The 95th Running of the Indianapolis 500 took place Sunday, May 29, 2011 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Canadian Alex Tagliani led the field of 33 drivers to the green flag. The race ended with one of the most memorable finishes in Indianapolis 500 history.

American rookie JR Hildebrand took the lead with two laps remaining and appeared to be headed toward becoming the first rookie to win the race since Helio Castroneves in 2001. However, while trying to avoid lapped traffic in Turn 4 on the last lap, Hildebrand slammed into the wall.

During the ensuing chaos, Dan Wheldon passed Hildebrand on the frontstretch to secure his second Indianapolis 500 victory and the last IndyCar victory of his career.