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The Starting Grid
Row 1:
Ed Carpenter
This will be Carpenter's 15th Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 5th (2008).
Car #20 has won the Indianapolis 500 three times but not since Emerson Fittipaldi in 1989.
Twenty times has the pole-sitter won the race, most recently Hélio Castroneves in 2009.
A victory for Carpenter would set the record for most Indianapolis 500 starts before winning the race.
No Indianapolis 500 winner has won the race in his 15th start.
Carpenter would be the third Illinois-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500 joining Billy Arnold and Floyd Davis.
Last year was Carpenter's third time finishing 11th in the Indianapolis 500. The only driver to finish 11th more in the Indianapolis 500 is Lloyd Ruby, who finished 11th four times.
Carpenter needs to lead 26 laps to have led 100 laps in the Indianapolis 500.
Simon Pagenaud
This will be Pagenaud's sixth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 8th (2013).
Eleven times has the winner started second, most recently Juan Pablo Montoya in 2000.
The last Indianapolis 500 winner to finish eighth in the race prior to the Indianapolis 500 was Rick Mears in 1988.
Eighth is Pagenaud's best finish this season.
Will Power
This will be Power's 11th Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 2nd (2015).
Car #12 has won the Indianapolis 500 once. Peter DePaolo won in 1925 driving the #12 Miller.
Eleven times has the winner started third, most recently Dario Franchitti in 2010.
Power could become the first Indianapolis 500 to win the race prior since Dan Wheldon in 2005.
Only one Penske driver has won the race prior to the Indianapolis 500 and the Indianapolis 500 and that was Al Unser, Jr. in 1994.
This is Power's seventh consecutive top five start dating back to last season and this will be his 16th consecutive top ten start dating back to last season.
Power needs to lead 24 laps to have led 100 laps in the Indianapolis 500.
Row Two:
Josef Newgarden
This will be Newgarden's seventh Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 3rd (2016).
Car #1 has won the Indianapolis 500 seven times but not since Al Unser in 1971.
Takuma Sato became the seventh driver to win the Indianapolis 500 from fourth position last year.
Since 1946, eight reigning IndyCar champions have won the Indianapolis 500.
The last reigning IndyCar champion to win the Indianapolis 500 was Dario Franchitti in 2012.
The last reigning American IndyCar champion to win the Indianapolis 500 the following year was Al Unser in 1971.
Sébastien Bourdais
This will be Bourdais' seventh Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 7th (2014).
Car #18 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Seven times has the winner started fifth, most recently Buddy Lazier in 1996.
Bourdais has three top five finishes in the first five races this season, including a victory at St. Petersburg.
Bourdais has led a lap in every race this season.
Bourdais could become the third driver to win at St. Petersburg and the Indianapolis 500 in the same year. The other two drivers to do it were Dan Wheldon in 2005 and Juan Pablo Montoya in 2015.
Spencer Pigot
This will be Pigot's third Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 18th (2017).
Car #21 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Five times has the winner started sixth, most recently Dan Wheldon in 2011.
This is Pigot's best starting position in his IndyCar career. Pigot has started 29th the last two years in this race.
Pigot could be the seventh youngest winner 24 years, seven months and 28 days.
Row Three:
Danica Patrick
This will be Patrick's eighth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 3rd (2009).
Car #13 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Five times has the winner started seventh, most recently A.J. Foyt in 1961.
This will be the fifth time car #13 has been used in the Indianapolis 500. The other four were George Mason in 1914, Greg Ray in 2000 and 2001 and E.J. Viso in 2009.
Patrick could become the first Wisconsin-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500.
Patrick has finished 50 consecutive IndyCar starts.
Car #13 has never won an IndyCar race.
Hélio Castroneves
This will be Castroneves' 18th Indianapolis 500 start.
Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner (2001, 2002, 2009).
Car #3 has won the Indianapolis 500 eleven times, the most victorious car time in this race.
Castroneves' 2009 victory is the most recent victory for car #3.
Twice has the winner started eighth, most recently Kenny Bräck in 1999.
Castroneves could become the 15th driver to win the Indianapolis 500 the year after finishing second in the race.
