View source for 1965 Indianapolis 500

{{short description|49th running of the Indianapolis 500}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox Indy500
| race_name      = 49th Indianapolis 500
| race_logo      = Lotus 38 at Goodwood 2010.jpg
| sanction       = [[United States Auto Club|USAC]]
| season         = [[1965 USAC Championship Car season|1965 USAC season]]
| team           = Team Lotus
| date           = May 31, 1965
| winner         = [[Jim Clark]]
| mph            = {{convert|150.686|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}}
| pole           = [[A. J. Foyt]]
| pole_speed     = {{convert|161.233|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}}
| fast_time      = [[A. J. Foyt]]
| rookie         = [[Mario Andretti]]
| leader         =[[Jim Clark]] (190)
| anthem         = [[Purdue All-American Marching Band|Purdue Band]]
| back_home      = [[Johnny Desmond]]
| start_engines  = [[Tony Hulman]]
| pace_car       = [[Plymouth Fury|Plymouth Sport Fury]]
| pace_driver    = [[P.M. Buckminster]]
| starter        = Pat Vidan<ref name="Illustrated">{{cite book|last=Fox|first=Jack C.|title =The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994|publisher =Carl Hungness Publishing|edition=4th|date=1994|pages=22|language=en|isbn=0-915088-05-3}}</ref>
| honorary_ref   = [[Firestone Tire and Rubber Company|Raymond Firestone]]<ref name="Illustrated"/>
| attendance     = 250,000<ref>{{cite news
|title=First Foreigner To Score Since '16; Parnelli 2d|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11433176/|first=Dave|last=Overpeck|newspaper=The Indianapolis Star|page=1|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=June 1, 1965|access-date=June 2, 2017}}{{Open access}}</ref>
| network        = [[ESPN on ABC|ABC's]] [[Wide World of Sports (U.S. TV series)|Wide World of Sports]]
| announcers     = [[Charlie Brockman]] [[Rodger Ward]]
| rating         = 
| share          = 
| previous       = [[1964 Indianapolis 500|1964]]
| next           = [[1966 Indianapolis 500|1966]]
}}

The '''49th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes''' was held at the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]] in [[Speedway, Indiana]] on Monday, May 31, 1965.

The five-year-old "British Invasion" of Indy racing by rear engine cars (actually mid engine), which preceded the 1964 [[British Invasion]] by the Beatles, finally broke through as [[Team Lotus]], [[Jim Clark]] and [[Colin Chapman]] triumphed in dominating fashion with the first [[Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout|rear-engined]] Indy-winning car, a [[Lotus 38]] powered by the DOHC [[Ford Indy V8 engine]]. With only six of the 33 cars in the field still having [[Front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout|front engines]], it was the first 500 in history to have a majority of cars as [[Mid-engine design|rear-engined]] machines.

Clark, of [[Scotland]], had won the pole position in 1964, again started from the front row, and led 190 laps, the most since [[Bill Vukovich]] (195) in [[1953 Indianapolis 500|1953]]. He became the first foreign-born winner of the Indianapolis 500 since [[1920 Indianapolis 500|1920]] when [[France|French-born]] [[Gaston Chevrolet]] won. Clark would go on to win the [[1965 Formula One season|1965 World Championship]] (which Indianapolis was not part of any longer). He is the only driver in history to win the Indy 500 and Formula One [[List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions|World Championship]] in the same year. Clark actually chose to skip [[1965 Monaco Grand Prix|Monaco]] to compete at Indy.

[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC Sports]] covered the race for the first time on ''[[Wide World of Sports (US TV series)|Wide World of Sports]]''. [[Charlie Brockman]] anchored the broadcast along with [[Rodger Ward]].

==Race background==
After suffering a terrible crash in January at the [[Winston Western 500|Motor Trend 500]] at [[Riverside International Raceway|Riverside]], [[A. J. Foyt]] was back behind the wheel in time for the 500. Foyt had suffered a broken back, crushed sternum, and a concussion<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/racing/racing/indycar/indy500/2011/columns/story?id=6591293|title=The last ride of A.J. Foyt|publisher=ESPN|first=Ed|last=Hinton|author-link = Ed Hinton (sportswriter)|date=May 27, 2011|access-date=September 22, 2014}}</ref> after he lost his brakes, hit an embankment, and flipped violently in a stock car.

There would be considerable turnaround in the starting lineup, with eleven rookies making the race, the most since 1951 (12). The rookie class of 1965 was historically notable, including such drivers as [[Mario Andretti]], [[Al Unser|Al Unser Sr.]], [[Gordon Johncock]], [[Joe Leonard]], and [[George Snider]].

