The Short Way Around: 1965 Indy 500 Recap

History was made when a rear-engined car won for the first time, the popular Scottish driver Jim Clark leading for 190 of the 200 laps with a factory-entered Lotus, powered by a double-overhead-camshaft V8 Ford engine.

The only laps Clark did not lead were lap two, when A.J. Foyt edged ahead with a similar Lotus, and then for nine more when Foyt led as Clark made his first of two pit stops, both of which were conducted with great speed by NASCAR's legendary Wood Brothers.

Because the pace was slowed by incidents only a couple of times, Clark managed to average 150.686 mph, which was faster than the Parnelli Jones qualifying milestone of only three years earlier.