1990 Indianapolis 500

The74th Indianapolis 500was held at theIndianapolis Motor SpeedwayinSpeedway, Indianaon Sunday, May 27, 1990.DutchmanArie Luyendyktook the lead with 32 laps to go, and earned his first-ever victory inchampionship-levelcompetition. It was the second consecutive year the Indy 500 was won by a foreign-born competitor, the first time that had occurred since 1965–1966. Luyendyk completed the 500 miles at an average speed of 185.981 mph (299.307 km/h), a record that stood for 23 years until2013.In reference to the long-standing speed record, for many years the 1990 race was often referred to as "The Fastest 500".

74th Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning body	USAC
Season	1990 CART season 1989–90 Gold Crown
Date	May 27, 1990
Winner	Arie Luyendyk
Winning team	Doug Shierson Racing
Average speed	185.981 mph
Pole position	Emerson Fittipaldi
Pole speed	225.301 mph
Fastest qualifier	Emerson Fittipaldi
Rookie of the Year	Eddie Cheever
Most laps led	Emerson Fittipaldi(128)
Pre-race ceremonies
National anthem	Sandi Patti
"Back Home Again in Indiana"	Jim Nabors
Starting command	Mary F. Hulman
Pace car	Chevrolet Beretta
Pace car driver	Jim Perkins
Starter	Duane Sweeney
Estimated attendance	400,000
TV in the United States
Network	ABC
Announcers	Host/Lap-by-lap:Paul Page Color Analyst:Sam Posey Color AnalystBobby Unser
Chronology
Previous Next 1989 1991

Defending championEmerson Fittipaldistarted on the pole position and dominated the first half of the race. Setting a new track record in qualifying, Fittipaldi became the first driver to break the 225 mph barrier in time trials. Fittipaldi took the lead at the start, and led the first 92 laps, a new race record. He was looking to become the first back-to-back winner in nineteen years. In the second half of the race, however, he fell victim to blistering tires, fell a lap down, and wound up finishing third.Bobby Rahal,the1986 winner,was in position to win his second Indy 500, but he too sufferedhandlingproblems, which dropped him to second at the finish. Luyendyk, driving forDoug Shierson Racing(the race would be Shierson's final 500), did not experience the handling issues that befell the other competitors, and won the race by a margin of 11.878 seconds.

A. J. Foyt,making his 33rd consecutive Indy start, finished in sixth place. RookieJeff Andrettiattempted to become the unprecedented fourth member of the Andretti family to qualify for the same race, but was bumped on the final day of time trials.Jim Crawfordsurvived a spectacular airborne crash during practice, and for the second year in a row, three-time winnerJohnny Rutherfordstruggled to get his car up to speed, and failed to qualify.

Rain hampered much of the month, washing out nearly the entire first weekend of time trials as well as two practice days. The 1990 race was also the first Indy 500 presided over byTony George,who was named president of the Speedway in January. The race was sanctioned byUSAC,and was included as part of the1990 CART PPG Indy Car World Series.

Background

Rule changes

1990 Indy 500 ticket stub.

Controversy hovered over the month, regarding newaerodynamicrules. All teams utilizing 1989 (or older) model year chassis were required to affix a "diffuser"to the underbodyground effectstunnels, to reduce their depth by 2 inches - a rule intended to reducedownforceand curtail speeds. Competitors complained that the diffusers made their cars unstable and unbalanced, and were responsible for the increased number of practice crashes involving the older cars. Despite voiced complaints and meetings with officials, no changes were made to the rules. Ultimately, no major crashes occurred amongst the older cars during the race itself.

ThePorscheIndycar team, led byDerrick Walker,was fresh off their first victory atMid-Ohioin September 1989 with driverTeo Fabi.They planned to roll out a newMarchchassis for 1990, the first all-carbon fibermonocoqueIndy car. Rules were evolving by theCARTseries (and likewiseUSAC) to eventually allow for all-carbon fiber chassis. Porsche interpreted the rules as permitting the car for 1990, provided they were granted a waiver, and embarked on the project. However, in January, the board of directors voted to disallow the chassis for competition in 1990.The Porsche team was forced to utilize a March chassis that was constructed with a then-standard aluminum bottom to adhere to the rules. All-carbon fiber monocoques would be delayed until 1991.

With thePocono 500disbanded after 1989, the 1990 Indy car season and beyond would no longer feature a "Triple crown"of 500-mile races. The triple crown would not return until 2013.

Team and driver changes

Team and driver changes for 1990 were highlighted by defendingCART championand defendingIndy winnerEmerson Fittipaldi(and sponsorMarlboro) departingPatrick Racingand joiningPenske Racing.The Penske team would be a three-car effort in 1990 with Fittipaldi,Rick Mears,andDanny Sullivan.