===Rule changes===
Following the tragic [[1964 Indianapolis 500|1964 race]], this race was run relatively clean with no major accidents. Contrary to some popular belief, [[gasoline]] was not banned for the 1965 race. Instead, [[United States Auto Club|USAC]] officials crafted several calculated rule changes to effectively encourage teams to use [[methanol]] in order to be competitive.<ref name="TOGA 5-17-07">''[[Donald Davidson (historian)|The Talk of Gasoline Alley]]'' - [[WIBC (FM)|1070-AM WIBC]], May 15, 2007</ref> In addition, a new minimum car weight of 1,250 pounds was also established.

For 1965, all cars were required to make a minimum of two pit stops. A pit stop was generally defined as coming to a complete stop in the respective pit box, and hooking up the fueling mechanism. Tire changes were not specifically required, and some teams in fact changed zero tires all day. On-board fuel tank capacity was reduced to 75 [[gallon]]s, which also included requirements that they contain rubber bladders inside. Fuel tanks were required to be behind the driver on the left side of each car, and fuel crossover tubes were prohibited ahead of the driver. Pressurized fueling rigs were outlawed. All fueling rigs from 1965 onward had to be [[gravity feed|gravity fed]], a rule that still is in effect as of [[2025 Indianapolis 500|2025]].

Conventional "pump" [[gasoline]] registered better [[Fuel economy in automobiles|fuel mileage]] than [[methanol]], and gasoline-powered cars could go a longer distance before needing to refuel. Prior to 1965, the typical strategy of the gasoline-powered cars was to make one scheduled pit stop for fuel at some point after the halfway mark (lap 100). Ideally, the pit stop would come around lap 120–125 (of 200), meaning the crew needed only to refill the tank at that point about {{fract|3|4}} full to make it to the finish. Tires would be inspected for wear, and changed only if needed; right side tires were of the primary concern.

The methanol-powered engines had worse fuel mileage, but produced more [[horsepower]] and effectively raced faster. Methanol-powered cars in general needed to make 2–3 pit stops to complete the full 500 miles, even before the rule changes. Since cars were now required to make a minimum of two fuel stops, the advantage to using gasoline (i.e., fewer pit stops and better resulting track position) was diminished, or outright lost.<ref>{{cite news|title='Nitro Alley' Fits Garage Area Better|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-star-press-1970-may-27-wednesday-the/45237482/|newspaper=The Star Press|page=46|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 27, 1970|access-date=September 8, 2023}}{{Open access}}</ref>

While most teams switched to methanol, the [[J. C. Agajanian|Agajanian]] team decided to utilize a methanol/gasoline blend. Chief mechanic Johnny Pulson and driver [[Parnelli Jones]] determined that they were effectively down on power, finished second, and attributed the fuel blend as what cost them a chance to win the race.<ref name="TOGA 5-17-07"/> Jones had to make a third pit stop, and was experiencing poor fuel mileage. In the final five laps, Jones was running low on fuel, and had to nurse the car to the finish line. He held off [[Mario Andretti]] for second place by just five seconds, then ran out of fuel on his cool down lap. He stalled on the backstretch, and had to be towed back to the pit area.<ref name="Star06-01-1965pg30">{{cite news|title=Parnelli Out Og Gas At Right Time|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star/153333355/|newspaper=[[The Indianapolis Star]]|first=Rick|last=Johnson|page=30|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=June 1, 1965|access-date=August 15, 2024}}{{Open access}}</ref>

====Time trials====
One other major change was implemented for time trials. The evening before pole day time trials, a new blind draw was to be used to establish the qualifying order (namely for Pole Day). Prior to 1965, no draw was used, and the qualifying order was a "first-come, first-served" line-up, queued down the pit lane and usually stretching into the garage area. Some teams would even claim their spots in line the night before. The unorganized scramble to roll the cars into a queue had often led to heated exchanges, collisions, and unfair situations.

Each entry would still be allowed up to three attempts to qualify (across all four scheduled days). Once the original qualifying draw order had been exhausted on Pole Day, if there was still time left in the day (prior to the traditional 6 o'clock gun), the track was open for qualifying on a first-come, first-served basis. A proposal to charge cars with an attempt if they got to the front of the line but elected not to go out, or went out and did not take the green flag to start the run, was rejected.<ref name="Star05-14-1965pg26">{{cite news|title=Drawing Will Decide Qualifying Positions|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30292969/|newspaper=The Indianapolis Star|page=26|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 14, 1965|access-date=April 5, 2019}}{{Open access}}</ref> Despite the addition of a qualifying draw, each car in the order was not yet guaranteed the opportunity to make an attempt during the pole round. If rain were to delay or interrupt the qualifying line on Pole Day, any cars left in the original qualifying order at the time the track closed (due to rain or at the 6 o'clock gun) were simply out of luck, and had to qualify on the next round. This technicality would be corrected in [[1971 Indianapolis 500|1971]].

