1991 Indianapolis 500

The 75th Indianapolis 75th Indianapolis 500

500 was held at the
Indianapolis Motor
Speedway in Speedway,
Indiana, on Sunday, May
26, 1991. Rick Mears won
from the pole position,
becoming the third four-
time winner of the Indy
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
500, joining A. J. Foyt
Indianapolis 500
and Al Unser. During
time trials, Mears also Sanctioning
USAC
body
established an Indy
record by winning his 1991 CART
sixth career pole season
Season
1990–91 Gold
position. The month of
Crown
May for Mears was
Date May 26, 1991
tumultuous, as he
suffered his first ever Winner Rick Mears
crash at Indy since Winning team Team Penske
arriving as a rookie in Average speed 176.457 mph
1977. The wreck during a
Pole position Rick Mears
practice run totaled his
Pole speed 224.113 mph
primary car, and broke a
bone in his right foot. Fastest qualifier Gary
Mears kept the injury Bettenhausen
mostly secret, and later Rookie of the
Jeff Andretti
admitted that the pain he Year
experienced during the Michael
Most laps led
race was so bad, he had Andretti (97)
to cross his legs in the Pre-race ceremonies
car and push the National anthem Sandi Patti
accelerator pedal down
[2][3]
"Back Home
with his left foot. Again in Jim Nabors
Indiana"
The race was noteworthy
in that it featured the first Starting
Mary F. Hulman
command
African American driver
to qualify for the Pace car Dodge Viper
Indianapolis 500, Willy T. Pace car driver Carroll Shelby
Ribbs. It also saw its first Duane
Starter
Japanese driver, Hiro Sweeney[1]
Matsushita. The pre-race Estimated 300,000
attention going into the attendance (estimated)
month focused on A. J. TV in the United States
Foyt, who was expected
Network ABC
to retire from driving
after the event. During Host/Lap-by-
lap: Paul Page
time trials, Foyt qualified
Color Analyst:
on the front row, his Announcers
Sam Posey
record 34th consecutive Color Analyst:
Indy appearance. On Bobby Unser
race day, however, Foyt Nielsen ratings 8.0 / 27
dropped out early due to Chronology
suspension damage. He
eventually retracted his Previous Next
retirement plans, and 1990 1992
returned one final time in
1992.

During time trials, a sudden rain shower halted pole

qualifying, unexpectedly shutting out several contenders
from a chance at the front row. A number of top drivers were
forced to qualify on the second day of time trials. Gary
Bettenhausen in a Buick-powered machine was the surprise
fastest qualifier, albeit he was ineligible for the pole position.
For the first time in Indy history, four members of the same
family qualified for the same race. Mario, Michael, Jeff, and
John Andretti competed together. Michael, Mario, and John
all finished in the top ten, while Jeff was named the Rookie
of the Year. Michael Andretti led the most laps during the
race and battled Rick Mears for the win in the closing laps.
Andretti executed a daring pass for the lead on the outside
of turn one on lap 187. Mears, however, made a similar pass
one lap later to re-take the lead, and drove to victory.
Michael's second-place finish would ultimately be his career
best finish at Indy.
The race was sanctioned by USAC, and was included as part
of the 1991 CART PPG Indy Car World Series. Morning rain
delayed the start of the race by about 55 minutes. The rain
stopped, the track was dried, and the race was run to
completion without interruption. Later in the year, Rick Mears
would also win the Michigan 500, sweeping both 500-mile
races for the season, the final two victories of his racing
career.

Contents
1 Background
1.1 Pre May News
1.2 Pace car controversy
2 Race schedule
3 Practice - week 1
3.1 Monday May 6
3.2 Tuesday May 7
3.3 Wednesday May 8
3.4 Thursday May 9
3.5 Friday May 10 - "Fast Friday", 2 Big Crashes
4 Time Trials - First weekend
4.1 Pole Day - Saturday May 11
4.2 Second Day - Sunday May 12
5 Practice - Week 2
6 Time Trials - Second weekend
6.1 Third Day - Saturday May 18
6.2 Bump Day - Sunday May 19
7 Starting grid
7.1 Alternates
7.2 Failed to Qualify
8 Race recap
8.1 Start
8.2 First half
8.3 Second half
8.4 Finish
9 Results
9.1 Official Box Score
9.2 Race statistics
9.3 Race notes
10 Standings after the race
11 Broadcasting
11.1 Radio
11.2 Television
12 Gallery
13 Notes
13.1 References
13.2 Works cited

Background
Pre May News

A. J. Foyt suffered a crash at Road America in September

1990, which injured his legs and feet. Foyt went through
rehab during the offseason, and planned to race at Indy one
final time in 1991, then retire from driving.

