Each year since 1995, BorgWarner Inc. has offered a rolling jackpot, increasing by $20,000 each year, for anyone who can score back-to-back wins at Indy. Meyer Shank Racing-Honda’s Castroneves is the only driver to accomplish this feat, when he triumphed in his first two attempts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2001 and ’02, driving for Team Penske. That second victory earned the Brazilian star BorgWarner’s bonus which at that point stood at $160,000. Had he won again in 2003, he would have earned just $20,000, as the jackpot returns to zero whenever a driver scoops the prize.
However, Castroneves is the only driver to have won consecutive Indy 500s in the last quarter-century, and is one of only five drivers to have ever achieved the feat since the inaugural 500 in 1911. The other four are Wilbur Shaw (1939 and ’40), Mauri Rose (1947 and ’48), Bill Vukovich (1953 and ’54) and Al Unser (1970 and ’71). Castroneves is, of course, also one of only four drivers to have won the 500 four times, the others being A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears. among a group of only four drivers that have won the race four times.
