Triple Crown of Motorsport

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File:HillGraham1969Aug.jpg
Graham Hill (pictured in 1969) is the only driver to have completed the Triple Crown

The Triple Crown of Motorsport is an unofficial motorsport achievement, often regarded as associated with the three most important achievements of a driver in motorsport, inspired by the triple crown of thoroughbred racing.

The earliest version of the Triple Crown requires that the driver wins the:

However, under a more recent popular definition the World Drivers' Championship is replaced by the Monaco Grand Prix (first held in 1929).[1][2][3][4]

Graham Hill is the only driver to have completed the Triple Crown in both its World Drivers' Championship and Monaco Grand Prix versions. Among currently active drivers Jacques Villeneuve and Juan-Pablo Montoya have won two of three events in one version of the crown, Villeneuve having won the 1995 Indianapolis 500 & 1997 World Drivers Championship and Montoya the 2000 Indianapolis 500 and 2003 Monaco Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso however is the only active driver to have won two of three events in both versions of the crown, having won the 2018 and 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 2005 and 2006 World Drivers Championships, and the 2006 and 2007 editions of the Monaco Grand Prix. The Indianapolis 500 and Monaco Grand Prix themselves have been parts of the World Drivers Championship during various periods: the Indy 500 from 1950 to 1960, and the Monaco Grand Prix from 1950 to present.

McLaren is the only racing team to have completed the Crown, along with several manufacturers whose equipment won the component races. Equivalent concepts also exist within specific disciplines of motor racing.

Other definitions

Endurance racing

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". Triple Crown in endurance racing features Le Mans and has added the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. This crown has been won by several drivers, namely A. J. Foyt, Hans Herrmann, Jackie Oliver, Al Holbert, Hurley Haywood, Mauro Baldi, Andy Wallace, Marco Werner, Timo Bernhard and Nick Tandy. Many drivers have come close to winning the crown with second-place finishes in the third event, such as Ken Miles (1966 24 Hours of Le Mans), Mario Andretti (Le Mans 1995) and Allan McNish (Daytona 2012).

IndyCar racing

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". In the period of 1971–1989, Indy car racing contested their own Triple Crown. From 1971 to 1980 it consisted of the three 500-mile events on the calendar: the Indianapolis 500, Pocono 500, and California 500. Ontario Motor Speedway was closed in 1980, and the California 500 was replaced with the Michigan 500. The triple crown continued through 1989, after which the Pocono race was discontinued. No driver won all three events during the 1980s.

The IndyCar Triple Crown was revived in 2013, with the 1971–80 format of the Indianapolis 500 (in May), Pocono 500 (in July - 400 miles the first year), and the MAVTV 500 (in October, held at Fontana). A $1 million bonus prize was offered for any driver to win all three races.[5]

For 2014, Pocono returned to the 500-mile format, Fontana was moved to the season ending race in August and all three events awarded double championship points. Since the California 500's return under IndyCar sanction, it has been a night race.

In 2015, Fontana moved to July, while Pocono was the penultimate race of the season in August. Fontana was removed from the IndyCar calendar after 2015, and Pocono was removed from the IndyCar calendar after 2019

Of all variations of the IndyCar Triple Crown, only six drivers have achieved the feat over their career, namely Bobby Unser, A. J. Foyt, Al Unser, Johnny Rutherford, Danny Sullivan and Rick Mears, with Al Unser the only one to achieve it in a single season, 1978.

NASCAR

Template:Main article The Triple Crown of NASCAR includes the Daytona 500, the Coca-Cola 600, and the Southern 500. This crown has been won by several drivers, namely Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Darrell Waltrip, David Pearson, Dale Earnhardt, and Kevin Harvick. Many drivers have come close to winning the crown with second-place finishes in the third event, such as Denny Hamlin (Charlotte 2010 and 2012), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Darlington 2014), Kyle Busch (Daytona 2019), Tony Stewart (Daytona 2004 and 2008), Matt Kenseth (Darlington 2006 and 2015), Bobby Allison (Charlotte 1971, 1972, 1975, and 1982), Cale Yarborough (Charlotte 1968), Mark Martin (Daytona 2007), and Bill Elliott (Daytona 1990 and 1992).

NHRA

The term is often used during the season in the National Hot Rod Association to refer to its three most prestigious races, the Winternationals, the U.S. Nationals, and the Finals. The Winternationals is the event that kicks off the NHRA season, held during the second weekend in February, the U.S. Nationals is often called "The oldest, richest, and most prestigious race in the NHRA," and carries the largest purse of any event on the schedule, and the Auto Club Finals at Pomona are held to mark the end of the NHRA season.

Both the Winternationals, and the Auto Club Finals are held on the same track, Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, while the U.S. Nationals has been held at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis since 1961 (prior to that, the race was held on a now demolished track in Detroit). By far, the person with the most Triple Crown wins in his division is 16-time funny car champion John Force.

