Arie Luyendyk

In May 1996 Dutch driver Arie Luyendyk qualified for the Indianapolis 500 with a four-lap average of 237.498 mph (382.2 km/h) around the 2.5-mile oval, the fastest qualifying run in the race's history. Pole speeds in recent years have been well below it.

Rule changes since 1996 reduced engine power and speeds, and the record has stood for decades.

Context

Indianapolis 500 qualifying is based on a four-lap average around the 2.5-mile oval, which means a driver must run four consecutive flat-out laps. In May 1996 Luyendyk, driving a Reynard-Ford for Treadway Racing, averaged 237.498 mph, and his single fastest lap that day was around 239 mph. Those are the highest official speeds ever recorded on the track.

After 1996, organisers cut power with smaller engines and changed aerodynamics for safety reasons, because speeds approaching 240 mph were seen as too dangerous. This is why modern pole speeds sit well below his mark.

Qualifying records differ from race records. Luyendyk had also won the race itself in 1990 and 1997, and his fastest race lap is a separate statistic. The speed is measured by timing beams at the start-finish line, with the average computed from the lap times, in miles per hour as is traditional for the event.