Meanwhile,Chip Ganassitook over the assets of the former Patrick Racing, and it becameChip Ganassi Racing.Eddie Cheever,who had spent the past decade inFormula One,and was the United States' lone F1 participant, switched to the CART series for 1990 and took the seat.Targetwas brought in as the new sponsor for the budding team, beginning one of the longest tenures for an Indy car sponsor (1990–2016) in the history of the sport.

KRACO Racing(Bobby Rahal) owned by Maurice Kraines, merged with theRick Gallesteam. They became a two-car effort known asGalles-KRACO Racing.Al Unser Jr.returned in the Valvoline-sponsored entry, and Rahal got the use of the ChevyIlmorV-8 engine for the first time.

Arie LuyendykleftDick Simon Racing,and joinedDoug Shierson Racingto drive the #30Domino's Pizza"Hot One" Chevrolet entry. After the previous two years utilizingJuddpower, Shierson also was granted a lease for the Chevy Ilmor engine.

TruesportsdriverScott Pruett,who won therookie of the yearaward in 1989, had a serious crash atWest Palm Beachduring preseason testing. He suffered serious leg injuries, and was forced to sit out the season for rehabilitation.Raul Boeselwas hired to drive as a substitute. The Truesports team was already in development of their in-house "All American"chassis,which was scheduled to debut in 1991. For the 1990 season, the team utilized 1989Lola/Juddmachines to save cost. However, they re-fabricated the underbody of the cars in order to adhere to the new rules specifications, and avoided the need to use the aforementioned "diffusers".

TheAlfa RomeoIndy car effort, formerly headed up by Alex Morales Motorsports, was taken over in 1990 by a re-bootedPatrick Racing.The Alfa Romeo engine had not been ready in time to race at the 1989 Indy 500, therefore 1990 would its first appearance at Indy.Roberto Guerrero,who drove for Morales in 1989, was kept on as the driver for 1990 at Patrick.Al Unser Sr.,released by Penske, was brought in to enter a second team car at Indy and the other 500-miler atMichigan.Patrick Racing assumed the sponsorship ofMiller,previously associated withPenske.It was another"trade"between the two organizations.

Construction

During the offseason, the Tower Terrace Extension grandstand was razed at the north end of the pit area. In its place, a new 900-foot long, 17,000-seat permanent double-decker grandstand was constructed. It featured aluminum chair-back bench seating, as well as modern restroom facilities and storefront space on the lower level. On the upper deck, 38 luxury suites were built, each with seats for 80 people.

In the south short-chute, near themuseum,the first dedicatedWheelchairAccessiblegrandstand was constructed. With seating for 302 persons, (including non-handicapped "companion" seating), the Speedway introduced its firstADA-compliant grandstand.

Across the street from turn one, a famousSpeedwaylandmark, the bricksmokestackof the formerPrest-O-Litecompany was demolished. For decades, the smokestack was said to be used by drivers to see clues about wind speed and direction. It was taken down by wrecking ball just two months after the 1990 race.

Schedule

Race schedule — April/May, 1990 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 22 23 24 25 26 27 ROP 28 ROP 29 ROP 30 1 2 3 4 5 Practice 6 Practice 7 Practice 8 Practice 9 Practice 10 Practice 11 Practice 12 Pole Day 13 Time Trials 14 Practice 15 Practice 16 Practice 17 Practice 18 Practice 19 Time Trials 20 Bump Day 21 22 23 24 Carb Day 25 Mini-Marathon 26 Parade 27 Indy 500 28 Memorial Day 29 30 31

Color Notes Green Practice Dark Blue Time trials Silver Race day Red Rained out* Blank No track activity *Includes days where track activity was significantly limited due to rain ROP — denotes Rookie Orientation Program

Practice (first week)

During rookie orientation, driverSteve Barclaywas injured in a crash, and was forced to sit out practice.

Opening day – Saturday May 5

Tero PalmrothofDick Simon Racingearned the honor of first car out on the track on opening day. The first day of practice saw moderate activity, withTom Snevain a Buick-powered entry setting the fastest lap (215.646 mph).

Several drivers (Al Unser Jr.,Emerson Fittipaldi,Geoff Brabham,Bobby Rahal,andDanny Sullivan) were not present for opening day due to their participation in the first round ofIROC XIVatTalladega.Unser Jr., who finished second in that race, along with Rahal, did make it to Indianapolis in time to take a few practice laps.

Sunday May 6

History was made at Indy when four members of the same family practiced on the track at the same time.Mario,Michael,John,andJeff Andrettiall were on the track together for a brief time at 3:35 p.m.

