The year was 1969. Edgar Whitcomb was inaugurated as the state's first Republican governor in 12 years.
That same year, Indiana and Purdue Universities merged their campuses in downtown Indianapolis to form IUPUI.
It was a year of change again at the Speedway.
Gone were the old front-engine models of the past half-century.
All 33 cars in the field were rear-engine powered, and the turbine-powered experiments of the previous two were over.
A.J. Foyt won the pole for the second time, but it was Mario Andretti who took the lead away in the first turn of the first lap.
Foyt suffered engine trouble in the middle of the race and finished eighth in his bid for a fourth 500 win.
Lloyd Ruby was another strong contender, but he ripped a hole in his fuel tank during a pit stop on lap 105.
Andretti dominated the last half of the race, finishing ahead of Dan Gurney at the end.
Car owner Andy Granatelli famously planted a kiss on Mario's face in Victory Lane.
The winning STP #2 now resides in the Smithsonian.
MORE ON THE ROAD TO 100
1968|1967| 1966 | 1965 | 1964 | 1963 | 1962 | 1961 | 1960 | 1959| 1958 |1957 | 1956 | 1955 | 1954 |1953 | 1952 |1951 |
1950 | 1949 |1948| 1947| 1946| 1941 | 1940 | 1939 | 1938 | 1937 | 1936 | 1935 | 1934 | 1933 | 1932 | 1931 | 1930 | 1929 | 1928 | 1927 | 1926 | 1925 | 1924 | 1923 | 1922 | 1921 | 1920 | 1919 | 1916 | 1915 | 1914 | 1913 | 1912 | 1911 | Special Section: Road to 100 | Enter to win tickets to the Indy 500 | Start your engines: 100 stories in 100 days
Tune in to RTV6 News at 6 p.m. every night for our Road to 100, where we take a look back at each of the races leading up to the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
Want tickets to this year's race? Tune in to RTV6 News at 6 p.m. and watch for the daily trivia question and answer, then click here to enter the answer to be entered daily for your chance to win tickets to the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 29.
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