1921 Indianapolis 500 1921 Indianapolis 500 The 9th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 30, 1921. Ralph DePalma dominated yet another early running of the 500, but again fails to win. He led 109 laps, and had a two-lap lead at the halfway point. A connecting rod broke, and he dropped out on lap 112. DePalma retires with one win, and 612 laps led in the "500." His laps led record would not be matched for 67 years until Al Unser, Sr. tied it in 1987. Tommy Milton won the first of two 500 victories.
Indianapolis 500 drivers commonly being associated with the CART era, it should be noted that four of the first six Indianapolis 500 winners were non-American drivers. The race was originally advertised as the "International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race" from 1911 to 1916. However, from its inception, the race has been widely known as the Indianapolis 500 or, more simply as "the 500". In 1919, the race was referred to as the "Liberty Sweepstakes" following WWI. From 1920 to 1980, the race officially reverted to the "International Sweepstakes" moniker, as printed on the tickets and other paraphernalia, with slight variations over the years. Following