If Castroneves completes all 500 miles he will be the first driver to complete 500 miles in seven consecutive Indianapolis 500s.
If he completes the first 168 laps he will set the record for most consecutive laps completed in the history of this event.
Castroneves could become the third driver to lead a lap in 13 Indianapolis 500s.
Castroneves could be the sixth oldest winner in Indianapolis 500 history at 43 years and 17 days old.
Scott Dixon
This will be Dixon's 16th 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.
Only once has the winner started ninth and that was Emerson Fittipaldi in 1993.
Dixon could become the second driver to have at least ten Indianapolis 500 starts between victories. A.J. Foyt had ten starts between his third and fourth victories in 1967 and 1977.
Dixon won the Carb Day Pit Stop Competition for the third time. He will attempt to be the seventh driver to win that and the Indianapolis 500 in the same year. The most recent driver to do it was Hélio Castroneves in 2009.
If Dixon leads 61 laps he will become the seventh driver to lead 500 laps in Indianapolis 500 history.
Row Four:
Tony Kanaan
This will be Kanaan's 17th Indianapolis 500 start.
2013 Indianapolis 500 winner.
Car #14 has won the Indianapolis 500 six times, most recently with Kenny Bräck in 1999.
Twice has the winner started tenth, most recently Gil de Ferran in 2003.
The only driver to win the Indianapolis 500 in his 17th start was Gordon Johncock in 1982. It was Johncock's second Indianapolis 500 victory.
Kanaan is the only driver in the 21st century to win the Indianapolis 500 in a double-digit start. His 2013 victory came in his 12th start.
Kanaan could be the sixth oldest winner in Indianapolis 500 history at 43 years, four months and 27 days old.
Matheus Leist
This will be Leist's first Indianapolis 500 start.
Car #4 has won the Indianapolis 500 five times but not since Emerson Fittipaldi in 1993.
Three times has the winner started 11th, most recently Alexander Rossi in 2016.
Leist is one of two drivers who could become the youngest winner in the history of the Indianapolis 500 at 19 years, eight months and 19 days.
Marco Andretti
This will be Andretti's 13th Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 2nd (2006).
Car #98 has won the Indianapolis 500 four times, most recently Alexander Rossi in 2016.
Twice has the winner started 12th, most recently Tony Kanaan in 2013.
Andretti could match Sam Hanks for most starts before first Indianapolis 500 victory.
Andretti's most recent victory came 114 starts ago at Iowa in 2011. He won that race from 17th on the grid.
Andretti could become the first Pennsylvanian driver to win the Indianapolis 500 since Bill Holland in 1949.
Andretti needs to lead 59 laps to have led 200 laps in the Indianapolis 500.
Row Five:
Zachary Claman De Melo
This will be Claman De Melo's first Indianapolis 500 start
Car #19 has never won the Indianapolis 500 start.
Four times has the winner started 13th, most recently Hélio Castroneves in 2002.
Claman De Melo is one of two drivers who could become the youngest winner in Indianapolis 500 history at 20 years, one month and seven days.
This is Claman De Melo's best starting position of his career.
Ryan Hunter-Reay
This will be Hunter-Reay's 11th Indianapolis 500 start.
2014 Indianapolis 500 winner.
His 2014 victory is the only Indianapolis 500 victory for car #28.
Only once has the winner started 14th and that was Bob Sweikert in 1955.
Hunter-Reay could become the first driver to win in an 11th Indianapolis 500 start since Rick Mears in 1988.
Hunter-Reay's average finish in the Indianapolis 500 since his victory is 22.
Hunter-Reay needs to lead 38 laps to have led 200 laps in the Indianapolis 500.
Charlie Kimball
This will be Kimball's eighth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 3rd (2015).
Car #23 has won the Indianapolis 500 twice but not since Floyd Roberts in 1938.
Four times has the winner started 15th, most recently Juan Pablo Montoya in 2015.
This is Kimball's third time starting on row five in his career and his second best starting position in his career in the Indianapolis 500 after starting 14th in 2012 and 2015.
Row Six:
Takuma Sato
This will be Sato's ninth Indianapolis 500 start.
