The Indianapolis 500 celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011.
The 2011 event marked a century since the inaugural Indianapolis 500 was held in 1911. The race was promoted as the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, and the season formed the centerpiece of a broader Centennial Era at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Dan Wheldon won the race, which was the 95th running because the event was not held during the two World Wars.
That distinction creates the most common confusion. The 100th anniversary occurred in 2011, but the 100th running took place in 2016. Five scheduled editions had been lost to cancellations, so the number of races held did not match the number of years since the first race.
The 2011 celebration therefore referred to the age of the event’s origin, not the count of completed races. The anniversary also looked back to the speedway’s opening in 1909 and its long “Brickyard” heritage.