Wednesday, May 31, 2023
Best of the Month: May 2023
Monday, May 29, 2023
Musings From the Weekend: May Feels Different
First Impressions: 107th Indianapolis 500
In the early stages of this race, none of the Team Penske drivers were a factor, but they were chipping away. In typical Penske fashion, it made up time in the pit lane. Two spots were made up on one stint and then the drivers would settle in. A round of pit stops would begin and when they were over, the Penske drivers were normally up another position or two. They might pick up one or two more on the track, but mainly settled in for the next round of pit stops, and then the process repeated itself.
That is what happened with Josef Newgarden. Slowly he was in the top ten. Then he was in the top five. Then he was battling for the lead.
This Indianapolis 500 had everything, and the string of accidents in the end kept everyone alive.
In this fractured finish, we saw Newgarden take on Marcus Ericsson and Santino Ferrucci for the victory. In the final ten laps, there were three green flag periods that lasted one lap, about 300 yards, and one lap. In that miniscule amount of time over a 500-mile race, the race came down desperation moves.
Newgarden's initial pass for the lead was brilliant on the outside of Ericsson and Patricio O’Ward. Then Ericsson took the lead on a whim, happening to be ahead when Benjamin Pedersen and Ed Carpenter collided thanks to an ambitious but foolish move from Christian Lundgaard. With three laps to go, it looked like Ericsson was going to back into a second consecutive Indianapolis 500 victory.
Surprisingly, IndyCar threw a third red flag in the final 14 laps, but as the cars stopped with two laps remaining, we would see the unprecedented. The cars would exit the pit lane and immediately circle around to take the green flag and white flag simultaneously.
Ericsson would have to defend for the second consecutive Indianapolis 500, the move being hawked as the "dragon." All he had to do was hold on for 2.5 miles.
Unfortunately, the dragon burned Ericsson. Swerving further to the inside of the track off the exit of turn two, Ericsson left the door open for Newgarden. Instead of chasing the draft, Newgarden took advantage of the open racetrack and took the lead into turn three. Ericsson slid into second and would at least have the draft to the line, but Newgarden unleashed a dragon of his own, cutting to the inside barrier, making a greater commitment to the pit lane than anyone who made an intentional pit stop, before returning to the track and holding off Ericsson at the finish line by 0.0974 seconds.
2. There are too many moving parts to this race and these post-race thoughts will look different from past years.
For Newgarden, this is a long-awaited victory, not that Indianapolis owed him one or there were a few tough defeats, but Newgarden has been one of the best drivers since entering IndyCar. A two-time champion, now a 27-time race winner, at 32 years old, there wasn't much Newgarden hadn't accomplished in IndyCar. The Indianapolis 500 was it.
There have been plenty of great drivers that never won the Indianapolis 500. Newgarden was one of just six drivers with 20 IndyCar victories to never win this race. At 32 years old, Newgarden easily has a decade left, perhaps closer to 15 years left at Indianapolis, but this was already his 12th Indianapolis 500. Only one driver in 107 years of the Indianapolis 500 went longer before a first Indianapolis 500 victory. Sam Hanks' record will one day fall, but nobody wants to roll those dice and go 14 or 15 years before first winning the "500."
Newgarden never really had that "500" that got away from him. He was third once, but he wasn't the best car in 2016. He wasn't really that close. I think we were all waiting for that one to get away from Newgarden and then he could pull out a victory.
Today was unexpected. You can never rule out Team Penske, but after three years of not contending and having none of its cars start better than 12th with Newgarden starting 17th, 2023 was shaping up to be more of the same. And then Newgarden was there at the end.
There is a ruthlessness to Newgarden's driving style. When he makes his move, he has normally calculated it to succeed. The 2017 pass on Simon Pagenaud at Gateway comes to mind. Newgarden's last lap pass at Texas and the battle at Gateway last year with Scott McLaughlin are two other examples.
When the decision to have a one-lap sprint was announced, it felt inevitable it would end in another caution. Someone would not give going into turn one and that sprint would last all of a quarter-mile or so.
Somehow, no one in the back of the field caused another accident, but Newgarden wasn't going to be the cause. He didn't overreact to Ericsson's move off the track exiting turn two on the final lap. Newgarden didn't overthink it. Chasing Ericsson would have cost him. Instead, the smartest move was to run his own line. Newgarden took the lead and down the stretch he could play extreme defense, risking it all to beat Ericsson to the line.
After stopping on the front straightaway to celebrate, Newgarden showed his true joy, diving through the catchfence opening to celebrate in the crowd. Newgarden likes to show his goofy side, remember those incognito videos he did during his rookie season, but he isn't a showboat. He doesn't seek attention. He has even called himself an introvert. He lets us see what he wants, but still keeps most of the cards to his chest.
Newgarden showed his entire hand today, not hiding anything in pure jubilation.
3. Working backward, this finish probably should have never happened, or at least the lead should have never changed on the penultimate restart.
IndyCar is not holier than thou. It wants the attention and love of the people just like everyone else, and it will cater to the masses. It felt like what ended up being the penultimate caution would end the race. There were four laps to go when it happened. Historically, there isn't enough time to have a red flag and a restart in that little of time. IndyCar made the time today.
Was it the right thing to do? It is disappointing to be chasing a finish and letting the first 199 laps of the race be cast aside. IndyCar earned praise at Texas for having a great race and being ok with it ending under caution. There was no time for a restart in that case as the caution came out with a lap and a half to go, but IndyCar did the opposite of that today.
We spent a good portion this May celebrating Tony Kanaan and highlighting his 2013 Indianapolis 500 victory. That race ended under caution after Dario Franchitti had an accident on a lap 197 restart. This caution only came one lap earlier.
4. I don't think Marcus Ericsson was robbed because I don't think he should have been given the lead after the final caution for the front straightaway accident on the restart. It comes down more to the philosophy of when a pass should take place and not the wording in the rulebook.
Ericsson was ahead of Newgarden at the time of caution, but Newgarden had not even reached the start/finish line. The rulebook says passing can take place once the green flag has been shown, but should that be the case. The Indianapolis 500 was nearly won on a pass that didn't even happen on a green flag lap. Check the box score. It was never green.
