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Arie Luyendyk, born in Sommelsdijk, Netherlands, on Sept. 21, 1953, stands as true Indy 500 royalty. The Flying Dutchman captured two victories at the event and still owns the quickest one-lap and four-lap qualifying averages ever recorded. Those marks were set in a season when he did not win the race or even start from the pole.

Luyendyk took to the Brickyard immediately. He earned rookie of the year honors in 1985 during his first complete campaign at Indianapolis. Five years later he claimed victory while establishing a long-standing record for the fastest race average, a mark that lasted 23 years before anyone bettered his 185.981 mph pace. He won again in 1997, yet his fastest qualifying runs occurred in 1996 when he posted a single-lap peak of 237.498 mph and a four-lap average of 236.986 mph.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum notes that Luyendyk unofficially reached 239.26 mph on one lap. Scott Brayton received the official pole award despite a four-lap time of 233.718 mph. Brayton died in practice six days afterward, and Tony Stewart took his place on the grid. Luyendyk's record shows little sign of falling soon. This year's pole sitter, Scott McLaughlin, reached 234.220 mph, still short of the Dutchman's mark, partly because engine rules changed after the 1996 performance.

Why no one has qualified faster at Indy than Luyendyk

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Open-wheel racing in the United States has experienced repeated labor disputes and rival leagues. Championship Auto Racing Teams split from the United States Auto Club in 1978 and became the leading series, yet USAC continued to sanction the Indianapolis 500. Track president Tony George escalated the conflict by launching the Indy Racing League in 1996, a move that eventually absorbed the Champ Car series and evolved into today's NTT IndyCar Series. One aim was to emphasize American drivers and manufacturers over the international talent succeeding in CART.

A central element of the split involved engine regulations. The new league dropped the high-output turbocharged V8s favored by CART and introduced naturally aspirated 4.0-liter engines limited to 10,500 rpm. Consequently, the 1996 qualifying sessions that produced Luyendyk's records were the final ones contested with the more powerful CART-style powerplants. Current IndyCar rules allow Chevrolet and Honda twin-turbocharged V6 engines with hybrid assist, yet no driver has approached Luyendyk's speeds.

Why didn't Luyendyk get the Indy 500 pole in 1996?

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Qualifying procedures proved intricate for both Luyendyk and Brayton. Luyendyk damaged his primary car and used a backup entry that initially posted the day's quickest time above 233 mph. Brayton sat second but withdrew that run to attempt a faster lap in his own backup car. Brayton finished day one with a 233.718 mph average, then the fastest pole speed until McLaughlin's 2024 run of 234.220 mph. Luyendyk's 237 mph record remained well clear of that figure.

Inspectors later disqualified Luyendyk's backup for weighing seven pounds below the minimum, forcing him to requalify on day two in his repaired primary car. Because of the disqualification he could not claim one of the top 19 starting spots reserved for day-one qualifiers. He posted the quickest time on day two at 236.986 mph yet started 20th. He finished 16th before retiring on lap 149 with suspension damage. Luyendyk gained revenge the following year by securing pole position and his second victory.