1985 Indianapolis 500

The 69th Indianapolis 500 was held at Indianapolis, United States on Sunday, May 26, 1985. Due to a dramatic spin by eventual race winner Danny Sullivan, the race is known in auto racing lore as the "Spin and Win".

Recap
Danny Sullivan beats Mario Andretti by 2.5 seconds despite spinning a full 360 degrees between the first and second turn when battling with Andretti on lap 120. Sullivan becomes the third driver to both spin and recover and later lead the same race, after Jim Clark in 1966 and Parnelli Jones in 1967. Sullivan does not, however, duplicate Clark's '66 feat of two spins and two saves in the same race. The Buick engine made its first significant presence at Indy, as drivers Pancho Carter and Scott Brayton qualified first and second with the engine. However, both cars dropped out within the first 19 laps.

According to commentators of the telecast, it was said the Buick was faster than the traditional Cosworth engine, but its reliability was questioned early.

Brayton did not have a major sponsor until after his qualifying run. Hardee's picked up the sponsorship.

Results
Failed to qualify: Tom Bigelow (#24, #42, #50), Steve Chassey (#56), Dick Ferguson (#69), Chet Fillip (#38, #39), Dennis Firestone (#36), Pete Halsmer (#59), Gordon Johncock (#20), Herm Johnson (#8), Jerry Karl (#51, #62), Phil Krueger (#50, #51), Randy Lanier (#57), Mike Nish (#41), Michael Roe (#71), Jacques Villneuve (#76)

Race events
One lap after the restart following Sullivan's spin, Rich Vogler and Howdy Holmes tangled in turn one, sending Vogler hard into the wall in front of the three leaders. Andretti avoided the wreck, but second-place Tom Sneva locked his brakes and spun directly in front of Sullivan, who somehow managed to avoid both Sneva and the debris from Vogler's crash. Sneva was uninjured, but Vogler had to be airlifted to hospital. In Victory Lane after the race, Sullivan said that this second miraculous escape within minutes of the first convinced him that "the sun was shining on me" and that luck was on his side to win the race.

Additional information

 * Carter - Buick engine. Valvoline sponsorship.
 * Brayton - Buick engine. Hardee's sponsorship.
 * Rahal - Cosworth engine. March chassis. Truesports team, Budweiser sponsorship.
 * Mears - Penske Racing team, Pennzoil sponsorship.
 * Sullivan - Penske Racing team, Miller American beer sponsorship.
 * Unser, Sr. - Penske Racing team.
 * Sneva - Dan Gurney Eagle (All American Racers) team, Skoal sponsorship.
 * Mario Andretti - Newman/Haas Racing team. Lola chassis. Beatrice Foods sponsorship.
 * E. Fittipaldi - Patrick Racing team. March chassis. 7-Eleven sponsorship.
 * Foyt - Gilmore team, Copenhagen sponsorship.
 * Unser, Jr. - Shierson Racing team, Domino's Pizza sponsorship


 * Reference: Additional information gathered from 1985 telecast of Indianapolis 500.

Quotes
"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.