It was green, but do we want a race decided effectively on who got a better launch within the first 800 feet on a restart?
There was once a time when passes could not take place before the start/finish line on a restart, but in the 21st century there is an aversion to any regulation that seems to hinder racing. The problem is we are now seeing a free-for-all.
That is why the final caution happened. Christian Lundgaard just went and was trying to pass nine cars exiting turn four on the restart. That was once considered a jumpEd restart. Now it is allowed, things like this happen, and it will only get worse.
There is going to be a trade off. If you regulate no overtaking before the start/finish, there will likely be less passes. You won't have drivers going from eighth to fifth before they even reached the end of the pit lane, but you also will not have drivers just gunning it with no regard for others on track. You also would not have a situation where the Indianapolis 500 would be decided because someone had a better 800-feet.
5. The driving standard is there is no standard.
Look at the final lap. Ericsson was aiming to drive in the grass. Newgarden never committed that far to the left exiting turn four for a pit stop all race as he did to defend the lead. It looks ridiculous. The sad thing is I don't think it will change until someone gets hurt.
It is almost the equivalent to the 1.5-mile pack races we saw throughout the 2000s in the Indy Racing League except this isn't because of the package, it is because of driver behavior.
The move exiting turn four that Newgarden did this year and Ericsson did last year must be abolished. It is too fucking dangerous for these drivers to play chicken with the attenuator at the end of the pit lane at 220 mph. It shouldn't take someone hitting it, likely hurting themselves, possibly killing themselves and possibly hurting others for something to be done.
I think common sense can be applied. I don't want drivers to get penalties if their tires are slightly over the line but we can at least keep drivers from swerving from the inside barrier to the outside barrier.
6. How did we get to this finish? It all started with the Felix Rosenqvist accident. Rosenqvist was running in the top ten, lost air on his front wing, and slapped the barrier in turn one. Rosenqvist was attempting to save it but spun back into the track and clipped the rear of Kyle Kirkwood, flipping Kirkwood and shearing off a rear tire from Kirkwood's car, sending it flying over the catchfence
Fortunately, the tire only hit a car in the parking lot between the turn two grandstands and the suites.
For Rosenqvist, it was an unfortunate accident. He did nothing wrong. He lost some air and slid up the track. It happens. I don't know how to stop a driver from trying to save a car. If Rosenqvist just gave up and spun to the inside, this is a nothing accident, but he caught Kirkwood at the worst possible time and we all had our hearts in our throats for about five minutes before it was clear no spectators were hurt.
This has been a fear for a long time. Back in 2015, when a fan was hit by some debris that was launched over the catchfence at St. Petersburg and hit a fan, I wondered how high would the catchfence have to be to also guarantee nothing could enter the crowd. One spectator fatality and it will forever change motorsports in this country, perhaps the world.
When the Le Mans tragedy occurred in 1955 countries banned motorsports. In 2023, something significant would change and I bet you wouldn't like it.
To be proactive, how do you assure it doesn't happen? Does the catchfence need to be ten-feet higher? Twenty-feet higher? It would hopefully almost assure spectators remain safe from debris. It would change the viewing experience. It would change how the race would be broadcast as current camera angles would become obstructed. Things would have to change, but wouldn't that be worth it?
On the flip side, how often have we seen large pieces of debris or complete tire assemblies fly over the catchfence? It isn't frequent. It is rare. We could do nothing and continue to roll those dice knowing history is in our favor or we could just be safe and make some adjustments.
7. Considering how the driving standards are today, we should probably take the necessary steps to protect the spectators.
I don't want to say drivers are borderline careless, but in the closing laps, if there is a late restart in the Indianapolis 500, if nobody gives, someone will get hurt.
Hopefully some combination of banning overtakes prior to the start/finish line and preventing drivers from recklessly using every inch of asphalt we would see fewer big incidents, but if this standard continues, we are only bound to see something worse than today.
8. The Rosenqvist accident brought out a red flag. I think it was the correct choice. One, Kirkwood flipped upside down. Let's check on him properly. Two, a tire went over the catchfence. The track couldn't let the cars continue circulating even under yellow if spectators had been hurt. Even though it didn't end up in the grandstand, I think it was important that IndyCar at least made sure no one was hurt and located that tire before the race resumed.
The second red flag after Patricio O'Ward's spin and then Simon Pagenaud and Agustín Canapino having their own incidents, thanks to some assistance from Scott McLaughlin it is done to at least assure a restart.
The O'Ward accident comes with seven laps remaining. The prior three caution periods took eight laps, six laps and seven laps. There is a chance IndyCar could have hurried clean up, slowed the field under caution and restarted with two to go. That could have happened, but a red flag assured at least one restart.
Then there was the final caution and the third red flag. We have plenty of recent examples of IndyCar using a red flag late to assure at least one restart. We had no examples of IndyCar using multiple red flags late to assure at least one more final restart.
We are nine years removed from the red flag that set up the Ryan Hunter-Reay/Hélio Castroneves finish. That set up a seven-lap sprint. Last year, IndyCar red-flagged the race after Jimmie Johnson's accident and we had a three-lap sprint.
In 2014, I said I was fine with the red flag, but some kind of regulation should exist to state when a red flag would occur. There should be a cut off. At that time, I was thinking in the final 10 or 15 laps it should say IndyCar is allowed one red flag but set a cut-off at four or five laps to go. I think that is fair. NASCAR once had a cut-off for the final red flag. It makes sense.
Today, IndyCar pushed it, and I don't think this should become common practice. IndyCar has not cornered itself. In future races, if it doesn't do the out-lap to the green-and-white flag combination, IndyCar will be chastised.
NBC Sports' Nate Ryan had an intelligent point earlier this year in NASCAR when talking about the waivers given to drivers for injuries. NASCAR isn't a legal system. Its past decisions don't have to lead future decisions. Precedent doesn't matter.
IndyCar is the same. IndyCar's decision today doesn't set its decisions for the future. It is nice if it is consistent for the sake of sanity and fairness. It is easier to follow if you know how things will be decided, but IndyCar is not bound to end all races like this moving forward.
But it is a lose-lose, because any future race in similar circumstances will be viewed under the strongest of microscopes.