Few team/driver changes occurred during the off-season,

and most of the key fixtures from 1990 remained on the
same teams. Among the few changes, Danny Sullivan
departed Penske Racing, and joined the Pat Patrick Alfa
Romeo effort. Rick Mears' familiar Pennzoil Z-7 Special livery
was gone for 1991, as the Penske team (Mears and Fittipaldi)
became a two-car team with Marlboro sponsoring both cars.

Doug Shierson Racing, who won the 1990 race with driver
Arie Luyendyk, was sold to businessman Bob Tezak.[4] The
team was re-organized in a joint effort with Vince Granatelli,
and re-booted as UNO/Granatelli Racing. The car's sponsor
Domino's Pizza left the sport, and the livery was changed to
the classic day-glow orange utilized by Granatelli entries
over the years. Luyendyk's services were retained for 1991
(he won earlier in the season at Phoenix), and RCA
sponsored the fledgling entry car at Indy.

John Andretti joined the newly rebooted Hall-VDS team,

taking over the Pennzoil sponsorship. Andretti kicked off the
season by winning his first (and only) career CART race at
the season opener, the Gold Coast Grand Prix at Surfers
Paradise.
Al Unser, Jr. and Bobby Rahal returned together at
Galles/KRACO Racing. Unser, the 1990 CART champion, won
at Long Beach. Rahal started off the season finishing second
at all three of the races prior to Indianapolis.

After sitting out the 1990 season due to injury, Scott Pruett
was back behind the wheel at Truesports. The team
introduced its brand new "All-American" Truesports 91C
chassis, powered by Judd. For the second year in a row,
veteran Geoff Brabham was entered at Indy only for a
second team car.

Derrick Walker, formerly associated with the Penske and

Porsche teams, entered rookie Willy T. Ribbs at Walker
Racing. On a shoestring budget, the team was considered a
long-shot to make the field.

Pace car controversy

The pace car for the 1991 Indy 500 was initially chosen to be
the Dodge Stealth. However, the UAW, along with fans and
traditionalists, protested since the Stealth was a captive
import built by Mitsubishi in Japan.[5] Traditionally, the make
of the pace car has always been a domestic American brand.
In late February, the Stealth was downgraded to be the
backup pace car. The pre-production Dodge Viper RT/10
replaced the Stealth as the official pace car when the track
opened in May. Carroll Shelby served as the driver, thought
to be the first person to drive the pace car after having a
heart transplant. It was Shelby's second appearance at Indy.
He had also drove the pace car in 1987. As the Viper did not
begin production until later that year, the race winner would
win the Stealth instead of the Viper, and dealers sold pace
car replica editions of the Stealth.[6]

Race schedule

Race schedule — April/May 1991

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
21 22 23 34 25 26 27
ROP ROP

28 29 30 1 2 3 4
ROP Practice

11
5 6 7 8 9 10
Pole
Practice Practice Practice Practice Practice Practice
Day

12 18
13 14 15 16 17
Time Time
Practice Practice Practice Practice Practice
Trials Trials *
where
19 20 21 22 23 24
25 activit
Bump Carb Mini-
Parade signifi
Day Day Marathon
limited
26 27 28 29 30 31
Indy Memorial ROP —
500 Day Rookie
Orient

Practice - week 1
The first two days of practice (May 4 & May 5) were rained
out. The only on-track activity was brief. A limited number of
cars took "shake down" laps, but no laps were run at speed.

Monday May 6

The first hot laps were run on Monday May 6. Penske

teammates Emerson Fittipaldi (223.981 mph) and Rick
Mears (223.430 mph) led the speed chart.

Tuesday May 7

Rick Mears ran the fastest lap thus far at 226.569 mph. Gary
Bettenhausen also gained attention with a lap of
224.888 mph in the stock block Buick V-6.

Wednesday May 8

Jim Crawford hit 225.643 mph in a Buick on Wednesday May

8, and Bobby Rahal became the second driver over
226 mph, with a lap of 226.080 to lead the speed chart for
the day.

Thursday May 9

The speed of the stock block Buicks continued to impress as

Kevin Cogan turned a lap of 226.677 mph on Thursday May
9.
Friday May 10 - "Fast Friday", 2 Big Crashes

On "Fast Friday," the final day of practice before time trials,

Rick Mears shocked the establishment, suffering his first-
ever crash at Indy. Something broke in the rear of the car,
sending him spinning into the turn one wall. Mears suffered
an injured right foot, and was cleared to drive later in the day.
Later in the day, Emerson Fittipaldi set the fastest lap of the
month at 226.705 mph, and became the favorite for the pole.
At 5:09 p.m., rookie Mark Dismore lost traction coming out
of turn 4, while travelling an estimated 215 mph.[7] His car
first slid across the track, clipping the inside wall near the
entrance to the pits, then struck the dividing barrier between
the pits and the main straightaway head-on. Dismore's car
broke into two pieces which both tumbled into the pit lane.
Dismore suffered multiple injuries to his arms, legs, and feet,
and a fractured neck;[7] and was sidelined for the year.
Dismore's incident was similar in both track location and
crash trajectory to that of Swede Savage's fatal crash in the
1973 Indianapolis 500.[7][8]