He is the defending Indianapolis 500 winner.
Car #30 has won the Indianapolis 500 once, Arie Luyendyk 1990.
Twice has the winner started 16th, most recently Dario Franchitti in 2012.
Sato could be the sixth repeat winner in Indianapolis 500 history. He would be the first to win consecutive Indianapolis 500s with two different car owners.
Kyle Kaiser
This will be Kaiser's first Indianapolis 500 start.
Car #32 has won the Indianapolis 500 twice but not since George Souders in 1927.
Twice has the winner started 17th, most recently Eddie Cheever in 1998.
Kaiser could become the second youngest Indianapolis 500 winner. He is two days older than Troy Ruttman when Ruttman won the 1952 Indianapolis 500.
Robert Wickens
This will be Wickens' first Indianapolis 500 start.
Car #6 has won the Indianapolis 500 five times, most recently Sam Hornish, Jr. in 2006.
The best finish for the 18th-starter is second, which occurred in 1920 by René Tomas and in 2009 and 2010 by Dan Wheldon.
Wickens will be the first Canadian to drive car #6 in the Indianapolis 500 since Scott Goodyear in 1997.
This is the first time Wickens has started outside the top ten in his IndyCar career.
Row Seven:
James Davison
This will be Davison's fourth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 16th (2014).
Car #33 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Twice has the winner started 19th, most recently Ryan Hunter-Reay in 2014.
This is Davison's best career starting position in the Indianapolis 500.
Max Chilton
This will be Chilton's third Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 4th (2017).
Car #59 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Three times has the winner started 20th, most recently Al Unser in 1987.
Car #59 has never won an IndyCar race.
The last time a driver finished fourth in the Indianapolis 500 and then won the following year was Hélio Castroneves in 2009.
Carlos Muñoz
This will be Muñoz's sixth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 2nd (2013, 2016).
Car #29 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Only once has the winner started 21st and that was L.L. Corum and Joe Boyer in 1924.
The only time car #29 has won an IndyCar race was on August 14, 1965 at Milwaukee with Joe Leonard.
Muñoz could become the eighth driver with three runner-up finishes in the Indianapolis 500. Hélio Castroneves became the seventh driver with three runner-up finishes last year.
Muñoz is one of seven drivers with multiple runner-up finishes in the Indianapolis 500 but not have a victory in the event. The other drivers are Harry Hartz, Rex Mays, Dan Gurney, Roberto Guerrero, Scott Goodyear and Vitor Meira.
Row Eight:
Gabby Chaves
This will be Chaves' fourth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 9th (2017).
Car #88 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Twice has the winner started 22nd but not since Kelly Petillo in 1935.
The only time a car numbered in the 80s won the Indianapolis 500 was 1965 with Jim Clark in car #82.
The only American open-wheel series victory for car #88 was in the NASCAR Speedway Division on June 8, 1952 at Langhorne Speedway with Al Keller.
Chaves could be the ninth youngest winner in Indianapolis 500 history at 24 years, ten months and 24 days.
Stefan Wilson
This will be Wilson's second Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 28th (2016).
Car #25 has won the Indianapolis 500 once, Al Unser in 1987.
The best finish for the 23rd-starter is second by Wilbur Shaw in 1933.
Wilson won twice in Indy Lights at Toronto and Kentucky in 2011.
Sage Karam
This will be Karam's fifth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 9th (2014).
Car #24 has won the Indianapolis 500 once, Graham Hill 1966.
The best finish for the 24th-starter is fourth on five occasions (Denny Hulme in 1967, Mel Kenyon i 1969, Sammy Sessions in 1972, Eliseo Salazar in 1995 and Townsend Bell in 2009).
Like Andretti, Karam could be the first Pennsylvanian to win the Indianapolis 500 since Bill Holland in 1949.
Karam could be the fourth youngest winner in Indianapolis 500 history at 23 years, two months and 22 days.
Row Nine:
Zach Veach
This will be Veach's second Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 26th (2017).
Car #26 has won the Indianapolis 500 twice including last year with Takuma Sato.
Only once has the winner started 25th and that was Johnny Rutherford in 1974.
