102 Stats in 102 Days Until 102nd Indy 500 – Day 71, Most Drivers to Lead Race, By Country (April 25, 2018)

The 102nd Indianapolis 500 is 32 days away! This is the 71st 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 countries that have had drivers lead the Indianapolis 500, and the number of drivers per country to lead the race. The United States overwhelming has the most drivers to lead the race, with nearly 75 percent of leaders all-time from the United States.

Most Drivers to Lead Race, By Country

- United States: 165

- United Kingdom: 12

- Brazil: 11

- France: 6

- Australia: 4

- Canada: 4

- Colombia: 3

- Japan: 2

- Italy: 2

- Spain: 2

- Mexico: 2

- Belgium: 2

- New Zealand: 1

- Netherlands: 1

- South Africa: 1

- Sweden: 1

- Norway: 1

- Venezuela: 1

- Russia: 1

Notes of Interest

- Ralph DePalma and Mario Andretti were born in Italy but later became United States citizens. Dario Resta was also born in Italy but became a citizen of the United Kingdom. Therefore, Teo Fabi and Alessandro Zampedri are the two drivers that comprise of the leaders from Italy.

- Arthur Duray was born in New York City of Belgian parents, but is listed as Belgian, and later became a French citizen. Bertrand Baguette and Josef Christiaens are the only Belgian-born drivers to lead the Indianapolis 500.

- 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.