1988 Indianapolis 500
The 72nd Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday May 29, 1988. Team Penske dominated the month, sweeping the top three starting positions with Rick Mears winning the pole position, Danny Sullivan at the center of the front row, and Al Unser, Sr. on the outside. Mears set a new track record, becoming the first driver to break the 220 mph barrier in time trials. On race day, the Penske teammates proceeded to lead 192 of the 200 laps, with Rick Mears taking the checkered flag, his third-career Indy 500 victory. The race represented the milestone 50th victory in Championship car racing for owner Roger Penske and Penske Racing.
| Indianapolis Motor Speedway | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis 500 | |||||
| Sanctioning body | USAC | ||||
| Season | 1988 CART season 1987–88 Gold Crown | ||||
| Date | May 29, 1988 | ||||
| Winner | Rick Mears | ||||
| Winning team | Penske Racing | ||||
| Average speed | 144.809 | ||||
| Pole position | Rick Mears | ||||
| Pole speed | 219.198 | ||||
| Fastest qualifier | Rick Mears | ||||
| Rookie of the Year | Billy Vukovich III | ||||
| Most laps led | Danny Sullivan (91) | ||||
| Pre-race ceremonies | |||||
| National anthem | Sandi Patty | ||||
| "Back Home Again in Indiana" | Jim Nabors | ||||
| Starting command | Mary F. Hulman | ||||
| Pace car | Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme | ||||
| Pace car driver | Chuck Yeager | ||||
| Starter | Duane Sweeney | ||||
| Estimated attendance | 400,000 | ||||
| TV in the United States | |||||
| Network | ABC | ||||
| Announcers | Host/Lap-by-lap: Paul Page Color Analyst: Sam Posey Color Analyst: Bobby Unser | ||||
| Chronology | |||||
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The victory was the first of six consecutive Indy 500 wins by the Chevy Indy V-8 engine, and seven consecutive overall by Ilmor-constructed powerplants. The victory also marked a triumphant return of success for the Penske chassis (in this case the PC-17), after dismal results in 1987 (PC-16), and sparse use in the previous four seasons.
The race was the third round of the 1988 CART PPG Indy Car World Series, and was sanctioned by USAC.