The pole starters in the Indianapolis 500, with average qualifying speed in mph and finish in the race. The Indianapolis 500 has been won from the pole 19 times (winners in bold).
| Year-by-year | |||
| Year | Driver | Speed | Finish |
| 2008 | Scott Dixon | 226.366 | 1 |
| 2007 | Helio Castroneves | 225.817 | 3 |
| 2006 | Sam Hornish Jr. | 228.985 | 1 |
| 2005 | Tony Kanaan | 227.566 | 8 |
| 2004 | Buddy Rice | 222.024 | 1 |
| 2003 | Helio Castroneves | 231.725 | 2 |
| 2002 | Bruno Junqueira | 231.342 | 31 |
| 2001 | Scott Sharp | 226.037 | 33 |
| 2000 | Greg Ray | 223.471 | 33 |
| 1999 | Arie Luyendyk Sr. | 225.179 | 22 |
| 1998 | Billy Boat | 223.503 | 23 |
| 1997 | Arie Luyendyk Sr. | 218.263 | 1 |
| 1996 | a-Tony Stewart | 233.100 | 24 |
| 1995 | Scott Brayton | 231.604 | 17 |
| 1994 | Al Unser Jr. | 228.011 | 1 |
| 1993 | Arie Luyendyk | 223.967 | 2 |
| 1992 | Roberto Guerrero | 232.482 | 33 |
| 1991 | Rick Mears | 224.113 | 1 |
| 1990 | Emerson Fittipaldi | 225.301 | 3 |
| 1989 | Rick Mears | 223.885 | 23 |
| 1988 | Rick Mears | 219.198 | 1 |
| 1987 | Mario Andretti | 215.390 | 9 |
| 1986 | Rick Mears | 216.828 | 3 |
| 1985 | Pancho Carter | 212.583 | 33 |
| 1984 | Tom Sneva | 210.029 | 16 |
| 1983 | Teo Fabi | 207.395 | 26 |
| 1982 | Rick Mears | 207.004 | 2 |
| 1981 | Bobby Unser | 200.546 | 1 |
| 1980 | Johnny Rutherford | 192.256 | 1 |
| 1979 | Rick Mears | 193.736 | 1 |
| 1978 | Tom Sneva | 202.156 | 2 |
| 1977 | Tom Sneva | 198.884 | 2 |
| 1976 | Johnny Rutherford | 188.957 | 1 |
| 1975 | A.J. Foyt | 193.976 | 3 |
| 1974 | A.J. Foyt | 191.632 | 15 |
| 1973 | Johnny Rutherford | 198.413 | 9 |
| 1972 | Bobby Unser | 195.940 | 30 |
| 1971 | Peter Revson | 178.696 | 2 |
| 1970 | Al Unser | 170.221 | 1 |
| 1969 | A.J. Foyt | 170.568 | 8 |
| 1968 | Joe Leonard | 171.559 | 12 |
| 1967 | Mario Andretti | 168.982 | 30 |
| 1966 | Mario Andretti | 165.889 | 18 |
| 1965 | A.J. Foyt | 161.233 | 15 |
| 1964 | Jim Clark | 158.828 | 24 |
| 1963 | Parnelli Jones | 151.153 | 1 |
| 1962 | Parnelli Jones | 150.370 | 7 |
| 1961 | Eddie Sachs | 147.481 | 2 |
| 1960 | Eddie Sachs | 146.592 | 21 |
| 1959 | Johnny Thomson | 145.908 | 3 |
| 1958 | Dick Rathmann | 145.974 | 27 |
| 1957 | Pat O'Connor | 143.948 | 8 |
| 1956 | Pat Flaherty | 145.596 | 1 |
| 1955 | Jerry Hoyt | 140.045 | 31 |
| 1954 | Jack McGrath | 141.033 | 3 |
| 1953 | Bill Vukovich | 138.392 | 1 |
| 1952 | Freddie Agabashian | 138.010 | 27 |
| 1951 | Duke Nalon | 136.498 | 10 |
| 1950 | Walt Faulkner | 134.343 | 7 |
| 1949 | Duke Nalon | 132.939 | 29 |
| 1948 | Rex Mays | 130.577 | 19 |
| 1947 | Ted Horn | 126.564 | 3 |
| 1946 | Cliff Bergere | 126.471 | 16 |
| 1941 | Mauri Rose | 128.691 | 26 |
| 1940 | Rex Mays | 127.850 | 2 |
| 1939 | Jimmy Snyder | 130.138 | 2 |
| 1938 | Floyd Roberts | 125.681 | 1 |
| 1937 | Bill Cummings | 123.343 | 6 |
| 1936 | Rex Mays | 119.644 | 15 |
| 1935 | Rex Mays | 120.736 | 17 |
| 1934 | Kelly Petillo | 119.329 | 11 |
| 1933 | Bill Cummings | 118.524 | 25 |
| 1932 | Lou Moore | 117.363 | 25 |
| 1931 | Russ Snowberger | 112.796 | 5 |
| 1930 | Billy Arnold | 113.268 | 1 |
| 1929 | Cliff Woodbury | 120.599 | 33 |
| 1928 | Leon Duray | 122.391 | 19 |
| 1927 | Frank Lockhart | 120.100 | 18 |
| 1926 | Earl Cooper | 111.735 | 16 |
| 1925 | Leon Duray | 113.196 | 6 |
| 1924 | Jimmy Murphy | 108.037 | 3 |
| 1923 | Tommy Milton | 108.17 | 1 |
| 1922 | Jimmy Murphy | 100.50 | 1 |
| 1921 | Ralph DePalma | 100.75 | 12 |
| 1920 | Ralph DePalma | 99.15 | 5 |
| 1919 | Rene Thomas | 104.78 | 11 |
| 1916 | Johnny Aitken | 96.69 | 15 |
| 1915 | Howdy Wilcox | 98.90 | 7 |
| 1914 | b-Jean Chassagne | 88.31 | 29 |
| 1913 | b-Caleb Bragg | 87.34 | 15 |
| 1912 | b-Gil Anderson | 80.93 | 16 |
| 1911 | c-Lewis Strang | 29 | |
| Note: a-Scott Brayton qualified for the pole at 233.718 but was killed in practice; b-drew pole; c-awarded pole | |||