Welcome to our monthlong countdown celebrating notable drivers and cars from the Indianapolis 500!
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Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment Rick Mears snagged a front-row starting spot in his first Indianapolis 500 in 1978, something he did 10 more times over 15 career starts. That includes a record six poles. |
Despite not qualifying
for the 500 as a rookie in 1977, Rick Mears caught the eye of Roger Penske and
was offered a ride in races that Mario Andretti could not compete in due to
Formula 1 commitments in 1978. Mears eagerly accepted the offer, which included
the Indianapolis 500. The Bakersfield, California, native justified Penske’s
confidence by grabbing the outside spot on the front row, setting a rookie
qualifying record in the process.
Race day wasn’t great, as Mears forgot to buckle his helmet at the start and then had his engine let go just after halfway and finished 23rd. Still, the outstanding performance in time trials helped Mears earn Co-Rookie of the Year with Larry Rice. Mears’ number, 71, is rarely used at the Speedway, but I think the reason why Penske used that number is because his other entries were 7 (Andretti) and 1 (Tom Sneva), so he just combined the two. (Dick Simon drove No. 17 that year, in case you were wondering.)
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