The 107th running of the Indy 500 is this weekend on Sunday, May 28th, at 12 EST on NBC. The race is the crown jewel of the IndyCar schedule, and it features big crowds, big money, and great racing. Many fans only watch the Indy 500- last year, 4.8 million watched the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, compared to about 1 million per race for the rest of the schedule. The Indy 500 is IndyCar’s prizewinning race; so, to the millions of fans who ONLY tune into the 500, who should you root for? 33 options, most of them compelling— I make the case for them all below.
Drivers are listed in their qualifying order.
Alex Palou #10
Nation of Origin: Spain
Team: Chip Ganassi Racing
Sponsor: The American Legion
Alex Palou is an exciting young driver. He’s also very very good. The 2021 champion has already come close to winning the 500, as he finished second to Helio Castroneves in 2021. Palou is off to an excellent start to the year, and won the previous IndyCar race 2 weeks ago at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Bonus: Formula 1 fans, you may recognize this name— he tested an F1 car for McLaren last fall.
Rinus VeeKay #21
Nation of Origin: Netherlands
Team: Ed Carpenter Racing
Sponsor: Bitnile.com
VeeKay is part of IndyCar’s latest youth movement, and has 1 career win in the series. Just 22 years old and already running his 4th Indy 500, VeeKay is always a fast competitor at the Speedway. His career qualifying positions for the 500? 4th, 3rd, 3rd, and now 2nd this year. He’s struggled to finish the race, as he crashed out early last year, but keep an eye on VeeKay to spice things up on Sunday.
Felix Rosenqvist #7
Nation of Origin: Sweden
Team: Arrow McLaren
Sponsor: Arrow McLaren
On a flashy McLaren IndyCar team, Rosenqvist is the constant, quiet veteran. He’s won in the series before (2020, Road America), as well as in Indy NXT and Formula E. Felix has a career best finish of 4th in the 500 (2022), and won the pole at the last oval IndyCar visited (Texas earlier this year).
Santino Ferrucci #14
Nation of Origin: United States
Team: A.J. Foyt Racing
Sponsor: Homes For Our Troops
It will be easy to spot Ferrucci’s car on Sunday— look for the American flag. His sponsor, ABC Supply Co., does a fantastic job putting worthwhile charities on the racecar. Ferrucci is as American as it gets, so if that is what you are looking for, he may be your best bet. He’s also fast at Indianapolis; in 4 starts, he’s never finished outside of the top 10. Him and teammate Benjamin Petersen are the big surprises of qualifying— both qualified their underdog A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolets into the top 12.
Plato O’Ward #5
Nation of Origin: Mexico
Team: Arrow McLaren
Sponsor: Arrow McLaren
O’Ward is, based on recent merchandise numbers, the most popular IndyCar driver. It’s no surprise why, as he is both fast and a driver for McLaren, the most popular racing team on the planet. O’Ward finished second here last year to Marcus Ericsson in a fantastic battle, and he’s once again a favorite to lead the race. Just keep your eyes peeled— he’s in a black throwback ride this weekend, a divergence from his normal papaya orange.
Scott Dixon #9
Nation of Origin: New Zealand
Team: Chip Ganassi Racing
Sponsor: PNC Bank
6-time champion and 2008 Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon has a legitimate argument for being the GOAT. The one thing he’s missing? More Indy 500 wins. Recent years have been one heartbreak after another— he finished second in 2020 after leading the most laps, won the pole in 2021 but finished 17th, and led the most laps from the pole last year before a speeding penalty on his final pit stop cost him the race. Despite his struggles to seal the deal, he still may be the favorite— bandwagon fans, here’s your guy.
Alexander Rossi
Nation of Origin: United States
Team: Arrow McLaren
Sponsor: Arrow McLaren
Rossi won in his first ever Indy 500, the historic 100th running in 2016. Towards the end of his tenure with Andretti, he struggled. Now he’s with a new team, flashy McLaren, and has shown more speed as of late. Rossi is one of the most talented drivers in the garage; the field is waiting for him to show it once more. 2022 Indy finish: 5th.