==Race schedule==
{|
|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%"
|- valign="top"
!colspan=7|Race schedule – April/May 1965
|-
!scope="col" width="70"|Sun
!scope="col" width="70"|Mon
!scope="col" width="70"|Tue
!scope="col" width="70"|Wed
!scope="col" width="70"|Thu
!scope="col" width="70"|Fri
!scope="col" width="70"|Sat
|-
|25<br /><small>[[Trenton Speedway|Trenton]]</small>
|26<br />&nbsp;
|27<br />&nbsp;
|28<br />&nbsp;
|29<br />&nbsp;
|30<br />&nbsp;
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 1<br /><small>Practice</small>
|-
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 2<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 3<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 4<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 5<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 6<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 7<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 8<br /><small>Practice</small>
|-
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 9<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|10<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|11<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|12<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|13<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|14<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"|15<br /><small>Pole Day</small>
|-
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"|16<br /><small>Time Trials</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|17<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|18<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|19<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|20<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|21<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"|22<br /><small>Time Trials</small>
|-
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"|23<br /><small>Bump Day</small>
|24<br /><small>[[500 Festival Open Invitation|500 Open]]</small>
|25<br /><small>[[500 Festival Open Invitation|500 Open]]</small>
|26<br /><small>[[500 Festival Open Invitation|500 Open]]</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|27<br /><small>Carb Day</small>
|28<br />&nbsp;
|29<br /><small>[[Indianapolis 500 traditions#500 Festival Parade|Parade]]</small>
|-
|30<br /><small>[[Indianapolis 500 traditions#Public drivers' meeting and Legends Day|Meeting]]</small>
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"|31<br /><small>Indy 500</small>
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|}
|valign="top"|
{|
|
{| style="margin-right:0; font-size:85%; text-align:center;" class="wikitable"
! Color
! Notes
|- style="background:#DFFFDF;"
| Green
| Practice
|- style="background:#CFCFFF;"
| Dark Blue
| Time trials
|- style="background:#DFDFDF;"
| Silver
| Race day
|-
| Blank
| No track activity
|}
|}
|}

*The [[500 Festival Open Invitation]] golf tournament was held May 24–27.

==Practice and Time trials==
The track opened for practice on Saturday May 1. On Monday May 3, [[Jim Clark]] turned a lap of 150.779&nbsp;mph, the first driver over 150&nbsp;mph for the month.<ref>{{cite news|title=Clark Turns 150.779 Lap In Practice|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/162434|newspaper=The Anderson Herald|date=May 4, 1965|page=8|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=March 27, 2015}}{{Open access}}</ref> On Tuesday May 4, chief steward [[Harlan Fengler]] lifted the speed limits, and [[A. J. Foyt]] upped his practice speed to 155&nbsp;mph.

On Wednesday May 5, [[A. J. Foyt]]'s Lotus-Ford wrecked on the backstretch when a magnesium hub carrier snapped. The next day, all of the Lotus-Fords and Lola cars were parked by USAC for a few days until tests and improvements could be made to the magnesium parts.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lotus-Ford Kept Off Track Pending Tests|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/162545|newspaper=The Anderson Herald|date=May 7, 1965|page=22|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=March 27, 2015}}{{Open access}}</ref> Thursday's practice was cut short due to rain.

On Monday May 10, after adequate improvements, the Lotus-Fords were authorized to return to the track. Both Foyt and Clark turned laps over 158&nbsp;mph.<ref>{{cite news|title=Little Lotus-Ford To Resume Assault On Track Records|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/162562|newspaper=The Anderson Herald|date=May 11, 1965|page=7|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=March 27, 2015}}{{Open access}}</ref> Foyt and Clark continued to top the speed charts during the week,<ref>{{cite news|title=Rear-Engined Cars Continue To Set Pace|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/162593|newspaper=The Anderson Herald|date=May 13, 1965|page=10|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=March 27, 2015}}{{Open access}}</ref> and on Thursday, Foyt blistered the track with a new unofficial track record of 161.146&nbsp;mph.<ref>Indianapolis 500: ''Chronicle'', page 180</ref>

On the day before pole day, [[Ebb Rose]] spun in turn one in front of [[Bobby Unser]], collecting him in the crash. Unser was driving the brand new [[four-wheel drive]] Novi car entered by [[Andy Granatelli]]. Unser's car t-boned Rose's car, and spun wildly into the outside wall. Rose was not hurt. Unser was sent to the hospital for x-rays, but was not seriously injured.

===Pole Day – Saturday May 15===
Pole day was a record-setting day, as drivers officially broke the 160&nbsp;mph barrier. Rookie [[Mario Andretti]] was one of the first drivers to set the pace, putting in a lap of 159.406&nbsp;mph, and a four-lap average of 158.849&nbsp;mph. Later, [[Jim Clark]] in the [[Lotus 38]], became the first driver to break the 160&nbsp;mph barrier. His first two laps of 160.772&nbsp;mph and 160.973&nbsp;mph set one-lap records. His record four-lap average of 160.729&nbsp;mph tentatively put him on the pole.

Defending race winner [[A. J. Foyt]] ended up as the fastest of the day, with three laps in the 161&nbsp;mph range. His first lap of 161.958&nbsp;mph established the new one-lap track record. His record four-lap average of 161.233 secured the pole position, his first pole at Indy.