As a result of Dismore's crash, officials made a quick change

in the pits in the interest of safety for the crews. The two
northernmost pit stalls were removed, and replaced instead
at the south end of the pit lane.[9] The move added about 80
feet of buffer from the track surface to the first pit box.
Time Trials - First weekend
Pole Day - Saturday May 11

Pole day was held on Saturday May 11, and conditions were
hot and humid. A. J. Foyt drew #1 in the qualifying order, and
was the first car out on the track. Foyt put himself on the
provisional pole position, with a four-lap run of
222.443 mph. The second car out to qualify was Randy
Lewis, who wrecked in turn one on his first lap.

About an hour into the session, Mario Andretti completed a

run of 221.818 mph, which put him tentatively on the front
row. Several cars waved off their runs, and others simply
pulled out of line, preferring to wait until later in the day,
anticipating better conditions. Bobby Rahal, Michael
Andretti, and his brother rookie Jeff Andretti completed runs.
By 12:45 p.m., there were only eight cars in the field.

At 12:51 p.m., Rick Mears took to the track, one day after
suffering his practice crash. He qualified for the pole position
with a speed of 224.113 mph. It was not a track record, but it
would be Mears' record sixth Indy 500 pole. The track went
mostly quiet during the heat of the day, and only two cars
went out over the next 2½ hours.

At 3:52 p.m., Emerson Fittipaldi made his first attempt. After

three laps in the 223 mph range (fast enough for second
starting position, but not fast enough for the pole), his crew
waved him off. Not realizing that storm clouds were hovering
just to the east, the team planned to go out later and make
another run at the pole position.[10] A few minutes later, John
Andretti completed his run under a light mist falling at the
north end of the track. Lightning from the gathering storm
clouds actually struck near turn 3 while the main
straightaway remained awash in sunshine. The sun quickly
gave way to the storm and the rain washed out the
remainder of the day.

Since the original qualifying order had exhausted before the

rains came, pole day was officially over. Only twelve cars
qualified, and several drivers were left out, including
Emerson Fittipaldi, Arie Luyendyk, and Gary Bettenhausen.
Roger Penske was later presented with the dubious Jigger
Award for having waved off Fittipaldi's run, and effectively
giving up second starting position. Meanwhile, the front row
was established with Rick Mears on the pole, A. J. Foyt in the
middle, and Mario Andretti on the outside. Historians point to
this as one of the most storied and historic front rows in Indy
history.

Second Day - Sunday May 12

Many of the drivers who were left out of qualifying a day

earlier returned to qualify on Sunday May 12. The first 45
minutes of the day saw heavy action. Gary Bettenhausen
took to the track and completed his run at 224.468 mph,
faster than Mears' pole speed, making him the fastest
qualifier in the field. Since he was a second-day qualifier,
however, he was forced to line up behind the first-day
qualifiers, in 13th position.

Arie Luyendyk's qualifying run of 223.881 mph made him the

third fastest car in the field, but his second-day status lined
him up 14th. Emerson Fittipaldi finally made the field,
qualifying 15th at 223.065 mph. The three cars of the 5th
row (Bettenhausen, Luyendyk, Fittipaldi) ended up qualifying
faster than the three cars of the front row.

The rest of the day saw light action, and at the end of the
day, the field filled to 22 cars.

Practice - Week 2
The second week of practice focused on the non-qualified
drivers, and those still looking for rides. Rookie Willy T. Ribbs
passed his drivers test on Monday, but suffered through
multiple engine failures during the week. Ribbs managed a
practice lap of 213.230 mph, but as practice came to a
close, it appeared doubtful he might be able to qualify.

Among the drivers named to rides during the week were

former winners Gordon Johncock and Tom Sneva. The
Patrick Racing Alfa-Romeo team added Roberto Guerrero
(their primary driver from 1990) for a second team car. Al
Unser Sr., however, was unable to secure a competitive ride,
and decided to sit out the race. Initially Unser was expected
to drive a back-up car to Arie Luyendyk at UNO/Granatelli
Racing, but engine lease issues, and the lack of adequate
preparation time prevented the deal from coming to fruition.
Unser missed the race for the first time since 1969, the year
he broke his leg in a motorcycle crash in the infield the night
before time trials.

