# Who is the greatest Indianapolis 500 driver of all time?

> Four-time champions, Spider-Man fence-climbers, and speed-record holders — the Indianapolis 500 has been graced by some of motorsport's all-time greats. Who is the greatest Indy 500 driver ever?

*By YPB Team · Published May 17, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-greatest-indianapolis-500-driver-of-all-time*

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## Current results (0 votes)

1. **Al Unser**
   Four-time Indy 500 champion (1970, 1971, 1978, 1987) who became the oldest winner in race history at 47 years old.
2. **Hélio Castroneves**
   Four-time champion (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021) known as 'Spider-Man' for climbing the fence to celebrate his historic wins.
3. **Mario Andretti**
   The 1969 Indy 500 winner and one of the only drivers ever to win the Formula 1 World Championship and Indy 500 in the same career.
4. **Johnny Rutherford**
   Three-time winner (1974, 1976, 1980) who won the Indy 500 from pole position three times and was nicknamed 'Lone Star J.R.'
5. **Dario Franchitti**
   Scottish three-time Indy 500 champion (2007, 2010, 2012) who dominated IndyCar during the late 2000s and early 2010s.
6. **Dan Wheldon**
   Two-time Indy 500 winner (2005, 2011) whose tragic passing mid-season made his final victory even more poignant for IndyCar fans.
7. **Scott Dixon**
   New Zealand's greatest racing driver and a one-time Indy 500 winner (2008) who has accumulated more IndyCar championships than anyone.
8. **Tony Kanaan**
   Brazilian fan favorite whose patient brilliance finally paid off with a popular Indy 500 win in 2013 after years of heartbreak.
9. **Josef Newgarden**
   American driver who won back-to-back Indy 500s (2023, 2024), becoming the first American-born champion at the Brickyard in nearly two decades.
10. **Takuma Sato**
   Japanese driver who won the Indy 500 twice (2017, 2020), becoming the first Japanese winner and one of the most beloved figures in modern IndyCar.

Tags: usa, sports, players, classics, legends, all-time