A day after his crash during practice, [[Bobby Unser]] got in a year-old Novi back up car to qualify 8th. Nineteen cars qualified on pole day.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=H3xT48m3F74C&dat=19650517&printsec=frontpage&hl=en Foyt Gets Mark at Indy Action]</ref>

===Second day – Sunday May 16===
Strong winds kept most cars off the track. Only two drivers ([[Don Branson]] and [[Arnie Knepper]]) qualified.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=BO8BTsX0K1AC&dat=19650517&printsec=frontpage&hl=en|title=Only Two Brave Strong Winds to Qualify|work=[[The Daytona Beach News-Journal]]|date=1965-05-17|access-date=2012-07-11}}</ref> At the end of the first weekend of time trials, the field was filled to 21 cars.

===Third day – Saturday May 22===
[[Jim Hurtubise]], who was seriously burned in a crash at [[Milwaukee IndyFest|Milwaukee]] in 1964, completed his comeback by qualifying a Novi at {{convert|156.860|mph|abbr=on}}, the fastest of eleven qualifiers that day.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=BO8BTsX0K1AC&dat=19650523&printsec=frontpage&hl=en|title=Hurtubise In Fastest Lap In Qualifying|work=[[The Daytona Beach News-Journal]]|date=1965-05-23|access-date=2012-07-11}}</ref>

Two drivers crashed during the day, [[Rodger Ward]] and [[Lloyd Ruby]]. Ruby wrecked his already-qualified machine, but Ward was still struggling to get up to speed. [[Masten Gregory]] and [[Al Unser]] both blew engines, but were able to keep the cars off the wall.

[[Bobby Johns]], a [[NASCAR]] regular, skipped the [[Coca-Cola 600|World 600]] and entered as a teammate to [[Jim Clark]] in another Lotus. He qualified for 22nd position, third fastest of the afternoon.

At the end of the day, there was only one spot left open in the field.

===Bump day – Sunday May 23===
Former winner [[Rodger Ward]] failed to qualify. He suffered a crash and three blown engines during the month. He got onto the track in the final 15 minutes, but his qualifying attempt was too slow to make the field.

[[Bob Mathouser]] was the final driver in Indy history to attempt to qualify in a [[front-wheel drive]] machine, but the engine blew and he did not make the field.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dhxdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cloNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3696,3161497&dq=bob+mathouser&hl=en|title=Ward Fails to Qualify|work=St. Joseph Gazette|date=1965-05-24|access-date=2012-07-11}}</ref>

==Starting grid==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"
!Row
!colspan=2 width="195"|Inside
!colspan=2 width="195"|Middle
!colspan=2 width="195"|Outside
|-
! 1
|align="center" width="20"|1
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[A. J. Foyt]] {{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}
|align="center" width="20"|82
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Jim Clark]]
|align="center" width="20"|17
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Dan Gurney]]
|-
! 2
|align="center" width="20"|12
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Mario Andretti]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
|align="center" width="20"|98
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Parnelli Jones]] {{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}
|align="center" width="20"|66
| {{flagicon|CAN}} [[Billy Foster]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
|-
! 3
|align="center" width="20"|74
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Al Miller (racing driver, born 1921)|Al Miller]]
|align="center" width="20"|9
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bobby Unser]]
|align="center" width="20"|7
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Lloyd Ruby]]
|-
! 4
|align="center" width="20"|54
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bob Veith]]
|align="center" width="20"|24
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Johnny Rutherford]]
|align="center" width="20"|16
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Len Sutton]]
|-
! 5
|align="center" width="20"|52
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jim McElreath]]
|align="center" width="20"|76
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Gordon Johncock]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
|align="center" width="20"|81
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Mickey Rupp]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
|-
! 6
|align="center" width="20"|94
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[George Snider]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
|align="center" width="20"|48
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jerry Grant]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
|align="center" width="20"|4
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Don Branson]]
|-
! 7
|align="center" width="20"|18
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Arnie Knepper]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
|align="center" width="20"|59
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jim Hurtubise]]
|align="center" width="20"|53
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Walt Hansgen]]
|-
! 8
|align="center" width="20"|83
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bobby Johns]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
|align="center" width="20"|25
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Roger McCluskey]]
|align="center" width="20"|5
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bud Tingelstad]]
|-
! 9
|align="center" width="20"|65
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Ronnie Duman]]
|align="center" width="20"|88
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Chuck Stevenson]]
|align="center" width="20"|29
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Joe Leonard]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
|-
! 10
|align="center" width="20"|23
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Eddie Johnson (racing driver)|Eddie Johnson]]
|align="center" width="20"|14
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Johnny Boyd]]
|align="center" width="20"|19
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Chuck Rodee]]
|-
! 11
|align="center" width="20"|41
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Masten Gregory]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
|align="center" width="20"|45
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Al Unser]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
|align="center" width="20"|47
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bill Cheesbourg]]
|-
|}

