10 Fastest Indy 500 Pole Speeds in History

Here are the top 10 fastest pole winning speeds in Indianapolis 500 qualifying history. This means that Arie Lyuendyk's track record speed will not be included in this video because it isn't a pole winning time trial. I hope you all enjoy, will we see a speed faster than any of these 10 fastest ever next week?
Audiovisual content credit: Indycar, NBC Sports, and ABC Sports.
Video clips credit: TBK Light, Motorsports on NBC, Dave W, asopher2, and BarriKimi3.

[@OfficialKiwiFrankencop]

Welp, looks like I’ll have to update this

[@xtheamazingax]

Scott Dixon, man… what a legend.

[@smortorsports]

@@xtheamazingax facts

[@scorpio610]

9 Dixon your mouth

[@michaelhogg324]

@@xtheamazingax yep but the thing is though whose curse ends first Scott's or Marco's by winning the Indianapolis 500! YES I know that Scott won it in 2008 but he has been jinxed since then!

[@mikulitsi1819]

And even more updating needed as now Palou has the record

[@johnhullinger1635]

Correction on your list: 1996, Scott Brayton won the pole with a speed of 233.718 mph. But he was killed in a practice crash between pole day and the race.

[@terryswick7393]

Thank you

[@novai6554]

Damn

[@kjprodouctions9050]

That's fucked up

[@danielsoutherd]

Sam's reaction to Hinchcliffe's pole is one of the very best things I have seen.

[@lordofthehouseofstormcrows8615]

RIP Scott Brayton....I was there that day and I'll never ever forget his crash

[@xtlm]

That crowd for 1992 was just beautiful.

[@xxxYYZxxx]

Indy 500 qualifiers are more like test pilots, or astronauts, than just ordinary race car drivers. Indy qualifying reminds me of speed runs at Bonneville.

[@ethanweeter2732]

It takes guts I think because you are running low downforce.

[@ImpalaSS08]

I worked for John Menard when he bought the rights to the Buick V6 and tried to re-engineer it. They always knew it would be fast for qualifying and get Menard name recognition, but they also knew they could never win with it because of its unreliability and fuel consumption issues.

[@allstarchris1]

Why did Menard just want to qualify good instead of making an engine that was reliable to get to win at Indy?

[@ImpalaSS08]

@@allstarchris1 He wanted both initially but realized after years of development that reliability and fuel consumption were going to be the limiting factors of the engine. Being the cheap bastard he is, he didn’t want to bail on all the development costs and just figured he’d keep with it until he got out of car ownership. Pole position was just the ultimate concession.

[@allstarchris1]

@@ImpalaSS08 ahhhh ok. Yea I remember the Menard cars always dominating qualifying but none of his cars would last the entire race. The mid 90's I was disappointed watching Tony Stewart have a great car and a chance to win the 500 only to have his engine blow out.

[@robertslaughter2114]

@@allstarchris1 yeah pole in 1995, 1996 and 2000 and 2nd in 1997, 1999, 2001

[@joshroberson9026]

Dixon is now number one on this list

[@Michael-gu5kl]

Wouldn't it be Palou at 234.217 from last year?

[@GT-mn3bx]

@@Michael-gu5kl Arie Luyendyk 236.9 and a lap at 237.498.

[@jtp2007]

@@GT-mn3bx Not for pole. Happened on the 2nd day qualifying

[@jefferyrobertson7520]

Best Indianapolis 500 Fastest 1992 Qualifier ☺😎 Thanks For Uploading

[@avantigpracingdevelopmet6467]

Time for a re-edit. Congratulations to Dixie, monster run for the Kiwi!!!

[@andyharman3022]

Those Buicks V6's sure ran great at Indy. I'll always remember Guerrero's run because I was there. I forgot about Tony Stewart's run a few years later.

[@ElectoneGuy]

They only ran great for a few laps at a time. It didn't take them long to grenade during the race.

[@sking2173]

@@ElectoneGuy - Al Unser drove one to a 3rd place finish in 1992 …

[@davidaugustofc2574]

@@sking2173 1 good result

[@kruleskoll]

gotta redo this video now, qualyfing yesterday and today were crazy, it was like 14 or something out of the top 20 was during this years quali

[@planethaven-ih7js]

Arie Luyendyk has the fastest lap around Indy and the fastest qualifying speed at and a 4 lap average of 236.986 MPH. This list is not correct.