Rookie Hiro Matsushita led the speed chart for the non-
qualified drivers most of the week, with a top lap of
216.570 mph. Roberto Guerrero quickly got up to speed in
the Alfa Romeo, with the fastest lap of the week
(216.941 mph).

Two days during the second week of practice, Tuesday (May

14) and Thursday (May 16), saw limited track activity due to
rain. After concerns earlier in the month about a short field,
going into the final weekend of time trials, enough rides had
materialized to ensure a full 33-car field.

Time Trials - Second weekend

Third Day - Saturday May 18

Twelve cars made attempts in the first hour, and the field
was filled to 29 cars. Rookie Hiro Matsushita was the fastest
car of the day, qualifying at 218.141 mph, officially becoming
the first Japanese driver to qualify for the Indy 500. Other
notable qualifiers included Roberto Guerrero, John Paul, Jr.,
and Scott Pruett. Tom Sneva completed a slow run of
213.189 mph, and he sat as the slowest car in the field.

Two crashes occurred during the day. Dean Hall crashed in

the morning practice session, and Ted Prappas wrecked in
turn 4 later in the afternoon. Both drivers would miss the
race.

Willy T. Ribbs' frustrations continued, as his car revved too

high, and he broke a valve on his warmup lap.

Bump Day - Sunday May 19

Four positions remained open on the final day of time trials.

Gordon Johncock was the first driver to complete an
attempt, and took a run of 213.812 mph. A few minutes later,
Willy T. Ribbs' car started smoking and spewing oil, and
suffered a turbocharger failure. Yet another engine-related
headache for the team. The team scrambled to replace the
turbo, but then discovered a damaged scavenger pump,
which delayed them further.

At 2:45 p.m., Pancho Carter filled the field to 33 cars. Tom

Sneva (213.189 mph) was now on the bubble.
At about 3:30 p.m., Willy T. Ribbs finally returned to the track
to shake down the car. He ran a few practice laps, and was
quickly over 214 mph. At 5:05 p.m., the team placed the car
in the tech line, and prepared to qualify. With much
anticipation from fans and the media, Ribbs completed the
four-lap qualifying run at a speed of 217.358 mph, the
fastest laps he had run all month. On his cool-down lap, an
ecstatic Ribbs hoisted himself partially out of his seat,
waving and cheering with both hands out of the cockpit as
he pulled into the pits. Ribbs bumped former winner Tom
Sneva, and was comfortably in the field.

Randy Lewis was the final car to complete an attempt, and

he bumped Johnny Parsons from the field. In the final 15
minutes, three drivers took to the track, but all three waved
off. Gordon Johncock survived the bubble, and held on the
qualify 33rd.

Starting grid
Row Inside Middle Outside
Rick Mears A. J. Foyt Mario
W W Andretti
1 3 14 6
224.113 mph 222.443 mph 221.818 m
(360.675 km/h) (357.987 km/h) (356.981 k
Bobby Rahal Michael
Al Unse
W Andretti
2 18 10 2 219.823 m
221.401 mph 220.943 mph
(353.771 k
(356.310 km/h) (355.573 km/h)
 John Jim Danny
Andretti Crawford Sullivan
3 4 26 20
219.059 mph 218.947 mph 218.343 m
(352.541 km/h) (352.361 km/h) (351.389 k
Eddie Jeff Scott
Cheever Andretti R Goodyear
4 8 86 15
218.122 mph 217.632 mph 216.751 m
(351.033 km/h) (350.245 km/h) (348.827 k
Gary Arie Emerso
Bettenhausen Luyendyk W Fittipaldi
5 51 1 5
224.468 mph 223.881 mph 223.064 m
(361.246 km/h) (360.302 km/h) (358.987 k
Mike G
Kevin Cogan Stan Fox
R
6 9 222.844 mph 91 219.501 mph 50
219.015 m
(358.633 km/h) (353.253 km/h)
(352.470 k
Tony
Scott Bernar
Bettenhausen,
Brayton Jourdain
7 22 16 Jr. 48
218.627 mph 216.683 m
218.188 mph
(351.846 km/h) (348.717 k
(351.140 km/h)
Geoff Buddy Hiro
Brabham Lazier R Matsushita
8 21 71 7
214.859 mph 218.692 mph 218.141 mp
(345.782 km/h) (351.951 km/h) (351.064 k
John Paul, Tero
Scott P
Jr. Palmroth
9 93 23 19 214.814 m
217.952 mph 215.648 mph
(345.710 k
(350.760 km/h) (347.052 km/h)
Roberto Willy T. Domini
Guerrero Ribbs R Dobson
10 40 17 66
214.027 mph 217.358 mph 215.326 m
(344.443 km/h) (349.804 km/h) (346.534 k
 Pancho Gordon
Randy Lewis
Carter Johncock
11 39 214.565 mph 12 92
214.012 mph 213.812 m
(345.309 km/h)
(344.419 km/h) (344.097 k

Gary Bettenhausen was the fastest qualifier. However,

he qualified on the second day of time trials, and thus,
was ineligible for the pole position. He lined up as the
fastest second day qualifier, behind the 12 drivers who
qualified on the first day.

