It’s almost that time.
A year of anticipation is culminating with motorsports’ pinnacle event. The Indianapolis 500 is nigh upon the racing scene, as 33 drivers await the magical words to start engines and battle for the Borg-Warner Trophy.
No more waiting. This is it. Drivers, crews and machines will be on the edge of control for 500 miles of competition on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s asphalt surface.
Who will be first to cross the Yard of Bricks on Sunday, May 25, and join racing’s elite on the Borg-Warner Trophy?
Let’s take a look at the 11 rows of three to see how each driver and team stacks up in the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
Row 11
Will Power, the 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner, led one of this month’s practice sessions and has a fast car. However, he will have his work cut out for him, much like his teammate Josef Newgarden, after being bounced to the last row due to the Team Penske penalty debacle. His onboard camera will be required viewing at the start.
The two-time Indy 500 winner, Newgarden, has a shot to make history if he can win his third straight Borg-Warner. But as mentioned, he and his teammate Power have to start in the last row after the Penske attenuator debacle. The good news is he won the pitstop challenge, so gaining spots on pit road is likely. Look for him and Power up front for the last 100 miles.
For the first time in his career, Rinus VeeKay is starting outside the top 12 at Indy. Much like fellow countryman and mentor Arie Luyendyk, VeeKay has a knack for the oval, but does he have the car? Dale Coyne Racing has struggled for speed at the track the last few years, but the race setup might provide better balance. VeeKay’s been too good not to make a run for a top 10.
Row 10
Marcus Armstrong has had a rough May. He crashed on qualifying weekend and couldn’t make a run to prevent him from doing the Last Chance Qualifier. Last year, his rookie run ended early due to mechanical issues. Making 500 miles would be a good day for him on Sunday.
Marco Andretti is celebrating his 20th attempt at Indy. Unlike other one-offs, Andretti has been less successful since losing his full-time ride in 2021. He hasn’t finished in the top 10 for seven straight runnings. That probably continues this year.
Graham Rahal was relieved he held onto the top 30 with a lug nut death grip in qualifying, preventing a third straight Last Chance run. He finished third in 2020 but has been no better than 14th since then. He has an inconsistent record at Indy. Perhaps, this year, he climbs back up.
Row 9
Colton Herta and his Andretti Global were slightly disappointing with their qualifying runs. But Herta had a good reason — he flipped on the first day of qualifying. His team did an exceptional job of getting his car ready. Hopefully, it’s been massaged to perfection again, because he needs a good run to erase his third memory of a flip at Indy.
Jack Harvey is putting the FOX Sports microphone down for one race to compete at Indy. His Dreyer Reinbold Racing team usually isn’t fast but they are patient. He could be knocking on top 10 by lap 200.
Harvey’s teammate, Ryan Hunter-Reay, lines up next to him. Last year, the DRR car was trying to overtake Scott Dixon but was pushed off track and crashed, ruining a promising finish. He is too experienced not to run wellon Sunday.
Row 8
Nolan Siegel has to be happy with the turn of events from a year ago. The rookie failed to qualify with Dale Coyne but safely made this year’s running. He is in one of the best teams at Indy over the last few years, so a good run is expected.
Kyle Kirkwood earned his first top 10 in the Indy 500 last year and had another one lined up in 2023 before jettisoning a wheel into space. He’s been the best Andretti car all year, and that will continue this weekend.
Helio Castroneves is shooting for Indy 500 win number five on Sunday. Who knows how many times he will continue doing this? The technical relationship with Chip Ganassi Racing has been great for the full-time Meyer Shank Racing cars, so this might be his best shot yet.
Row 7
Callum Ilott didn’t share in the same PREMA glory as his teammate who won pole. He hasn’t found much success at Indy but did earn an 11th with Arrow McLaren Racing last year.
Louis Foster is going to have to finish well up toward the front if he wants to win rookie of the year.
Kyle Larson will run his second Indy 500 but start further back in the pack than he did last year. His two incidents in the month of May set him back, but he seemed racy during Carb Day.
Row 6
Christian Rasmussen hasn’t done much this May, but Ed Carpenter Racing is good at Indy. It’s up to him to make it happen.
