Motorsport Gears up for 2017 Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis 500 is a motorsport event that is held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the 2017 Indianapolis 500 has kicked off with a record already. Let's see some unique facts about this spectacular racing event before delving into news and information about this year's edition!

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The event first began in 1911 and is part of the IndyCar Series, which is considered as the pinnacle of the Championship car racing in America.

Along with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Monaco Grand Prix, this event is considered as one of the most prestigious motorsport events in the world so much so that these three races have been considered as the Triple Crown of Motorsport. Covering a distance of just over 800 km across 200 laps, 2017 Indianapolis 500 is an extremely tough race for all contestants.

After having been called by various names including the 500-Mile International Sweepstakes, this event has been known as the Indianapolis 500 since 1981.

2017 Indianapolis 500: General Info, Format and Contestants

The 2017 Indianapolis 500 (Verizon IndyCar Series) is scheduled for May 28, 2017, and will take place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana. Scheduled for 500 miles (200 laps), it will be the premier event of the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season.

The 2.5-mile long oval circuit in the Indianapolis motor Speedway hosts this event. Since its inception, this event has been part of the Memorial Day weekend. The starting line-up in 2017 consists of 33 cars, which use a 2.2-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engines, which are producing anywhere from 550 to 700 bhp. Honda and Chevrolet currently developed the engines for the sport.

Who Are The Legends?

A. J. Foyt, Al Unser, and Rick Mears share the record when it comes to success at this competition after having won the title four times each. Penske is the most successful team with 16 wins, while Dallara is the most successful chassis manufacturer with 15 wins, and Offenhauser holds the record in the engine manufacturing category with a whopping 27 titles.

The 2016 edition of the event was won by Alexander Rossi, who drove for Andretti Autosport. For those too curious, Dallara provided the chassis and Honda provided the engines. We also need to mention that Honda engines and Dallara chassis have dominated the event since 2004.

The lap record at this event was held by Arie Luyendyk, who managed a time of 37.895 sec in 1996. The record fell yesterday.

May 21st: Dixon Unleashes Fastest Run Since 1996 and Wins Pole for the 2017 Indianapolis 500

Scott Dixon managed the fastest qualification run in 21 years at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The New Zealand-based driver turned a 4-lap average of 232.164 mph in the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

He also won the pole position in 2008 and 2015. This blistering qualifying endeavour by Dixon was the fastest pole run since Brayton in 1996. The fastest qualifying run, as we mentioned earlier, was Arie Luendyk's one day after Brayton's attempt.

Bottom Line

All 33 cars are on the track for practice from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. this week, and live streaming is available at RaceControl.IndyCar.com. Live coverage airs on NBCSN (US) and Eurosport (UK) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday.

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