102 Stats in 102 Days Until 102nd Indy 500 – Day 8, Fewest Rookies in a Race (February 21, 2018)

The 102nd Indianapolis 500 is 95 days away! This is the eighth day of the 102 Stats in 102 Days Until the 102nd Indy 500.

Each day from now until the Saturday before the Indianapolis 500, we’ll post a list of stats related to the race. Some of well-known statistics, while others are a little more in-depth.

Yesterday’s list looked at the top 10 races with the most rookies per event. Today’s blog is the opposite – fewest rookies/first-time starters in a single race. Interestingly enough, there has never been an Indianapolis 500 without at least one first-time starter, meaning no two races have ever had the exact same drivers. Here is the list of years with three rookies or less. There were 13 races with only four rookies.

Indianapolis 500 Fewest Rookies by Year

- 1939: 1 (Mel Hansen)

- 1979: 1 (Howdy Holmes)

- 1941: 2 (Overton Phillips, Everett Saylor)

- 2007: 2 (Milka Duno, Phil Giebler)

- 2015: 2 (Stefano Coletti, Gabby Chaves)

- 1973: 3 (Bobby Allison, Jerry Karl, Graham McRae)
- 1990: 3 (Eddie Cheever, Scott Goodyear, Dean Hall)