9. I have covered eight points and really only talked about three drivers.
10. I said Marcus Ericsson wasn't robbed. He wasn't, but he looked damn good today. He was the best Honda today, at least after his teammate Álex Palou was taken out. Ericsson was one of the top two Hondas. I didn't think that would be the case today.
Ericsson is looking for more in IndyCar. He wants a big contract after this season. Considering the last two Indianapolis 500s, last season and how this season is shaping up, Ericsson deserves it.
11. This was the best drive of Santino Ferrucci's career. For a driver who has been on edge from day one at Indianapolis, we have been expecting him to go over the limit. He hasn't, and Ferrucci is now one of three drivers to have five top ten finishes in the first five starts of an Indianapolis 500 career, joining Harry Hartz and Helio Castroneves.
Foyt found something this year. The inclusion of Michael Cannon, who spent the previous three seasons at Chip Ganassi Racing, has been noted for the turnaround. This team wasn't close last year. It went from nowhere to 0.5273 seconds of victory.
It isn't all Cannon, and it isn't all Ferrucci. These two worked together in Ferrucci's rookie season in 2019 at Dale Coyne Racing. Ferrucci took a surprise top ten finish that season at Indianapolis. We have seen enough results on the road/street courses to know Foyt still has a long way to go, but going all-in on Indianapolis isn't a bad strategy... as long as you are competitive.
12. Álex Palou had the drive of the day. Palou was going to be in the mix. He was the best Honda for the first half of the race, and then he was an innocent bystander when Rinus VeeKay lost his car on cold tires exiting pit lane. Palou was pinched in the wall and knocked out of the lead.
However, the damage was mostly to the front wing. One change and Palou continued in the race and he drove like a mad-man in the middle third of the race. Palou drove from about 30th to 15th in no time and he continued clawing spots back. He was up to sixth at the penultimate restart. He wound up fourth.
This is two consecutive years Palou overcame a mid-race issue to finish in the top ten. If VeeKay doesn't lose the rear end, Palou likely is in Ericsson's shoes, or at least in the top three in the closing laps, but considering how he went from the back to the front, it is hard not to think Palou was going to win this race.
13. Alexander Rossi ended up as the top McLaren finishers in fifth on a day when he was the third best McLaren car for about 90% of this race. Third best McLaren was running seventh most of the race.
This has kind of been the theme of Rossi's season. He is good but not quite there. He did not have the same pace as Rosenqvist and O'Ward in this race, but he still had great pace. The optimist will look at this and say if Rossi is at this point now, six races into his time at McLaren, victories will come. Patience is key.
14. This race did not wait long to become the Indianapolis 500 from hell for Scott Dixon. Dixon had a massive vibration early in the race and forced an early pit stop, but in true Ganassi fashion, the team crafted a respectable result out of nothing.
They worked around the early pit stop to at least be close to the front. The string of cautions late helped Dixon, but he did what he does best. Sixth isn't going to be a moral victory for him or this team, but considering the previous two years, this is at least better in the box score.
15. Takuma Sato was seventh and did nothing. How many times have I written that? It was surprising he wasn't more of a factor. Considering Sato's practice pace, from eighth on the grid, I thought we would see Sato push to finish in the top five. He never really got there. It is a good day, but probably a disappointing day for Sato because he didn't really get more out of this.
Think about it this way. Palou and Dixon both had issues and they both still finished ahead of Sato. That says enough about Sato's day.
16. Conor Daly was eighth, his first top ten finish since last year's Indianapolis 500. There really isn't much to say about Daly's day. That isn't a slight on him, but he made up some spots, made up a few more as others were incidents. Daly did well, but, eh.
17. Andretti Autosport keeps re-defining stupid. Colton Herta looked sensational in the first half of the race. Herta made up notable ground and put himself into a top five position when for a moment it looked like Andretti wasn't going to be close to the front.
Then Andretti botched its team's strategy and Colton Herta was released into the path of Romain Grosjean during a pit cycle. It was absolutely a penalty for Herta, but Herta should never have been put in that situation.
Grosjean wasn't even in the top half of the field at that point. Andretti Autosport couldn't have Grosjean come in a lap earlier or a lap later? The team could have avoided putting Herta in that position. That took Herta out of the mix for victory. Herta ended up ninth, but he was better than that today.
18. We see plenty of qualifying pace out of Rinus VeeKay at Indianapolis. In four Indianapolis starts though, we have seen VeeKay make errors. Today it was on cold tires exiting the pit lane. It is important to keep track position, but a driver has to understand how to live to fight for another day.
There were still over 100 laps left at that point. VeeKay was still going to be in the top ten. There was plenty of time to get back to the front. Others have made this same mistake, but VeeKay must do better.
19. Ryan Hunter-Reay ended up 11th in his Indianapolis 500 return. This is what a one-off team should want. Hunter-Reay was a capable set of hands. He wasn't going to make any bonehead moves. He will drive smart and the result will likely be better than most. It was just shy of the top ten today.
20. Callum Ilott completed all 200 laps today. Considering he broke his wrist in this race last year, Ilott will take this. The Juncos Hollinger Racing drivers did well today, nothing stunning, but they were both on their way to completing 500 miles. Ilott made it. Ilott caught two breaks with cautions.
One came just after a pit stop, which put Ilott in the lead. The other was before his final stop and instead of stopping under green, he got to stop under caution. He lost spots, but not as many if it was green, where he could have lost the lead lap.
21. Devlin DeFrancesco avoided making any mistakes and finished 13th. That's it.
22. This was not Scott McLaughlin's finest day. I am not sure he blocked Tony Kanaan, but he wasn't doing Kanaan any favors. Then McLaughlin plowed into Simon Pagenaud when the caution was already out. Not good. McLaughlin knows it. He will improve.
23. Hélio Castroneves was 15th. That is the best Meyer Shank Racing can do at the moment.
24. Tony Kanaan's farewell was not the fairy tale we were hoping for. Kanaan didn't quite have it. He was 16th, never really in the top ten, never really in the picture. Kanaan even said in his post-race interview this is probably the best way for it to end. Instead of coming close for another time, he goes out being just ok.
