What traditional command has been given to drivers just before the start of the Indianapolis 500?
Answer
Gentlemen, start your engines
78 public questions with answers, drawn from the well. How many can you answer?
Indianapolis 500 trivia explores the history, traditions, drivers, cars, ownership, broadcasting, and record-setting moments of America’s most famous open-wheel race. This 79-question hub reaches from early winners and the Speedway’s ownership history to modern chassis technology and landmark television coverage.
Questions may test the traditional command given before the start, identify the first three-time winner, or recall the driver who led a record 198 laps in the 1930 race. Other clues point to the 1995 Canadian winner, the 1985 “spin and win,” and the Dallara chassis introduced in 2012. It suits motorsport fans, history classes, race-day gatherings, and sports pub quizzes.
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Gentlemen, start your engines
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Billy Arnold
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Eddie Rickenbacker
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Dallara DW12
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Jacques Villeneuve
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Danny Sullivan
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The Greatest Spectacle in Racing
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Rear-view mirror
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Tony Hulman
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Open-wheel car
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Gainbridge
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Triple Crown of Motorsport
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Memorial Day
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Indiana
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Mario Andretti
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Helio Castroneves
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Tony George
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Offenhauser
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300 miles
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Joe Dawson
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AAA Contest Board
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Danica Patrick
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Danica Patrick
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Graham Hill
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Takuma Sato
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Takuma Sato
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Alexander Rossi
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Purdue All-American Marching Band
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Indianapolis Motor Speedway
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World Drivers' Championship
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Pete DePaolo
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Marmon Wasp
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Wilbur Shaw
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Tommy Milton
Good Indianapolis 500 questions cover traditions, winners, drivers, car chassis, Speedway ownership, race records, broadcasting, and famous finishes. Examples include identifying the pre-race command, the first three-time winner, and the driver remembered for the 1985 “spin and win.”
The difficulty ranges from accessible racing history to specialist knowledge. The race’s traditions and famous winners are approachable, while questions about chassis models, early ownership, lap records, international drivers, and television milestones are more challenging.
The traditional command is “Gentlemen, start your engines!” It is delivered just before the cars begin their final preparations and start the race. The phrase has become one of the Indianapolis 500’s defining traditions, although wording has sometimes been adapted for changing circumstances.
Louis Meyer became the first three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, taking victories in 1928, 1933, and 1936. His achievements placed him among the race’s earliest legends and established a milestone that later drivers would pursue.
Jacques Villeneuve won the 1995 Indianapolis 500 for Team Green. He overcame a two-lap penalty during the race and still finished ahead of runner-up Christian Fittipaldi. The victory was Villeneuve’s first Indianapolis 500 win before his later Formula One success.