Let's just hope this time there's also not a repeat of the thunderstorms and heavy rain that delayed the start of last year's Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
The 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 will have sold-out grandstands for the first time since the 100th running in 2016. About 350,000 people are expected to attend the event.
As usual, here are some grid stats: 61% of race winners have started in the first two rows, with 42% of winners starting on the front row. In the history of the race, only seven winners have come out of positions No. 21-33 on the starting grid. From 1937-2023, only one winner came out of those final few rows; Johnny Rutherford won from the 25th position on the inside of row 9 in 1974.
For the first time since 2022, no female drivers attempted or qualified for this year's Indy 500. Last year, Katherine Legge was the lone woman in the field; she started 31st and finished in 29th place. Legge, who's driven in four Indy 500s, is racing within the NASCAR umbrella for a smattering of races this season.
Only nine women have ever raced in the Indianapolis 500.
The field of 33:
Row 1
Robert Shwartzman - No. 83 PREMA Racing car
Hometown: Tel Aviv, Israel
Team: PREMA Racing
Engine: Chevrolet
Average qualifying speed: 232.790 mph
Shwartzman surprised many by becoming the first rookie to take the Indy 500 pole position since Teo Fabi in 1983. The winner has started on the pole 21 times, most recently in 2019 with Simon Pagenaud's victory.
Takuma Sato - No. 75 AMADA car
Hometown: Tokyo, Japan
Team: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Engine: Honda
Average qualifying speed: 232.478 mph
Indy 500 winner: 2017, 2020
Sato is one of the one-off entries for the Indy 500. Like the overall stats show, starting near the front agrees with Sato. He's won thie race starting from fourth (2017) and third (2020). Now, he'll try to become a three-time winner for the second spot. He finished 14th last season in his 15th Indy 500, a race where he's finished in the top 10 four times.
A driver hasn't won the Indy 500 after starting in 2nd position since 2000 (Juan Pablo Montoya).
Pato O'Ward - No. 5 Arrow McLaren car
Hometown: Monterrey, Mexico
Team: Arrow McLaren
Engine: Chevrolet
Average qualifying speed: 232.098 mph
Could this be Pato's year? He's starting on the front row for his best start in the Indy 500. He has four top-10 finishes in five previous races, including being the runner-up in 2022 and 2024. He nearly had it last year but perhaps made his move for the lead too early at the end and was beaten by Josef Newgarden.
O'Ward is one of the faces of IndyCar and a very popular driver.
Row 2
Scott Dixon - No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing car
Hometown: Auckland, New Zealand
Team: Chip Ganassi Racing
Engine: Honda
Average qualifying speed: 232.052 mph
Indy 500 winner: 2008
The Ice Man and six-time IndyCar Series champion is still hoping for his second Indy 500 victory. Whatever the list is of all-time great drivers who failed to win multiple Indy 500s, Dixon is right up there. The race three years ago, when he started from pole and looked to be in a great spot during the race if not for a pit-lane speed violation, will continue to haunt him if he doesn't drinkt the milk again in his career.
Besides his victory in 2008, he finished as a runner-up three times in 2007, 2012 and 2020. He also finished third last year after starting 21st. He's been a "biggest mover" in a race already this season, so you can basically never count him out no matter where he starts. He has 14 top-10 finishes in 22 starts for the Indy 500.
Felix Rosenqvist - No 60 SiriusXM car
Hometown: Värnamo, Sweden
Team: Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian
Engine: Honda
Average qualifying speed: 231.987 mph
He's finished 27th in three of his six 500s, including the last two years. His best finish was fourth in 2022.
Alex Palou - No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing car
Hometown: Barcelona, Spain
Team: Chip Ganassi Racing
Engine: Honda
Average qualifying speed: 231.378 mph
Palou is dominating IndyCar. The back-to-back series champion and current championship points leader has won four of the first five races, going on a run that the series hasn't seen since the days of A.J. Foyt in his prime.
But his biggest knock is that he hasn't won an oval race in his IndyCar career. His 15 victories have come on road or street courses. He's finished in the top 10 in four of his five Indy 500s, his best being second in 2021.
Row 3
David Malukas - No. 4 Clarence Technologies car
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Team: A.J. Foyt Enterprises
Engine: Chevrolet
Average qualifying speed: 231.599 mph
He missed out on the fun last year after suffering a wrist injury while mountain biking. It kept ihm out of racing for a while, but he's back and starting in a good spot.
Christian Lundgaard - No. 7 Arrow McLaren car
Hometown: Hedensted, Denmark
Team: Arrow McLaren
Engine: Chevrolet
Average qualifying speed: 231.360 mph
He'll start from his best spot in eighth, well better than 31st, 30th or 28th, his previous starting positions. His best finish was 13th, in 2024.