In Kanaan's final "500," I think of Rodger Ward. Ward, a past champion, a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, one of the best IndyCar saw through the 1950s and 1960s, was 15th in his final Indianapolis 500. Ward knew that day was it for him. The same is true for Kanaan.
After 389 IndyCar races, the tank is empty. Kanaan gave it his all and accomplished a tremendous amount.
25. I have 17 drivers left and eight spots remaining. It is 11:38 p.m. Eastern. Everyone else is getting one sentence.
It was sad watching Marco Andretti run at the back in the first half of the race and be a non-factor. Andretti was 17th but that is flattering.
26. Jack Harvey salvaged something from this Indianapolis 500. Ok, Harvey was 18th, one-lap down. That is probably the best Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing could do today.
Christian Lundgaard had a handful of incidents. Drove into Harvey's pit box, contact on one restart, more contact on another that caused a caution and really was a jumped restart. Not Lundgaard's finest day after a strong outing two weeks prior on the IMS road course.
27. Ed Carpenter was taken out in that Lundgaard incident. Carpenter wasn't really a factor in this one. Not his year.
28. I am going to cover all the rookies here. Benjamin Pedersen was taken out with Ed Carpenter. Pedersen went backward this entire race. That wasn't surprising. I thought this would be difficult for him.
Agustín Canapino spun in evasive action after Simon Pagenaud was hit. Canapino had a good day and was making moves before that.
Sting Ray Robb looked like a fool today. He blamed Graham Rahal when Robb got caught on the outside in turn one and hit the barrier. Robb probably is in over his head in IndyCar.
RC Enerson's race ended due to a mechanical problem, but it is a small victory Enerson qualified for this race. Not the way he likely wanted it to end, but he will always get to say he started an Indianapolis 500.
Who should be Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year?
Pedersen was the top rookie finisher, but he didn't finish. He was 21st. He was also the fastest rookie qualifier and made the Fast 12. Three of four rookies had accidents. I think Canapino had a better race, but Pedersen has more to show for it.
29. Graham Rahal wasn't in this race a week ago. Rahal stepped in for Stefan Wilson. Rahal's battery was dead when it was time to start the car on the grid. Rahal missed the start and was a lap down immediately. This wasn't his year.
Will Power brushed the barrier exiting turn two and that took him out of contention. It was a minor glance, but enough to ruin his race.
30. Patricio O'Ward wasn't going to give in this year. Maybe he should have given in with eight laps to go. O'Ward had fallen to third after Newgarden passed O'Ward and Ericsson on that restart and O'Ward was looking to get second from Ericsson into turn three.
O'Ward attempted an aggressive, low-percentage pass. It didn't stick. O'Ward should have known there was more time. I know he wants to make up for last year, but there were eight laps remaining. There was plenty of time. I don't think Ericsson did anything wrong. I don't think O'Ward was hard done.
31. I am not sure Simon Pagenaud was ever going to consider this a good day. McLaughlin just helped confirm it was a bad day.
I should really give Felix Rosenqvist his own spot, but this was one of his best races in IndyCar. One moment took air off his front wing and he was done. He really had one of the best cars today. It is a shame the record book will not tell that story.
After Colton Herta's incident in pit lane, Kyle Kirkwood flew forward in an attempt to save the day for Andretti Autosport. It was looking good until Kirkwood was in the wrong place with Rosenqvist sliding up the track. There was nothing Kirkwood could do. It was harsh for both drivers.
32. Was David Malukas in this race? Malukas had one minor moment, slight contact on track and that basically took him out of the race without anyone noticing.
Romain Grosjean was having a tough day. The contact with Herta in pit lane was cruel. Two years in a row Grosjean lost it in turn two. Maybe third time will be the charm for him.
Katherine Legge waited ten years and two days to return to the Indianapolis 500. It lasted 41 laps. Legge had her own little moment on pit lane on cold tires and hit the inside pit wall enough to damage the suspension. It was a merciful end for a disheartening month for the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team.
33. 364 days until the 108th Indianapolis 500.
Saturday, May 27, 2023
Morning Warm-Up: 107th Indianapolis 500
This will be Palou’s fourth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 2nd (2021)
Car #10 has won the Indianapolis 500 once, Dario Franchitti 2010.
Twenty-one times has the pole-sitter won the race, most recently Simon Pagenaud 2019.
Palou has led 82 laps in his Indianapolis 500 career, 75th all-time. If he leads 18 laps, he will become the 65th driver with 100 laps led in an Indianapolis 500 career.
Palou could become the first Spaniard to win the Indianapolis 500. Spain would become the 13th different nation to produce an Indianapolis 500 winner.
Rinus VeeKay
This will be VeeKay’s fourth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 8th (2021)
Car #21 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Eleven times has the winner started second, most recently Juan Pablo Montoya in 2000.
This is VeeKay's best career starting position in the Indianapolis 500 and the third consecutive year VeeKay has started on the front row.
VeeKay was 33rd in last year’s Indianapolis 500. The only occurrence of a driver finishing last in the Indianapolis 500 and returning to win the following year is Mario Andretti in 1969 after finishing 33rd in 1968. Andretti started second in the 1969 race.
VeeKay could become the second Dutchman to win the Indianapolis 500 after Arie Luyendyk.
VeeKay could become the second youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 22 years, eight months and 17 days old. He would also become the first driver born in the 21st century to win the Indianapolis 500.
Felix Rosenqvist
This will be Rosenqvist’s fifth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 4th (2022)
Car #6 has won the Indianapolis 500 five times, most recently with Sam Hornish, Jr. in 2006.
Thirteen times has the Indianapolis 500 winner started third, most recently Takuma Sato in 2020.
This is the best Indianapolis 500 starting position in Rosenqvist's career. He has never had a decline in starting position over his five Indianapolis 500 appearances.
Rosenqvist could become the third Swedish driver to win the Indianapolis 500. Sweden could become the fifth country to have two different drivers win the Indianapolis 500 in consecutive years.
Rosenqvist could become the second driver with victories in the Macau Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 joining Takuma Sato.
This will be Ferrucci’s fifth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 4th (2020)
Car #14 has won the Indianapolis 500 six times, most recently with Kenny Bräck in 1999.
Seven times has the winner started fourth, most recently Takuma Sato in 2017.
