It’s finally time for the Indy 500, the most prestigious race in the IndyCar Series. The best drivers in the world will take the Indianapolis Motor Speedway by storm when they attempt to win this most coveted of races. The names of Will Power and Juan Pablo Montoya are sure to perk up some ears. Meanwhile, challengers such as James Hinchcliffe will be gunning to pull off some upsets in the Greatest Spectacle of Racing.
Don’t miss out when the fastest cars on the planet converge at Indianapolis this Sunday. Check out what’s in store for the racers with our prize money breakdown.
You wouldn’t believe how close Will Power was to winning the Indy 500 last year. He finished runner-up by just 0.1 second. He has now failed to win any of his eight 500 appearances in his career. He’s hardly a bad driver, as his 23 IndyCar wins and championship can attest. Power only needs to win the 500 to really put a stamp on his career.
Power already knows what it’ll take for him to win the 500. He’ll need to add more front wing. He declined his pit crew’s suggestion of adding more front wing in last year’s race, instead focusing on getting out first. A few tweaks here and there should have Power winning the first Indy 500 of his career.
Simon Pagenaud
Simon Pagenaud has been the hottest driver on the IndyCar Series this year. He’s won three straight races heading into the big Indy 500 this Sunday. And aside from his three wins, he also has two second place finishes under his belt.
Pagenaud’s average finish in his last three Indy 500 starts is an even 10th. He’ll be at or near the front of the pack running in the Indy 500, and with a couple of breaks, could have a decent shot at victory.
Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya is the defending Indy 500 champion. Montoya remains one of the best drivers in the IndyCar Series. He led the points from the start of last season, winning at St. Petersburg and Indy. He sat atop the point standings until the final race at Sonoma. His average starting (6.4) and average finishing position (6.9) gave him ample of opportunities for big performances.
Montoya’s results have been in decline since winning the season’s inaugural race, but a stop at Indy Motor Speedway should give him a much-needed boost. Juan Pablo has two wins and a top-5 finish in three career Indy 500 starts to date.
Sleeper
James Hinchcliffe
James Hinchcliffe will sit on pole position this coming Sunday for the 100th running of the Indy 500. It was only last year that he suffered a life-threatening accident at practice in Indy. This is Hinchcliffe’s first career pole win, marking the first non-Penske pole in 2016.
Hinchcliffe has been impressive in his past three races, finishing eighth at Long Beach, sixth at Alabama and third at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. He now has the pole to work with, which makes him a strong contender for the Indy 500 win.
Long Shot
Charlie Kimball
Charlie Kimball is one racer who won’t garner plenty of attention heading into the Indy 500, but probably should. He’s been pretty solid this season with three top 10 finishes. His best performance came at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis on May 14, where he placed fifth. That strong performance on Sunday should give him a lot of confidence heading into the big race. Kimball finished third at last year’s Indy 500.
