The 2026 INDYCAR season has concluded with Alex Palou claiming a fifth series championship.
That title, his fourth consecutive, adds another chapter to the debate over where Palou ranks among the sport’s all-time greats.
Palou is not yet in my personal Mount Rushmore for the series, but his résumé has clearly moved him up the list.
Here is my ranking of the 10 greatest INDYCAR drivers in history.
The 10 Greatest INDYCAR Drivers of All Time
10. Dario Franchitti
Dario Franchitti celebrates his 2007 Indy 500 victory.
Franchitti made 265 INDYCAR starts and won four championships. He recorded 31 victories, 92 podium finishes and 33 poles, along with 119 top-five results. His four titles currently tie him for third on the all-time list.
9. Will Power
Will Power is one of INDYCAR’s best-known drivers.
Power has made 337 INDYCAR starts and established himself as a household name in the series. He has won two championships and 45 races, while his 71 poles stand as the most in INDYCAR history.
8. Al Unser Jr.
Al Unser Jr. remains one of the sport’s most recognizable drivers.
One of INDYCAR’s most celebrated drivers, Unser is the winningest competitor in Long Beach history with six victories earned over eight years. He also captured two Indy 500 titles during his illustrious career.
7. Michael Andretti
Michael Andretti achieved success both as a driver and an owner.
Andretti remains one of the sport’s most accomplished drivers and continues to own Andretti Autosport. His racing résumé includes 42 INDYCAR victories and 32 poles. He enjoyed his finest season in 1991, when he won the championship with eight victories and eight poles in 17 races.
6. Alex Palou
Alex Palou secured his first Indy 500 victory in 2025.
Palou moved into sixth place after I ranked him 10th the previous year. His fifth INDYCAR title, third-most in series history, elevated him despite having 25 career victories. Four consecutive championships and the 2025 Indianapolis 500 win have firmly established his place among the sport’s modern greats.
5. Rick Mears
Rick Mears won the Indy 500 four times.
Mears’ crowning achievement was winning the Indy 500 four times, placing him among the race’s elite winners. He also secured six poles and started on the front row in 11 of his 15 Indy 500 appearances from 1978 to 1992. In 1991, he became the first INDYCAR driver to reach $10 million in career earnings. Mears captured three INDYCAR championships.
4. Al Unser Sr.
Al Unser Sr. also won the Indy 500 four times.
Unser matched Mears’ record with four Indy 500 victories, reaching the milestone after it had been achieved only once before. He also finished in the top three at Indianapolis 11 times during his career. Unser retired with $6.7 million in career earnings, more than half of which came from Indy 500 races.
3. Scott Dixon
Scott Dixon has won six INDYCAR championships.
Dixon has been one of INDYCAR’s most consistently successful drivers. A six-time champion, he has 59 career victories—the most by an active driver and the second-most in series history. The 2025 campaign marked his 25th and final season with Chip Ganassi Racing before his move to Arrow McLaren. Dixon leads all active drivers with 437 starts and holds the all-time podium record with 146 finishes.
2. AJ Foyt
AJ Foyt excelled across a remarkable range of race cars.
Now the owner of AJ Foyt Racing, Foyt built one of the most productive careers in motorsport. He won seven INDYCAR championships, a record that still stands. He also became the first driver to win the Indy 500 four times. Perhaps his greatest distinction is his adaptability: Foyt remains the only driver to win Indianapolis in both front- and rear-engined cars.
1. Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti’s racing legacy extends far beyond INDYCAR.
Andretti is among the most accomplished drivers in motorsport history. Across his INDYCAR career, he won four championships, 52 races, 67 poles and 141 podium finishes. His longevity was equally remarkable, with Driver of the Year honors in three different decades: 1967, 1978 and 1984. To this day, he remains the only driver to win a Daytona 500, an Indy 500 and a Formula One world championship.
