Which driver became the first four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500?

A. J. Foyt became the first four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500.

Foyt reached that milestone with victories in 1961, 1964, 1967, and 1977. His first win came with the Bowes Seal Fast team, and his fourth came after a dramatic late-race battle in which he recovered from a fuel stop and benefited when Gordon Johncock’s engine failed near the finish.

The achievement made Foyt the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 four times. Later, Al Unser and Rick Mears matched four victories, and Helio Castroneves joined them in 2021. Those later champions are common answers to questions about four-time winners, but Foyt was the first to reach the total.

Foyt’s career extended far beyond Indianapolis. He won major events in open-wheel, stock-car, and endurance racing, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1967 and the Daytona 500 in 1972. He remains the only driver to win the Indy 500, Le Mans, the Daytona 500, and the 24 Hours of Daytona.