Takuma Sato #11
Nation of Origin: Japan
Team: Chip Ganassi Racing
Sponsor: Deloitte
Sato has won 2 Indy 500s—in 2017 and 2020—and is one of the better oval racers in the series. He’s only running the ovals this year for CGR (Marcus Armstrong is running the road and street courses. Sato is a fan-favorite driver, and he has the speed to make it 3 wins in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
Tony Kanaan #66
Nation of Origin: Brazil
Team: Arrow McLaren
Sponsor: Arrow McLaren
Sunday will be the last ride for Tony Kanaan; expect the emotions to run high regardless of whether he wins or finishes last. Winning the race isn’t out of the question, as Kanaan and his McLaren team are incredibly fast. Kanaan won the 2004 championship, and the 2013 Indy 500– a second 500 win is in the cards. He’s an IndyCar legend, and his amazing career will come to a close on Sunday.
Marcus Ericsson #10
Nation of Origin: Sweden
Team: Chip Ganassi Racing
Sponsor: Huski Ice Spritz
The champ is here! Ericsson won last year’s race in thrilling fashion. This year, he looks to become the first back-to-back winner since Hélio Castroneves in 2001 and 2002. Ericsson currently sits third in the points standings with a win at St. Petersburg earlier this year; since he won this race last year, he’s been one of the most consistent drivers in the field. Ericsson is a championship threat, and he is cementing himself as a top driver in the field.
Benjamin Pedersen #55
Nation of Origin: Denmark
Team: A.J. Foyt Racing
Sponsor: Sexton Properties
Pedersen is the most shocking driver to make the top 12. A rookie driver, for an underdog team, being top 10 on speed? This is no fluke; he and teammate Santino Ferrucci have been high up on the speed charts in most of the practice sessions this month. What Pedersen has done is incredibly impressive, as the highest qualified rookie in the field. Keep an eye on him Sunday to make more waves than he’s already made.
Will Power #12
Nation of Origin: Australia
Team: Team Penske
Sponsor: Verizon
Will Power, the defending IndyCar champion and 2018 Indy 500 winner, is a character. One never knows what to expect from Power, who also won the 2014 title, so keep your eyes on the driver of the #12. Team Penske, one of IndyCar’s top teams, has struggled on speed slightly in May— Power is the highest qualified driver from the team. Look for him and Penske to make improvements on Sunday
Ed Carpenter #33
Nation of Origin: United States
Team: Ed Carpenter Racing
Sponsor: Bitnile.com
2023 is Ed’s 20th attempt at winning the Indy 500— the best he has finished was in 2018, where he finished second. Ed and his race team are consistently fast at Indianapolis, as he’s won 3 poles in his career at the track. Teammates Rinus VeeKay and Conor Daly start 2nd and 16th, respectively, and always end up towards the front of the race. Can attempt #20 pay off for Ed? He’s got a fighting chance to pull it off on Sunday.
Scott McLaughlin #3
Nation of Origin: New Zealand
Team: Team Penske
Sponsor: Pennzoil
McLaughlin, since his rookie season in 2021 coming over from Australian Supercars, has skyrocketed into superstardom. Last year, he won 3 races and finished 4th in points; this year, he’s 5th and already has a win at Barber. McLaughlin hosts the entertaining “Bus Bros” series with teammate Josef Newgarden on YouTube, and is active and engaging on social media. At only 30 years old, McLaughlin has a fantastic IndyCar career ahead of him, and an Indy 500 win would be another mark towards an impressive start to his career.
Kyle Kirkwood #27
Nation of Origin: United States
Team: Andretti Autosport
Sponsor: AutoNation
Kyle Kirkwood had a dismal rookie season. This year is off to a much better start with his new team. Kirkwood won at Long Beach last month in a breakthrough moment with Andretti Autosport. He, and Andretti as a whole, have had speed without results. The team seems down on speed at Indy, however, and needs a strong run to right the ship heading into the summer. Kirkwood can right the ship.
Conor Daly #20
Nation of Origin: United States
Team: Ed Carpenter Racing
Sponsor: Bitnile.com
He’s the local kid, from Noblesville, Indiana. He’s got a podcast with Dirty Mo Media. He used to drive the US Air Force car and sport a mullet, and he ran the Daytona 500 this spring. Conor Daly is IndyCar’s most interesting man, and he’s also been fast at Indianapolis as of late. He led 40 laps in 2021, and finished in 6th last year. With a solid starting spot, expect some cheers from the local crowd as he drives towards the front.
Josef Newgarden #2
Nation of Origin: United States
Team: Team Penske
Sponsor: Shell Powering Progress
Newgarden is the best driver in the field to not have won an Indy 500. By all accounts, he should have won one by now. Of his 26 career wins, 12 have come on ovals, including his last 3. Newgarden is a 2-time champion, and has finished second in points the last three years. He is one of the stars of the sport, and also the host of Bus Bros with teammate Scott McLaughlin. A chalk pick at any other race, Newgarden is a talented driver who will aim for a breakthrough win at the Speedway on Sunday.
