Race Weekend Central

Through the Field: A Look at the 100th Indy 500 Starting Grid

After years of buildup and anticipation, the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 is upon us.

For the 100th time, one man (or woman) will etch their name and face onto the Borg Warner Trophy, the most famous trophy in all of racing. One of 33 drivers will drink the milk, wear the wreath and kiss the bricks as an Indy 500 champion.

Before the field heads three-wide down the frontstretch to take the green flag for one of the biggest races in open-wheel history, let’s take a look at the field that will compete in the 500-mile event.

100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Starting Grid

Row 1

1) James Hinchcliffe

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No. 5

Hometown: Toronto, Canada

Manufacturer: Honda

Team: Schmidt Peterson Motorsports

Previous Starts: 4

Best Finish: 6th (2012)

2) Josef Newgarden

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No. 21

Hometown: Hendersonville, TN

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Team: Ed Carpenter Racing

Previous Starts: 4

Best Finish: 7th (2012)

3) Ryan Hunter-Reay

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

 

 

 

Car No. 28

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, FL

Manufacturer: Honda

Team: Andretti Autosport

Previous Starts: 8

Best Finish: 2014 Indy 500 Champion

Row 2

4) Townsend Bell

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No. 29

Hometown: San Luis Obispo, CA

Manufacturer: Honda

Team: Andretti Autosports

Previous Starts: 9

Best Finish: 4th (2009)

5) Carlos Muñoz

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No. 26

Hometown: Bogota, Columbia

Manufacturer: Honda

Team: Andretti Autosport

Previous Starts: 3

Best Finish: 2nd (2013)

6) Will Power

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Car No. 12

Hometown: Toowoomba, Australia

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Team: Team Penske

Previous Starts: 8

Best Finish: 2nd (2015)

Row 3

7) Mikhail Aleshin

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No. 7

Hometown: Moscow, Russia

Manufacturer: Honda

Team: Schmidt Peterson Motorsports

Previous Starts: 1

Best Finish: 21st (2014)

8) Simon Pagenaud

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No. 22

Hometown: Montmorillon, France

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Team: Team Penske

Previous Starts: 4

Best Finish: 8th (2013)

9. Helio Castroneves

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Car No.  3

Hometown:  Sao Paulo, Brazil

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Team: Team Penske

Previous Starts: 15

Best Finish: Three-Time Indy 500 Champion (2001, 2002, 2009)

Row 4

10. Oriol Servia

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No. 77

Hometown: Pals, Spain

Manufacturer: Honda

Team: Schmidt Peterson with Marotti Racing

Previous Starts: 7

Best Finish: 4th (2012)

11. Alexander Rossi

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No. 98

Hometown: Nevada City, CA

Manufacturer: Honda

Team: Andretti Herta Autosport

Previous Starts: 0

Best Finish: N/A

12. Takuma Sato

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Car No.  14

Hometown: Tokyo, Japan

Manufacturer: Honda

Team: A.J. Foyt Racing

Previous Starts: 6

Best Finish: 13th (2013, 2015)

Row 5

13. Scott Dixon

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No. 9

Hometown: Auckland, New Zealand

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Team: Chip Ganassi Racing

Previous Starts: 13

Best Finish: 2008 Indy 500 Champion

14. Marco Andretti

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No. 27

Hometown: Nazareth, PA

Manufacturer: Honda

Team: Andretti Autosport

Previous Starts: 10

Best Finish: 2nd (2006)

15. JR Hildebrand

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Car No.  6

Hometown: Sausalito, CA

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Team: Ed Carpenter Racing

Previous Starts: 5

Best Finish: 2nd (2011)

Row 6

16. Charlie Kimball

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No. 42

Hometown: Camarillo, CA

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Team: Chip Ganassi Racing

Previous Starts: 5

Best Finish: 3rd (2015)