[@Mbartel500]

You are absolutely correct…but because of the very complicated and convoluted way that qualifying happens at the indy 500, the fastest qualifying time doesn't always get the pole. Qualifying takes place over two days, but the pole can only be won on the second day. So if car A got an incredible lap time on day one because of a huge gust of a tail wind, giving a speed of 240 mph, that would not get the pole, because the speed was on day one. If that same car could only run 225 mph on day two, and car B ran 226 mph, then car B would get the pole because his speed was faster on POLE day. Yes I know it's an incredibly stupid format, because the fastest car should be on pole…period.

[@jtp2007]

That was not for Pole because it was on the 2nd day of qualifying.. It says in the title POLE SPEED

[@SN-nh6pq]

Look at the difference in the crowd between Roberto Guerrero’s pole run & the rest of the pole runs. And still in 2024 , we haven’t seen crowds like that since. Days long gone & never have returned.

[@dan5213]

the fact bruno junqueira set the 8th fastest pole speed in indy history (not as of 2002, as of 2022) when indycars were a just a few years out from their slowest in their recent history (past 30ish years) is insane.

[@briantaylor9285]

Love Sam Schmidt's reaction 🥺♥️

[@EricBurns1]

Get ready to add this year's pole winner. VeeKay and O'Ward laid down monster laps today

[@OfficialKiwiFrankencop]

Temps are forecasted to be 15 degrees cooler, mostly clouds, and wind gusts up to 15mph tomorrow… yeah I’d say I will have to update this video. Maybe even break Tony Stewart’s all-time pole speed record, I can’t wait to watch tomorrow.

[@precesionnoreaster1507]

@@OfficialKiwiFrankencop uhm isnt the all time 233.710 Brayton?

[@nolancain8792]

@@precesionnoreaster1507 237 is the all time record.

[@sking2173]

@@precesionnoreaster1507 - Brayton held the POLE-WINNING record at 233.718, but the fastest 4-lap record was Arie Luyendyk at 236.986, a qualifying speed from the same year, but one that didn’t give him the pole because it wasn’t a first-day lap. Dixon now holds the fastest 4-lap qualifying speed, and the second fastest 4-lap speed. The fastest official single-lap speed is Luyendyk at 237.498.

[@plantfeeder6677]

Ya that's what I thought seeing how much horsepower the Chevys are allowed to run. But that didn't happen. Honda first and second. Those Ganassi cars are flying through the corners. Should be a very competitive race.

[@fastIvan]

Dixon- 234 mph

[@tsf5-productions]

In my 61 or 62 years of being a fan of the I.M.S. famed "Indianapolis 500 Mile Race"... it's my opinion, maybe my "humble opinion" ... the Indy Speedway has maxed out in speeds that it can take as a 2.5 mile oval. It's amazing its history continues to go on...but it does STILL get exciting to see the last, say 35 more or less years, mostly the actual race itself and not the pole runs, due to the average speed is a 225 to 230 m.p.h. average always. So...in my opinion...the need of a large speedway in many designs: Let's say, 4 mile or even 5 and-a-half mile oval. Yeah, I know full well, the cost of a new track, let alone making it affordable and really enjoyed is a multi billion dollar bill! Who or whom would have that plus, where and when and what exactly it would have is well in my mind. But...seeing how this "progressive-global big push" by the leftist movement for "Go Green - Electric" ... do you think any of those "clowns" would want engine-noise petro cars anymore...at all?! Haha! not on this planet! So...that's what will actually kill anymore gas powered auto racing in my opinion.

[@The52car]

It's the most wonderful time of the year! #Indy500

[@fantasticfish6399]

Dixon just ruined this lmao

[@ethanweeter2732]

Nothing like Bob Jenkins announcing Indy. Great NASCAR announcer of course, but the long-time voice of Indy for the 500.

[@soisaidtogod4248]

LOL, they have to use speed as the lap times are all within .5 of a second.

[@rodneyking4183]

I love when I learn stuff that I had been wrong about. I always thought Arie Luyandyk had the fastest qualifying time and the track record. I did not know that it was not for the pole position. Is it still the track record though?

[@robertl779]

Fun fact. Guerrero won the pole but crash on raceday during the pacelaps due to cold conditions.

[@carlnordstrom7533]

On the parade lap, wasn't it?

[@michaelsonnon2333]

Another fun fact! Jim Malloy hit the 4th turn wall on the pace lap in 1970 and scored a 33rd place finish. Al Unser Sr. in the Johnny Lightning Special took the win.

[@robertl779]

@@carlnordstrom7533 Yes

[@robertl779]

@@michaelsonnon2333 So I guess it has happened more than once.

[@ILSRWY4]

Why is that fun? A fact yes... fun? Not so sure

[@DrBIeed]

Buick power ruled the roost when it came to speed, just never quite ruled the roost when it came to finishing the race up front.

[@rodneyking4183]

What happened to the crowds for POLE DAY??? There was hardly anyone there this year.

