500, and none are currently active. The most recent driver to pick up his third win was Dario Franchitti, who collected wins in 2007, 2010 and 2012.
| Driver | Wins |
|---|---|
| Dario Franchitti | 2007, 2010, 2012 |
| Bobby Unser | 1968, 1975, 1981 |
| Johnny Rutherford | 1974, 1976, 1980 |
| Mauri Rose | 1941, 1947, 1948 |
| Wilbur Shaw | 1937, 1939, 1940 |
| Louis Meyer | 1928, 1933, 1936 |
In the 2022 field, there are only two other drivers with multiple wins who will have a chance to move into that tie for the fifth-most all-time wins in the Indy 500. Takuma Sato won the Indy 500 in 2017 and 2020, and Juan Pablo Montoya won the race in 2000 and 2015.
Back-to-back Indy 500 wins
A win for Castroneves in the 2022 Indy 500 would not only place him solely on top of the all-time wins list. It would also put him in rare company among back-to-back winners of the race.
In the history of the Indy 500, only Castroneves (2001, 2002), Al Unser (1970, 1971), Bill Vukovich (1953, 1954), Mauri Rose (1947, 1948) and Wilbur Shaw (1939, 1940) have won the race in back-to-back years.
Of course, Castroneves' win would put him in seriously exclusive company as the only driver ever to win back-to-back races on two separate occasions.