Jim Crawfordcrashed in turn one 20 minutes before the track closed for the day.

Emerson Fittipaldi,taking his first laps of the month, topped the speed chart with a lap of 222.607 mph.

Monday May 7

Three crashes occurred on Monday.Johnny Rutherford,rookieBuddy Lazier,andBill Vukovich IIIall suffered wall contact. Lazier hit the outside wall at the exit of turn four. Rutherford went high exiting turn two, and brushed the wall. Vukovich was the most serious, crashing hard in turn one, suffering a concussion.

Rick Mears(224.398 mph) set the fastest lap, withArie Luyendyk(222.816 mph) second andEmerson Fittipaldi(222.211 mph) third.

Tuesday May 8

Emerson Fittipaldi (223.286 mph) was the fastest of the day.Steve Chasseycrashed in turn three.

Wednesday May 9

Johnny Rutherford had his second crash of the month. He spun in turn three, and crashed hard into the outside wall, suffering a concussion and knee injury.

Al Unser Jr.(220.507 mph) was the fastest of the day.Arie Luyendykwas second-fastest once again.

Thursday May 10

A cold, windy afternoon kept most cars off the track.Jim Crawford,driving his back-up car, was the fastest of the day at only 208.686 mph. Only two cars turned laps over 200 mph, and of the 12 drivers that completed laps, few took any laps at speed.

The track was closed 51 minutes early due to weather conditions. Only 74 laps were turned all day.

Friday May 11

On the final day of practice before time trials, the speeds climbed, and activity was heavy. At least 40 drivers took to the track, completing 1,517 laps.

Two minor crashes occurred early in the afternoon. RookiesJeff WoodandJeff Andrettiboth suffered accidents. Wood hit the outside wall exiting turn one, then brushed it three more times as the car came to a stop. He was uninjured. Andretti spun in turn four, hitting the outside wall. The car was heavily damaged, but Andretti suffered only a bruised knee.

Shortly after 4 p.m.,Emerson Fittipaldirans laps of 227.101 mph and 227.181 mph. They were the fastest unofficial laps in Indy history. Not to be upstaged, at 5:09 p.m.,Al Unser Jr.blistered the track with a lap of 228.502 mph, the fastest practice lap ever run at Indy.

At 5:24 p.m.,Jim Crawfordsuffered his second crash of the week. This accident, which occurred in the south short chute, was spectacular. He spun in turn one, hit the outside wall, then as the car came off wall, debris lifted the chassis airborne. It flew approximately 15–20 feet off the ground for as much as 280 feet, then came to the ground, upright. It continued to slide for another 360 feet and came to rest along the inside wall. Crawford was not seriously injured.

The first week of practice ended with Unser Jr., Fittipaldi,Rick Mears,andMario Andrettitopping the speed chart. All four had run laps over 225 mph.

Time trials (first weekend)

Emerson Fittipaldiwon the pole position.

Pole Day Part 1 – Saturday May 12

Pole day was scheduled for Saturday May 12, withAl Unser Jr.andEmerson Fittipaldithe favorites for the pole position. Rain washed out the entire day. Pole qualifying was rescheduled for Sunday.

Pole Day Part 2 – Sunday May 13

On Sunday, rain threatened to wash out the entire weekend. Continuing rain, cool temperatures and "weepers" kept the cars off the track until after 2:30 p.m.Emerson Fittipaldiwas the first driver to make a qualifying attempt, as time trials finally got underway at 4:34 p.m.

Fittipaldiset new one and four-lap qualifying records to secure the provisional pole position. Each lap increased in speed. He became the first driver to officially break the 225 mph barrier at Indy.

• Lap 1 – 39.999 seconds,225.006 mph(new 1-lap track record)
• Lap 2 – 39.954 seconds,225.259 mph(new 1-lap track record)
• Lap 3 – 39.935 seconds,225.366 mph(new 1-lap track record)
• Lap 4 – 39.898 seconds,225.575 mph(new 1-lap track record)
• Total – 2:39.786,225.302 mph(new 4-lap track record)

A hectic, abbreviated qualifying session saw 16 attempts before the track closed at 6 p.m.Rick Mears(224.215 mph) andBobby Rahal(222.694 mph) tentatively rounded out the front row. The day ended whenRich Voglerwrecked in turn two on his third qualifying lap.

Several drivers includingDanny Sullivan,Al Unser Jr.,Arie Luyendyk,andA. J. Foyt,were left waiting in line at the 6 o'clock gun. They would have to wait until the following Saturday to have a shot at the pole position. Time trials was scheduled to pick up with the remainder of the pole round on Saturday.

