International 500 Mile
Sweepstakes
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
2.5 Mile Paved Oval
200 Laps/500 Miles
May 29, 1971
| Finish | Start | Driver | Car # | Sponsor/Name | Chassis | Engine | Laps | Status |
Points |
| 1 | 5 | Al Unser | 1 | Johnny Lightning 500 | Colt | Ford TC | 200 | 3:10:11.56 157.735 | 1,000 |
| 2 | 1 | Peter Revson | 86 | McLaren | McLaren 71 | Offy TC | 200 | 3:10:34.44 157.419 | 800 |
| 3 | 6 | A. J. Foyt | 9 | ITT-Thompson | Coyote 71 | Ford TC | 200 | 3:12:13.37 156.069 | 700 |
| 4 | 10 | Jim Malloy | 42 | Olsonite Eagle | Eagle 70 | Offy TC | 200 | 3:14:04.65 154.577 | 600 |
| 5 | 11 | Billy Vukovich, Jr. | 32 | Sugaripe Prune | Hayhoe | Offy TC | 200 | 3:14:05.77 154.563 | 500 |
| 6 | 20 | Donnie Allison | 84 | Purolator | Coyote 71 | Ford TC | 199 | Flagged | |
| 7 | 17 | Bud Tingelstad | 58 | Sugaripe Prune | Hayhoe | Offy TC | 198 | Flagged | 300 |
| 8 | 28 | Denny Zimmerman | 43 | Fiore Racing Enterprises | Vollstedt | Offy TC | 189 | Flagged | 250 |
| 9 | 22 | Roger McCluskey | 6 | Sprite | Kuzma | Ford TC | 188 | Flagged | 200 |
| 10 | 13 | Gary Bettenhausen | 16 | Thermo King | Gerhardt | Offy TC | 178 | Flagged | 150 |
| 11 | 7 | Lloyd Ruby | 12 | Utah Stars | Mongoose 70 | Ford TC | 174 | Gearbox | 100 |
| 12 | 3 | Bobby Unser | 2 | Olsonite | Eagle 71 | Offy TC | 164 | Wrecked | 50 |
| 13 | 19 | Mike Mosley | 4 | G. C. Murphy | Watson | Ford TC | 159 | Wrecked | |
| 14 | 33 | Dick Simon | 44 | TraveLodge Sleeper | Vollstedt | Ford TC | 151 | Flagged | |
| 15 | 29 | George Follmer | 41 | Spirit of Indianapolis | King | Offy TC | 147 | Broken piston | |
| 16 | 14 | Cale Yarborough | 21 | Gene White Firestone | Mongoose 70 | Ford TC | 140 | Oil leak, cam cover | |
| 17 | 4 | Denis Hulme | 85 | McLaren | McLaren | Offy TC | 137 | Dropped valve | |
| 18 | 24 | Johnny Rutherford | 18 | Patrick Petroleum | Eagle 67 | Offy TC | 128 | Flagged | |
| 19 | 8 | Joe Leonard | 15 | Samsonite | Colt | Ford TC | 123 | Turbo | |
| 20 | 16 | David Hobbs | 68 | Penske Products | Lola | Ford TC | 107 | Wrecked | |
| 21 | 18 | Rick Muther | 38 | Arkansas Aviation | Hawk II | Offy TC | 85 | Wrecked | |
| 22 | 32 | Bob Harkey | 99 | Joe Hunt Magneto | Gerhardt | Offy TC | 77 | Rear end failure | |
| 23 | 15 | Bentley Warren | 95 | Classic Wax | Eagle 66 | Offy TC | 76 | Gearbox failure | |
| 24 | 23 | Wally Dallenbach | 22 | Sprite | Kuzma | Offy TC | 69 | Dropped valve | |
| 25 | 2 | Mark Donohue | 66 | Sunoco | McLaren 71 | Offy TC | 66 | Gearbox failure | |
| 26 | 31 | Art Pollard | 64 | Gilmore Racing | Scorpion 70 | Ford TC | 45 | Dropped valve | |
| 27 | 25 | Sam Sessions | 98 | Wynn's Kwik Kool | Lola | Ford TC | 43 | Broken valve | |
| 28 | 26 | Larry Dickson | 45 | Spirit of Indianapolis | King | Offy TC | 33 | Engine failure | |
| 29 | 12 | Gordon Johncock | 7 | Norris Industries | McLaren 70 | Ford TC | 11 | Wrecked | |
| 30 | 9 | Mario Andretti | 5 | STP Oil Treatment | McNamara | Ford TC | 11 | Wrecked | |
| 31 | 27 | Steve Krisiloff | 20 | STP Gasoline Treatment | McNamara | Ford TC | 10 | Wrecked | |
| 32 | 30 | Mel Kenyon | 23 | Sprite | Kuzma | Ford TC | 10 | Wrecked | |
| 33 | 21 | George Snider | 80 | G. C. Murphy | Eagle 68 | Offy TC | 6 | Engine stalled | |
| -- | -- | Donnie Allison | 83 | Purolator | Coyote 71 | Ford TC | -- | DNS, too slow | |
| -- | -- | Gary Bettenhausen | 46 | Thermo King | Gerhardt | Offy TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Larry Cannon | 47 | Need-A-Sponsor | Philipp/Porter | Ford TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Mark Donohue | 68 | Penske Products | Lola | Ford TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Ronnie Bucknum | 17 | Vollstedt | Vollstedt | Ford TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Ronnie Bucknum | 97 | Agajanian | Wolverine | Offy TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Tony Adamowicz | 17 | Vollstedt | Vollstedt | Ford TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | A. J. Foyt | 14 | ITT-Thompson | Coyote | Ford TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | A. J. Foyt | 83 | Purolator | Coyote | Ford TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | A. J. Foyt | 84 | Purolator | Coyote 71 | Ford TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Jerry Grant | 78 | Jerry Grant Racing | Eagle | Offy TC | -- | DNS, too slow | |
| -- | -- | Jerry Grant | 92 | Norris Industries | Eagle | Ford TC | -- | DNS, too slow | |
| -- | -- | Jerry Grant | 17 | Vollstedt | Vollstedt | Ford TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Bob Harkey | 35 | Federal Engineering | Gerhardt | Offy TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Jim Hurtubise | 56 | Miller High Life | Mallard FE | Offy TC | -- | Wrecked qualifying | |
