Which driver has the most Indianapolis 500 pole positions?

Which driver has the most Indianapolis 500 pole positions? Rick Mears holds the record with six Indianapolis 500 poles.

Mears claimed pole in 1979, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, and 1991. That record is especially notable because the Indianapolis 500’s qualifying procedure rewards outright one-lap speed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a 2.5-mile oval where aerodynamic setup and bravery under immense centrifugal force are crucial.

Mears was also one of the race’s greatest winners. He won the 500 four times—1979, 1984, 1988, and 1991—and is one of four drivers to reach that total, alongside A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, and Hélio Castroneves. His six poles, however, stand alone rather than forming part of that four-win tie.

A common mix-up is to treat pole positions as race victories. They are different achievements: Mears’s six poles mark the fastest qualifying performances, while his four victories count who finished first on race day. His 1988 and 1991 wins both came from pole.