Marcus Ericsson - No. 28 Allegra car
Hometown: Kumla, Sweden
Team: Andretti Global
Engine: Honda
Average qualifying speed: 231.014 mph
Indy 500 winner: 2022
Ericsson is back for his seventh Indy 500, hoping to run the race this time after he crashed on lap one last year. He nearly won back-to-back Indy 500s in 2023 but finished as the runner-up. Only one winner has started this race in ninth position outside row 3: Emerson Fittipaldi in 1993.
Row 4
Scott McLaughlin - No. 3 Penzoil Team Penske car
Hometown: Christchurch, New Zealand
Team: Team Penske
Engine: Chevrolet
Average qualifying speed: 233.013 mph
Perhaps a crash in practice before the second day of qualifying kept him out of the back row like his Penske teammates. He was the polesitter last year and finished sixth, his best in four starts.
Conor Daly - No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing car
Hometown: Noblesville, Indiana
Team: Juncos Hollinger Racing
Engine: Chevrolet
Average qualifying speed: 231.725 mph
A hometown, senitmental favorite, Daly will start in his 11th Indy 500. He's finished in the top 10 this past three years. Starting 11th ties his best starting position; he finished 10th in 2019 when he started there.
Alexander Rossi - No. 20 ECR Java House car
Hometown: Nevada City, California
Team: Ed Carpenter Racing
Engine: Chevrolet
Average qualifying speed: 231.701 mph
Indy 500 winner: 2016
His shining moment came as a rookie when he won the race in 2016. He has seven top-10 finishes in nine career indy 500 starts.
Row 5
Kyffin Simpson - No. 8 Journie Rewards Chip Ganassic Racing car
Hometown: Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Team: Chip Ganassi Racing
Engine: Honda
Average qualifying speed: 231.641 mph
The 20-year-old is back for his second year. He finished 21st as a rookie in 2024.
Ed Carpenter - No. 33 ECR Splenda Stevia car
Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana
Team: Ed Carpenter Racing
Engine: Chevrolet
Average qualifying speed: 231.633 mph
The team owner and Indy native always gives himself a ride in the race, and why not? The 44-year-old will make his 22nd start in the race. He hasn't finished better than 17th since 2021.
Santino Ferucci - No. 14 Homes For Our Troops car
Hometown: Woodbury, Connecticut
Team: A.J. Foyt Enterprises
Engine: Chevrolet
Average qualifying speed: 231.593 mph
Running at Indy agrees with him. He's 6-for-6 in top-10 finishes, with his best being third in 2023.
Row 6
Devlin DeFrancesco - No. 30 Dogecoin car
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
Team: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Engine: Honda
Average qualifying speed: 231.575 mph
The last winner from this spot was Dario Franchitti in 2012.
Sting Ray Robb - No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing car
Hometown: Payette, Idaho
Team: Juncos Hollinger Racing
Engine: Chevrolet
Average qualifying speed: 231.461 mph
Sting Ray "that's his real name" Robb is back for his third Indy 500. He finished 16th last year and 31st the year before after contact ended his day after 90 laps.
Christian Rasmussen - No. 21 ECR Splenda car
Hometown: Copenhagen, Denmark
Team: Ed Carpenter Racing
Engine: Chevrolet
Average qualifying speed: 231.438 mph
The 2023 INDY NXT Series champion is back again after finishing 12th as a rookie last year.
Row 7
Kyle Larson - No. 17 HendrickCars.com Arrow McLaren car
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Team: Arrow McLaren
Engine: Chevrolet
Average qualifying speed: 231.326 mph
Stormy delays to last year's 500 kept Larson from running the "double" of the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion will try to pull off the doubleheader again this year.
Louis Foster - No. 45 Desnuda Tequila car
Hometown: Odiham, England
Team: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Engine: Honda
Average qualifying speed: 231.058 mph
The 21-year-old is a rookie in this year's Indy 500. He won the 2024 INDY NXT championship.
Callum Ilott - No. 90 PREMA Racing car
Hometown: Cambridge, England
Team: PREMA Racing
Engine: Chevrolet
Average qualifying speed: 230.993 mph
He'll make his fourth Indy 500 start. His best finish was last year, in 11th place.
Row 8
Helio Castroneves - No. 06 Cliffs car
Hometown: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Team: Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian
Engine: Honda
Average qualifying speed: 230.978 mph
Indy 500 winner: 2001, 2002, 2009, 2021
This will be his 25th Indy 500. He'll try again to become the only driver to win five Indy 500s. He's 50 years old, still the oldest driver on the grid. He'd be the oldest winner should he finish first this year. Al Unser Sr. was 47 years old when he won his fourth Indy 500 in 1987, still standing as the oldest winner.