{{legend|orange|text=R|Indianapolis 500 rookie|border=solid 1px darkgray}}
{{legend|gold|text=W|Indianapolis 500 winner|border=solid 1px darkgray}}

===Alternates===
*First alternate: [[Rodger Ward]] {{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}} (#2) <ref>''[[Donald Davidson (historian)|The Talk of Gasoline Alley]]'' - [[WIBC (FM)|1070-AM WIBC]], May 14, 2004</ref>

===Failed to qualify===
{{div col|colwidth=28em}}
*[[Bob Christie (racing driver)|Bob Christie]] (#21)
*[[Ray Furnal]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}''' (#96) – Entry declined, lack of experience
*[[Paul Goldsmith (racing driver)|Paul Goldsmith]] (#36)
*[[Bobby Grim]] (#86)
*[[Norm Hall]] (#8)
*[[Bob Harkey]] (#10, #95)
*[[Skip Hudson]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}''' (#96) – Failed rookie test
*[[Bob Hurt]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}''' (#34)
*[[Mel Kenyon]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}''' (#27)
*[[Jud Larson]] (#15)
*[[Ralph Ligouri]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}''' (#99)
*[[Art Malone]] (#67)
*[[Bob Mathouser]] (#77, #87)
*[[Mike McGreevey]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}''' (#65)
*[[Ebb Rose]] (#79)
*[[Paul Russo]] (#21)
*[[Gig Stephens]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}'''
*[[Greg Weld]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}''' (#19) – Failed rookie test
*[[Bob Wente]] (#67)
*[[Carl Williams (racing driver)|Carl Williams]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}''' (#33)
*[[Dempsey Wilson]] (#44)<ref>{{cite web|title=1965 International 500 Mile Sweepstakes|url=http://www.champcarstats.com/races/196503.htm|publisher=ChampCarStats.com|access-date=26 June 2015}}</ref>
{{div col end}}

==Race recap==
The [[Wood Brothers Racing|Wood Brothers]] from the [[NASCAR]] [[Sprint Cup Series|Grand National]] circuit, were invited by [[Ford Motor Company]] to work the pit stops for [[Team Lotus]] (drivers [[Jim Clark]] and [[Bobby Johns]]).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.racinginamerica.com/content/jim-clark-wood-brothers-win-1965-indianapolis-500-innovative-lotus-ford-381|title=Jim Clark, Wood Brothers Win 1965 Indianapolis 500 with Innovative Lotus-Ford 38/|publisher=Racing in America|date=2011-05-25|access-date=2012-05-07|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401132807/http://www.racinginamerica.com/content/jim-clark-wood-brothers-win-1965-indianapolis-500-innovative-lotus-ford-381|archive-date=2012-04-01}}</ref> Their arrival at the Speedway was quickly recognized and much reported. They were well known for their rapid pit stop work in NASCAR, and their presence immediately created a stir in the garage area. It took them only a short time to acclimatize to the open wheel championship cars' equipment.

Their contributions to the victory, however, have been considered overstated in some cases.<ref>"The Talk of Gasoline Alley," WFNI: May 9, 2012</ref><ref>''The History of the 500'' - [[WFNI]]/[[WIBC (FM)|WIBC]]: Episode 10, 2013</ref><ref>''[[Donald Davidson (historian)|The Talk of Gasoline Alley]]'' - [[WIBC (FM)|1070-AM WIBC]], August 6, 2005</ref> Historians agree that Clark's Lotus-Ford was capable of winning the race handily without the added help of the Wood Brothers. In fact, the only work done on the cars was routine refueling, as they did not need to change tires during the race.<ref name="Nearly">{{cite news|url=http://www.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/nearly-a-half-century-later-wood-brothers-fondly-remember-jim-clark-s-dominant-indy-500-w/|title=Nearly a half-century later, Wood Brothers fondly remember Jim Clark's dominant Indy 500 win|publisher=Motorsport.com|first=Lee|last=Spencer|date=May 25, 2014|access-date=September 23, 2014}}</ref> Clark made only two stops all day, and the quickness of the refueling process was largely attributed to a specially designed gravity-fueling rig with a [[venturi tube]]. One of the things they did ahead of time was to "break in" the new fueling hose nozzles by simply working them in and out of the coupling for a period of time.

===First half===
[[A. J. Foyt]] started on the pole, but [[Jim Clark]] led the first lap. [[Jim Hurtubise]] dropped out with a broken transmission on the first lap. Foyt took the lead on lap two, and at first glance, the early laps appeared as if they were going to develop into a duel. However, Clark re-took the lead on lap 3, and pulled away.

Heavy attrition saw 17 cars drop out with engine or mechanical trouble before reaching the halfway point.

[[Lloyd Ruby]] spun, but was able to continue. He went to the pits for new tires, but the heavily flat-spotted tires required a minute and a half to change.

