33 things to know about Indy 500: Drivers to watch, history on the line, Larson's 'Double'
INDIANAPOLIS -- Can Team Penske finish the deal after a dominant couple weeks on the IMS oval? Can Kyle Larson complete 'The Double'? What history is on the line?
The 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 is jam-packed with storylines heading into Sunday's 200 laps. Here are 33 things to know and watch out for as you get ready to watch the Greatest Spectacle in Racing:
Team Penske eyeing history
1. If he can hold off his Team Penske teammates Will Power (starting 2nd) and Josef Newgarden (3rd), this year’s polesitter Scott McLaughlin will lead his first lap around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Lap 1 on Sunday after three previous starts. Despite five wins and six previous IndyCar poles before last weekend, the Racing Capital of the World has not been kind to the three-time Supercars champ, where his best start and finish were both 14th a year ago.
2. Less than two tenths-of-a-second over 10 miles separated Power, IndyCar’s all-time pole leader (70), from quite possibly the last major box to check in his career. With five front-row starts now at the 500 without a pole, the 43-year-old Team Penske driver ties Harry Hartz and Wilbur Shaw for the most all-time. On the bright side, this is major step in the right direction for Power, after starting no better than 11th and finishing no better than 14th over his last four 500s.
3. Though Marcus Ericsson did nearly register back-to-back 500 wins in 2022-23, it’s been a couple years since we’ve had a defending champion make a serious run a pole in his victory defense – dating back to Alexander Rossi’s third-place start in 2017. From pacing Fast Friday on the no-tow charts, as well as the field’s first experience at serious pack running in Monday afternoon’s two-hour practice.
4. Newgarden’s strong week on the oval comes in pursuit of, among other things, a $440,000 pot from BorgWarner waiting for the next driver to go back-to-back on Memorial Day weekend at IMS. The pool of cash was established in 1995 and grows by $20,000 every year. Only once (Helio Castroneves, 2001-02) has a driver claimed it. Only five times have drivers won back-to-back 500s – and only once since the early ‘70s.
5. For just the second time – both in team and race history – Team Penske has swept the front row, something Roger Penske’s eponymous team did back in 1988 with a trio of drivers with some eerie similarities to his crew this year. That year, polesitter Rick Mears drove a yellow Pennzoil-sponsored car (like McLaughlin). Danny Sullivan, a one-time winner, started second (like Power), and the defending winner Al Unser Sr. started on the outside of Row 1 (like Newgarden).
6. Good news for Roger Penske: 45 of the previous 107 500s have been won by the front row. Bad news: only three of the last 12 victors have come from there – with Newgarden’s charge from 17th a year ago proof that a great race car likely matters more than where you start.
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Larson's 'Double' could be race day for the ages
7. Whatever ups and downs he may experience elsewhere on the calendar, with just 1 win in his last 75 IndyCar starts, Alexander Rossi has yet again set himself up to be a contender in May. Of his eight 500 starts, six of those attempts finished in the top-7 – including five in the top-5. In his second-best starting spot to date in 4th, Rossi enters with a clear chip on his shoulder, tired of Team Penske’s chirping last week. “There’s been a lot of noise from them,” Rossi said Sunday, “but also a lot of motivation.”
8. For those keyed in on watching Kyle Larson’s ‘Double’ attempt and worried if he’ll make NASCAR’s Coke 600 in time or not, here’s the time to keep in mind: 4:15 p.m. That’s when the Cup champ’s camp says he needs to be ‘wheels up’ in the helicopter that will take him to Hendrick Motorsports’ private plane, which will then fly him to North Carolina. Interestingly, last year’s 500, which featured three red flags in the last 20 laps, finished right at 4:15 p.m. That targeted take-off time does include a little wiggle room, and NASCAR displayed a willingness to accommodate Larson for Sunday’s All-Star race, moving its start time back 16 minutes when Larson made the Fast 6. Whether they would do that for a points-paying race is unclear.
9. If you’re interested in comparing Larson’s ‘Double’ attempt results to the four drivers and nine total attempts that have come before him, here’s what the Hendrick Motorsports driver will be targeting. Six of those nine previous attempts have led to top-10s in the 500, with 6th-place achieved by Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch. As one might imagine, the closing stint of the feat – 600 miles at Charlotte Motor Speedway – has been tougher to excel at. Only twice – Stewart’s pair of attempts in 1999 and 2001 – has a ‘Double’ driver finished all 400 laps of the Coke 600. And only one of those (2001) saw Stewart complete all 200 laps at the 500, too. That year, Stewart finished 6th at IMS and 3rd in Charlotte.
10. One of the more mind-numbing stats from Kyle Larson’s attempt at ‘The Double’ on Sunday: Over 1,110 miles at IMS (500) and Charlotte Motor Speedway (600), the Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports driver will make as many as 2,400 left turns across his roughly seven hours of racing Sunday.