| -- | -- | Bobby Johns | 97 | Agajanian | Wolverine | Offy TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Bruce Jacobi | 71 | L. W. Gifford | Gerhardt | Ford | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Dee Jones | 51 | Minnesota Serendipity | Watson | Ford TC | -- | Wrecked practice | |
| -- | -- | Gordon Johncock | 17 | Vollstedt | Vollstedt | Ford TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Arnie Knepper | 19 | MVS | Cecil | Ford TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Arnie Knepper | 29 | MVS | Cecil | Ford TC | -- | Spun practice | |
| -- | -- | Arnie Knepper | 65 | Travelon Trailer | Gerhardt 65 | Offy TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Jerry Karl | 71 | L. W. Gifford | Gerhardt | Ford | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Steve Krisiloff | 44 | TraveLodge Sleeper | Vollstedt | Ford TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Al Loquasto | 26 | Indy-On-A-Shoestring | Gerhardt | Ford TC | -- | Wrecked practice | |
| -- | -- | Al Loquasto | 31 | Federal Engineering | Gerhardt | Offy TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Joe Leonard | 98 | Wynn's Kwik Kool | Lola | Ford TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Jim Malloy | 29 | MVS | Cecil | Ford TC | -- | Spun practice | |
| -- | -- | Jim Malloy |
77 |
Dayton Steel | Morris | Ford TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Jim McElreath | 14 | ITT-Thompson | Coyote | Ford TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | John Mahler | 44 | TraveLodge Sleeper | Vollstedt | Ford TC | -- | Raced by Simon | |
| -- | -- | John Martin |
69 |
John Martin | Brabham BT25 | Offy TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Rick Muther | 54 | Jack Adams Aircraft | Glen Bryant | Pratt & Whitney Turbine | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Lee Roy Yarbrough | 48 | Olsonite | Eagle | Offy TC | -- | Wrecked practice | |
| -- | -- | Lee Roy Yarbrough | 42 | Olsonite Eagle | Eagle 70 | Offy TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Art Pollard | 8 | Gilmore Racing | Scorpion 70 | Ford TC | -- | DNS, too slow | |
| -- | -- | Bill Puterbaugh | 30 | Saint Louis | Gerhardt 67 | Offy TC | -- | Wrecked practice | |
| -- | -- | Sam Posey | 78 | Farrell's Ice Cream | Eagle | Offy TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Bentley Warren | 94 | Classic Wax | Eagle | Offy | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Bruce Walkup | 97 | Agajanian | Wolverine | Offy TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Bruce Walkup | 94 | Classic Wax | Eagle | Offy | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Bruce Walkup | 98 | Wynn's Kwik Kool | Lola | Ford TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Carl Williams | 77 | Dayton Steel | Morris | Ford TC | -- | DNS, too slow | |
| -- | -- | Greg Weld | 31 | Federal Engineering | Gerhardt | Offy TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Greg Weld | 35 | Federal Engineering | Gerhardt | Offy TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Salt Walther | 77 | Dayton Steel | Morris | Ford TC | -- | Failed rookie test | |
| -- | -- | Bill Simpson | 28 | Wynn's Kwik Kool | Eagle | Offy TC | -- | DNS, too slow | |
| -- | -- | Dave Strickland | 50 | Navarro | Navarro | Rambler TC | -- | DNS, too slow | |
| -- | -- | Dick Simon | 10 | TraveLodge Sleeper | Vollstedt | Ford TC | -- | DNS, too slow | |
| -- | -- | Dick Simon | 33 | Walmotor | Vollstedt | Ford TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Jigger Sirois | 65 | Travelon Trailer | Gerhardt 65 | Offy TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Les Scott | 50 | Navarro | Navarro | Rambler TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Sam Sessions | 31 | Federal Engineering | Gerhardt | Offy TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Jimmy Caruthers | 64 | Gilmore Racing | Scorpion 70 | Ford TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Bobby Unser | 11 | Gurney | Eagle | Offy TC | -- | Did not arrive | |
| -- | -- | Lloyd Ruby | 25 | Gene White Firestone | Mongoose 70 | Ford TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Arnie Knepper | 30 | Saint Louis | Gerhardt 67 | Offy TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Jim McElreath | 46 | Thermo King | Gerhardt | Offy TC | -- | Did not qualify | |
| -- | -- | Mike Mosley | 80 | G. C. Murphy | Eagle 68 | Offy TC | -- | Wrecked practice |
| Lap Leaders | Total | Laps |
| Al Unser | 103 | 67-72, 83-87, 95-98, 111-115, 118-200 |
| Mark Donohue | 52 | 1-50, 65-66 |
| Joe Leonard | 21 | 51-52, 73-82, 88-94, 116-117 |
| Bobby Unser | 21 | 53-64, 102-110 |
| Lloyd Ruby | 3 | 99-101 |