Indianapolis, IN
Why Indy 500 pit stops are critical in determining the race winner
20 drivers have won more than one Indy 500
Twenty drivers have won the Indianapolis 500 at least twice. Here are the men with multiple victories at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Scott Horner, Indianapolis Star
The Indianapolis 500 can be decided by the blink of an eye. Six times in the past 10 years, the margin of victory was less than 1 second. In 2023, Josef Newgarden beat Marcus Ericcson in a one-lap shootout by 0.0974 seconds.
While the drivers and team owners get most of the glory, the work by the pit crews is critical in determining the champion. Here’s more about what goes into an Indy 500 pit stop.
How many pit stops are there in the Indy 500?
There’s no set number, but the most common number of pit stops among contenders is six or seven. The number of caution flags, and when they occur, play a role in determining how many stops a driver makes.
Indy 500 pit stop times
An ideal pit stop takes about 7 seconds. A stop includes changing four tires, filling an 18.5-gallon fuel tank and making any desired wing adjustments to create optimum aerodynamics.
The pit stop process takes longer, because the driver must not exceed the 60 mph pit road speed limit when entering pit road and leaving the pit box. The driver also must avoid contact with other cars along pit road and not strike crew members or pit equipment.
Infractions bring penalties, often a “drive-through,” which means the driver must bring the car through pit road at the pit speed limit while racing on the track continues.
Indy 500 history: Here are the 6 closest finishes
Indy 500 pit crew members
Six people comprise the “over-the-wall” members of the pit crew: left front tire changer; left rear tire changer; right front tire changer; right rear tire changer; fueler, and jack operator. They wear fireproof suits and a helmet, just like the driver.
Jack operator: Operates the pneumatic air jack that lifts the car 4 inches off the ground, allowing the tire changers to do their jobs, and disengages the jack after tire work is done but before the driver leaves the pit box.
Fueler: Attaches a hose to the fuel tank, allowing 18.5 gallons of fuel into the car, then disengages the hose without spillage.
4 tire changers: Each carries a tire to be exchanged during the stop. Front tires typically weigh about 13.5 pounds, and rear tires 14.7 pounds. The changer uses a tire gun to remove the wheel nut, removes the tire by hand, puts the new tire on and makes it secure, all in less than 6 seconds.
When the right front tire changer has completed a change, he holds up a hand, then drops it to indicate that it’s OK for the driver leave the pit box.
Indianapolis 500: Here are the five fastest races in Indy 500 history
Other common pit stop terms
Pit road is also known as pit row and the pit lane. The pit box is also known as the pit stall.
What fuel goes into Indy 500 cars?
The IndyCar Series uses an 85%/15% methanol/gasoline blend, also called E85.
How long is pit road?
Pit road is 40 feet wide and 2,263 feet long (42% of a mile) from the start of the attenuator at pit entrance to the end of the wall at pit exit.
More about Indy 500 pit stops
Business Insider profiled a pit crew in 2021, showing how tire changers train for the race season.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Athenaeum in downtown Indianapolis is getting ready to welcome spring with its annual St. Benno Festival this Saturday.
Organizers say it’s one of the longest-running cultural festivals in Indianapolis.
St. Benno Festival is based on the German tradition of “Frühlingsfest,” the springtime version of Oktoberfest, Athenaeum Foundation President Craig Mince says.
“It would always be the festival that would open up the beer garden,” Mince said. “So that was kind of their kickoff of the spring and that warmer season. “
The Athenaeum’s celebration focuses on St. Benno, the patron saint of anglers and the city of Munich, Germany.
There’s a lot of folklore surrounding St. Benno. He’s said to have created Bach beer. He also had a sidekick, “Einbeck,” which means “billy goat” in German.
Legend has it that when the invaders were coming to Munich, he threw the key to a church into a body of water. Years later, he caught a fish that had eaten the key and retrieved it.
“When the German immigrants came here to central Indiana, Indianapolis in particular, they started to organize,” Mince said. “They celebrated Benno. They celebrated Bach beer. So that was kind of the beginning of this institution.”
St. Benno Fest will include lots of beer, pretzels, and Gomez BBQ’s doner kebab.
Francene Thomas, the Athenaeum’s event and festivals manager, says there’s a lot of thought that goes into the menu.
“We want to definitely bring the tradition of this festival and continue that, but also, just bring some fresh flavor to it, too.”
The celebration serves as a fundraiser for the Athenaeum. Money raised will go back into maintenance and other events that promote German culture.
Tickets are $25 and can be bought in advance on the Athenaeum website. St. Benno Fest is a 21+ event and runs from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
LAWRENCE, Ind. (WISH) — Lawrence Mayor Deb Whitfield on Thursday evening delivered this year’s State of the City address, outlining her vision for the city’s future.
Her address focused on community growth, development, public safety and the Live Longer in Lawrence initiative. The initiative was designed to reduce barriers to health care for residents.
The city also plans to emphasize arts and culture to ensure Lawrence’s 49,800 residents feel connected to the community.
The Democratic mayor emphasized her administration’s commitment to turning goals into tangible results. “In Lawrence, we are not in the business of ideas that sit on the shelf. We are turning vision into momentum. We are making plans and putting them into actions. We are taking opportunities and turning them into results.”
This story, created from a script aired on WISH-TV, was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness.
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