American motorsport

A. J. Foyt and Mario Andretti are the only drivers to have won both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500. Both drivers also won the Rolex 24 at Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring. Foyt won four editions of the Indianapolis 500, and collected seven open-wheel titles and a 24 Hours of Le Mans win. Andretti won three editions of the 12 Hours of Sebring, the 1969 Indianapolis 500, and also won four open-wheel titles, a Formula One world championship, and a class win and second overall finish at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Australian motorsport

In Australia, a driver is said to have achieved the "Triple Crown" if they win the Sandown 500, the Bathurst 1000 and the Supercars Championship (formerly the Australian Touring Car Championship) in the same year.[6] Only two drivers have achieved this feat: Peter Brock in 1978 and 1980 and Craig Lowndes in 1996.

Japanese motorsport

The Japanese Triple Crown is achieved by winning titles in Japanese Formula 3, Super Formula, and Super GT. The only driver to have completed the feat is current Formula E driver Nick Cassidy.[7]

Active competitors who have completed two legs of the Triple Crown

since February 2025Template:Dated maintenance category (articles)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., the only active drivers who have won two legs of the traditional Triple Crown are Juan Pablo Montoya and Fernando Alonso. Both have won the Monaco Grand Prix (Montoya in 2003, Alonso in 2006 and 2007), while Montoya has won the Indianapolis 500 twice (2000 and 2015) and Alonso has two overall wins for the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2018 and 2019).

For the alternative Triple Crown, the only active drivers who have won two legs are Jacques Villeneuve and Fernando Alonso. Villeneuve won the Indianapolis 500 in 1995 and was the F1 World Champion for 1997. Alonso was the F1 World Champion for 2005 and 2006, as well as the winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2018 and 2019.

Villeneuve has competed in the leading class at Le Mans twice with Peugeot in 2007 and 2008, his car retiring with mechanical failure in 2007 and finishing runner-up a year later. Montoya raced at Le Mans in 2018, 2020 and 2021 but only in the privateer LMP2 class, which is not expected to challenge for an overall win. Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, competed at the Indianapolis 500 in 2017, 2019 and 2020, his best position being 21st in 2020.

List of Triple Crown winners

Individuals

Events which make up the traditional (Indy 500 / Le Mans 24hr / Monaco GP) and the alternative (Indy 500 / Le Mans 24hr / F1 WDC) definitions are included below.

Driver Indianapolis 500 winner 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Monaco Grand Prix winner F1 World Champion
Template:Flagicon Graham Hill 1966 1972 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969 1962, 1968

The drivers listed below have completed two of the three legs for either version of the Triple Crown.

Driver Indianapolis 500 winner 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Monaco Grand Prix winner F1 World Champion
Template:Flagicon Tazio Nuvolari — 1933 1932 —Template:Efn
Template:Flagicon Maurice Trintignant — 1954 1955, 1958 —
Template:Flagicon Mike Hawthorn — 1955 — 1958
Template:Flagicon Phil Hill — 1958, 1961, 1962 — 1961
Template:Flagicon A. J. Foyt 1961, 1964, 1967, 1977 1967 — —
Template:Flagicon Bruce McLaren — 1966 1962 —
Template:Flagicon Jim Clark 1965 — — 1963, 1965
Template:Flagicon Jochen Rindt — 1965 1970 1970
Template:Flagicon Mario Andretti 1969 —Template:Efn — 1978
Template:Flagicon Emerson Fittipaldi 1989, 1993 — — 1972, 1974
Template:Flagicon Jacques Villeneuve 1995 —[8] — 1997
Template:Flagicon Juan Pablo Montoya 2000, 2015 —Template:Efn 2003 —
Template:Flagicon Fernando Alonso — 2018, 2019 2006, 2007 2005, 2006

Key: Active drivers are highlighted in bold.

Teams and manufacturers

Listed below are the teams and manufacturers to have completed the Triple Crown. Though the achievement is typically used to refer to an individual driver's achievements, some organisations have also been credited for their wins across multiple drivers.[9][10][11][12][13][14] since 2024Template:Dated maintenance category (articles)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., only three entities have completed the Triple Crown:

Additionally, as an engine manufacturer only, Mercedes won the Indianapolis 500 in 1994, the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1989 and the Monaco Grand Prix in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2009.

Manufacturer Indianapolis 500 winner 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Monaco Grand Prix winner
Template:Flagicon McLaren 1972, 1974, 1976 1995 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2025
Template:Flagicon Mercedes 1915 1952 1935, 1936, 1937, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019
Template:Flagicon Ford 1965–1967, 1969–1971, 1995–1996 1966–1969, 1975, 1980 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1993, 1994

A pink background indicates a privately-run entry of a winning chassis manufacturer. A highlighting in bold indicates the Triple Crown completion.

See also

Notes

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References

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