With 3 days to go before race time, the Indy 500 is just getting ready to roll. The race is wide open with 12 races to go, counting this weekend’s Indy 500. Five races in and there have been 5 different winners thus far. Five of the Top 6 points-leaders have a win to their name, with Danica Patrick grabbing her first career win in Japan’s Firestone IndyCar 300. Will the IRL have yet another different winner this weekend? Or will one of racing’s hottest drivers pull in their second trophy of the season?
Tony Kanaan: Tony is the only driver in the Top 5 that doesn’t have a racing win on the season. He’s collected 129 points without a victory, but maybe his best showing of the year will come on the sport’s biggest stage. Kanaan’s finishes on the year; 8th, 3rd, 5th, 2nd. Will he add a 1st to that collage of finishes? We shall see. Kanaan sits in 6th position.
Danica Patrick: Patrick is always a racer to watch because the limelight follows her around like she’s a super star. Until recently, she had never won a race. But now, she has a win under her belt, and how sweet it would be to get her 2nd of the season by taking home the checkered flag in this one.
Dan Wheldon: Wheldon is right up there near the top of the leader board, and with a win on Sunday, not only would he likely take the top spot, but he would have won his 2nd Indy 500 in the last 4 years. Sam Hornish Jr. won in 2006 and Dario Franchitti took the title in 2007 - Wheldon was the winner of 89th Indy 500 in 2005.
Helio Castroneves: Of the drivers in this field, Helio has taken the Indy 500 crown more times than any other. Helio’s back-to-back wins in 2001 and 2002 are his only wins at the Indy 500, and while that doesn’t make him an all-time leader in Indy, it does make him one of just four drivers to win two in a row at Indy. Wilbur Shaw was the first to do it in 1939 and 40, Bill Vukovich did in in ‘53 and ‘54, and Al Unser did it in ‘70 and ‘71. Sitting at the top of the standings after 5 weeks, Castoneves is looking to make magic happen one more time.
Scott Dixon: Dixon has yet to win the Indy 500, but he wouldn’t argue if this were his first. If Dixon were to win on Sunday, he would not only take the points lead from Helio, but it would mark his 2nd win of the season, making him the first to double up. Dixon is the pole winner for Sunday’s race. The pole winner has taken the title twice in the last 4 Indy 500’s.
Indy Car Standings:
1. Helio Castoneves (144 pts)
2. Scott Dixon (138 pts)
3. Dan Wheldon (135 pts)
4. Tony Kanaan (129 pts)
5. Danica Patrick (110 pts)
6. Will Power (97 pts)
7. Marco Andretti (95 pts)
8. Oriol Servia (93 pts)
9. Ed Carpenter (90 pts)
10. Graham Rahal (88 pts)
Starting Line-Up: (Driver and Car Number)
Row 1: Scott Dixon (9) - Dan Wheldon (10) - Ryan Briscoe (6)
Row 2:Helio Castroneves (3) - Danica Patrick (7) - Tony Kanaan (11)
Row 3:Marco Andretti (26) - Citor Meira (4T) - Hideki Mutoh (27)
Row 4:Ed Carpenter (20) - Thomas Scheckter (12) - Townsend Bell (99)
Row 5:Graham Rahal (06) - Darren Manning (14) - Bruno Junqueira (15)
Row 6:Justin Wilson (02) - Buddy Rice (15) - Davey Hamilton (22)
Row 7:Alex Lloyd (16) - Ryan Hunter-Reay (17T) - John Andretti (24)
Row 8:Sarah Fisher (67) - Will Power (8) - Jeff Simmons (41)
Row 9:Oriol Servia (5) - EJ Viso (33) - Milka Duno (23)
Row 10:Mario Moraes (19) - Enrique Bernoldi (36) - Jaime Camera (34)
Row 11:AJ Foyt IV (2) - Buddy Lazier (91) - Marty Rother (25)
Rookies Ready to Roar: There are 11 rookies in the 33-driver field, and “Fastest Rookie of the Year” award winner, Hideky Mutoh is one that many expect to challenge for Indy’s checkered flag - and sitting on the outside in Row 3 to start could be just enough to get him going. 33% of the field will be driving in one of racing’s grandest stages for the first time on Sunday. Other first timers that will be driving for their first chance at the Indy 500 Oriol Servia, Will Power, Justin Wilson, Graham Rahal, Mario Moraes, Enrique Bernoldi, Jaime Camara, E.J. Viso, Alex Lloyd, and Ryan Hunter-Reay. All will be looking to make history, becoming one of few rookies to take home the title. But it’s hard to say that the pressure is on. All of these drivers have found themselves in front of thousands of fans, and all have raced big races. It’s hard to imagine that the Indy 500 will lay too much pressure for any of these rookies to handle.
AJ Foyt IV 100 - 1
Buddy Rice 50 - 1
Dan Wheldon 9 - 2
Danica Patrick 10 - 1
Ed Carpenter 75 - 1
Ernesto Viso 100 - 1
Graham Rahal 50 - 1
Helio Castroneves 9 - 2
Hideki Mutoh 35 - 1
Justin Wilson 75 - 1
Marco Andretti 7 - 1
Oriol Servia 100 - 1
Ryan Briscoe 12 - 1
Ryan Hunter-Reay 50 - 1
Scott Dixon 3 - 1
Tomas Scheckter 25 - 1
Tony Kanaan 5 - 1
Vitor Meira 30 - 1
Will Power 100 - 1
Field 5 - 1
