List of winners of Triple Crown of Motorsport races
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Triple Crown of Motorsport is an unofficial achievement for motor racing drivers that is generally regarded as winning motorsport's three most prestigious races.[a][3][4] These annual events are the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race at the Circuit de la Sarthe, the Indianapolis 500 for American open-wheel racing cars at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the Monaco Grand Prix for Formula One cars at the Circuit de Monaco. The Indianapolis 500 was introduced in 1911, followed by the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1923 and the Monaco Grand Prix in 1929.[3][5] All of the races are held between the months of May and June.[6] As the Indianapolis 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix are both traditionally held on the last weekend of May, it is impossible for modern drivers to enter all three Triple Crown events in the same year.[7] No trophy is awarded to the driver who completes the Triple Crown.[3]
As of 2026[update], 269 drivers from 25 different countries have won a Triple Crown race and only Graham Hill has completed the Triple Crown.[3] Tom Kristensen has won the most Triple Crown races with nine victories, all at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which is a record for the most victories at the event; Hill claimed two fewer in total, including five victories at Monaco. Ayrton Senna won six Triple Crown events, all at the Monaco Grand Prix, placing him alongside Jacky Ickx in joint-third overall and breaking Hill's record for the most race wins at Monaco.[8][9][10] With four victories each, Hélio Castroneves, A. J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser hold the joint record for the most Indianapolis 500 wins.[9]
There have been 19 drivers who have partaken in all three Triple Crown races and have achieved victory in at least one of them.[11] No one has won all three Triple Crown races during the course of a calendar year.[3] Fernando Alonso, Foyt, Bruce McLaren, Juan Pablo Montoya, Tazio Nuvolari, Jochen Rindt and Maurice Trintignant are the seven drivers to have won two of the three Triple Crown events.[12] Of those seven, only Montoya has won both the Indianapolis 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix, while only Foyt has won both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500. The remaining five won both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix.[12][13] Foyt in 1967 is the only driver to have won two of the races in the same year: Indianapolis 500 and 24 Hours of Le Mans.[14]
Winners
| * | Driver has completed the Triple Crown of Motorsport |
|---|
Notes
- An alternative definition of the Triple Crown is victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Formula One World Drivers' Championship and the Indianapolis 500.[1] Graham Hill is the only driver to have completed the Triple Crown under either definition.[2]
- Cyrus Patschke, Don Herr, Howdy Wilcox and Norman Batten all temporarily took over driving duties from Harroun (1911), Dawson (1912), Milton (1923) and DePaolo (1925) respectively. All four relief drivers have not been officially recognised as winners of the Indianapolis 500.[15][16]
- Official records do not list Ed Hugus, an NART reserve driver, as an official winner of the 1965 race. Accounts differ as to whether he relieved Masten Gregory and drove a short stint early on 20 June.[20]
- Although Ford decided to stage a photo finish, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest declared Amon and McLaren the 1966 winners of the 24 Hours of Le Mans since they started 20 metres (66 ft) away from their teammates Denny Hulme and Ken Miles.[21]
- John Winter was the pseudonym of gentleman driver Louis Krages.[22]