This is Ferrucci's best starting position in the Indianapolis 500. His previous best was 15th last year.
A.J. Foyt Racing is the fourth different team Ferrucci has driven for in his five Indianapolis 500 appearances.
Ferrucci has finished in the top ten in each of his first four Indianapolis 500 starts. The only drivers to have finished in the top ten of their first five Indianapolis 500 starts are Harry Hartz and Hélio Castroneves.
Ferrucci could become the first Connecticut-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500 and he would be just the second Nutmugger to win an IndyCar race, joining Scott Sharp.
Ferrucci could become the ninth youngest winner of the Indianapolis 500 at 24 years, 11 months and 28 days old.
Patricio O’Ward
This will be O’Ward fourth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 2nd (2022)
Car #5 has won the Indianapolis 500 six times but not since Arie Luyendyk in 1997.
Last year, Marcus Ericsson won from fifth position, the eighth time the Indianapolis 500 winner has started fifth.
O'Ward could become the 15th driver to win the Indianapolis 500 the year after finishing second in the race the year before. The most recent driver to do it was Dan Wheldon in 2011.
O’Ward has led 43 laps in his Indianapolis 500 career. He needs to lead seven laps to become the 100th driver with 50 laps led in an Indianapolis 500 career.
O’Ward could become the third Indy Lights championship to win the Indianapolis 500 joining Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan.
O’Ward could become the first Mexican driver to win the Indianapolis 500. Mexico would become the 13th different nation to produce an Indianapolis 500 winner.
O’Ward could become the fifth youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 24 years and 22 days old. He would become the youngest non-American winner.
Scott Dixon
This will be Dixon’s 21st Indianapolis 500 start.
2008 Indianapolis 500 winner.
Car #9 has won the Indianapolis 500 four times with Dixon’s 2008 victory being the most recent.
Five times has the winner started sixth, most recently Dan Wheldon in 2011.
Dixon is the all-time leader in Indianapolis 500 laps led with 665.
Dixon is 21 laps ahead of Al Unser in second.
Dixon is 313 laps ahead of the next closest active driver (Tony Kanaan, 352 laps led)
Dixon has led in 15 Indianapolis 500s, tied for the most all-time with Tony Kanaan.
Dixon has led the most laps in the Indianapolis 500 a record six times.
Dixon is currently in an eight-way tied for most runner-up finishes in Indianapolis 500 history. Harry Hartz, Wilbur Shaw, Bill Holland, Jim Rathmann, Tom Sneva, Al Unser, Hélio Castroneves and Dixon have all finished runner-up three times in this race.
Dixon has the 32nd best average finish among the 258 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 11.15. A victory would lower his average finish to 10.667 and put him 28th all-time. The worst his average finish can be after this race is 12.19, which would drop him to 50th all-time.
Dixon could become the ninth oldest Indianapolis 500 winner at 42 years, ten months and six days old.
This will be Rossi’s eighth Indianapolis 500 start.
2016 Indianapolis 500 winner.
Car #7 has won the Indianapolis 500 twice but not since Bill Holland in 1949.
Five times has the winner started seventh, most recently A.J. Foyt in 1961.
This is Rossi's best start at Indianapolis since he qualified third in his second start in 2017. This is the fifth time he has qualified in the top ten for the Indianapolis 500.
Rossi needs to lead 23 laps to reach the 100 laps led milestone in the Indianapolis 500. Sixty-four drivers have led 100 laps in the Indianapolis 500.
Rossi has the 28th best average finish among the 258 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 10.7142. A victory would lower his average finish to 9.5 and put him in a tie for 14th all-time with Wilbur Shaw. The worst Rossi’s average finish can be after this race is 13.5, which would drop him into a tie for 68th all-time with Norway’s Gil Andersen.
Takuma Sato
This will be Sato’s 14th Indianapolis 500 start.
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner (2017, 2020).
Car #11 has won the Indianapolis 500 once, Tony Kanaan 2013.
Three times has the Indianapolis 500 winner started eighth, most recently Hélio Castroneves 2021.
Sato could become the 11th three-time Indianapolis 500 winner.
Sato needs to lead 15 laps to reach the 100 laps led milestone in the Indianapolis 500. Sato is the only multi-time Indianapolis 500 winner to have led fewer than 100 laps. Sixty-four drivers have led at least 100 laps in the Indianapolis 500.
Sato has the 128th best average finish among the 258 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 16.6923. A victory would lower his average finish to 15.5714, putting him tied with Sammy Sessions for 104th all-time. The worst Sato’s averae finish can be after this race is 17.857, dropping him to 167th all-time.
Sato could become the fourth oldest Indianapolis 500 winner at 46 years and four months old. Sato would become the first driver to win three Indianapolis 500s after turning 40 years old.
Tony Kanaan
This will be Kanaan’s 22nd Indianapolis 500 start.
2013 Indianapolis 500 winner.
Car #66 has won the Indianapolis 500 once, Mark Donohue 1972.
Kanaan has led in 15 Indianapolis 500s, tied for the most all-time with Scott Dixon.
Kanaan has led 352 laps, the second most amongst active drivers. If Kanaan leads 48 laps, he will become the 14th driver to lead 400 laps in the Indianapolis 500.
Kanaan could join Mario Andretti as the only drivers to win an IndyCar race in four different decades.
Kanaan has the 52th best average finish among the 258 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 12.3809, directly behind Bobby Unser and directly ahead of Pat Flaherty. A victory would lower Kanaan’s average finish to 11.863, moving him up to 45th all-time, directly behind Michael Andretti and directly ahead of Arie Luyendyk, Jim Clark, Billy DeVore, Bobby Rahal and Floyd Roberts. The worst Kanaan’s average finish can be after this race is 13.318, dropping him to 64th all-time.
Kanaan could become the oldest Indianapolis 500 winner at 48 years, four months and 28 days old. He would break Al Unser’s record by 153 days.
This will be Ericsson’s fifth Indianapolis 500 start.
2022 Indianapolis 500 winner
Ericsson’s victory last year was the fourth time car #8 has won the Indianapolis 500.
Twice has the winner started tenth, most recently Gil de Ferran in 2003.