17. Juan Pablo Montoya

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No.  2

Hometown: Bogota, Columbia

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Team: Team Penske

Previous Starts: 3

Best Finish: Two-Time Indy 500 Champion (2000, 2015)

18. Tony Kanaan

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Car No.  10

Hometown: Salvador, Brazil

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Team: Chip Ganassi Racing

Previous Starts: 14

Best Finish: 2013 Indy 500 Champion

Row 7

19. Sebastien Bourdais

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No. 11

Hometown: Le Mans, France

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Team: KVSH Racing

Previous Starts: 5

Best Finish: 7th (2014)

20. Ed Carpenter

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No. 20

Hometown: Indianapolis, IN

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Team: Ed Carpenter Racing

Previous Starts: 12

Best Finish: 5th (2008)

21. Gabby Chaves

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Car No.  19

Hometown: Bogota, Columbia

Manufacturer: Honda

Team: Dale Coyne Racing

Previous Starts: 1

Best Finish: 16th (2015)

Row 8

22. Max Chilton

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No. 8

Hometown: Reigate, England

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Team: Chip Ganassi Racing

Previous Starts: 0

Best Finish: N/A

23. Sage Karam

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No. 24

Hometown: Nazareth, PA

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Team: DFR-Kingdom Racing

Previous Starts: 2

Best Finish: 9th (2014)

24. Conor Daly

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Car No.  18

Hometown: Noblesville, IN

Manufacturer: Honda

Team: Dale Coyne Racing

Previous Starts: 2

Best Finish: 22nd (2013)

Row 9

25. Pippa Mann

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No. 63

Hometown: Ipswich, England

Manufacturer:  Honda

Team: Dale Coyne Racing

Previous Starts: 4

Best Finish: 20th (2011)

26. Graham Rahal

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No. 15

Hometown: New Albany, OH

Manufacturer: Honda

Team: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Previous Starts: 8

Best Finish: 3rd (2011)

27. Matthew Brabham

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Car No. 61

Hometown: Gold Coast, Australia

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Team: PIRTEK Team Murray

Previous Starts: 0

Best Finish: N/A

Row 10

28. Bryan Clauson

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No. 88

Hometown: Noblesville, IN

Manufacturer: Honda

Team: Dale Coyne/Johnathan Byrd’s Racing

Previous Starts: 2

Best Finish: 30th (2012)

29. Spencer Pigot

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No. 16

Hometown: Orlando, FL

Manufacturer: Honda

Team: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Previous Starts: 0

Best Finish: N/A

30. Stefan Wilson

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Car No.  25

Hometown: Sheffield, England

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Team: KV Racing Technology

Previous Starts: 0

Best Finish: N/A

Row 11

31. Jack Hawksworth

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No. 41

Hometown: Bradford, England

Manufacturer: Honda

Team: A.J. Foyt Racing

Previous Starts: 2

Best Finish: 20th (2014)

32. Buddy Lazier

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

Car No. 4

Hometown: Vail, CO

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Team: Lazier/Burns Racing

Previous Starts: 15

Best Finish: 1996 Indy 500 Champion

33. Alex Tagliani

(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)
(Photo: John Cote/INDYCAR)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Car No.  35

Hometown: Lachenaie, Canada

Manufacturer: Honda

Team: A.J. Foyt Racing

Previous Starts: 7

Best Finish:  10th (2010)

About the author

A graduate of Ball State, Aaron rejoins Frontstretch for his second season in 2016 following a successful year that included covering seven races and starting the popular "Two-Headed Monster" column in 2015. Now in his third year of covering motorsports, Aaron serves as an Assistant Editor for Frontstretch while also contributing to other popular sites including Speed51 and The Apex. He encourages you to come say hi when you see him at the track.

Sign up for the Frontstretch Newsletter

A daily email update (Monday through Friday) providing racing news, commentary, features, and information from Frontstretch.com
We hate spam. Your email address will not be sold or shared with anyone else.

Share via