Veach could be the sixth Ohioan to win the Indianapolis 500 joining Frank Lockhart, Mauri Rose, Sam Hanks, Bobby Rahal and Sam Hornish, Jr.
Veach could be the fourth youngest winner in Indianapolis 500 history at 23 years, five months and 18 days.
Oriol Servià
This will be Servià's tenth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 4th (2012).
Car #64 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
The best finish for the 26th-start is third by Don Freeland in 1956 and by Paul Goldsmith in 1960.
Car #64 has never won an IndyCar race.
Servià's only IndyCar victory came on August 28, 2005 at Montreal. If Servià were to win it would be the third-longest gap between victories in IndyCar history at 12 years, eight months and 29 days.
Servià is the oldest driver on the grid at 43 years, ten months and 14 days old. He could become the fifth oldest driver to win the Indianapolis 500.
J.R. Hildebrand
This will be Hildebrand's seventh Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 2nd (2011).
Car #66 has won the Indianapolis 500 once, Mark Donohue 1972.
Only once has the winner started 27th and that was by Fred Frame in 1932.
Hildebrand picked up two podium finishes last year in IndyCar, both on ovals.
Hildebrand has finished on the lead lap in six of seventh Indianapolis 500 starts.
This is his worst starting position in the Indianapolis 500.
Row Ten:
Jay Howard
This will be Howard's third Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 30th (2011).
Car #7 has won the Indianapolis 500 twice but not since Bill Holland in 1949.
Twice has the winner started 28th, inaugural winner Ray Harroun in 1911 and Louis Meyer in 1936.
This will be Howard's 14th IndyCar start since he made his debut over ten years ago. His best finish is 13th on two occasions.
An IndyCar race has never been won from worse than 28th on the grid.
Ed Jones
This will be Jones' second Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 3rd (2017).
Car #10 has won the Indianapolis 500 once, Dario Franchitti 2010.
The best finish for the 29th-starter is second in 1911 by Ralph Mulford and in 2002 by Paul Tracy.
Jones could become the first sophomore to win the Indianapolis 500 since Buddy Rice in 2004.
Jones could be the ninth youngest winner in Indianapolis 500 history at 25 years, three months and 12 days old.
Graham Rahal
This will be Rahal's 11th Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 3rd (2011).
Car #15 has won the Indianapolis 500 three times, most recently with Buddy Rice in 2004.
The best finish for the 30th-start was fourth in 1936 by Mauri Rose.
Only once has a driver picked up their first Indianapolis 500 victory in their 11th Indianapolis 500 start. That was Jim Rathmann in 1960.
Like Zach Veach, Rahal could become the sixth Ohioan to win the Indianapolis 500.
Row Eleven:
Jack Harvey
This will be Harvey's second Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 31st (2017).
Car #60 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
The best finish for the 31st-starter is fourth in 1951 by Andy Linden.
Car #60 has never won an IndyCar race.
Harvey could be the ninth youngest winner in Indianapolis 500 history at 25 years, one month and 12 days old.
Alexander Rossi
This will be Rossi's third Indianapolis 500 start.
2016 Indianapolis 500 winner.
Car #27 has won the Indianapolis 500 three times, most recently with Dario Franchitti in 2007.
The best finish for the 32nd-starter is second in 1957 by Jim Rathmann and 1981 by Mario Andretti.
Rossi could be the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 after finishing seventh the year before since Dario Franchitti in 2010.
This is the first time Rossi has started outside the top twenty in his IndyCar career.
Conor Daly
This will be Daly's fifth Indianapolis 500 appearance and hopefully fourth start.
Best Finish: 22nd (2013).
Car #17 has won the Indianapolis 500 once, Dario Resta 1916.
The best finish for the 33rd-starter is second in 1980 by Tom Sneva and 1992 by Scott Goodyear.
Daly has never finished on the lead lap in the Indianapolis 500 but he has finished on the lead lap in his last two oval starts.
ABC's coverage of the 102nd Indianapolis 500 begins at 11:00 a.m. ET with green flag scheduled for 12:21 p.m. ET. The race is scheduled for 200 laps.