Ericsson is attempting to become the sixth driver to win consecutive Indianapolis 500s, and the first since Hélio Castroneves in 2001-02.
Ericsson has led 13 laps in the Indianapolis 500, the fifth fewest in a career for an Indianapolis 500 winner. Only Graham Hill (ten), Joe Dawson (two), L.L. Corum (zero) and Floyd Davis (zero) led fewer.
Benjamin Pedersen
This will be Pedersen’s first Indianapolis 500 start.
Car #55 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Three times has the winner started 11th, most recently Alexander Rossi in 2016.
This is the best starting position of Pedersen's IndyCar career. His previous best start was 13th at Texas in April. He has started inside the top fifteen in both his oval starts but started 23rd or worse in all four road/street course races this season.
Pedersen could become the second A.J. Foyt Racing driver to win the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, joining Donnie Allison, who won it in 1970. Pedersen would be the first European to win the award since Fernando Alonso in 2017. Pedersen is the second Danish driver to start the Indianapolis 500 joining Christian Lundgaard.
Pedersen could become the fifth youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 24 years and 17 days old. He would become the youngest non-American Indianapolis 500 winner.
2018 Indianapolis 500 winner.
Car #12 has won the Indianapolis 500 twice, most recently with Power in 2019. The other was Peter DePaolo in 1925 driving the #12 Miller.
Twice has the winner started 12th, most recently Tony Kanaan in 2013.
Power could become the first defending IndyCar champion to win the Indianapolis 500 since Dario Franchitti in 2012.
Power is currently tied with Johnny Rutherford for the fifth most 500-mile race victories in IndyCar history with five.
Power needs to lead 56 laps to reach the 200 laps led milestone in the Indianapolis 500.
Power is tied for the 58th best average finish with Marco Andretti, Cliff Bergere and Fred Frame among the 258 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 13.0. A victory would lower Power’s average finish to 12.25, moving him into a tie with Mel Kenyon for 50th all-time. The worst his average finish can be after this race is 14.25, dropping him to 78th all-time.
Best Finish: 2nd (2018)
Car #33 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Four times has the winner started 13th, most recently Hélio Castroneves in 2002.
Carpenter could break Sam Hanks’ record for most starts before first Indianapolis 500 victory. Hanks won the 1957 Indianapolis 500, his 13th start in the race.
Carpenter could become the first Illinois-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500 since Floyd Davis was a co-winner with Mauri Rose in 1941.
Carpenter needs to lead 54 laps to reach the 200 laps led milestone in the Indianapolis 500.
Carpenter could be the first driver to win the Freedom 100 and Indianapolis 500.
Carpenter has the 106th best average finish among the 258 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 15.684. A victory would lower his average finish to 14.95, moving him up to 92nd all-time. The worst Carpenter’s average finish can be after this race is 16.55, dropping him to 127th all-time.
Scott McLaughlin
This will be McLaughlin’s third Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 20th (2021)
Car #3 has won the Indianapolis 500 eleven times, the most victories for a car number. The last victory was in 2009 with Hélio Castroneves.
Only once has the winner started 14th and that was Bob Sweikert in 1955.
McLaughlin could become the second New Zealander to win the Indianapolis 500, but the first New Zealand-born driver to win the race. New Zealand could become the sixth nation to produce multiple Indianapolis 500 winners.
Kyle Kirkwood
This will be Kirkwood’s second Indianapolis 500 start.
Car #27 has won the Indianapolis 500 three times, most recently with Dario Franchitti in 2007.
Four times has the winner started 15th, most recently Juan Pablo Montoya in 2015.
Last year, Kirkwood started 28th and finished 17th, his only lead lap finish on an oval in 2022. He has three consecutive lead lap finishes entering this race. Entering this season, he never had consecutive lead lap finishes and he had five lead lap finishes in the entire 2022 season.
Kirkwood could become the third Indy Lights championship to win the Indianapolis 500 joining Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan.
Kirkwood could become the first Florida-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500. He became the first Florida-born driver to win any IndyCar race earlier this year with his victory at Long Beach. He could become only the third driver to win the Grand Prix of Long Beach and the Indianapolis 500 in the same season (Al Unser, Jr. 1994, Hélio Castroneves 2001).
Kirkwood could become the seventh youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 24 years, seven months and nine days old.
Conor Daly
This will be Daly’s tenth Indianapolis 500 and hopefully his ninth start.
Best Finish: 6th (2022)
Car #20 has won the Indianapolis 500 three times but not since Emerson Fittipaldi in 1989.
Twice has the winner started 16th, most recently Dario Franchitti in 2012.
This is the third time in the last four Indianapolis 500s Daly has started on row six. He has finished better than his starting position in four of his last five Indianapolis 500 starts.
Daly became the 62nd driver to start in the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500 earlier this year. He becomes the 40th driver to compete in both races in the same calendar year.
Daly has led 47 laps in his Indianapolis 500 career. He needs to lead three laps to become the 100th driver with 50 laps led in an Indianapolis 500 career.
This is the 103rd start of Daly's career. Only three drivers have taken more than 100 starts to get their first career victory (Ed Carpenter - 113, George Snider - 126, Michel Jourdain, Jr. - 129).
Daly could become the first Hoosier-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500 since Wilbur Shaw in 1940.
Daly has the 224th best average finish among the 258 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 21.444. A victory would lower his average finish to 19.4, moving him up to 193rd all-time, directly ahead of his father Derek Daly, whose average finish in six Indianapolis 500 starts is 19.5. The worst Conor Daly’s average finish can be after this race is 22.6, dropping him to 241st all-time.
Josef Newgarden
This will be Newgarden’s 12th Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 3rd (2016).
Car #2 has won the Indianapolis 500 nine times, most recently Juan Pablo Montoya in 2015.
Twice has the winner started 17th, most recently Eddie Cheever in 1998.
Newgarden is one of six drivers with at least 20 career victories but no Indianapolis 500 victories. The other drivers are Michael Andretti, Sébastien Bourdais, Paul Tracy, Ted Horn and Tony Bettenhausen.
Newgarden has won an oval race in seven consecutive seasons, including winning at Texas in April. He has won multiple oval races in three of the previous six seasons, including winning three oval races last season.
