1999 Indianapolis 500

83rd Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning body	Indy Racing League
Season	1999 IRL season
Date	May 30, 1999
Winner	Kenny Bräck
Winning team	A. J. Foyt Enterprises
Average speed	153.176 mph (247 km/h)
Pole position	Arie Luyendyk
Pole speed	225.179 mph (362 km/h)
Fastest qualifier	Arie Luyendyk
Rookie of the Year	Robby McGehee
Most laps led	Kenny Bräck (66)
Pre-race ceremonies
National anthem	CeCe Winans
"Back Home Again in Indiana"	Jim Nabors
Starting command	Mari Hulman George
Pace car	Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Pace car driver	Jay Leno
Starter	Bryan Howard
Honorary starter	Jim Postl (Pennzoil)
Estimated attendance	250,000
TV in the United States
Network	ABC
Announcers	Bob Jenkins, Tom Sneva
Nielsen ratings	5.5 / 18
Chronology
Previous Next 1998 2000

The 83rd Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday, May 30, 1999. The race was sanctioned by the Indy Racing League, and was part of the 1999 Pep Boys Indy Racing League season. Defending IRL champion Kenny Bräck started 8th and became the first Swedish driver to win the Indy 500.

Indy car veteran Robby Gordon, driving for Team Menard, pitted during a caution on lap 164, looking to stretch his fuel over the final 36 laps. Gordon shuffled to front on lap 174, and pulled out to a comfortable lead. In the waning laps however, Gordon's lead began to dwindle, as he was forced to save fuel. With two laps to go, he led second place Kenny Bräck by just under two seconds. Coming out of turn four to receive the white flag (the signal for one lap to go), Gordon's car sputtered and he ran out fuel. Kenny Bräck took the lead with just over one lap to go and won for car owner A. J. Foyt. The race victory represented the long-awaited "fifth" Indy 500 win for A. J. Foyt, who had previously won a record four times as a driver (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977). It was also one of the most-successful races for A. J. Foyt Enterprises, with Bräck the winner, and team cars Billy Boat third, and Robbie Buhl sixth.

Popular veteran and two-time Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk announced his plans to retire at the end of the event.^[1] He won the pole position and was a factor most of the first half. After leading 63 laps, however, he crashed while leading after he tangled with a backmarker. Luyendyk would later retract his retirement plans, and made a brief return to Indy from 2001–2003.

As of 2023, this stands as the 29th and final Indy victory for Goodyear tires and stands as the oldest Indianapolis 500 with all 33 starters still living.