Ryan Hunter-Reay #23
Nation of Origin: United States
Team: Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
Sponsor: Root Insurance
RHR is back! The 2012 IndyCar champion and 2014 Indy 500 winner is back in the seat with Dreyer & Reinbold. He retired from full-time competition in 2021, and has spent time as an analyst for TV—it’s nice to see him return to the driver’s seat. He’s won 16 races in his career, 8 of which came on an oval. Hunter-Reay is experienced, steady, and consistent. He will be a factor at the end of this year’s race.
Romain Grosjean #28
Nation of Origin: Switzerland
Team: Andretti Autosport
Sponsor: DHL
From the former driver of the #28 DHL machine to the current, Grosjean has found plenty of speed this season. What he hasn’t found, however, are the finishes. Grosjean has been competitive in every race this season. If not for 2 crashes late in the opening 2 rounds of the season, he would likely be the points leader. Last year, he crashed out of his debut in the race, but ran strong beforehand. Grosjean’s following is strong– he ran 179 races in F1 with 10 podium finishes– and he’s considered one of the most popular drivers in the garage. The cheers will be loud on Sunday, but can he make it to the front from a midpack starting spot? We shall see
Helio Castroneves #06
Nation of Origin: Brazil
Team: Meyer Shank Racing
Sponsor: AutoNation/SiriusXM
Helio is an Indy 500 legend. In 2021, he won his record-tying 4th Indy 500, all while running just a part time schedule that year. Now, he’s back in the seat full time, and will be vying for a 5th Indy 500 crown on Sunday. He’s with the same team, Meyer Shank Racing, that he won with in 2021; they’ve struggled to find speed at other tracks, but perhaps the fan-favorite Castroneves can work his magic one more time at the yard of bricks.
Colton Herta #26
Nation of Origin: United States
Team: Andretti Autosport
Sponsor: Gainbridge
Colton Herta’s 2022 season at Indianapolis had the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. High: a dominant Indy GP win in wet conditions, featuring the greatest save in motorsports history. Seriously. Look it up. Low: a crash and flip on Carb Day, 48 hours before the green flag of the 106th Indy 500. Herta was unscathed, but his fast Honda machine was not after a long slide on its aeroscreen down the backstretch of the speedway. On raceday, the backup car was slow, and eventually retired due to mechanical failure. Herta has all the talent in the world, Formula 1 aspirations, and a powerful race team and manufacturer behind him. Could 2023 be the year that he shakes off the inconsistencies and bad luck and delivers a fantastic 500 result? It has to happen eventually.
Simon Pagenaud #60
Nation of Origin: France
Team: Meyer Shank Racing
Sponsor: AutoNation/SiriusXM
A few small things have happened in the 4 years since Pagenaud was the one drinking the milk in victory lane in 2019. Since then, Pagenaud’s career has gone differently than he may have expected. Now, the 15-time IndyCar winner and 2016 champion is partnered with longtime Penske teammate Helio Castroneves…at a team not called Penske. The veteran pairing bring a lot of experience to the garage, and Pagenaud has a solid chance to
David Malukas #18
Nation of Origin: United States
Team: Dale Coyne Racing with HMD
Sponsor: HMD Trucking
After Texas, Malukas became “Little Dave”, a moniker advanced by the NBC TV booth during the race. His performance there was anything but little- a top 5 on one of the toughest ovals in the series. Malukas has embraced the nickname while also proving his worth with some strong finishes to start the season. He qualified deep in the field, but don’t be surprised to see him make an underdog run towards the front
Marco Andretti #98
Nation of Origin: United States
Team: Andretti Autosport
Sponsor: KULR/Curb
The son of racing royalty has done everything at Indianapolis except win. He finished second in his rookie race at the speedway, the 2006 Indy 500, won the pole in 2020, and has 8 career top 10 finishes in 17 races. Marco is always a factor in the Indy 500, even when it’s his only race of the year (like this year). Starting in 24th place, he will have a tall hill to climb; it’s nothing he hasn’t done before.
Devlin DeFrancesco #29
Nation of Origin: Canada
Team: Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport
Sponsor: Sodexo
Defrancesco is the lone Canadien in this year’s race. The young driver is in the midst of his sophomore season after a trying rookie year. In his Indy 500 debut last year, he finished 20th, a very respectable result. DeFrancesco has consistently been solid on ovals in the early stages of his career, and can be expected to return another clean run on Sunday.