Scott Braytontook to the track for his attempt, but his crew forgot to wave the green flag to start the run. His run was negated, and he lost his opportunity to qualify in the pole position round.

Practice (second week)

Monday May 14

Arie Luyendyk,who was not able to qualify yet, was the fastest car of the day at 221.773 mph.Al Unser Jr.concentrated on race day setups instead, and ran a lap of 220.496 mph.

Tuesday May 15

Practice was rained out.

Wednesday May 16

Practice was rained out.

Thursday May 17

Arie Luyendykagain led the speed chart, with a lap of 217.854 mph. RookieGuido Daccòpassed his rookie test, andSalt Walthertook to the track for the first time.

Friday May 18

Al Unser Jr.re-established himself as a threat for the pole position, running a lap of 224.995 mph, the fastest of the day. But before the day was over, he blew his qualifying engine, and the team was forced to install a back-up engine for time trials.

Arie Luyendykwas second-fastest at 223.586 mph, also making him a threat for the front row.Bernard Jourdainwrecked twice in three hours, first in his backup car, then in his primary car, requiring surgery and ending his month.

Time trials (second weekend)

Pole Day Part 3 – Saturday May 19

On Saturday May 19, pole qualifying resumed, with 16 cars still eligible for the pole round.Arie Luyendyk(223.304 mph) squeezed onto the front row, bumpingBobby Rahalback to row two. The highly anticipated run byAl Unser Jr.was a disappointment, as he only managed 220.920 mph, putting him in 7th starting position.

By holding on to the second starting position,Rick Mearsqualified on the front row for a record 10th time in his career. A total of 23 cars qualified during the pole round, and at 11:45 a.m., the original qualifying draw had exhausted.Emerson Fittipaldiofficially won the pole position. It was the second year in a row the defending champion had won the pole, and Penske Racing swept 1st-2nd on the grid.

"Third day" qualifying commenced at 11:50 a.m., withJohnny Rutherfordwaving off a slow run.Scott Brayton,who missed his chance to qualify on Sunday, put in a solid speed, as didTeo Fabi,who also missed out on the pole round. The two Alfa Romeo entries ofRoberto GuerreroandAl Unser Sr.put their cars safely in the field, as didTom Snevain a Buick.

At 5:45 p.m., the field was filled to 33 cars,Mike Groff(203.643 mph) on the bubble.Jim Crawfordthen easily bumped out Groff. After two crashes, and two slow qualifying attempts,Johnny Rutherford(204.801 mph) was now on the bubble.Stan Foxbumped him out by over 9 mph, and for the second year in a row, Rutherford was in a position to miss the race.

Bump Day – Sunday May 20

Bump Day saw rain in the morning, and the track did not open until 2:30 p.m. As the day opened, rookieBuddy Lazier(209.418 mph) was on the bubble. After two attempts,John Paul Jr.was able to bump out Lazier.

In the final 20 minutes,Salt Walther(attempting to make a comeback to racing) took to the track for his first qualifying attempt in ten years. RookieJeff Andretti(210.268 mph) was on the bubble. Andretti was trying to qualify for the first time, and also be the fourth member of the Andretti family to qualify for the same race. Walther completed his run at 210.558 mph, just fast enough to bump Andretti.

In the final 8 minutes, Walther was on the bubble, trying to hold on to the 33rd and final starting position.Johnny Rutherfordmade one last futile effort to bump his way in, but waved off after only two laps. That allowed just enough time forRocky Moranto take to the track. His speed of 211.076 mph bumped outSalt Waltherat the 6 o'clock gun, and the field was set for race day.

Carburetion Day

The final practice session was held Thursday May 17,Rick Mears(222.750 mph) was the fastest driver of the day. All 33 qualifiers, plus the first alternate took laps. No major incidents were reported, but several drivers experienced mechanical problems. Bobby Rahal and Scott Goodyear suffered engine failures. Dean Hall and John Paul Jr. reported water leaks, Billy Vukovich III had brake failure, and Gary Bettenhausen had gearbox problems. Hall also reported a misfire, but the crew changed spark plugs and he returned to the track.

Pit Stop Contest

The semifinals and finals for the 14th annualMillerPit Stop Contestwere held on Thursday May 24. Ordinarily the top three race qualifiers and their respective pit crews are automatically eligible. However, rain interrupted the first weekend of time trials, and stretched the pole qualifying round into the second weekend. Tentatively,Emerson Fittipaldi,Rick Mears,andBobby Rahalcomprised the front row, but several cars includingArie Luyendyk,Al Unser Jr.,and others, had yet to make a qualifying attempt.

