102 Stats in 102 Days Until 102nd Indy 500 – Day 35, Leader of the First Lap (March 20, 2018)

The 102nd Indianapolis 500 is 68 days away! This is the 35th 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.

Here is a look at the drivers who have led the first lap of the race. They old saying “you can’t win the race on the first lap” certain applies here. Of course, if that saying weren’t true, the list of winners would be very different, with one six-time winner, one four-time winner and A.J. Foyt a single, one-time winner. For many drivers, they led the first lap but never the final lap. Only 20 races have been won by the driver that led the first lap.

Leader of the First Lap of the Indianapolis 500

- Rex Mays: 6 (1935, 1936, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1948)

- Scott Dixon: 4 (2008, 2011, 2015, 2017)

- Jack McGrath: 3 (1952, 1954, 1955)

- Al Unser: 3 (1970, 1977, 1979)

- Bobby Unser: 3 (1972, 1973, 1981)

- Mario Andretti: 3 (1966, 1969, 1987)

- Helio Castroneves: 2 (2003, 2006, 2009)

- Ralph DePalma: 2 (1919, 1921)

- Jimmy Murphy: 2 (1922, 1923)

- Joe Boyer: 2 (1920, 1924)

- Leon Duray: 2 (1928, 1929)

- Jim Hurtubise: 2 (1961, 1963)

- Jim Clark: 2 (1964, 1965)

- Parnelli Jones: 2 (1962, 1967)

- Johnny Rutherford: 2 (1976, 1980)

- Emerson Fittipaldi: 2 (1989, 1990)

- Rick Mears: 2 (1984, 1991)

- Michael Andretti: 2 (1986, 1992)

- Tony Stewart: 2 (1996, 1997)

- James Hinchcliffe: 2 (2012, 2014)

- Johnny Aitken: 1 (1911)

- Teddy Tetzlaff: 1 (1912)

- Caleb Bragg: 1 (1913)

- Howdy Wilcox: 1 (1914)

- Dario Resta: 1 (1915)

- Eddie Rickenbacker: 1 (1916)

- Peter DePaolo: 1 (1925)

- Phil Shafer: 1 (1926)

- Frank Lockhart: 1 (1927)

- Louis Meyer: 1 (1930)

- Paul Bost: 1 (1931)

- Lou Moore: 1 (1932)

- Bill Cummings: 1 (1933)

- Kelly Petillo: 1 (1934)

- Herb Ardinger: 1 (1937)

- Jimmy Snyder: 1 (1939)

- Mauri Rose: 2 (1946, 1950)

- Cliff Bergere: 1 (1947)

- Duke Nalon: 1 (1949)

- Lee Wallard: 1 (1951)

- Bill Vukovich: 1 (1953)

- Jim Rathmann: 1 (1956)

- Pat O’Connor: 1 (1957)

- Jimmy Bryan: 1 (1958)

- Johnny Thomson: 1 (1959)

- Rodger Ward: 1 (1960)

- Joe Leonard: 1 (1968)

- Mark Donohue: 1 (1971)

- Wally Dallenbach: 1 (1974)

- Gordon Johncock: 1 (1975)

- Danny Ongais: 1 (1978)

- A.J. Foyt: 1 (1982)

- Teo Fabi: 1 (1983)

- Bobby Rahal: 1 (1985)

- Danny Sullivan: 1 (1988)

- Raul Boesel: 1 (1993)

- Al Unser Jr: 1 (1994)

- Scott Goodyear: 1 (1995)

- Billy Boat: 1 (1998)

- Arie Luyendyk: 1 (1999)

- Greg Ray: 1 (2000)

- Robby Gordon: 1 (2001)

- Bruno Junqueira: 1 (2002)

- Buddy Rice: 1 (2004)

- Sam Hornish Jr: 1 (2005)

- Tony Kanaan: 1 (2007)

- Dario Franchitti: 1 (2010)

- Ed Carpenter: 1 (2013)

- Ryan Hunter-Reay: 1 (2016)

BOLD indicates won race.

Notes of Interest

- A total of 69 drivers have led the first lap of the Indianapolis 500. Rex Mays leads all drivers, having led the first lap six times, though he never won the Indianapolis 500. Jack McGrath led the first lap in three of four years between 1952 and 1955, but also never won the race.

- Mays led the first lap of the Indianapolis 500 in cars utilizing four different engines: Miller, Sparks, Alfa-Romeo and Winfield.

- The leader of the first lap has gone on to win that race only 20 times. Eighteen drivers have accomplished that feat, the most recent Dario Franchitti in 2010.

- Johnny Rutherford (1976 and 1980) and Rick Mears (1984 and 1991) are the only two drivers to lead the first lap and the last lap twice.

- Others who led the first and last laps of a race were: Jimmy Murphy (1922, first driver to win after leading the first lap), Joe Boyer (1924), Peter DePaolo (1925), Lee Wallard (1951), Bill Vukovich (1953), Jimmy Bryan (1958), Jim Clark (1965), Mario Andretti (1969), Al Unser (1970), Bobby Unser (1981), Emerson Fittipaldi (1989), Al Unser Jr. (1994), Buddy Rice (2004), Scott Dixon (2008), Helio Castroneves (2009) and Dario Franchitti (2010).

- Drivers to lead the first lap in consecutive races were: Rex Mays (twice: 1935-1936, and 1940-1941), Jack McGrath (1954-1955), Bobby Unser (1972-1973), Jimmy Murphy (1922-1923), Leon Duray (1928-1929), Jim Clark (1964-1965), Emerson Fittipaldi (1989-1990) and Tony Stewart (1996-1997).

- A Team Penske has led the first lap 10 times, most recently in 2009 (Helio Castroneves). A Chip Ganassi Racing driver has led the first lap six times.

- Joe Boyer led the first lap and last lap in the 1924 race, though in different cars. He led the first lap in the No. 9 Duesenberg, jumping to the lead from the fourth starting position, but dropped out after he was involved in an accident. He replaced L.L. Corum in the No. 15 Duesenberg, and took over the lead from Earl Cooper on Lap 177 and led the rest of the way.