1985 Indianapolis 500

69th running of the Indianapolis 500

The 69th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday, May 26, 1985. The race was sanctioned by USAC, and was included as part of the 1985 CART PPG Indy Car World Series. The Speedway also celebrated 40 years of ownership by the Hulman/George family. In one of the most dramatic moments in Indy 500 history, Danny Sullivan took the lead from Mario Andretti on lap 120. But as he was completing the pass, Sullivan's car stepped out, and he lost control. He spun directly in front of Andretti in turn one, doing a complete 360°. Andretti veered to the inside and slipped by unscathed, while Sullivan's car somehow avoided contact with the concrete wall. Sullivan remarkably gathered control without stalling the engine, and continued in the race. About twenty laps later, Sullivan managed to re pass Andretti for the lead, this time cleanly. Sullivan led the final 61 laps, and scored his first and only Indy victory. It was the fifth Indy win for car owner Roger Penske (Penske Racing), tying the record at the time held by Lou Moore. Due to the electrifying spin by Sullivan, and the subsequent recovery, the race became known in auto racing lore as the "Spin and Win". It is largely considered one of the most famous moments in all of Indy car racing history. The 1985 Indy 500 was the breakout race for the "stock block" Buick Indy V6 engine. Pancho Carter and Scott Brayton swept the top two spots on the starting grid with the pushrod Buick, setting new track record speeds in time trials. However, both cars still had questionable reliability for the full 500 miles, and both dropped out early with mechanical problems on race day.

Defending Indy winner Rick Mears suffered serious leg injuries in a crash at Sanair Super Speedway in August 1984. He missed the rest of the 1984 season, and would run only a part time schedule in 1985. The 1985 Indy 500 was his first race back after recovery. Danny Sullivan joined Penske Racing for 1985. Al Unser Sr., who was filling in for Mears during the rest of the season, took the wheel of a third Penske entry for Indy. Willy T. Ribbs entered the Rookie Orientation Program in April, hoping to become the first African American driver to qualify for the Indy 500. However, after 20 laps of testing, he managed only 172 mph, and withdrew, citing his inexperience. He would return in 1991. This would be the final Indy 500 broadcast on television in tape delay. Later in the summer, ABC TV signed a deal to broadcast the Indy 500 live for the first time starting in 1986. It would also be Jim McKay's final Indy 500 as play by play anchor. A. J. Foyt announced during the month he was planning to retire after the 1987 race, which would be his 30th start. The decision was later retracted. Foyt entered the month of May 1985 with the opportunity to pass the 10,000 mile mark in competition at Indy, and the race would mark his record 300th career Indy car start. At the conclusion of the race, the Speedway planned to tear down the legendary Gasoline Alley garage area, in preparations for construction of a new, modern garage facility. This would be the final Indy 500 field to utilize the famous landmark green and white "barn like" garages.

Pole day was sunny and warm, with temperatures in the low 80s. Mario Andretti (214.285 mph) and Bobby Rahal (214.183 mph) were the fastest cars in practice, and were early favorites for the pole position. Qualifying began promptly at 11 a. m. The first car to take to the track was Scott Brayton in one of the Buick V 6 stock block engines. He set new one and four lap track records, as well as track records for stock block engines. His four lap average of 212.354 mph tentatively put him on pole position. Lap 1 – 42.490 seconds, 211.815 mph (new 1 lap track record)
Lap 2 – 42.216 seconds, 213.189 mph (new 1 lap track record)
Lap 3 – 42.017 seconds, 214.199 mph (new 1 lap track record)
Lap 4 – 42.905 seconds, 210.256 mph
Total – 2:49.523, 212.354 mph (new 4 lap track record)

Brayton's final lap dropped off due to transmission trouble. Not to be upstaged, less than twenty minutes later, Pancho Carter took to the track, also driving a Buick V 6. Lap 1 – 42.351 seconds, 212.510 mph
Lap 2 – 42.309 seconds, 213.721 mph
Lap 3 – 42.222 seconds, 213.159 mph
Lap 4 – 42.464 seconds, 211.944 mph
Total – 2:49.346, 212.533 mph (new 4 lap track record)

Carter could not eclipse Brayton's one lap track record, but his run was more consistent. Carter's four lap average of 212.533 mph was faster overall than Brayton, and itself was a new four lap track record. Carter took the top spot by a mere 0.177 seconds. As a result, in a mostly rare situation, the one lap and four lap track records were thus held by two different drivers. Carter clinched the pole position, and completed a 1st–2nd sweep for the Buicks on the starting grid. Only a half hour had passed, but the Buicks had already established their dominance of time trials, and distanced themselves from the rest of the competition. After the record setting run, Brayton picked up the sponsorship of Hardee's during the week. With the pole position basically out of reach, the rest of the field battled out to see who would fill out the front row. Emerson Fittipaldi (211.322 mph) put himself tentatively in third position, but Mario Andretti (211.576 mph) later bumped him off the front row. At 1:13 p. m., Bobby Rahal, the last driver with a legitimate shot, turned in a run of 211.818 mph, securing the outside of the front row. A busy day saw 27 cars qualify. Rick Mears returned from his 1984 leg injuries to qualify 10th. Danny Sullivan put his car in the field in 8th. No driver from 1911 to 1984 had ever won the race from 8th starting position, and it was often nicknamed the dreaded "8 ball spot".