On Thursday May 17, the pit stop contest preliminaries were held. The results wereMichael Andretti(12.895 seconds),Bobby Rahal(12.915 seconds),Al Unser Jr.(13.300 seconds),Pancho Carter(16.668 seconds),Mario Andretti(17.631 seconds), andEddie Cheever(no time). Michael Andretti secured a spot in the semifinals. The rest of the drivers had to wait out the final results of race qualifying. When pole qualifying was finally completed on Saturday May 19, Bobby Rahal was knocked off the front row byArie Luyendyk.The front row for the race was officially Fittipaldi, Mears, and Luyendyk. Fittipaldi accepted his berth in the pit stop contest, but Mears and Luyendyk declined. The two vacant spots in the semifinals were filled by the two next-fastest teams from the May 17 preliminaries, Bobby Rahal and Al Unser Jr. Pancho Carter was named the first alternate.

In the first semifinal,Al Unser Jr.defeatedEmerson Fittipaldi.In the second semifinal, Bobby Rahal beatMichael Andretti.That set up a final against theGalles-KRACO Racingteammates. Unser Jr., led by chief mechanic Owen Snider, easily beat Rahal, led by Jim Prescott, after Rahal's crew cross-threaded the lug nut on the left rear wheel. It was Unser Jr.'s second-consecutive victory in the Pit Stop Contest.

	Semifinals					Finals
	5	Al Unser Jr. (Galles-KRACO Racing)	15.349
	1	Emerson Fittipaldi (Penske Racing)	22.145
						5	Al Unser Jr. (Galles-KRACO Racing)	14.094
						18	Bobby Rahal (Galles-KRACO Racing)	No time
	18	Bobby Rahal (Galles-KRACO Racing)	14.364
	3	Michael Andretti (Newman/Haas Racing)	17.896

Starting grid

Row	Inside		Middle		Outside
1	1	Emerson FittipaldiW	2	Rick MearsW	30	Arie Luyendyk
2	18	Bobby RahalW	3	Michael Andretti	6	Mario AndrettiW
3	5	Al Unser Jr.	14	A. J. FoytW	7	Danny SullivanW
4	41	John Andretti	86	Dominic Dobson	12	Randy Lewis
5	16	Tony Bettenhausen Jr.	25	Eddie CheeverR	11	Kevin Cogan
6	23	Tero Palmroth	19	Raul Boesel	51	Gary Bettenhausen
7	21	Geoff Brabham	70	Didier Theys	28	Scott GoodyearR
8	29	Pancho Carter	4	Teo Fabi	39	Dean HallR
9	9	Tom SnevaW	22	Scott Brayton	97	Stan Fox
10	20	Roberto Guerrero	15	Jim Crawford	40	Al UnserW
11	81	Bill Vukovich III	93	John Paul Jr.	56	Rocky Moran

Alternates

• Salt Walther(#77) – Bumped (first alternate)
• Jeff Andretti(#98) – Bumped (second alternate)

Failed to qualify

• Guido DaccòR(#66) – Passed rookie orientation
• Mike Groff(#10/#50) – Bumped
• Buddy Lazier(#91) – Bumped
• Johnny RutherfordW(#17T/#23) – Bumped, second attempt waived off
• Steve Chassey(#93/#96) – Wrecked practice
• Rich Vogler(#8/#12/#50) – Wrecked qualifying
• Jeff WoodR(#44) – Wrecked practice
• Bernard Jourdain(#69) – Wrecked practice
• George Snider(#51) – Withdrew, replaced
• Hiro Matsushita(#10) – Passed rookie orientation
• Steve BarclayR(#51) – Wrecked, rookie orientation
• Kenji MomotaR(#98) – Did not appear for rookie orientation

Race summary

Start

After rain on Saturday, race day dawned sunny and warm. Temperatures were higher than expected, which ultimately led to poor chassis set ups and handling problems for many drivers.

Emerson Fittipalditook the lead from the start, and dominated the opening laps. The start was clean, and went 19 laps before the first caution. In turn one,Danny Sullivan's car broke a suspension piece, which sent his car spinning and he crashed hard into the outside wall.

First half

With Fittipaldi continuing to dominate, the top five was being battled amongstBobby Rahal,Al Unser Jr.,andArie Luyendyk.Rick Mearsdropped back with handling issues, and fell a lap down.

Tony Bettenhausen Jr.brought out the second caution, when he stalled in lap 45. He was towed back to the pits, and would continue for a time in the race. On lap 63,Mario AndrettiandRaul Boeselsuffered engine failures, and oil was reported on the track. At the same time,Pancho Carterslowed down the backstretch with a broken CV joint. In turn four, he spun due to the bad handling, and tagged the wall in turn 4. Carter was uninjured.