Clark led until lap 65, giving up the lead for a pit stop. A. J. Foyt led from lap 66–74. On lap 75, Clark regained the lead of the race.

===Second half===
[[Jim Clark]] still led at the halfway point, and would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the race. Early contender [[A. J. Foyt]] dropped out after 115 laps with a broken gearbox.

The lone accident of the day involved [[Bud Tingelstad]], who lost a wheel and spun into the outside wall in turn three.

[[Scotland]]'s [[Jim Clark]] became the first non-American winner of the Indianapolis 500 since [[1920 Indianapolis 500|1920]]. Clark led three times for a total of 190 laps. Only eleven cars were running at the finish. Second place [[Parnelli Jones]] ran out of fuel on the final lap, and pushed his car back to the pits.

Rookie [[Mario Andretti]], who ran no lower than 6th all afternoon, came home third, and won the [[Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year|Rookie of the Year]] award. Despite rapidly becoming obsolete, two front-engined roadsters still finished in the top ten. Rookie [[Gordon Johncock]] finished 5th, and [[Eddie Johnson (racing driver)|Eddie Johnson]] came home 10th. Johncock was locked in a duel with [[Al Miller (racing driver, born 1921)|Al Miller]] in the late stages of the race.

The race was slowed by only three yellow lights for a total of 13 minutes.

==Box score==
{| class="wikitable"
!Finish
!Start
!No
!Name
!Chassis
!Engine
!Tire
!Qual
!Laps
!Status
|-
!1
|2
|82
|{{Flagicon|GBR}} [[Jim Clark]]
|[[Lotus Cars|Lotus]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Ford]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|160.729
|200
|Running
|-
!2
|5
|98
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Parnelli Jones]] '''{{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}'''
|[[Kuzma (constructor)|Kuzma]]-[[Lotus Cars|Lotus]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Ford]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|158.625
|200
| +1:59.98
|-
!3
|4
|12
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Mario Andretti]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}'''
|[[Brawner Hawk|Brawner]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Ford]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|158.849
|200
| +2:05.36
|-
!4
|7
|74
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Al Miller (racing driver, born 1921)|Al Miller]]
|[[Lotus Cars|Lotus]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Ford]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|157.805
|200
| +5:34.53
|-
!5
|14
|76
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Gordon Johncock]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}'''
|[[A. J. Watson|Watson]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|155.012
|200
| +5:48.28
|-
!6
|15
|81
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Mickey Rupp]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}'''
|Gerhardt
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|154.839
|198
|Flagged
|-
!7
|22
|83
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Bobby Johns]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}'''
|[[Lotus Cars|Lotus]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Ford]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|155.481
|197
|Flagged
|-
!8
|18
|4
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Don Branson]]
|[[A. J. Watson|Watson]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Ford]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|155.501
|197
|Flagged
|-
!9
|32
|45
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Al Unser]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}'''
|[[Lotus Cars|Lotus]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Ford]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|154.440
|196
|Flagged
|-
!10
|28
|23
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Eddie Johnson (auto racer)|Eddie Johnson]]
|[[A. J. Watson|Watson]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|153.998
|195
|Flagged
|-
!11
|9
|7
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Lloyd Ruby]]
|[[Halibrand]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Ford]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|157.246
|184
|Blown Engine
|-
!12
|12
|16
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Len Sutton]]
|Vollstedt
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Ford]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|156.121
|177
|Flagged
|-
!13
|29
|14
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Johnny Boyd]]
|[[British Racing Partnership|BRP]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Ford]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|155.172
|140
|Gearbox
|-
!14
|21
|53
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Walt Hansgen]]
|Huffaker
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|155.662
|117
|Overheating
|-
!15
|1
|1
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[A. J. Foyt]] '''{{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}'''
|[[Lotus Cars|Lotus]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Ford]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|161.233
|115
|Gearbox
|-
!16
|24
|5
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Bud Tingelstad]]
|[[Lola Cars|Lola]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Ford]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|154.672
|115
|Crash T3
|-
!17
|6
|66
|{{Flagicon|CAN}} [[Billy Foster]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}'''
|Vollstedt
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|158.416
|85
|Water manifold
|-
!18
|19
|18
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Arnie Knepper]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}'''
|[[Kurtis Kraft]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|154.513
|80
|Cylinder
|-
!19
|8
|9
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Bobby Unser]]
|Ferguson
|[[Novi engine|Novi]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|157.467
|69
|Oil Fitting
|-
!20
|13
|52
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Jim McElreath]]
|[[Brabham]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|155.878
|66
|Rear End
|-
!21
|16
|94
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[George Snider]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}'''
|Gerhardt
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|154.825
|64
|Rear End
|-
!22
|25
|65
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Ronnie Duman]]
|Gerhardt
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|154.533
|62
|Rear End
|-
!23
|31
|41
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Masten Gregory]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}'''
|[[British Racing Partnership|BRP]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Ford]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|154.540
|59
|Oil Pressure
|-
!24
|10
|54
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Bob Veith]]
|Huffaker
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|156.427
|58
|Piston
|-
!25
|26
|88
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Chuck Stevenson]]
|[[Kuzma (constructor)|Kuzma]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|154.275
|50
|Piston
|-
!26
|3
|17
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Dan Gurney]]
|[[Lotus Cars|Lotus]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Ford]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|158.898
|42
|Timing Gears
|-
!27
|17
|48
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Jerry Grant]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}'''
|[[Halibrand]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|154.606
|30
|Magneto
|-
!28
|30
|19
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Chuck Rodee]]
|[[Halibrand]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|154.546
|28
|Rear End
|-
!29
|27
|29
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Joe Leonard]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}'''
|[[Halibrand]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Ford]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|154.268
|27
|Oil Leak
|-
!30
|23
|25
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Roger McCluskey]]
|[[Halibrand]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Ford]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|155.186
|18
|Clutch
|-
!31
|11
|24
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Johnny Rutherford]]
|[[Halibrand]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Ford]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|156.291
|15
|Rear End
|-
!32
|33
|47
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Bill Cheesbourg]]
|Gerhardt
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|153.774
|14
|Magneto
|-
!33
|20
|59
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Jim Hurtubise]]
|[[Kurtis Kraft]]
|[[Novi engine|Novi]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|156.863
|1
|Transmission
|-
!colspan="11"|{{center|Sources:<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Davidson |first1=Donald |url=https://archive.org/details/autocourseoffici0000davi/ |title=Autocourse Official History of the Indianapolis 500 |last2=Shaffer |first2=Rick |publisher=Icon Publishing |year=2013 |page=375|isbn=978-1-905334-82-7 |edition=Second |location=[[Malvern, Worcestershire]], England |author-link=Donald Davidson (historian) |url-access=registration |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Popely |first1=Rick |url=https://archive.org/details/indianapolis500c0000pope/ |title=Indianapolis 500 Chronicle |last2=Riggs |first2=L. Spencer |publisher=Publications International |year=1998 |page=185|isbn=0-7853-2798-3 |location=[[Lincolnwood, Illinois]] |url-access=registration |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=1965 Indianapolis 500|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1965_Indianapolis_500/UO/|url-status=live|access-date=August 8, 2021|publisher=Racing-Reference|archive-date=April 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428150624/https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1965_Indianapolis_500/UO/}}</ref>}}
|}