[@mono-no-aware.Lem.]

gonna need a new vid!

[@OfficialKiwiFrankencop]

I figured lol I’m so happy to see these speeds again

[@PatrickHenryLibertyorDeath]

Funny how one of the low points for Indy/Cart/IRL split was the fastest. No ones watching, the series is struggling... Tony George 'turn up the juice...'

[@OfficialKiwiFrankencop]

It was basically an attempt to one-up CART and theirs slogan of “we have the fastest drivers” and the fact that CART scheduled a race to directly compete against the Indy 500

[@gtwars5799]

Well yeah about that...

[@OfficialKiwiFrankencop]

Lmao I need to update this video now

[@ILSRWY4]

Buick v-6 were fast as hell... but junk on raceday...

[@sxxkkllmmmclean7894]

Aire record won't ever be broken period..

[@OfficialKiwiFrankencop]

Stewart’s record my be in jeopardy tomorrow…

[@sking2173]

@@OfficialKiwiFrankencop - The official pole record for Indy, until Dixon broke it today, was held by Scotty Brayton, at 233.718, not Tony Stewart. Though Stewart started on the pole in ‘96 following Brayton’s death, the pole was still earned and credited to Brayton.

[@MrPottsTeaching]

1996 tha future was back then

[@russelllamb4737]

Where is luyendyks run, fastest of all time. Need to fix video !

[@OfficialKiwiFrankencop]

His time trial was not a pole winner nor a pole run therefore has no place in the video..

[@plantfeeder6677]

No honorable mention for Arie Luyendyk?

[@OfficialKiwiFrankencop]

No

[@sking2173]

@Plantfeeder - Kiwi isn’t a fan of the Dutch 🙁…

[@plantfeeder6677]

@@sking2173 lol..it would appear. But Arie's hysterically fast qualifying speed wasn't for pole so I don't blame Kiwi for leaving him out. It also appears we have a new name to add at Number 1, Scott Dixon. Congrats to Scott. But it's been so odd for the last 26 years that all the record shattering pole speeds just become the New Second Fastest Qualifying Speed. They'll eventually break Arie's record but until then it rolls on.

[@shrimpshrubbery7664]

no. he sided with Tony George.

[@indygrandmeme8661]

update this

[@gelar27]

How is today car (2020's) not have the fastest qualified ever?

[@elconquistador4190]

Arie Lyundyk 236 isn’t #1?? Wtf??

[@jtp2007]

It was not run on Pole day

[@harley2668]

Don’t matter. Track record is a track record.

[@edwardwood3622]

But Luyendyk was the fastest qualifier at 236.986 - just not on the pole.

[@terryswick7393]

Different temps and track on that Sunday

[@tylerdurden4006]

You think with todays outstanding safety features including safer barriers series would try get faster instead of slower. Make it about drivers again.

[@motorsportfan1246]

Well Sato just did a 232.8 lap today and Daly broke the speed trap record

[@OfficialKiwiFrankencop]

They’ve been trying to make it about speed again, with the wind that’s expected at the track this weekend they’re expecting top speeds in the mid-high 240’s

[@sking2173]

@@motorsportfan1246 - Daly exceeded the “trap speed” record because they’ve only been keeping those records since 2009 … They were running faster back in the 90’s …

[@motorsportfan1246]

@@sking2173 dixon just won the pole with a 4 lap average of 234 mph, the second fastest in history? The front 3 has the highest avg speed in history. What more do you want?

[@sking2173]

@@motorsportfan1246 - Yeah, Dixon turned the second fastest official 4-lap speed in IMS history. I have no idea what you mean about the “front 3”.

[@liquidninja04]

I guess Arie Luyendyk is chopped liver even though he holds the 4 lap record at Indy. Whoever made this video needs to do more research

[@jtp2007]

You need to do research. That run was not for pole because it wasnt run on pole day. You people who incorrectly call people wrong and are wrong themselves crack me up.

[@Alex-jx2zp]

Where is people? Empty stadium.

[@artificiiall]

aaaand .. outdated

[@planethaven-ih7js]

This is not correct! Arie Luyendyk has the fastest time ever at IMS. He holds the record for the track. You need to do more homework before just throwing a video together. He turned laps at 236mph and 237mph.

[@user-tb8fq2kr3h]

It's absolutely correct. YOU need to know the facts. Arie's run was NOT a Pole Position run. He was a day 2 qualifier. This video is of POLE runs. Thats the title of the video.

[@stevea1288]

Today's cars are junk, they might as well use the old DP01 or the 2002 Lola with the 2.65L Turbo V8. These Dallara's have absolute no sex-appeal or nice lines about them what so ever