Alternates

First alternate: Johnny Parsons (#11) - Bumped;

standing by as relief driver for Gordon Johncock, who
was ill on race day
Second alternate: Tom Sneva W (#59) - Bumped

Failed to Qualify

Salt Walther (#77) - Too slow

Didier Theys (#17/#50T) - Too slow
Mark Dismore (#12) - wrecked in practice on May 10,
serious leg, neck, and foot injuries
Dean Hall (#97) - Wrecked in practice on May 18, knee
injury
Ted Prappas (#31) - wrecked in practice on May 18
Guido Daccò R (#37) - Completed only 6 practice laps,
 did not attempt to qualify
Davey Hamilton (#81) - Did not practice
Phil Krueger (#25) - Did not practice
Vinicio Salmi R (#36) - Did not practice
Paul Tracy (#90) - Replaced by Randy Lewis
Jeff Wood R

R = Indianapolis 500 W = Former Indianapolis 500

rookie winner

Race recap
Start

Morning rain delayed the start of the race by 55 minutes.

Mary F. Hulman gave the command to start engines at
11:46 a.m., and the field pulled away. During the pace laps,
Danny Sullivan's Alfa Romeo car suffered a fuel pump
problem, and was pushed back to the pits. Observers also
noted that Willy T. Ribbs' engine did not sound right.

At the start, polesitter Rick Mears took the lead into turn one.
Gary Bettenhausen got sideways in turn 1, causing Buddy
Lazier to swerve and kiss the outside wall with his nosecone.
The caution came out, and both Bettenhausen and Lazier
made it back to the pits. Bettenhausen changed tires and
continued, but Lazier's car was too damaged to continue.
After quick repairs, Danny Sullivan joined the race three laps
down. On lap 5, Willy T. Ribbs pulled into the pits with a
misfire, and dropped out.

First half

Mears gave up the lead to Mario Andretti on lap 12. Michael

Andretti then took the lead and dominated most of the first
half.

On lap 25, Kevin Cogan and Roberto Guerrero clipped

wheels in turn 1, and the two cars crashed hard into the
outside wall. Guerrero was unhurt, but Cogan suffered
injuries to his right shoulder and forearm.[11] Debris from the
crash littered the track, and A. J. Foyt ran over a large piece
of debris, breaking his left front suspension. Foyt limped
back to the pits, waving to the crowd, as he felt his day was
done. The crowd gave him an ovation as he walked back to
the garage area, but he was still non-committal to his
retirement decision.

Cogan assigned Guerrero the responsibility for the crash in

interviews that evening, and maintained that stance even
later in life.[11] Footage from the broadcast was inconclusive
of what caused the Cogan-Guerrero crash. At some point
later, however, amateur footage shot from a spectator in the
grandstand showed that Cogan may have come down on
Guerrero. Blame for the crash has never been fully vetted.
Several cars began dropping out due to mechanical
problems. Jim Crawford, John Paul, Jr., Mike Groff, Tero
Palmroth, and Gary Bettenhausen were all out of the race
before the halfway point.

At the halfway point, Michael Andretti continued to lead, with

Emerson Fittipaldi holding onto second. Teammates Bobby
Rahal and Al Unser, Jr. were strong top five contenders. Rick
Mears barely clung to the lead lap, and was in danger of
being lapped at one point.

Second half

Michael Andretti continued his dominance, but Emerson

Fittipaldi was now a strong challenger. Fittipaldi took the lead
on lap 113, and held it for a total of 46 laps in the second
half. Fittipaldi wound up suffering a gearbox failure exiting
the pits on lap 171, however, and dropped out the race.

The field dwindled down to only about 13 cars for the final
50 laps. Early contender Bobby Rahal blew an engine on lap
130, followed by Scott Brayton, who also blew an engine on
lap 149 bringing out the races fifth caution flag. Mario
Andretti faded in the second half, falling two laps down and
out of contention for the win. Only two cars remained on the
lead lap, Michael Andretti and Rick Mears. Arie Luyendyk
moved into third, one lap down, with Al Unser, Jr. also in the
top five. Unser's car though was suffering from wastegate
problems.

Gordon Johncock, who started 33rd, and was suffering from

flu-like symptoms before the race, was now in the top ten.

