▁President ▁Mike ▁P ence ▁has ▁reported ly ▁attended ▁the ▁race ▁over ▁ 3 0 ▁times , ▁most ▁recently ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁sitting ▁Governor ▁of ▁Indiana ▁and ▁again ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁sitting ▁Vice ▁President . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁P ence ▁visited ▁the ▁track ▁during ▁practice , ▁but ▁not ▁on ▁race ▁day . ▁ ▁David ▁Let ter man ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁rep orter ▁for ▁ABC ▁Sports ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁race , ▁and ▁attended ▁the ▁race ▁many ▁times ▁as ▁a ▁spect ator . ▁Since ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁he ▁has ▁attended ▁the ▁race ▁as ▁co - owner ▁of ▁Rah al ▁Let ter man ▁Racing . ▁The ▁team ▁won ▁the ▁race ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁with ▁driver ▁Bud dy ▁R ice . ▁At ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁race , ▁Let ter man ▁was ▁hon ored ▁on ▁the ▁famous ▁scoring ▁p yl on ▁during ▁the ▁pre - race ; ▁just ▁four ▁days ▁after ▁he ▁retired ▁from ▁the ▁Late ▁Show . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁several ▁NASA ▁astr onaut s ▁from ▁the ▁Mercur y ▁and ▁Apol lo ▁programs ▁were ▁among ▁invited ▁guests . ▁ ▁Race ▁▁▁ ▁For ▁the ▁entire ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁ 5 0 0 ▁mile ▁race , ▁the ▁official ▁winner ▁of ▁the ▁race ▁has ▁been ▁defined ▁as ▁the ▁driver ▁who ▁comple tes ▁the ▁ 5