'''{{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}''' Former Indianapolis 500 winner

'''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}''' Indianapolis 500 Rookie

===Race statistics===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=2|Lap Leaders
|-
! Laps
! Leader
|-
|1 || [[Jim Clark]]
|-
|2 || [[A. J. Foyt]]
|-
|3–65 ||[[Jim Clark]]
|-
|66–74 || [[A. J. Foyt]]
|-
|75–200 ||[[Jim Clark]]
|}
{{col-break}}
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=2|Total laps led
|-
! Driver
! Laps
|-
|[[Jim Clark]] || 190
|-
|[[A. J. Foyt]] || 10
|}
{{col-break}}
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=2|Yellow Lights: 3 for 13 minutes
|-
! Laps<nowiki>*</nowiki>
! Reason
|-
| 18–19 || Lloyd Ruby spin (4 minutes; 2 laps)
|-
| 24 || No incident (2 minutes; 1 lap)
|-
| 119–122 || Bud Tinglestad crash (7 minutes; 4 laps)
|-
|colspan=2 align=center|<nowiki>*</nowiki> – ''<small>Approximate lap counts</small>''
|}
{{col-end}}

{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=2|[[Tire]] participation chart<ref name="Star05-31-1965pg1">{{cite news|title=Race Score Card|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star-1965-indy-500-scor/153269811/|newspaper=[[The Indianapolis Star]]|page=1|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 31, 1965|access-date=August 15, 2024}}{{Open access}}</ref><ref name="News05-29-1965pg45">{{cite news|title=Goodyear Scuffs Its Way Uphill|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-news-1965-indy-500-tire/153270229/|newspaper=[[Indianapolis News]]|page=45|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 29, 1965|access-date=August 15, 2024}}{{Open access}}</ref>
|-
!Supplier
!No. of starters
|-
|align="center" style="background:blue;"|'''[[Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company|<span style="color:yellow;">Goodyear</span>]]''' ||align="center"| '''12'''&nbsp;
|-
|align="center" style="background:red;"|'''[[Firestone Tire and Rubber Company|<span style="color:white;">Firestone</span>]]''' ||align="center"| '''21'''<nowiki>*</nowiki>
|-
|colspan=2 align=center|<nowiki>*</nowiki> – ''<small>Denotes race winner</small>''
|}

==Broadcasting==

===Radio===
The race was carried live on the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network|IMS Radio Network]]. [[Sid Collins (broadcaster)|Sid Collins]] served as chief announcer for the 14th year, and 18th year overall with the crew. [[Fred Agabashian]] served as "driver expert," and [[Rodger Ward]] (who failed to qualify), joined the pre-race coverage briefly to offer commentary. The four and a half hour broadcast opened with a 30-minute pre-race segment.