Augustin Canapino #78
Nation of Origin: Argentina
Team: Juncos Hollinger Racing
Sponsor: Juncos Hollinger Racing
Canapino is sporting a livery supporting the Argentinian National Football Team this year, as the driver makes his inaugural Indy 500 start. Last week, things did not look promising for him (or teammate Callum Ilott, but the team pulled out some upgrades as practice went on. He’s still starting far back, and is very new to ovals, but the energetic driver with legions of national fans will certainly make his mark this weekend.
Callum Ilott #77
Nation of Origin: England
Team: Juncos Hollinger Racing
Sponsor: Juncos Hollinger Racing
Ilott started the season strong; as of late, he’s ran into some bumps in the road. Regardless, the Englishman is steadily improving as he works his second full season. Like Canapino, he was off the pace in early practice sessions, and even looked to be in danger of getting bumped. He and the team pulled through and, while still starting towards the rear, the car is fast enough to give him a chance at a good finish.
RC Enerson #50
Nation of Origin: United States
Team: Abel Motorsports
Sponsor: Abel Motorsports
Enerson is making his Indy 500 debut, and his first IndyCar start since 2021, for the family-run Abel Motorsports. The consensus 34th entry, the team was considered most likely to be bumped from the field. Instead, not only did Enerson make the race, but he made the top 30 and thus avoided the extra Bump Day qualifying session. Enerson and the team have already surpassed expectations this month; on Sunday, they’ll be capable of even more.
Katherine Legge #44
Nation of Origin: England
Team: Rahal Letterman Lanigan
Sponsor: Hendrickson
This isn’t Legge’s first rodeo or, rather, Indy 500. But it is her first in a decade. Despite that, she showed no rust by being the highest qualifying and most consistent RLL Honda, and was the only Rahal machine to avoid the Last Chance Shootout on Bump Day. Legge is the only female driver in the field, but she has impressed in her return from a decade-long hiatus and will continue to do so on race day.
Christian Lundgaard #45
Nation of Origin: Denmark
Team: Rahal Letterman Lanigan
Sponsor: Hy-Vee
Lundgaard is one of the sport’s young rising stars. He scored a podium in his rookie season, and a pole in the series’ most recent race at the Indy GP two weeks ago. He currently sits 9th in the points standings with a strong average finish. But, as with all the RLL cars, he barely made the field and qualified in the 30th. Lundgaard’s talent is undeniable; he will need every ounce of it to wheel a struggling team to a competitive race.
Sting Ray Robb #51
Nation of Origin: United States
Team: Dale Coyne Racing with RWR
Sponsor: biohaven
First off, that’s his real name. And yes, it’s the best name in racing. Robb has struggled to find his footing in his rookie year, as he’s only finished 1 race out of 5. Indy will need to be a get-right race for him and his #51 team as he starts 31st. He’s got the ability, and has won before in Indy NXT and USF2000– now, he has an opportunity to show it.
Jack Harvey #30
Nation of Origin: England
Team: Rahal Letterman Lanigan
Sponsor: PeopleReady
Harvey had the unenviable challenge of racing his boss– Graham Rahal– for the final spot in the race. Harvey won out by 0.007 seconds, making the field as the final entry for the 2023 Indianapolis 500. He’s ran 6 prior 500s, and his best career finish in the race is 9th, which came in 2020.
Graham Rahal #24
Nation of Origin: United States
Team: Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
Sponsor: DRR Cusick CareKeepers
The previous paragraph said that Graham Rahal got bumped out of the Indy 500. And he was. But Stefan Wilson and Katherine Legge crashed during Monday’s practice, and Wilson suffered an injury that will prevent him from running the race. Rahal, having run hours of practice during the month, was the best option for the part-time Chevrolet operation, despite him and RLL’s Honda ties. With a new lease on life, and an injured friend to race for, Rahal could be a threat in his 16th Indy 500 start.
The 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 will be on Sunday, May 28th at Noon EST on NBC
About Me: Ethan Miller is 17 years old and resides in Pennsylvania. He aspires to become a sports writer following high school, and views writing for Speedway Digest as the next step towards a career in journalism. Ethan currently hosts the QuickPitPodcast with a few fellow NASCAR fans, which can be found on all major podcast platforms.
Twitter: pit_quick
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