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A year-by-year look at top rookies in the Indianapolis 500.
| Year-by-year | ||
| Year | Driver | Finish |
| 2008 | Ryan Hunter-Reay | 6 |
| 2007 | Phil Giebler | 29 |
| 2006 | Marco Andretti | 2 |
| 2005 | Danica Patrick | 4 |
| 2004 | Kosuke Matsuura | 11 |
| 2003 | Tora Takagi | 5 |
| 2002 | Alex Barron Tomas Scheckter | 4 26 |
| 2001 | Helio Castroneves | 1 |
| 2000 | Juan Montoya | 1 |
| 1999 | Robby McGehee | 5 |
| 1998 | Steve Knapp | 3 |
| 1997 | Jeff Ward | 3 |
| 1996 | Tony Stewart | 24 |
| 1995 | Christian Fittipaldi | 2 |
| 1994 | Jacques Villeneuve | 2 |
| 1993 | Nigel Mansell | 3 |
| 1992 | Lyn St. James | 11 |
| 1991 | Jeff Andretti | 15 |
| 1990 | Eddie Cheever | 8 |
| 1989 | Bernard Jourdain Scott Pruett | 9 10 |
| 1988 | Bill Vukovich III | 14 |
| 1987 | Fabrizio Barbazza | 3 |
| 1986 | Randy Lanier | 10 |
| 1985 | Arie Luyendyk | 7 |
| 1984 | Roberto Guererro Michael Andretti | 2 5 |
| 1983 | Teo Fabi | 26 |
| 1982 | Jim Hickman | 7 |
| 1981 | Josele Garza | 23 |
| 1980 | Tim Richmond | 9 |
| 1979 | Howdy Holmes | 7 |
| 1978 | Larry Rice Rick Mears | 11 23 |
| 1977 | Jerry Sneva | 10 |
| 1976 | Vern Schuppan | 18 |
| 1975 | Bill Puterbaugh | 7 |
| 1974 | Pancho Carter | 7 |
| 1973 | Graham McRae | 16 |
| 1972 | Mike Hiss | 7 |
| 1971 | Denny Zimmerman | 8 |
| 1970 | Donnie Allison | 4 |
| 1969 | Mark Donohue | 7 |
| 1968 | Bill Vukovich Jr. | 7 |
| 1967 | Denis Hulme | 4 |
| 1966 | Jackie Stewart | 6 |
| 1965 | Mario Andretti | 3 |
| 1964 | Johnny White | 4 |
| 1963 | Jimmy Clark | 2 |
| 1962 | Jim McElreath | 6 |
| 1961 | Bobby Marshman Parnelli Jones | 7 12 |
| 1960 | Jim Hurtubise | 18 |
| 1959 | Bobby Grim | 26 |
| 1958 | George Amick | 2 |
| 1957 | Don Edmunds | 19 |
| 1956 | Bob Veith | 7 |
| 1955 | Al Herman | 7 |
| 1954 | Larry Crockett | 9 |
| 1953 | Jimmy Daywalt | 6 |
| 1952 | Art Cross | 5 |
