Preview: 105th Indianapolis 500

Most people reading this article on Kentucky Sports Radio have probably grown up around the Kentucky Derby and have seen all the pageantry surrounding the historic event. However, at the risk of watching the comment’s section burn, I will state that there is only one Greatest Spectacle in Racing, and that is the Indianapolis 500.

As KSR’s favorite (only) Indiana resident I am here to preview the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500. After Indianapolis Motor Speedway was left empty of fans in 2020 and the race was moved to August 23rd, 135,000 fans will return to the glorious two-and-a-half-mile oval on the typical Sunday of Memorial Day weekend date.

Due to ongoing Coronavirus concerns, IMS decided to limit capacity to 40% for the big race. While there may not be the typical 300,000 fans descending upon Speedway, Indiana, it will still be a welcomed sight to behold after being shut out of the 2020 race. Coverage is set to begin on NBC at 11:00 a.m. EST.

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If you have never been to Indianapolis Motor Speedway you cannot possibly fathom how large it is. Even in the very best seats you can’t see the entire track. A running joke among veteran race-goers is the new fans who say “let’s meet up at the track!” Sorry, between the mass of humanity and the literal miles that could separate seats it simply won’t happen.

If you love jean shorts, cutoff shirts featuring your favorite racing team and domestic beer, then the Indianapolis 500 is the event for you. It is also about celebrating America, remembering those who paid the ultimate sacrifice fighting for our country, hearing the roar of the engines, and listening to Back Home Again in Indiana. The Indianapolis 500 absolutely earns its moniker of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

Row 1

Veteran driver Scott Dixon secured the Indy 500 pole position for the fourth time in his career posting a 231.685 mph qualifying speed. Dixon won the race back in 2008 but also has finished in the Top 5 eight times including a second-place finish in last year’s race.

In the middle of Row 1 is Andretti Autosport’s young star, Colton Herta. Herta, at just 21 years old, will be racing in his third Indy 500. He finished 8th in 2020.

On the outside is 20-year-old Rinus VeeKay fresh off of his Indianapolis Grand Prix victory two weeks ago.

Watching these three drivers in the front row will make for a very interesting Sunday afternoon. Scott Dixon is the seasoned veteran who consistently puts out Top 5 finishes while Herta and VeeKay are arguably the two faces of the future of IndyCar racing. They have extremely fast cars and should give Dixon a run for his money.

Row 2

A local favorite in Indianapolis, Ed Carpenter will start on the inside of Row 2. A Butler graduate and Indy native, Carpenter has never won his home race but has two Top 5 finishes and five Top 10’s in 17 starts on the oval. Carpenter is also the car owner of Rinus Veekay in Row 1 and Conor Daly back in Row 7.

Tony Kanaan will be making his 20th start in the Indy 500 in his best position since 2015. Kanaan won the race in 2013 and has eight Top 5 and ten Top 10 finishes. On the outside, Alex Palou is a young driver who finished third at the Indianapolis Grand Prix and will be making his second Indy 500 start.

Row 3

Ryan Hunter-Ray will start seventh Indy 500 and the 2013 winner has finished in the Top 10 in three straight Indy 500’s. The story of Row 3 though will be Helio Castroneves making his 21st start. Castroneves has won the race three times, including back-to-back wins in 2001 and 2002, and has a whopping 14 Top 10 finishes. The seasoned veteran is always a strong contender at the Speedway.

Row 4

Starting on the inside of Row 4 is Alexander Rossi who has finished no worse than 7th in four of his five starts at the Indianapolis 500. However, he will have to bounce back from his 27th place finish last year. He will absolutely be one to watch that could move his way up as the race gets started.

22-year-old Pato O’Ward has put together a good season so far for his Arrow McLaren team. He won at the Texas Motor Speedway and finished in sixth place in last year’s Indy 500.

Row 5

The 2020 winner Takuma Sato will start here on the outside of Row 5. Sato also turned in a winning performance in 2017 and has a third-place finish to his name from 2019. Can Takuma Sato become the first back-to-back Indy 500 winner since Helio Castroneves did it in 2001-2002?

On the inside, Pietro Fittipaldi is one of two rookies running in the Indy 500 this year. Fittipaldi has Formula One experience and has been a successful driver overseas in his young career.

Row 6

James Hinchcliffe is an Indy 500 veteran making his ninth start with three Top 10 finishes including coming in seventh place a year ago. He is joined in Row 6 by Graham Rahal and rookie Scott McLaughlin.

McLaughlin finished eighth two weeks ago at the Indianapolis Grand Prix, but this will be his first time running on the oval. He has been a dominant force on the Australian Supercar circuit. Rahal, the son of 1986 winner Bobby Rahal, finished third in 2020, tying his career-best finish.

Row 7

Noblesville, Indiana’s own Conor Daly will start on the inside of Row 7. Daly wrecked almost immediately at the Indianapolis Grand Prix a couple of weeks ago and has yet to find much success on the oval at the Indy 500. If Daly can stay on the track and out of the garage he has a good enough car to compete towards the front of the pack.

On the outside, Josef Newgarden will look to extend his streak of three consecutive Top 10 finishes and five of the last six. The Team Penske driver finished a career-high third place in 2016.

Row 8

Two-time Indy 500 champion Juan Pablo Montoya begins on the outside of Row 8 for the 105th running. Montoya burst onto the scene in 2000 dominating the field and earning the victory in his first race on the oval. He would go on to compete in both Formula One and Nascar before returning to IndyCar in 2014 and winning the 500 again in 2015. Montoya hasn’t run at IMS since 2017.

JR Hildebrand hit the wall during turn four of the 2011 Indianapolis 500 which cost him the victory, finishing in second place. Since then, Hildebrand hasn’t ever gotten back into the top five at the Speedway. He will have a lot of passing to do if he wants to make 2021 his year.

Row 9

Marco Andretti was the pole-sitter for the 2020 running of the Indy 500, becoming the first Andretti on the pole since his grandfather Mario in 1987. However, he faded early and would wind up finishing 13th. Andretti has eight Top 10s and five Top 5s in his 15 career Indy 500 starts.

In the middle of Row 9 is Simon Pagenaud who won the race as the pole-sitter in 2019. Starting this far back in the field will make it very hard for the veteran Frenchman to rise to the top once again.

Row 10

Max Chilton is the headliner here in Row 10 as the fourth-place finisher back in 2017. This will be his fifth career start in the Indy 500. On either side of Chilton is Stefan Wilson to the inside and Dalton Kellett on the outside. Wilson will be making his third Indy 500 start while it is just the second for Kellett.

Row 11

Starting at the back of the field, Indianapolis 500 veteran Will Power will have a lot of ground to make up. Power, who won the race in 2018, has seven Top 10 finishes to his name at the 500.

Starting on the outside of Row 11 is the lone female in the field, Simona De Silvestro. This will be De Silvestro’s sixth Indy 500 start, but her first since 2015. On the inside, Sage Karam will run for the eighth time on the two-and-a-half-mile oval.

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@BRamseyKSR