Finish

On lap 183, Danny Sullivan blew an engine down the

frontstretch, spewing a huge cloud of smoke. Leader
Michael Andretti took advantage of the break, and ducked
into the pits for needed fuel. Andretti's stop was quick, and
he came back out onto the track in second. He lined up just
behind leader Rick Mears for the restart.

As the leaders came down to complete lap 186, Michael

diced back and forth down the frontstretch, and passed
Mears on the outside of turn 1 to take the lead in dramatic
fashion. The move Andretti pulled off was a move that rarely
ever succeeded. Immediately after the pass Michael began
to pull away, but Mears reeled him in turn 4. At the end of the
mainstretch, not to be upstaged, Mears pulled the same
move, passing Michael on the outside of turn 1 to re-take the
lead. Almost immediately, Mears began pulling away from
Andretti, as Andretti's steering began to go away.

With only 11 laps to go, Mears began to lengthen his lead.

Suddenly on lap 190, Michael's father Mario stalled at the
entrance to the pits. The yellow flag came out for the tow-in
and bunched the field for another restart. A controversy
erupted, as many felt Mario stopped on purpose in a ploy to
aid his son.[12]

The green flag came out with six laps to go, and Mears got
the jump on the restart. Michael's handling was starting to
go away for good, and he was unable to challenge Mears for
the lead. Rick Mears cruised over the final five laps to the
finish line, and became the third four-time winner of the
Indianapolis 500.

In a 2011 interview 20 years later, Michael Andretti and Rick's

car owner Roger Penske both stated that had he put Rick a
lap down, it would have been over for Rick and that what
changed the complex of the race was when Andretti
suffered a cut tire 2/3 of the way to the checkered flag
before he could put Rick a lap down.

Results
Official Box Score

Finish Start No Name Chassis Engine Laps

Rick Penske Chevy
1 1 3 200
Mears W PC-20 265-A
Michael Chevy
2 5 10 Lola T9100 200
Andretti 265-A
Arie Chevy
3 14 1 Lola T9100 199
 Luyendyk W 265-A
Al Unser, Chevy
4 6 2 Lola T9100 198
Jr. 265-A
John Chevy
5 7 4 Lola T9100 197
Andretti 265-A
Gordon Lola Cosworth
6 33 92 188
Johncock W T9000 DFS
Mario Chevy
7 3 6 Lola T9100 187
Andretti W 265-A
Buick
8 17 91 Stan Fox Lola T9100 185
Indy V6
Tony
Penske Chevy
9 20 16 Bettenhausen, 180
PC-19 265-A
Jr.
Danny Alfa
10 9 20 Lola T9100 173
Sullivan W Romeo
Emerson Penske Chevy
11 15 5 171
Fittipaldi W PC-20 265-A
Scott TrueSports
12 27 19 Judd 166
Pruett 91
Dominic Lola
13 30 66 Judd 164
Dobson T8900
Randy Lola Cosworth
14 31 39 159
Lewis T9000 DFS
Jeff Cosworth
15 11 86 Lola T9100 150
Andretti R DFS
Hiro Buick
16 24 7 Lola T9100 149
Matsushita R Indy V6
Scott Chevy
17 19 22 Lola T9100 146
Brayton 265-A
 Bernard Buick
18 21 48 Lola T9100 141
Jourdain Indy V6
Bobby Chevy
19 4 18 Lola T9100 130
Rahal W 265-A
Geoff TrueSports
20 22 21 Judd 109
Brabham 91
Pancho Lola Buick
21 32 12 94
Carter T8900 Indy V6
Gary Buick
22 13 51 Lola T9100 89
Bettenhausen Indy V6
Tero Lola Cosworth
23 26 23 77
Palmroth T9000 DFS
Mike Groff Cosworth
24 18 50 Lola T9100 68
R DFS
John Paul, Lola Buick
25 25 93 53
Jr. T9000 Indy V6
Jim Buick
26 8 26 Lola T9100 49
Crawford Indy V6
Scott
27 12 15 Lola T9100 Judd 38
Goodyear
A. J. Foyt Chevy
28 2 14 Lola T9100 25
W 265-A
Kevin Buick
29 16 9 Lola T9100 24
Cogan Indy V6
Roberto Alfa
30 28 40 Lola T9100 23
Guerrero Romeo
Eddie Chevy
31 10 8 Lola T9100 17
Cheever 265-A
Willy T. Lola Buick
32 29 17 5
 Ribbs R T9000 Indy V6
Buddy Lola Buick
33 23 71 1
Lazier R T9000 Indy V6

R = Indianapolis 500 rookie

W = Former Indianapolis 500 winner

All cars utilized Goodyear tires.