Emerson Fittipaldicontinued to lead, and set a new Indy record by leading the first 92 consecutive laps. He lost the lead on lap 93 when he pitted.Arie Luyendyktook the lead for two laps, then relinquished the lead back to Fittipaldi when he himself pitted.

At the halfway point, Fittipaldi had led 98 laps and was averaging 174.192 mph, just shy of the race record.

Second half

Blistering tires began to be an issue with several drivers. The fast pace and the changing weather conditions were both factors. On lap 116,Emerson Fittipaldiducked into the pits for a scheduled pit stop. That allowedBobby Rahalto take the lead for the first time. The rest of the leaders cycled through stops, and Fittipaldi once again found the lead.

On lap 136, leaderFittipaldisuddenly entered the pits for an unscheduled pit stop. He was the victim of a blistered right rear tire.Bobby Rahaltook over the lead, and began to pull away.Arie Luyendykwas now running second, with Fittipaldi dropping to third, just in front of fourth placeAl Unser Jr.

On lap 140,John Andrettibrushed the wall in turn four, damaging the suspension. He continued down the frontstretch, and spun lazily in turn 1. It would be the final caution period of the day. LeaderBobby Rahalpitted under the caution, taking on fuel and only two tires (right sides only). The team was expressing concern about changing all four, as many teams were blistering tires. Luyendyk, however, took on four tires and fuel. Rahal and Luyendyk came back out on the track in that order, a few cars ahead of third place Fittipaldi.

On lap 153, Fittipaldi was forced to make another unscheduled pit stop for yet another blistered tire. This time he fell a lap down. He slipped to fourth, withAl Unser Jr.passing him for third.

Bobby Rahalcontinued to lead, but handling problems were starting to slow his pace. Having taken on only two tires, coupled with a damaged wing adjuster, was causing a pushing condition.Arie Luyendykbegan to reel him in, and took over the lead with a pass in turn three on lap 168. Going into the race, Luyendyk had never led a lap at Indy, and had never won anIndy carrace.

Finish

BothLuyendykandRahalneeded one final pit stop to make it to the finish. Rahal pitted first, on lap 171. Luyendyk followed two laps later, and was able to get back out on the track ahead of Rahal. With Al Unser Jr. 30 seconds behind in third place, and Fittipaldi now a lap down in fourth, the race became a two-man duel betweenLuyendykandRahal- with Rahal seemingly unable to close the gap. Some observers were unsure if Luyendyk and Rahal could make it to the finish on fuel, but neither team planned to pit.

In the final twenty laps, Luyendyk began to pick up the pace, and the average speed began to climb, well above the existing record. Al Unser Jr.'s chance at a third place were dashed when he was forced to make a pit stop for fuel on lap 187. Fittipaldi passed him for third, and set his sights on Luyendyk, trying to get his lap back. Luyendyk had begun to experience minor blistering on his tires, but not enough to cause concern. Rahal was still trailing in second place by over ten seconds.

With three laps to go, Luyendyk led Rahal by 13.3 seconds. Third placeEmerson Fittipaldicaught Luyendyk, and was attempting to un-lap himself. After closely pursuing for a couple laps he made his move on Luyendyk. Fittipaldi did so on the main stretch with one lap to go, which distracted Luyendyk, and he did not see the white flag. The next time around, the checkered flag was displayed, and Luyendyk won his first-careerIndy carrace.

In victory lane an emotional Luyendyk was thrilled over his victory stating in a post-race interview:"I can't believe this. It feels like a dream. This is unbelievable. I don't care if we won by 60 miles per hour we still got first place and that's what counts."

Third place Emerson Fittipaldi was disappointed about not repeating his victory after dominating the race.“I’m very disappointed,”Fittipaldi said.“It was a shame. Everything was under control. The car, she was flying. It’s the third time I’ve been leading and something happened. It seems that for my wins here, I have to be striving and then I can win.”

Legacy

Eddie Cheeverwon the rookie of the year award.

The record average speed of 185.981 mph (299.307 km/h) marked the fastest Indy 500 to-date, and the fastest 500-mileIndy carrace to-date. The 500-mile speed record would later be broken at the1990Michigan 500.The 1990 average speed record would stand until2013.

Eddie Cheeverwas the highest finishing rookie in 8th place. He was also named therookie of the year.

