Which driver won the Indianapolis 500 consecutively in 1939 and 1940?

Wilbur Shaw won the Indianapolis 500 consecutively in 1939 and 1940.

Shaw’s back-to-back victories made him the first driver in the race’s history to win in consecutive years. He drove the same Maserati 8CTF in both events, entered by Boyle Racing Headquarters. The car was popularly known as the Boyle Special and became one of the most celebrated machines in early Indianapolis history.

The 1939 race was completed at an average speed of 115.035 mph. In 1940, rain slowed the finish and much of the final portion ran under caution, but Shaw still averaged 114.277 mph. His 1940 victory was also his third Indianapolis 500 win, following his 1937 triumph.

A common mix-up is to confuse Shaw’s consecutive wins with the record for most total victories. Shaw became only the second three-time winner, after Louis Meyer. His achievement remains distinctive because later three-time winners did not all win their three races in consecutive years.