Sting Ray Robb led here last year but that was in A. J. Foyt’s team, with Penske technical help. Juncos Hollinger Racing might get a top 10 but with their other car.
Devlin DeFrancesco is back at Indy after a one-year sabbatical. He might end up in the teens somewhere if attrition works in his favor.
Row 5
Santino Ferrucci has fought balance issues with his race setup since they unloaded. He thought they found the issue, which is good because since his Foyt team signed the technical deal with Penske, they’ve been a competitive Chevy squad.
Ed Carpenter is officially an Indy one-off this year. His last top five was in 2021 and he just hasn’t been competitive since. With no oval warm-up for him as in years past, it might be the same result.
Kyffin Simpson did a great job recovering from a Fast Friday crash to stay out of the last row. Now he will look to do better than his 21st-place run in 2024.
Row 4
Alexander Rossi is with a new team this year. His 2025 has been relatively consistent, and when VeeKay was in this car, he ran up front. Rossi will be in the hunt.
Conor Daly has been emphatic that he has a great car. Whether with Andretti, Carpenter or DRR, Daly has Indy figured out. He’ll be competing on Sunday with a shot at the top five.
Scott McLaughlin’s wreck on Sunday before pole qualifying was the least of his Team Penske concerns. He lost his strategist after Kyle Moyer was fired. But the promotion of Ben Bretzman won’t slow him down, as they are close friends. Last year, he had the best car early but lost it in traffic. On Sunday, it’s the reverse — he has to be good in traffic to make it to the front.
Row 3
Marcus Ericsson qualified the best out of all four Andretti cars. He crashed on the opening lap last year after having to do the Last Chance Qualifier. If he makes it past the first lap this year he’s already having a better run than 2025.
Christian Lundgaard’s move to Arrow McLaren is proving great for his career. Does it pay off at Indy? This car finished fourth in 2025 but Lundgaard only has two top 10s in his career on ovals. He needs to figure out how to turn left well to be a challenger.
David Malukas was a pleasant surprise in the Fast 12. He missed last year due to injury and has finally given Foyt two skilled drivers to race for the win on Sunday.
Row 2
Alex Palou is missing one trophy to make his IndyCar career one of the best ever — a Borg-Warner. Ganassi has given all their drivers fast cars, and Palou’s strategist, Barry Wanser, has been exceptional all year. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be him.
Felix Rosenqvist has a chance to win his first Indy 500. In his last season at Arrow McLaren in 2023, he led late before losing it in the south short chute. Meyer Shank won this event in 2021, and it could be Rosenqvist, not Castroneves, who gets Meyer Shank Racing’s second Indy win.
Will Scott Dixon break his own curse this weekend? The last couple of Indy 500s haven’t gone to plan, but the field’s greatest driver has been fast all month. He knows how to lead here — more than anyone else in history — and has a perfect angle to get by the pole sitter heading into Turn 1. Watch out.
Row 1
Pato O’Ward is this generation’s Lloyd Ruby. He’s been close to winning the last three years, but destiny intervened. After his second runner-up last year, heartbreakingly, the Mexican star let his emotions flow during his TV interview. It was one of the most vulnerable and open moments ever shared by a driver. What type of interview will he have after 500 miles on Sunday?
What of Takuma Sato? The last two times he’s started on the front row, he won the Indy 500. His car is legitimately good, and it’s been that way since testing. A crash only delayed his rise back to the top and he has the best Rahal car to compete for the win.
The biggest story out of qualifying — even bigger than Team Penske issues — was the run by rookie Robert Shwartzman. He is the first rookie to win the pole since 1983. When the green flag falls, it will be his initial oval lap at racing speed, and the first time pacing the IndyCar field. Can he stay up there for 500 miles?
Tom is an IndyCar writer at Frontstretch, joining in March 2023. Besides writing the IndyCar Previews and frequent editions of Inside IndyCar, he will hop on as a fill-in guest on the Open Wheel podcast The Pit Straight. A native Hoosier, he calls Fort Wayne home. Follow Tom on Twitter @TomBlackburn42.