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Darkhorse contenders to watch
11. In perhaps one of the most overlooked stories of the weekend, Ed Carpenter Racing scrambled in roughly three hours to turn Rinus VeeKay’s mangled, wrecked chassis after the young driver’s qualifying run into one of the fastest 12 on the grid. Look at where Marcus Ericsson ended up qualifying after crashing on Thursday, and you’ll realize just how impressive a feat that is. Though VeeKay breaks his streak of four top-4 starts to start his career, his average starting position of 3.8 is still something to marvel at. His average finish of 17.75? Not so much.
12. As we’ve seen each of the last two years – where in 2022 he backed out of a potential last-lap pass for the win to preserve his championship position, and a year ago when he arguably made too risky a move too soon down the stretch – Pato O’Ward has yet to prove he has the chops to carve his way properly to a 500 win. If he's in the fight yet again over the closing 20 laps, it will be interesting to see how the young Mexican driver plays his cards.
13. Is this the last time we see two-time winner Takuma Sato racing in the 500? It’s seemed a bit touch-and-go the last couple offseasons as to whether the 47-year-old Japanese driver would be back in the cockpit for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Without a formal goodbye tour planned as he starts 10th, one would hope Sato be back again in 2025 and as far into the future as he wishes – and that whenever he does hang up his helmet, he can go on his terms and get the resounding round of applause that one of the 20 multi-time winners in this race’s history deserves.
14. Colton Herta's qualified better three times (2nd, 5th and 10th) but he may have his best chance to compete for a 500 victory Sunday. Herta’s No. 26 Honda was the talk of the paddock following Monday afternoon’s two-hour practice that appeared to go seamlessly for the 24-year-old making his sixth 500 start. With even cooler conditions expected on race day, his Gainbridge Honda may feel just that much better.
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What's up with Chip Ganassi Racing?
15. Having all made valiant starts to their full-time IndyCar careers with Chip Ganassi Racing – with just one DNF between the trio this year -- the true test for Marcus Armstrong (16th), Kyffin Simpson (18th) and Linus Lundqvist (27th) starts Sunday. Whether their fault or not, there’s often at least one rookie whose 500 debut ends prematurely after being caught up in the mid-pack carnage.
16. In the weeks after David Malukas’ wrist injury, all eyes had been on Callum Ilott as a potential option for Arrow McLaren to pursue as a short-term stand-in and, if needed, longer-term replacement. Where all that stands, after a lackluster debut in 11th at St. Pete, little memorable at Thermal and now the only Arrow McLaren driver to miss the Fast 12, is unclear. Having fought through a miserable month a year ago with JHR to finish 12th, the young British driver was seen by many as one to watch, now that he had grabbed a ride with a new team. Within the team making the second-most storylines the last week-plus, Ilott seems largely forgotten.
17. After coming away each May from 2020-22 likely feeling like the race had been his to lose, that Scott Dixon is so far removed from the list of top storylines and contenders is almost a story in its own. His 21st starting spot Sunday is the worst in his 22 appearances. His spot on the grid is also fourth best among Chip Ganassi Racing’s five cars – only ahead of Linus Lundqvist (27th). Despite a Saturday morning engine change after the team felt the No. 9 was simply low on speed compared to his teammates, Dixon still finished more than a half-mile-an-hour on his four-lap average slower than the first car to miss the Fast 12 (Colton Herta, 13th).
18. With a run of four consecutive races where he led at least one lap, Dixon pulled even with Tony Kanaan for the all-time lead on the most individual races led in the 500’s history in 2022 at 15 each. With a chance to edge ahead a year ago, neither led a single lap. Now with Kanaan retired (we think), Dixon need just lead one more lap in his career to take hold of that record.
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Indy 500 history on the line
19. By taking the checkered flag on the lead lap last year, Helio Castroneves moved into 2nd all-time in miles run in the 500. He currently sits at 10,995 after passing Al Unser Sr. (10,890) in 2023. With a full race this year and each of the next two after that (through 2026), Castroneves would become the 500’s all-time mileage leader – surpassing AJ Foyt’s mark of 12,272.5.
20. The seventh row, comprised of Marco Andretti, Scott Dixon and Helio Castroneves, with 62 previous starts in the 500 between them, makes for the second-most experienced row in 500 history, according to @Indy500Trivia on X (formerly Twitter). The only one with more is the famed front row of the 1991 500 that included Rick Mears, AJ Foyt and Mario Andretti (71 starts among them at that time).
21. Ironically, two rows behind that trio that combines for five 500 victories and 10 poles at the Greatest Spectacle in Racing includes just four previous 500 starts between the six (Agustin Canapino, Sting Ray Rob, Christian Rasmussen, Tom Blomqvist, Romain Grosjean and Linus Lundqvist). Canapino’s finish of 26th after crashing out a year ago on Lap 192 is the group’s highest finish.