Newgarden could be the first driver to win the Freedom 100 and Indianapolis 500.
Newgarden could become the third Indy Lights championship to win the Indianapolis 500 joining Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan.
Newgarden could become the first Tennessee-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500.
Newgarden has the 76th best average finish among the 258 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 14.1818, sandwiched between Dan Gurney and Eddie Cheever. A victory would lower Newgarden’s average finish to 13.0833, moving him to 64th all-time. The worst his average finish can be after this race is 15.75, which would drop him to 107th all-time.
Ryan Hunter-Reay
This will be Hunter-Reay's 15th Indianapolis 500 start.
2014 Indianapolis 500 winner.
Car #23 has won the Indianapolis 500 twice, 1931 with Louis Schneider and 1938 with Floyd Roberts. Those are the only race victories for car #23 in IndyCar history.
The best finish for the 18th-starter is second, which occurred in 1920 by René Thomas and in 2009 and 2010 by Dan Wheldon.
Hunter-Reay could become the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 for Chevrolet and Honda in the DW12-era. He would become the 12th driver to win the Indianapolis 500 with multiple engine manufacturers.
Hunter-Reay's most recent victory was on September 16, 2018 at Sonoma. That was four years, eight months and 12 days ago.
Hunter-Reay has the 107th best average finish among the 258 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 15.7857. A victory would lower his average finish to 14.8, moving him up to 88th all-time. The worst Hunter-Reay's average finish can be after this race is 16.9333, which would drop him to 142nd all-time.
Hunter-Reay could become the tenth oldest Indianapolis 500 winner at 42 years, five months and 11 days old. He would be only six days younger than Emerson Fittipaldi in ninth all-time for his 1989 Indianapolis 500 victory.
Romain Grosjean
This will be Grosjean’s second Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 31st (2022)
Car #28 has won the Indianapolis 500 once, Ryan Hunter-Reay in 2014.
Last year, Grosjean's Indianapolis 500 debut lasted 105 laps before he had an accident in turn two.
Grosjean could become the fifth different Frenchman to win the Indianapolis 500. Only the United States and the United Kingdom have had at least five different drivers win the Indianapolis 500.
This will be Grosjean's 36th career start. Only once has a driver had a first career victory come in a 36th career start. That was Michael Andretti in the 1986 Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Hélio Castroneves
This will be Castroneves’ 23rd Indianapolis 500 start.
Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021).
Castroneves’ victory in 2022 was the first Indianapolis 500 victory for car #06.
Three times has the winner started 20th, most recently Al Unser in 1987.
Castroneves has led 325 laps in the Indianapolis 500, which has him ranked 18th all-time. If he leads 75 laps, he will become the 14th driver to lead 400 laps in the Indianapolis 500.
Castroneves has led in 13 Indianapolis 500s, tied with A.J. Foyt for the third most all-time.
A top five finish would be Castroneves’ tenth in the Indianapolis 500 and he would join Al Unser and A.J. Foyt as the only drivers to reach that milestone.
A top ten finish would be Castroneves’ 17th in the Indianapolis 500 and he would tie A.J. Foyt for the most top ten finishes in the Indianapolis 500.
Castroneves has the seventh best average finish among the 258 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 8.31818. He cannot move up the order as a victory would lower his average finish to 8.0, but Carlos Muñoz is seventh all-time at 7.5. The worst Castroneves’ average finish can be is 9.391, dropping him to 13th all-time.
Castroneves could become the oldest Indianapolis 500 winner at 48 years and 18 days old. He would break Al Unser’s record by 23 days. Castroneves would join Emerson Fittipaldi and Takuma Sato as the only drivers to win multiple Indianapolis 500s after turning 40 years old.
Colton Herta
This will be Herta’s fifth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 8th (2020)
Car #26 has won the Indianapolis 500 twice, Dan Wheldon in 2005 and Takuma Sato 2017.
Only once has the winner started 21st and that was L.L. Corum and Joe Boyer in 1924.
This is only the third time Herta has started outside the top twenty in his IndyCar career. The first was last year's Indianapolis 500 when he started 25th. The other race was Nashville last year when he started 23rd.
Herta could be the first driver to win the Freedom 100 and Indianapolis 500.
A top five finish for Colton would make him and Bryan Herta the tenth father/son duo to each have a top five finish in the Indianapolis 500. Colton Herta has two top five finishes in 21 career oval starts. He was fourth in the first Gateway race in 2020 and he was fifth in the second Texas race in 2021.
Herta could become the fourth youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 23 years, one month and 28 days old. He would be only five days older than the third youngest winner Frank Lockhart. Herta would become the first driver born in the 21st century to win the Indianapolis 500.
This will be Pagenaud’s 12th Indianapolis 500 start.
2019 Indianapolis 500 winner
Car #60 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Pagenaud could become the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 for Chevrolet and Honda in the DW12-era. He would become the 12th driver to win the Indianapolis 500 with multiple engine manufacturers.
Pagenaud will surpass Oriol Servià for second most Indianapolis 500 starts for a European driver behind only Arie Luyendyk, who made 17 Indianapolis 500 starts.
Pagenaud needs to lead 31 laps to reach the 200 laps led milestone in the Indianapolis 500.
Pagenaud has the 30th best average finish among the 258 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 10.818. A victory would lower his average finish to 10.0, putting him in a tie for 19th all-time with Mark Donohue and Alex Barron. The worst Pagenaud’s average finish can be after this race is 12.667, dropping him to 54th all-time.
David Malukas
This will be Malukas’ second Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 16th (2022)
Car #18 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
The best finish for the 23rd-starter is second by Wilbur Shaw in 1933.
This is only the fourth time Malukas has started outside the top twenty in his IndyCar career, but it is his worst start on an oval. Last year, his worst oval start was 19th at Texas.
Malukas could become the first Illinois-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500 since Floyd Davis was a co-winner with Mauri Rose in 1941.
Malukas could become the youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 21 years, nine months and one day old. This is his final opportunity to become the youngest Indianapolis 500 winner. He would become the first driver born in the 21st century to win the Indianapolis 500.
Marco Andretti
This will be Andretti’s 18th Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 2nd (2006).
Car #98 has won the Indianapolis 500 four times, most recently Alexander Rossi in 2016.