Race statistics

Lap Leader Breakdown

From To # of
Leader
Lap lap laps
Rick
1 11 11
Mears
Mario
12 33 22 Cautions: 7 for 35 l
Andretti
Michael From To # of
34 54 21 lap lap laps
Andretti
Al
55 55 1 Unser,
Jr. 1 3 3

Michael
56 79 24
Andretti
Al Total laps led 20 23 4
80 82 3 Unser, Leader Laps
Jr.
Michael
Michael 97
83 108 26 Andretti
Andretti 25 33 9
Emerson
Emerson 46
109 112 4 Fittipaldi
Fittipaldi
Rick
 113 113 1 Bobby Mears 30
Rahal 84 89 6
Emerson Mario
114 138 25 22
Fittipaldi Andretti

Rick Al
139 140 2 Unser, 4
Mears
Jr. 148 153 6
Emerson
141 153 13 Bobby
Fittipaldi 1
Rahal
Michael
154 165 12
Andretti
Emerson
166 169 4 184 186 3
Fittipaldi
Rick
170 170 1
Mears
Michael
171 183 13 191 194 4
Andretti
Rick
184 186 3
Mears
Michael
187 187 1
Andretti
Rick
188 200 13
Mears

Race notes

The 1991 Indy 500 was held shortly after the conclusion
on Operation Desert Storm. General Norman
Schwarzkopf was invited to serve as grand marshal.
Michael Andretti's second-place finish would be the
best Indy 500 result in his career. Michael Andretti led
the most laps, and led as late as 13 laps to go, but failed
 to win, adding to the Andretti Curse.
The race's 75th Running was highly publicized, and the
event was advertised as the "Diamond Jubilee
Running."
Three days after the 1991 race, Stephen C. White, 31, of
Indianapolis, entered the grounds of the speedway early
on Wednesday, May 29. At some point before 7:30 a.m.,
he started driving around the track in a GMC pickup
truck. He completed three or four laps, approaching
speeds of 100 mph (160 km/h). Luther Wray, a foreman
in the speedway's maintenance department attempted
to block his truck by parking a Dodge Caravan minivan
on the track near the start-finish line. White was driving
approximately 90 mph (140 km/h) when he struck the
van, his truck became airborne and landed
approximately 150 feet (46 m) away. He was
pronounced dead upon arrival at Methodist Hospital.[13]
[14]

With the win in the 1991 Indy 500, Rick Mears joined
Bobby Unser in becoming only the second driver to win
the Indianapolis 500 in 3 different decades.

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
Rank +/– Driver Points Difference
1 1 Rick Mears 58 Leader
 2 1 Arie Luyendyk 49 -9
3 2 Bobby Rahal 48 -10
4 Al Unser, Jr. 42 -16
5 John Andretti 32 26

Note: Only the top five positions are included for the drivers'
standings.

Broadcasting
Radio

The race was carried live on the IMS Radio Network. Bob
Jenkins served as chief announcer for the second year.
Johnny Rutherford returned as "driver expert" and Bob
Forbes conducted the winner's interview in victory lane. The
network celebrated its 40th anniversary.

For 1991, the backstretch reporting location was eliminated

permanently. Howdy Bell, who revived the position from
1989-1990, moved into the booth to serve as "Statistician."
Bell updated the running order for the entire field in 25-lap
intervals. With Ron Carrell's departure, Chris McClure joined
the crew as a new pit reporter.

Due to the rain delay, the broadcast signed on at 10:00 EST,

but only for a weather report. The airtime was sent back to
the affiliates to wait out the delay. Updates were given
through the hour, and the network came back on-air for an
abbreviated pre-race show. The race itself, however, was
carried in its entirety.

Technical director Tom Allebrandi celebrated his 25th year

working the broadcast. Longtime network veteran Ralph
"Luke" Walton, who served on the crew for the final time in
1988, died on June 18, 1990, at the age of 83.[15]

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network

Turn
Booth Announcers Pit/garage reporters
Reporters
Chief Announcer: Turn 1: Jerry Bob Forbes (north pits)
Bob Jenkins Baker Brian Hammons (north-
Driver expert: Johnny Turn 2: Gary center pits)
Rutherford Lee Sally Larvick (south-
Statistician: Howdy Turn 3: center pits)
Bell Larry Henry Chris McClure (south
Historian: Donald Turn 4: Bob pits)
Davidson Lamey Chuck Marlowe
(garages)

Television

The race was carried live flag-to-flag coverage in the United

States on ABC Sports. Paul Page served as host and play-
by-play announcer, accompanied by Bobby Unser and Sam
Posey. The start of the race was delayed about one hour,
and ABC filled the time with interviews, highlights, and other
features.
The same exact crew from 1990 returned. To commemorate
the 75th anniversary race, Jack Whitaker joined the pre-race
coverage as an essayist.

