2006 Indianapolis 500

2006 Indianapolis 500

The 90th Indianapolis 500 was held on Sunday, May 28, 2006 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Sam Hornish, Jr. won the race by passing rookie Marco Andretti on the final lap, about 450 feet from the finish line. It was the first time a driver made a pass for the lead on the final lap for victory in the history of the event.

The margin of victory was 0.0635 seconds, the second-closest finish in the history of the Indy 500. Hornish had earned the pole in qualifying with a four-lap average of 228.985 mph (368.516 km/h). Defending champion Dan Wheldon dominated much of the race, leading 148 laps. However, a punctured tire forced him to make a final pit stop earlier than planned, dropping him to fourth at the finish.

The race was sanctioned by the Indy Racing League and was part of the 2006 IndyCar Series season. With a high temperature of 89 °F (32 °C), it was one of the hottest runnings of the Indy 500 on record.

As of 2012, this is the most recent Indianapolis 500 won by an American.