Luyendyk's win marked the lone victory forLolaat the Indianapolis 500 in the 1980s and 1990s. Lola returned to Indy car competition in 1983 withMario Andretti,and quickly became a competitive chassis on the circuit. Despite the manufacturer's high level of success in the sport during that period, which saw sixCARTchampionships between 1984 and 1993, and saw them quickly displaceMarchas the prominent customer chassis, Lola failed to win at Indianapolis again. The only previous victories to their credit at Indy were withGraham Hillin1966and withAl Unser Sr.in a modified LolaChaparralin1978.They would be upstaged numerous times by March,PenskeandReynard,until ceasing participation at the Indy 500 after 1996.

Box score

Finish	Start	No.	Name	Chassis	Engine	Qual	Laps	Status
1	3	30	Arie Luyendyk	LolaT90/00	Ilmor-Chevrolet	223.304	200	185.981 mph
2	4	18	Bobby RahalW	LolaT90/00	Ilmor-Chevrolet	222.694	200	+11.878 seconds
3	1	1	Emerson FittipaldiW	Penske PC-19	Ilmor-Chevrolet	225.301	200	+41.719 seconds
4	7	5	Al Unser Jr.	LolaT90/00	Ilmor-Chevrolet	220.920	199	Flagged
5	2	2	Rick MearsW	Penske PC-19	Ilmor-Chevrolet	224.215	198	Flagged
6	8	14	A. J. FoytW	LolaT90/00	Ilmor-Chevrolet	220.425	194	Flagged
7	26	22	Scott Brayton	LolaT90/00	Cosworth DFS	215.028	194	Flagged
8	14	25	Eddie CheeverR	Penske PC-18	Ilmor-Chevrolet	217.925	193	Flagged
9	15	11	Kevin Cogan	Penske PC-18	Buick V-6	217.738	191	Flagged
10	21	28	Scott GoodyearR	LolaT89/00	Judd AV	213.622	191	Flagged
11	20	70	Didier Theys	Penske PC-18	Buick V-6	214.033	190	Flagged
12	16	23	Tero Palmroth	LolaT90/00	Cosworth DFS	217.423	188	Flagged
13	30	40	Al UnserW	March 90CA	Alfa Romeo	212.086	186	Flagged
14	12	12	Randy Lewis	Penske PC-17	Buick V-6	218.412	186	Flagged
15	29	15	Jim Crawford	LolaT89/00	Buick V-6	212.201	183	Flagged
16	32	93	John Paul Jr.	LolaT89/00	Buick V-6	214.411	176	Flagged
17	24	39	Dean HallR	LolaT90/00	Cosworth DFS	216.975	165	Radiator
18	23	4	Teo Fabi	March 90P	Porsche	220.022	162	Transmission
19	19	21	Geoff Brabham	LolaT89/00	Judd AV	216.580	161	Flagged
20	5	3	Michael Andretti	LolaT90/00	Ilmor-Chevrolet	222.055	146	Vibration
21	10	41	John Andretti	March 90P	Porsche	219.484	136	Spun T1
22	11	86	Dominic Dobson	LolaT90/00	Cosworth DFX	219.230	129	Engine
23	28	20	Roberto Guerrero	March 90CA	Alfa Romeo	212.652	118	Suspension
24	31	81	Billy Vukovich III	LolaT88/00	Buick V-6	211.389	102	Engine
25	33	56	Rocky Moran	LolaT89/00	Cosworth DFX	211.076	88	Engine
26	13	16	Tony Bettenhausen Jr.	LolaT89/00	Buick V-6	218.369	76	Engine
27	6	6	Mario AndrettiW	LolaT90/00	Ilmor-Chevrolet	222.025	60	Engine
28	17	19	Raul Boesel	LolaT89/00	Judd AV	217.381	60	Engine
29	22	29	Pancho Carter	LolaT90/00	Cosworth DFS	213.156	59	Crash T4
30	25	9	Tom SnevaW	Penske PC-18	Buick V-6	216.142	48	CV Joint
31	18	51	Gary Bettenhausen	LolaT88/00	Buick V-6	217.264	39	Wheel Bearing
32	9	7	Danny SullivanW	Penske PC-19	Ilmor-Chevrolet	220.310	19	Crash T1
33	27	97	Stan Fox	LolaT87/00	Buick V-6	213.812	10	Gearbox

WFormer Indianapolis 500 winner

RIndianapolis 500 Rookie

All cars utilizedGoodyeartires.

Race statistics

Lap Leaders
Laps	Leader
1–92	Emerson Fittipaldi
93–94	Arie Luyendyk
95–117	Emerson Fittipaldi
118–122	Bobby Rahal
123–135	Emerson Fittipaldi
136–167	Bobby Rahal
168–200	Arie Luyendyk

Total laps led
Driver	Laps
Emerson Fittipaldi	128
Bobby Rahal	37
Arie Luyendyk	35

Cautions: 4 for 26 laps
Laps	Reason
20–25	Danny Sullivancrash in turn 1
45–51	Tony Bettenhausenstalled on track
63–69	Pancho Cartercrash in turn 4
141–146	John Andrettispin in turn 1

Broadcasting

Radio

The race was carried live on theIMS Radio Network.A new era arrived at the network for 1990.Lou Palmerand the Speedway management parted ways.Bob Jenkins,a veteran on the crew as a turn reporter, as well as his work onESPN,was named the new chief announcer and newestVoice of the 500.