Andretti has not won since June 25, 2011 at Iowa. That is 11 years, 11 months and 17 days ago. Andretti has made 159 starts since his most recent victory. The record for most starts between victory is 97 by Graham Rahal.
Andretti could break Sam Hanks’ record for most starts before a first Indianapolis 500 victory. Hanks won the 1957 Indianapolis 500, his 13th start in the race.
Andretti needs to lead 56 laps to reach the 200 laps led milestone in the Indianapolis 500.
Andretti could become the first Pennsylvania-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500 since Bill Holland in 1949.
A victory for Andretti would make him and his grandfather Mario the first grandfather-grandson duo to win the Indianapolis 500
Andretti is tied for the 58th best average finish with Will Power, Cliff Bergere and Fred Frame among the 258 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 13.0. A victory would lower Andretti’s average finish to 12.333, which would move him into 51st all-time. The worst his average finish can be after this race is 14.111, dropping him to 76th all-time.
This will be DeFrancesco’s second Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 20th (2022)
Car #29 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
This matches the worst starting position of DeFrancesco's career. He started 25th for the second Iowa race last season. It is the first time he has started outside the top twenty this season.
DeFrancesco could become the second Canadian Indianapolis 500 winner. Canada could become the sixth nation to produce multiple Indianapolis 500 winners.
DeFrancesco could become the fourth youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 23 years, four months and 11 days old. He would become the first driver born in the 21st century to win the Indianapolis 500.
Agustín Canapino
This will be Canapino’s first Indianapolis 500 start.
Car #78 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Canapino will become the fourth Argentine driver to start the Indianapolis 500, and the first since Raúl Riganti in 1940. Canapino would be the first Argentine to win Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year. He would be the first Juncos Hollinger Racing driver to win the award.
Canapino was 12th in his only other oval start, which occurred earlier this season at Texas. It matched his career best finish, which first happened in the St. Petersburg season opener.
This will be Ilott’s second Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 32nd (2022)
Car #77 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
This is the worst starting position of Ilott's career. This is the ninth time he has started outside the top twenty in his career, and the fourth time he has started outside the top twenty this season. The most positions Ilott has made up in a race happened in the season opener at St. Petersburg when he gained 17 positions, moving from 22nd to fifth.
Ilott has four top ten finishes in 24 career starts, including ninth in the Texas race held last month, his first top ten finish on an oval.
Last year, Ilott's Indianapolis 500 lasted 68 laps before an accident in turn two, which left him with a broken wrist and took him out of the car for the following race at Belle Isle seven days later.
Ilott could become the seventh youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 24 years, six months and 17 days old.
This will be Enerson’s first Indianapolis 500 start.
Car #50 won the 2012 Indianapolis 500 with Dario Franchitti.
Enerson has made five IndyCar starts dating back to his debut at Mid-Ohio in 2016. His most recent start was August 14, 2021 on the IMS road course where he completed 12 laps before retiring due to a throttle sensor issue. Enerson was classified in 28th, last place.
All five of Enerson’s starts have come on road courses. The only track he has raced on multiple times is Mid-Ohio. His best career finish was ninth at Watkins Glen on September 4, 2016.
Enerson made two starts in the Freedom 100. He was fourth in the 2015 race and 11th in the 2016 race. He made one NASCAR Cup Series start at Watkins Glen in 2021. He was 34th completing 88 of 90 laps driving for Rick Ware Racing.
Enerson could become the second consecutive American to win Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year. It would be the first time American drivers have won Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year in consecutive seasons since 2005 to 2008 when Danica Patrick, Marco Andretti, Phil Giebler and Ryan Hunter-Reay were the winners.
Katherine Legge
This will be Legge's third Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 22nd (2012)
Car #44 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Legge will become the 12th IndyCar driver to go at least ten years between starts. Her most recent IndyCar start was May 26, 2013, ten years and two days prior to this year’s Indianapolis 500.
Legge could become the ninth oldest Indianapolis 500 winner at 42 years, ten months and 16 days old. She would only be one day younger than Sam Hanks when he won the 1957 Indianapolis 500.
This will be Lundgaard’s second Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 18th (2022)
Car #45 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Lundgaard could become the youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 21 years, ten months and five days old. This is his final opportunity to become the youngest winner. Lundgaard would become the first driver born in the 21st century to win the Indianapolis 500.
This will be Robb’s first Indianapolis 500 start.
Car #51 won the 1998 Indianapolis 500 with Eddie Cheever.
Robb could become the youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 21 years, eight months and 25 days old. This is Robb’s only opportunity to become the youngest Indianapolis 500 winner. He would become the first driver born in the 21st century to win the Indianapolis 500.
Jack Harvey
This will be Harvey’s seventh Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 9th (2020)
Car #30 has won the Indianapolis 500 twice, Arie Luyendyk 1990 and Takuma Sato 2020.
Harvey could become the first driver to win the Freedom 100 and Indianapolis 500.
Harvey is tied for the 200th best average finish with Mel Hansen among the 258 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 19.8333. A victory would lower Harvey’s average finish to 17.142, moving him up to 149th all-time. The worst his average finish can be after this race is 21.7142, dropping him to 232nd all-time.
Graham Rahal
This will be Rahal’s 16th Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 3rd (2011, 2020).
Car #24 has won the Indianapolis 500 once, Graham Hill 1966.
The best finish for the 33rd-starter is second in 1980 by Tom Sneva and 1992 by Scott Goodyear.
Rahal steps into the #24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet after Stefan Wilson suffered a fractured vertebra in an accident during the Monday practice.
Rahal could break Sam Hanks’ record for most starts before a first Indianapolis 500 victory. Hanks won the 1957 Indianapolis 500, his 13th start in the race.
Rahal has led 28 laps in his Indianapolis 500 career. His father Bobby led 126 laps in his 13 Indianapolis 500 starts.
Rahal could tie Salt Walther and George Snider for most 33rd-place finishes in the Indianapolis 500 at three.
Peacock's pre-race coverage of the 107th Indianapolis 500 will begin at 9:00 a.m. ET on Sunday May 28. NBC's coverage will start at 11:00 a.m. ET. The green flag will wave at 12:45 p.m. ET. The race is scheduled for 200 laps.