Rick Mears was the first Indy 500 winner to carry an onboard
camera for the television broadcast. The top four finishers
happened to all be carrying on-board cameras, as well as
the pace car. Bobby Rahal also carried a camera, but he
dropped out early in the second half.

ABC Television
Booth Announcers Pit/garage reporters
Host/Announcer: Paul Page Jack Arute
Color: Sam Posey Gary Gerould
Color: Bobby Unser Dr. Jerry Punch
Essayist: Jack Whitaker

Gallery
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1991
Indianapolis 500.

1991 Dodge Viper RT/10 pace car

1991 Dodge Stealth Official Car

Notes
References
 1. Fox, Jack C. (1994). The Illustrated History of the
Indianapolis 500 1911-1994 (4th ed.). Carl Hungness
Publishing. p. 22. ISBN 0-915088-05-3.
2. Ambrogi, Mark (May 23, 1992). "Ailing Mears puts hurt
on field for fourth win". The Indianapolis Star. p. 52.
Retrieved September 6, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "SportsCentury: Rick Mears". SportsCentury. 2001.
ESPN.
4. "Granatelli Makes Deal". The New York Times. 1991-
01-11. Retrieved 2012-10-08.
5. "A Pace Car Made (Quickly) in U.S.", Doron P Levin, The
New York Times, February 26, 1991
6. Strohl, Daniel (2019-01-03). "Were it not for the UAW,
the Dodge Stealth R/T would have been the true Indy
500 pace car in 1991". Hemmings Motor News.
7. ^ a b c Relly1965 (2011-03-16), Mark Dismore crash
testing prior to Indy 500 1991 (VHS 704x576 50i).mp4,
retrieved 2017-07-13
8. AlvinKarpis007 (2013-04-09), Swede Savage 1973
Indy 500 Fatal Crash Original ABC Broadcast Footage,
retrieved 2017-07-13
9. Siano, Joseph (1991-05-22). "AUTO RACING; Indy
Cars Safest Ever, in Theory That Is (Published 1991)".
The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-
01-28.
10. Greuter, Henri (December 29, 2014). "1996
Indianapolis 500 - The 239.260 car". CART. 8W.
 Retrieved January 31, 2019.
11. ^ a b Cavin, Curt (May 21, 2015). "'82 crash turned
promising young driver into 500 pariah". The
Indianapolis Star. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
12. "Mario Andretti denies helping his son by 'stalling'
Mears". AP. Argus-Press. 1991-05-29. Retrieved 2012-
08-29.
13. List of fatalities at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
14. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-05-30-
sp-3595-story.html
15. Descendants of Obadiah Seward, Jr.

Works cited

1991 Indianapolis 500 Day-By-Day Trackside Report

For the Media
Indianapolis 500 History: Race & All-Time Stats -
Official Site
1991 Indianapolis 500 Radio Broadcast, Indianapolis
Motor Speedway Radio Network

1990 Indianapolis 1991 Indianapolis 1992 Indianapolis

500 500 500
Arie Luyendyk Rick Mears Al Unser Jr.
show

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No races held in 1917–1918 or 1942–1945 due to World

War I and World War II, respectively.

show

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programs Wide World of Sports
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articles WRTV

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Mario's Indy Win

Foyt's Record 4th Indy Win
Bobby Unser's Controversial
Win
Johncock VS Mears
1960s- Spin and Win
1980s First Live Indy 500
Al Unser's 4th Indy Win
Mario's 50th Win
Little Al Punts Mario
Emerson VS Al Unser Jr.

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Al Jr. is King of the Beach
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The Andrettis Finish 1-2-3
Sullivan Spins Little Al
Closest Finish in Indy History
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Mario's Last Win
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Emmo Drinks Orange Juice
Michael Andretti's Return from
Formula 1
The Mercedes 209 Pushrod
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Villeneuve Overcomes a 2-Lap
Penalty
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 Firestone Returns to Victory
Lane
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Indy Without the Stars
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Three Days of Indy
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Little Al is a Winner Again

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Final Michigan 500
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Danica-mania
Newman-Haas' 100th IndyCar
Win
Newman-Haas' Final Win
Helio's 3rd Indy Win
Dale Coyne's Breakthrough Win

Wheldon's Last-Lap Win

Restart in the Rain
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Dario's 3rd Indy Win
TK Finally Wins at Indy
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Hunter-Reay Wins the Indy 500
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2010s Win
Alonso-mania/Sato's
Redemption
Wickens Makes a Splash,
Bourdais Makes His Comeback
 Danica's Final Race
End of An Era & Rossi's
Mistake, Hunter-Reay's Win

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