22. Despite insistence in some corners of the paddock this month that he had made a decision on his future – either with a formal contract or by creating an exclusive negotiating window – Christian Lundgaard has maintained his options are still wide-open regarding his future in 2025 and beyond. He did say, though, in St. Pete that choosing to stay at RLL or not would hinge in some ways on the team’s oval performance he characterized as “the biggest disappointment” during his time there. Qualifying 28th – with two teammates farther back – would seem to be a tough sign, barring a miraculous race day.
23. As has been the case the last couple years, this year’s 500 could still see the oldest, or youngest, winner in its history. The records currently are owned by Troy Ruttman (youngest; 22 years, 80 days old for his 1952 win) and Al Unser Sr. (oldest; 47 years, 360 days old for his 1987 win). CGR rookie Kyffin Simpson, who turned 19 in October, has a chance to become the youngest 500 winner through the 2026 edition. Helio Castroneves, who turned 49 earlier this month, will become the race’s oldest winner, should he ever complete his ‘Drive for 5.’
24. Having won last year in his 12th 500 appearance, Newgarden fell one race short of tying Sam Hanks’ record as the longest start to a race-winner’s career before that initial victory finally came. There are several, though, who would blow the doors off Hanks’ mark set when he won in 1957, including Graham Rahal (17th start, starting 33rd), Marco Andretti (19th start, starting 19th) and Ed Carpenter (21st start, starting 17th).
25. Should Scott Dixon win Sunday, pulling off a miraculous performance from 21st, the CGR’s 16-year gap since his first and only 500 win in 2008 would break Juan Pablo Montoya’s record of most years in between wins at IMS (15, 2000-2015).
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An Indy 500 for the ages
26. By no means is this a guarantee, but for the first time in recent memory, engine reliability may play a legitimate role in how Sunday’s 500 ultimately plays out. By my recollection, Fernando Alonso’s engine failure during his 500 debut in 2017 was the last high-profile engine failure in the race – during a year where three Hondas failed – and reliability hasn’t been much of a talking point since. Since opening practice of the Sonsio Grand Prix, Honda has made seven unplanned engine changes – most of them forced due to failures, rather than precautionary. Chevy’s seven plenum events during qualifying, though more frequent at a higher boost level, can’t leave that camp without worry either.
27. The 108th 500 signals particularly important anniversaries for a handful of teams and drivers in the field this year, including: 50 years since Johnny Rutherford’s win for McLaren; 40 since Rick Mears’s second 500 win for Team Penske and first in the ‘Yellow Submarine’; 30 years since Penske dominated the race with ‘The Beast’; 20 since what’s now Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing won its first with Buddy Rice; and 10 since Ryan Hunter-Reay finally broke through for his first and only 500 win.
28. Perhaps the best stat to properly put into perspective just how cruel this race can be – and how often the ‘best’ car doesn’t win this race: over the past four years (starting with the green flag in 2020), Chip Ganassi Racing has led 392 of the 800 laps run over four 500s. Team Penske drivers have led a combined 25 laps. Both organizations have won the same number of 500s over that span.
29. With six of the seven rookies we entered the month with making the field of 33, the 500 will see its 800th (and 801st) drivers to start the race in its 108-year history on Sunday. Last year’s class of four rookies left us at 795 heading into 2024.
30. This year’s field only narrowly misses setting a couple records that have stood for more than 30 years. Its list of eight former winners (which combine for 12 500 victories) fall just two short of the mark set in 1992. That 1992 edition (along with 1987) set all-time marks for most combined starts from the field with 260. This year’s field has 222. This year’s field also features seven former Rookies of the Year, short of the nine that raced in 1991 and 2021.
31. With every passing year, it seems increasingly unlikely we’ll ever see AJ Foyt’s record of 35 500 starts broken – let alone approached. Helio Castroneves holds the active record at 23, with No. 24 coming Sunday. At 49 years old, he’d have to race until he’s 61 years old to eclipse his fellow four-time winner’s record.
32. Another seemingly untouchable record (at least for many, many years): Scott Dixon has led 665 laps in his 500 career, still seemingly with several more left in him. Helio Castroneves sits second among active drivers at 326. Ryan Hunter-Reay (171), Ed Carpenter (146), Will Power (145) and Marco Andretti (144) follow. The first member of IndyCar’s next generation of drivers? Alex Palou (118).
33. In case you’ve missed the rollout of the Indy 500 dignitaries this month, here’s a quick list of all of them in one place. Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. will serve as the celebrity pace car driver at the wheel of Chevrolet’s Corvette E-Ray. Multiplatinum singer-songwriter Jordin Sparks will sing the national anthem, joined in the pre-race music traditions by ‘God Bless America’ singer Phillip Phillips. ‘Bikeriders’ stars Austin Butler and Jodie Comer will wave the green flag to kickoff the race’s 200 laps.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: What to watch at Indy 500 with Team Penske, Kyle Larson's Double, more
