Arie Luyendyk is a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. Born in Sommelsdijk, the Netherlands, Luyendyk started racing in the early 1970s, winning a number of Dutch national titles. In 1977, he won the European Super Vee championship, and switched to Formula 3. Success continued to elude him until he moved to the United States in 1984, where he immediately won the Super Vee championship. With the help of sponsor Provimi Veal, Luyendyk ran his first full Champ Car season in 1985, winning the rookie of the year title both for the season and the Indianapolis 500. His first win in the series came five years later in 1990, but it was at the most important race of the series. With a record average speed of 185.981 mph (299.307 km/h) that still stands to this day (as of 6 May 2007), Luyendyk won the 1990 Indianapolis 500 for Shierson Racing. Luyendyk continued to perform well at Indianapolis, scoring pole positions in 1993, 1997 and 1999, and retiring from the race while leading on three occasions. In 1996, he set the qualifying lap record at 237.498 mph (382.216 km/h), although he did not start on the pole since he qualified on the second day of time trials. He won the 1997 Indianapolis 500 from the pole over Treadway Racing teammate Scott Goodyear. Luyendyk also was selected to participate in the 1992, 1993, and 1998 editions of the International Race of Champions. He retired from racing after the 1999 season, but returned to the 500 in 2001 and 2002. Other Luyendyk victories include the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. His son, Arie Jr., is currently also a racer. The last corner of the Zandvoort track in the Netherlands carries his name.
By Robin Miller
He had a last name nobody could pronounce, looked more like a rockstar than a race driver and got his education on European road courses. But even though nothing about his upbringing or demeanor would have indicated it, Arie Luyendyk became fast friends with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and made his considerable mark in American motorsports at the famed oval.
Twice he captured the Indianapolis 500, three times he won the pole position and today still holds the track record at 16th & Georgetown Road. “It was pretty intimidating at first but I grew to love that place,” said the native of Dutch descent whose long hair and quiet confidence became staples of his 17 starts at Indianapolis. “Let’s be honest, I made my career there.”
From rookie-of-the-year in 1985 with a seventh place finish, Luyendyk (lion-dyke) did a good job with mid-pack teams his first five years at the Speedway before breaking through. In 1990, driving for Doug Shierson, he qualified third and spent the day dueling with Emerson Fittipaldi and Bobby Rahal before breaking away to beat them to the checkered flag by 10 seconds.
“He was sneaky fast,” said runner-up Rahal. It was his first Indycar win and he followed it up in 1991 with a pair of victories at Phoenix and Nazareth for Vince Granatelli. Luyendyk nearly won Indy again in 1993 after taking the pole, leading 14 laps and staging a furious duel with Nigel Mansell and Fittipaldi only to finish second by two seconds.
The split in open wheel racing in 1996 left most of his longtime competitors on the CART side but Luyendyk gave Tony George’s Indy Racing League some instant credibility when he signed with a start-up team owned by Fred Treadway. But it made sense because the IRL was all ovals and that was his forte.
In qualifying, he smashed the 235 mph barrier with a lap of 237.498mph on his way to the IMS 4-lap record of 236.986 mph that still stands today! But it came on the second day so he had to start 20th and his charge to the front ended when he got speared by another driver while exiting the pits. The following May, he won the pole, led 61 laps and beat teammate Scott Goodyear into Victory Lane to put his face on the Borg-Warner Trophy for a second time.
Just a few days after his Indy triumph, Arie made headlines again when he got knocked down by A.J. Foyt after correctly protesting he’d been robbed of the win (which the IRL agreed the next day). “He come into victory lane mouthin’,” claimed the 4-time Indy winner. Showing his usual droll sense of humor, Luyendyk said, “I was just trying to save them from doing all that celebrating because I knew we’d won.” After snaring the pole for the third time in 1999, Luyendyk was storming towards win No. 3 when he hit the wall while lapping a slower car. He would only lead one more lap at Indianapolis (in 2001) before hanging up his helmet in 2002.
While he was weaned on road racing Arie’s prowess came on ovals – where he won all six of his races. He led eight times at Indy for a total of 188 laps and was always right at home turning left in May.
MSHFA 1996 Inductee Johnny Rutherford
(MSHFA)
