102 Stats in 102 Days Until 102nd Indy 500 – Day 25, Fewest Laps Led by a Race Winner (March 10, 2018)

The 102nd Indianapolis 500 is 78 days away! This is the 25th 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 are well-known statistics, while others are a little more in-depth.

Today’s list looks at the fewest laps led by a race winner. The list includes the 16 winners that led 20 laps or less in their victory. Two drivers are credited with a victory, however, they did not lead a lap.

Fewest Laps Led by an Indianapolis 500 Race Winner

- L.L. Corum: 0 (1924)

- Floyd Davis: 0 (1941)

- Dan Wheldon: 1 (2011)

- Joe Dawson: 2 (1912)

- Juan Pablo Montoya: 9 (2015)

- Graham Hill: 10 (1966)

- Bobby Unser: 11 (1975)*

- Mark Donohue: 13 (1972)

- Gaston Chevrolet: 14 (1920)

- Alexander Rossi: 14 (2016)

- Jacques Villeneuve: 15 (1995)

- Emerson Fittipaldi: 16 (1993)

- Takuma Sato: 17 (2017)

- Al Unser: 18 (1987)

- Louis Meyer: 19 (1928)

- Sam Hornish Jr.: 19 (2006)

Notes of Interest

- A total of 16 drivers have led less than 20 laps and gone on to win their Indianapolis 500.

- L.L. Corum (1924) and Floyd Davis (1941) were co-winners of their race. They turned their cars over to Joe Boyer and Mauri Rose respectively without leading a lap. Boyer (24 laps led) and Rose (39 laps led) then took their cars to the checkered flag.

- Of the 16 drivers on this list, three are Formula 1 World Champions: Graham Hill, Emerson Fittipaldi and Jacques Villeneuve.

- Al Unser and Juan Pablo Montoya are also on the top 10 list of most laps led by a race winner, with Unser leading 190 laps in 1970 (tied for third all-time) and Montoya 167 in 2000 (tied for fifth all-time).

- Four of the 14 drivers who have led at least one lap but less than 20 in the race en route to victory have won in the last seven races: Wheldon (2011); Montoya (2015); Rossi (2016); and Sato (2017).

- Five of the 14 drivers who have led at least one lap but less than 20 in the race en route to victory drove for Roger Penske: Donohue (1972); Al Unser (1987); Fittipaldi (1993); Hornish (2006); and Montoya (2015).

- Until 2011, Joe Dawson had led the fewest laps of a race winner who led at least one lap. He inherited the lead with only two laps remaining, after Ralph DePalma retired while in the lead. DePalma had led 196 laps – all in succession – before a failed piston forced his retirement. His 196 laps led are the most ever for a driver to lead in a race and not win, and the second most of a driver to lead the race in the event’s history.