Brian Hammons, who previously worked as a pit reporter on the ABC-TV crew, moved over to the radio network for 1990.Bob Lameymoved from turn two to the turn four position (vacated by Jenkins), and would remain there until 2000. For 1990, the reporting location in turn four was slightly shifted down the track, closer to the exit of the turn. Newcomer Gary Lee took over turn two, still positioned atop Turn Two Suites.

Longtime broadcast member Ron Carrell, who debuted in 1965 and served as both a turn reporter and pit reporter over the years, would make his final appearance on the crew in 1990. Carrell would die at the age of 75 on the morning of the2012 race.

For the second year in a row,Johnny Rutherfordfailed to qualify for the race. As he did in 1989, he joined the radio crew as "driver expert". Bob Forbes conducted the winner's interview in victory lane. One of the first noticeable changes Jenkins made to the broadcast was to eliminate commentary and reporting during the pre-race ceremonies. During the pre-race, the broadcast would instead simulcast the Speedway's public address system (Tom Carnegie,Jim Phillipe, John Totten, and Dave Calabro).

Luke Walton, who was a longtime fixture of the radio network, had only served in a limited pre-race role from 1983 to 1988. He was not part of the crew in 1989 nor 1990. Three weeks after the 1990 race, on June 18, 1990, Walton died at the age of 83.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network
Booth Announcers	Turn Reporters	Pit/garage reporters
Chief Announcer:Bob Jenkins Driver expert:Johnny Rutherford Historian:Donald Davidson	Turn 1:Jerry Baker Turn 2:Gary LeeR Backstretch:Howdy Bell Turn 3:Larry Henry Turn 4:Bob Lamey	Bob Forbes (north pits) Ron Carrell (center pits) Sally Larvick (center pits) Brian Hammons (south pits)R Chuck Marlowe (garages)

Television

The race was carried live flag-to-flag coverage in the United States onABC Sports.Paul Pageserved as host and play-by-play announcer, accompanied byBobby UnserandSam Posey.For the first time, the race was advertised as being broadcast instereophonic sound.

Pit reporter Brian Hammons departed, and was replaced byGary Gerould(who switched over from theradio network).Jack AruteandDr. Jerry Punchreturned.

For the second year in a row, the telecast would go on to win theSports Emmyaward for "Outstanding Live Sports Special."For the first time, on boardtelemetrywas featured in one of the cars (Teo Fabi). In addition, the first "crew cam" was mounted on the headset of a pit crew member (for the car ofEmerson Fittipaldi).

ABCTelevision
Booth Announcers	Pit/garage reporters
Host/Announcer:Paul Page Color:Sam Posey Color:Bobby Unser	Jack Arute Gary Gerould Dr. Jerry Punch

1989–90 USAC Gold Crown Championship

The1989–90 USAC Gold Crown Championshipseason consisted of one sanctioned race. The schedule was based on a split-calendar, beginning in June 1989 and running through May 1990. Starting in 1981,USACscaled back their participation in top-levelIndy car racing,and ultimately ceased sanctioning races outside of theIndianapolis 500following their1983–84 season.Subsequently, theGold Crown Championshipwould consist of only one event annually; the winner of the Indianapolis 500 would be thede factoGold Crown champion, as it was their lone points-paying event. The preeminentnational championship seasonwas instead sanctioned byCART,and the Indy 500 paid championship points separately (on a different scale) toward theCART championshipas well.

Arie Luyendyk,by virtue of winning the 1990 Indianapolis 500, also won the 1989–90 USAC Championship.

Final points standings (Top five)

Further information:List of American Championship car racing points scoring systems § USAC Gold Crown Championship 1981–1995

Pos	Driver	INDY	Pts
1	Arie Luyendyk	1	1000
2	Bobby Rahal	2	800
3	Emerson Fittipaldi	3	700
4	Al Unser Jr.	4	600
5	Rick Mears	5	500

Gallery

• 
  1990 Chevrolet Beretta pace car replica

Notes

Works cited

• 1990 Indianapolis 500 Day-By-Day Trackside Report For the Media
• Indianapolis 500 History: Race & All-Time Stats- Official Site
• 1990 Indianapolis 500 Radio Broadcast,Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network