The broadcast was carried by over 800 affiliates and was heard by an estimated 100 million listeners worldwide. The broadcast was carried by [[American Forces Network|Armed Forces Network]], as well as [[WNYW (shortwave)|Radio New York Worldwide]]. Foreign translation rebroadcasts in [[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[French language|French]], and [[Italian language|Italian]] were heard in Central and South America and elsewhere.

After visiting the broadcast booth in 1964 for an interview, [[Donald Davidson (historian)|Donald Davidson]] returned, joining the crew full-time as race historian. Also new for 1965 was Ron Carrell, who reported from the backstretch. Other guests that visited the booth included [[Gus Grissom]], [[List of United States Senators from Indiana|Senator]] [[Birch Bayh]], Assistant [[United States Postmaster General|Postmaster General]] Tyler Able, [[Wally Parks]], [[Peter DePaolo]], [[J. C. Agajanian]], [[Indianapolis 500 traditions#500 Festival Parade|500 Festival]] Chairperson Margaret Clark and 500 Festival Queen Suzanne Devine Sams.

Absent from the crew was nine-year veteran Jack Shapiro, who died the previous summer at the age of 37.<ref name="TOGA51609">{{cite episode|series=The Talk of Gasoline Alley|series-link=Donald Davidson (historian)|station=[[WFNI]]|airdate=May 16, 2009}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
!colspan=3|[[Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network]] 
|-
!Booth Announcers!!Turn Reporters!![[Sideline reporter|Pit/garage reporters]]
|-
|valign="top"|
'''[[Play-by-play|Chief Announcer]]:''' [[Sid Collins (broadcaster)|Sid Collins]]<br />
'''Driver expert:''' [[Fred Agabashian]]<br />
'''[[Statistician]]:''' John DeCamp<br />
|valign="top"|
'''Turn 1:''' Bill Frosh<br />    
'''Turn 2:''' Howdy Bell<br />
'''Backstretch:''' Ron Carrell'''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}'''<br />
'''Turn 3:''' Mike Ahern<br />
'''Turn 4:''' Jim Shelton<br />
|align="center" valign="top"|Chuck Marlowe (north)<br />Luke Walton (center)<br />[[Lou Palmer (motorsport broadcaster)|Lou Palmer]] (south)
|}

===Television===
The race was shown [[Live television|live]] on [[MCA Inc.|MCA]] [[closed-circuit television]] in approximately 180 theaters and venues across the United States. [[Charlie Brockman]] served as anchor.<ref name="Star05-31-1965pg46">{{cite news|title=Closed-Circuit Setup Elaborate|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18503431/1965_indy_500_tv/|newspaper=The Indianapolis Star|page=45|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 31, 1965|access-date=March 21, 2018}}{{Open access}}</ref><ref name="Star05-31-1965pg37">{{cite news|title=180 new grandstands|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18503657/|newspaper=The Indianapolis Star|page=37|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 31, 1965|access-date=March 21, 2018}}{{Open access}}</ref>

The following weekend on June 5, the race was [[List of Indianapolis 500 broadcasters|carried]] in the United States on [[ESPN on ABC|ABC's]] ''[[Wide World of Sports (U.S. TV series)|Wide World of Sports]]''. It was ABC's first exclusive network coverage of the Indianapolis 500 on race day. [[Charlie Brockman]] anchored the telecast, as he did during the closed-circuit broadcast. The ''Wide World of Sports'' broadcast was an edited tape of the closed-circuit broadcast, and driver [[Rodger Ward]] served as analyst. Ward sat out the 1965 race, having failed to qualify, but returned in 1966.

==Notes==
{{Commons category}}

===References===
{{Reflist}}

===Works cited===
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120427163136/https://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/indy500/history/stats/ Indianapolis 500 History: Race & All-Time Stats] – Official Site
*1965 Indianapolis 500 Radio Broadcast, [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network]]

{{Indy 500 Walker
|Previous_race = 1964
|Previous_winner = [[A. J. Foyt]]
|This_race = 1965
|This_winner = [[Jim Clark]]
|Next_race = 1966
|Next_winner = [[Graham Hill]]
|Fastest_average_speed = 150.686
|Previous_fastest_average_speed = 147.350 {{nobold|mph<br>{{small|([[1964 Indianapolis 500]])}}}}
|Next_fastest_average_speed = 151.207 {{nobold|mph<br>{{small|([[1967 Indianapolis 500]])}}}}
}}
{{Indy 500}}
{{IndyCar Series on ABC}}

[[Category:Indianapolis 500 races]]
[[Category:1965 in motorsport|Indianapolis 500]]
[[Category:1965 in sports in Indiana|Indianapolis 500]]
[[Category:1965 in American motorsport]]
[[Category:May 1965 sports events in the United States]]