102 Stats in 102 Days Until 102nd Indy 500 – Day 70, Most Laps Led By Driver, By Country (April 24, 2018)

The 102nd Indianapolis 500 is 33 days away! This is the 70th day of the 102 Stats in 102 Days Until the 102nd Indy 500 blog.

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 list of the drivers with the most laps led from each country. Drivers from 19 countries have led at least one lap in the Indianapolis 500.

Most Laps Led By Driver, By Birth Country/Nationality

- Al Unser: 644 (United States) (1st overall)

- Emerson Fittipaldi: 505 (Brazil) (6th overall)

- Scott Dixon: 439 (New Zealand) (10th overall)

- Dario Franchitti: 329 (United Kingdom) (16th overall)

- Juan Pablo Montoya: 193 (Colombia) (31st overall)

- Arie Luyendyk: 187 (Netherlands) (32nd overall)

- Tomas Scheckter: 153 (South Africa) (tied for 38th overall)

- Jules Goux: 139 (France) (44th overall)

- Kenny Brack: 89 (Sweden) (tied for 67th overall)

- Will Power: 76 (Australia) (74th overall)

- James Hinchcliffe: 53 (Canada) (91st overall)

- Takuma Sato: 48 (Japan) (98th overall)

- Gil Andersen: 44 (Norway) (101st overall)

- Teo Fabi: 37 (Italy) (108th overall)

- Fernando Alonso: 27 (Spain) (125th overall)

- Josele Garza: 13 (Mexico) (tied for 148th overall)

- Bertrand Baguette: 11 (Belgium) (156th overall)

- E.J. Viso: 5 (Venezuela) (tied for 174th overall)

- Mikhail Aleshin: 1 (Russia) (tied for 207th overall)

Notes of Interest

- Ralph DePalma (612 laps led) and Mario Andretti (556 laps) are second and third all-time in laps led, and both were born in Italy but later became United States citizens. Dario Resta, who led 140 laps and is tied for 42nd overall, was also born in Italy but became a United Kingdom citizen. Therefore, of the drivers born in Italy, Teo Fabi is actually fourth on the list, but never became a United States or British citizen.

- Arthur Duray was born in New York City of Belgian parents, but is listed as Belgian and led 77 laps, for 73rd overall. Duray later became a French citizen. Bertrand Baguette and Josef Christiaens are the only Belgian-born drivers to lead the Indianapolis 500, with Baguette leading 11 laps and Christiaens leading nine.

- Scott Dixon was born in Australia, but was born to New Zealand parents and raised in Auckland, New Zealand. He is the only driver from New Zealand to lead laps in the Indianapolis 500, therefore, a driver born in New Zealand has never led the Indianapolis 500.

- Dario Franchitti has led more laps than any other driver from the United Kingdom. Franchitti was born in Scotland. Dan Wheldon, also from the United Kingdom, was born in England, and therefore the leading English-born driver in laps led (235, 25th overall).