Kyle Kirkwood - No. 27 Siemens car
Hometown: Jupiter, Florida
Team: Andretti Global
Engine: Honda
Average qualifying speed: 230.917 mph
He finished seventh in last year's race, his third Indy 500.
Kirkwood won Long Beach this season, the only race not won by Palou.
Nolan Siegel - No. 6 Arrow McLaren car
Hometown: Palo Alto, California
Team: Arrow McLaren
Engine: Chevrolet
Average qualifying speed: 230.571 mph
Siegel was bumped from the field last year, after crashing in his final qualifying run. He'll be a rookie in this year's Indy 500.
Row 9
Ryan Hunter-Reay - No. 23 DRR CUSICK WEDBUSH SECURITIES car
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Team: DRR-Cusick Motorsports
Engine: Chevrolet
Average qualifying speed: 230.363 mph
Indy 500 winner: 2014
A one-off entry, the road got harder for Hunter-Reay after a fire in his car during Carb Day on Friday. He'll have a back-up car on race day. He's made 16 career starts in the Indy 500, with six top-10 finishes.
Jack Harvey - No. 24 DRR CUSICK INVST car
Hometown: Bassingham, England
Team: DRR-Cusick Motorsports
Engine: Chevrolet
Average qualifying speed: 230.348 mph
Harvey spent most of this season so far as a pit reporter for the IndyCar broadcasts. He was bumped from the Indy 500 field last year by then-Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing teammate Graham Rahal.
Colton Herta - No. 26 Gainbridge car
Hometown: Valencia, California
Team: Andretti Global w/ Curb-Agajanian
Engine: Honda
Average qualifying speed: 230.192 mph
Herta's team got a car ready for qualifying after he crashed in practice. He's finished three of his six Indy 500s, finishing eighth in 2020 for his best finish.
Row 10
Graham Rahal - No. 15 United Rentals car
Hometown: New Albany, Ohio
Team: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Engine: Honda
Average qualifying speed: 229.863 mph
Qualifying struggles have become an annual occurence for Rahal, unfortunately. This year, at least he made it into the show on Saturday and didn't have to fight it out in the Last Row Shootout as in the past two years.
Last year, he started in the 33rd and final position but worked his way up to a 15th-place finish. His best finish in 17 Indy 500 starts is third (2011, 2020). He has four top-10 finishes and three top-5s in his career.
Bobby Rahal, his father and team owner, is the 1986 Indy 500 champion.
Marco Andretti - No. 98 MAPEI / Curb car
Hometown: Nazareth, Pennsylvania
Team: Andretti Herta w/Marco & Curb-Agajanian
Engine: Honda
Average qualifying speed: 229.741 mph
A veteran of this race, Marco will suit up for his 20th Indy 500. He's no longer a series regular, for the fifth year in a row. His grandfather Mario Andretti won the race in 1969, the only time an Andretti has won the race despite many starts, laps led and heartbreak for drivers in the family.
Marco nearly won the race as a rookie in 2006, but Sam Hornish Jr. beat him at the line for one of the closest finishes in race history.
This marks his worst starting spot on the grid. He has eight top-10 finishes with five in the top-5 in the Indy 500.
Marcus Armstong - No. 66 SiriusXM/Root Insurance car
Hometown: Christchurch, New Zealand
Team: Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian
Engine: Honda
Average qualifying speed: 229.091 mph
Armstrong had mechanical issues as a rookie in last year's race, finishing 30th.
Row 11
Rinus VeeKay - No. 18 askROI car
Hometown: Hoofddorp, Netherlands
Team: Dale Coyne Racing
Engine: Honda
Average qualifying speed: 226.913 mph
He didn't have the speed in qualifying this year, unlike his previous attempts at Indy. He bumped a teammate this year out of the field in the Last Row Shootout. His best finishin in the race is eighth in 2021.
Josef Newgarden - No. 2 Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Team Penske car
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Team: Team Penske
Engine: Chevrolet
Average qualifying speed: 233.004 mph
Indy 500 winner: 2023, 2024
He'll look to accomplish two things that have never been done in Indy 500 history: Win three 500s in a row, and win the race starting from the last row.
Coming into qualifying, Newgarden and Team Penske were a favorite, per usual. But a cheating scandal involving the Penske cars pushed Newgarden and teammate Will Power to the back of the field.
Newgarden has five top-5 finishes in 14 career Indy 500s.
Will Power - No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car
Hometown: Toowoomba, Australia
Team: Team Penske
Engine: Chevrolet
Average qualifying speed: 232.144 mph
Indy 500 winner: 2018
Starting last is not ideal after the cheating scandal. But can Will power his way to the front for his second Indy 500 victory? No one has done it before from spot No. 33.
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