1977 Indianapolis 500 Bill Flemming spoke with A.J. Foyt prior to Lou Palmer. The broadcast has re-aired in partiality on ESPN Classic since May 2011. 1977 Indianapolis 500 The 61st International 500 Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 29, 1977. Considered one of the most historically significant editions of the Indianapolis 500, several sidebar stories complemented the unprecedented accomplishment of race winner A. J. Foyt. Foyt became the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 four times. As of 2017, Foyt's record has been tied by Al Unser Sr. and Rick Mears, but still
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