Only two cars, Steve Chassey and Chet Fillip, made qualifying attempts, both late in the day. At the end of the first weekend of time trials, the field was filled to 29 cars.

The second weekend of time trials saw cooler weather, and better conditions. Rookie Raul Boesel was the first car to take to the track, and put in a solid run of 206.498 mph. Late in the day, George Snider continued the trend of stock block engines, putting a Foyt V 6 in the field. In doing so, the field was filled to 33 cars. John Paul Jr. squeezed in a qualifying run between his IMSA commitments, and bumped Derek Daly from the field. Tony Bettenhausen Jr. bumped out Chet Fillip, who earlier in the day, had wrecked his back up car, leaving him on the sidelines for the rest of the month. The day ended as Jim Crawford bumped out Kevin Cogan.

The final day of time trials opened with Steve Chassey on the bubble, and about nine cars looking to make the field. Kevin Cogan got in his backup car, and easily bumped his way back into the field to open the afternoon. After Cogan's run, the track went mostly quiet, as drivers awaited better conditions. Three time winner Johnny Rutherford was now on the bubble, the second year in a row he was in danger of not qualifying. At about 5 p. m., Derek Daly (207.548 mph) bumped out Rutherford. A few minutes later, Rutherford got in a backup car, and at 208.254 mph, easily put himself back in the field. Rutherford bumped out Michael Roe in the process. With a half hour left in the day, Pete Halsmer was on the bubble. He survived an attempt by Tom Bigelow, but Rich Vogler succeeded in bumping him out. Tony Bettenhausen Jr. (204.824 mph) was now on the bubble. Michael Roe tried twice to bump him out, but fell short on both attempts.

RowInsideMiddleOutside1 Pancho Carter Scott Brayton Bobby Rahal2 Mario Andretti Emerson Fittipaldi Don Whittington3 Al Unser Danny Sullivan Geoff Brabham4 Rick Mears Al Unser Jr. Bill Whittington5 Tom Sneva Dick Simon Michael Andretti6 Roberto Guerrero Danny Ongais Josele Garza7 Howdy Holmes Arie Luyendyk A. J. Foyt 8 Ed Pimm Raul Boesel John Paul Jr. 9 Chip Ganassi Johnny Parsons Jim Crawford 10 George Snider Tony Bettenhausen Jr. Johnny Rutherford 11 Derek Daly Kevin Cogan Rich Vogler

Going into the race, the top two qualifiers, Pancho Carter and Scott Brayton were considered underdogs, due to reliability issues with the Buick engine. Mario Andretti emerged as the race day favorite. After green flag pit stops, Sullivan moved into 2nd place by being the only driver among them to take a fuel only stop.

Shortly after the halfway point, Danny Sullivan got a radio call from his crew, but he misunderstood the message. He thought they said there were only 12 laps to go. In reality, there were still over 80 laps remaining. Sullivan quickly turned up the turbocharger boost, and started closing in on Andretti for the lead. On lap 120, Sullivan pulled to the inside down the front stretch, and took the lead going into turn one. Andretti held his ground, forcing Sullivan to make the pass down below the yellow line in the somewhat rough and flat apron. After the cleanup, the race again reverted to Mario Andretti leading and Danny Sullivan second. On lap 140, Sullivan tried for the second time to get by Andretti, in exactly the same place as 20 laps before. This time he made the pass cleanly and started to pull away. Danny Sullivan started to pull away at will in the final 50 laps. Mario Andretti was starting to struggle, and was passed by Emerson Fittipaldi for second place for several laps.

The "Spin and Win" result went down in Indy 500 lore as one of the most famous moments in the history of the race. Mario Andretti considered the 1985 race his "best chance to win," He would go on to finish 4th in the 1985 points standings, and would win a CART championship in 1988.

"The Indianapolis 500 has a new champion, as Danny Sullivan has won the 69th Indianapolis 500." – Paul Page described the finish of the race for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network

"The Old American Hero will lose the race [Mario Andretti], the New American Hero is Daniel John Sullivan III of Louisville, Kentucky who has won the Indianapolis 500." – Jim McKay called the finish during the ABC Sports broadcast.

The 1984–85 USAC Gold Crown Championship season consisted of one sanctioned race. The schedule was based on a split calendar, beginning in June 1984 and running through May 1985. Starting in 1981, USAC scaled back their participation in top level Indy car racing, and ultimately ceased sanctioning races outside of the Indianapolis 500 following their 1983–84 season. Subsequently the Gold Crown Championship would consist of only one event annually; the winner of the Indianapolis 500 would be the de facto Gold Crown champion, as it was their lone points paying event. The preeminent national championship season was instead sanctioned by CART, and the Indy 500 paid championship points separately (on a different scale) toward the CART championship as well. Danny Sullivan, by virtue of winning the 1985 Indianapolis 500, also won the 1984–85 USAC Championship.