Editing Indianapolis 500 (section)

===European incursions and links to Formula One===
Meanwhile, European manufacturers, gone from the Indianapolis 500 for nearly two decades, made a brief return just before [[World War II]], with the competitive [[Maserati]] 8CTF allowing [[Wilbur Shaw]] to become the first driver to win consecutively at Indianapolis, in 1939 and 1940.<ref name="INDY12">{{cite web|title=Boyle Special|url=http://www.maserati.com/maserati/en/en/index/passion/Boyle-special.html|publisher=Maserati|access-date=2010-05-27|archive-date=2010-06-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100607103236/http://www.maserati.com/maserati/en/en/index/passion/Boyle-special.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{HAER|survey=IN-112|id=in0543|title=1938 Maserati 8.C.T.F., Indianapolis, Marion County, IN|photos=37|color=4|data=23|cap=2}}</ref> {{As of|2025}}, these remain the only Indy 500 victories obtained by fully Italian cars. With the 500 having been a part of the [[List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions|World Drivers' Championship]] between 1950 and 1960,<ref name="INDY12A">{{cite web|title=1950 Indianapolis 500|url=http://www.formula1.com/results/season/1950/381/|publisher=Formula One Administration|access-date=May 27, 2010|archive-date=February 14, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214024115/http://www.formula1.com/results/season/1950/381/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="INDY13">{{cite web|title=Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Speedway, Indiana, USA)|url=http://www.f1complete.com/content/view/318/329/|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116054013/http://f1complete.com/content/view/318/329/|archive-date=2010-01-16|publisher=F1complete.com}}</ref> [[Ferrari]] made a discreet appearance at the 1952 event with [[Alberto Ascari]],<ref name="INDY14">{{cite web|title=1952 Indianapolis 500|url=http://www.formula1.com/results/season/1952/609/|publisher=Formula One Administration|access-date=May 27, 2010|archive-date=December 1, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091201112405/http://www.formula1.com/results/season/1952/609/|url-status=live}}</ref> but European entries were few and far between during those days. Among the Formula One drivers who did drive at the speedway was one-time world champion [[Italians|Italian]] [[Giuseppe Farina]], who failed to qualify for the 1956 and 1957 races, and five-time world champion [[Argentinians|Argentinian]] [[Juan Manuel Fangio]], who failed to qualify for the 1958 race.

It was not until the Indianapolis 500 was removed from the World Championship calendar that European entries made their return. In 1963, technical innovator [[Colin Chapman]] brought his [[Team Lotus]] to Indianapolis for the first time, attracted by the large monetary prizes, far bigger than the usual at a European event. Racing a mid-engined car, [[Scotland|Scotsman]] [[Jim Clark]] was second in his first attempt in 1963,<ref name="INDY16">{{cite news|title=Jim Clark, the Scottish driver who became an American idol|newspaper=The Scotsman|url=http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/jimclarkrally/Jim-Clark-the-Scottish-driver.3953077.jp|access-date=May 27, 2010|archive-date=March 23, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100323054436/http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/jimclarkrally/Jim-Clark-the-Scottish-driver.3953077.jp|url-status=live}}</ref> dominated in 1964 until suffering suspension failure on lap 47, and completely dominated the race in 1965, a victory which also interrupted the success of the Offy, and giving the 4.2-liter [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] V8 its first success at the race.<ref name="INDY17">{{cite web|title=RACING HISTORY: The Great Races: 1965 Indianapolis 500|url=http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2001/05/21/021379.html|publisher=The Auto Channel|access-date=May 27, 2010|archive-date=August 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801211306/http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2001/05/21/021379.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The following year, 1966, saw another British win, this time [[Graham Hill]] in a [[Lola Cars|Lola]]-[[Ford Motor Company|Ford]].<ref name="INDY18">{{cite web|title=50th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Monday, May 30, 1966|url=http://alpha.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/indy500/history/stats/boxscore/?year=1966|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713024931/http://alpha.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/indy500/history/stats/boxscore/?year=1966|archive-date=July 13, 2011|publisher=Indianapolis Motor Speedway}}</ref>

The Offenhauser engine was also paired with a European maker, [[McLaren]], obtaining three wins for the chassis, one with the [[Roger Penske|Penske]] team in 1972 with driver [[Mark Donohue]],<ref name="INDY19">{{cite web|title=56th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Saturday, May 27, 1972|url=http://alpha.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/indy500/history/stats/boxscore/?year=1972|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713025045/http://alpha.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/indy500/history/stats/boxscore/?year=1972|archive-date=July 13, 2011|publisher=Indianapolis Motor Speedway}}</ref> and two for the McLaren works team in 1974<ref name="INDY20">{{cite web|title=58th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday, May 26, 1974|url=http://alpha.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/indy500/history/stats/boxscore/?year=1974|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713025050/http://alpha.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/indy500/history/stats/boxscore/?year=1974|archive-date=July 13, 2011|publisher=Indianapolis Motor Speedway}}</ref> and 1976 with [[Johnny Rutherford]].<ref name="INDY21">{{cite web|title=60th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday, May 30, 1976|url=http://alpha.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/indy500/history/stats/boxscore/?year=1976|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713025055/http://alpha.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/indy500/history/stats/boxscore/?year=1976|archive-date=July 13, 2011|publisher=Indianapolis Motor Speedway}}</ref> This was also the last time the Offy would win a race, its competitiveness steadily decreasing until its final appearance in 1983. American drivers continued to fill the majority of entries at the Brickyard in the following years, but European technology had taken over. Starting in 1978, most chassis and engines were European, with the only American-based chassis to win during the CART era being the Wildcat and [[Galmer]]<ref name="INDY22">{{cite web|title=76th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday, May 24, 1992|url=http://alpha.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/indy500/history/stats/boxscore/?year=1992|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713025102/http://alpha.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/indy500/history/stats/boxscore/?year=1992|archive-date=July 13, 2011|publisher=Indianapolis Motor Speedway}}</ref> (which was technically built in [[Bicester]], England) in 1982 and 1992, respectively. Ford and [[Chevrolet]] engines were built in the UK by [[Cosworth]] and [[Ilmor]], respectively.

As of 2025, the most recent active Formula One driver to have entered the 500 is [[Fernando Alonso]], who drove in the [[2017 Indianapolis 500|2017]] race. Alonso was the first Formula One driver to enter the 500 since [[Teo Fabi]] in [[1984 Indianapolis 500|1984]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 12, 2017 |title=Alonso extends long line of F1 greats competing in Indy 500 |url=https://www.indycar.com/news/2017/04/04-12-f1-indy-drivers-history |access-date=March 29, 2023 |website=indycar.com}}</ref>