A ‘Three-Peat’ for Josef Newgarden?
Josef Newgarden won the last two editions of the Indy 500. With that, he joined an elite group of drivers who’ve won back-to-back: Wilbur Shaw (1939–1940), Mauri Rose (1947–1948), Bill Vukovich (1953–1954), Al Unser Sr. (1970–1971) and Hélio Castroneves (2001–2002).
No one in the long history of the Indy 500 has ever won the race three years in a row. This year, Newgarden has the chance to become the first. But he’ll need to mount a serious comeback: after being disqualified following qualifying, he’ll start from the last row—32nd on the grid.
‘Drive for Five’ for Hélio Castroneves
A victory for Hélio Castroneves would also make history. The Meyer Shank Racing driver already has four wins to his name (2001, 2002, 2009 and 2021), putting him in elite company alongside A.J. Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977), Al Unser Sr. (1970, 1971, 1978, 1987) and Rick Mears (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991).
Now 50 years old, Castroneves—like Newgarden—will need to charge through the field, starting from 22nd. That’s twice as far back as he started in 2021, when he won from 11th.
‘The Double’ for Kyle Larson
Kyle Larson will have an especially busy Race Day. He’ll first compete in the Indy 500, then fly to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway—1,100 miles of racing in total (about 1,770 kilometers).
This marks the 12th time a driver has attempted to run both races on the same day. Of those previous 11 attempts, 10 drivers managed to start both events. Only one has completed every lap in both races: Tony Stewart in 2001, who finished sixth at Indy and third in Charlotte. The last to do ‘The Double’ was Kurt Busch in 2014.
Larson attempted it last year too, but rain in Indianapolis disrupted his plans. While he did finish the Indy 500 (18th), rain began just as he was preparing to enter the NASCAR race, which was then called off. Mission failed.
This year, the NASCAR race is the priority. If the start of the Indy 500 is delayed, Larson will be replaced by Tony Kanaan. Larson is set to start from 19th.
Can Alex Palou Maintain His Dominance?
Alex Palou has been in a class of his own this IndyCar season. He won four of the first five races and finished second in the fifth (Long Beach). He also showed serious pace in Indy 500 practice—topping two sessions and leading Saturday qualifying. Though he missed out on pole position, he’ll start sixth.
If Palou can win the Indy 500, it would mark a major milestone. All 15 of his IndyCar wins have come on road and street courses. Ovals have traditionally been more of a challenge for him, though he’s clearly improving. Could he claim his first oval win in the biggest race of the year?
Rookie Robert Shwartzman on Pole Position
The 33-car field will be led at the start by a rookie: Robert Shwartzman. He’s the first rookie since Teo Fabi in 1983 to claim pole position at Indy.
But can the Prema driver hold his own in the race? That seems unlikely. While the #83 Prema car was blisteringly fast in qualifying trim, the same can’t be said for its race setup. On Carb Day, Shwartzman struggled with his car and complained that he couldn’t keep up with traffic once passed.
Add to that the fact that Prema, as a new team, doesn’t yet have a reputation for fast pit stops—and with around six stops expected, that could be a problem. Despite starting from pole, finishing in the top 20 would already be an achievement. Just finishing the race might be a realistic goal. Still, few saw his qualifying speed coming—so maybe he’ll surprise everyone again on race day.
Team Penske Facing a Fight from the Back
Team Penske is usually a staple at the front of the Indy 500 grid. But this year is different—and it’s mostly their own doing.
Scott McLaughlin crashed heavily during practice before Sunday qualifying and was unable to take part in the Fast 12 session. Will Power and Josef Newgarden did qualify, but both were disqualified for using an illegally modified attenuator. As a result, McLaughlin will start 10th, while Power and Newgarden are relegated to the last row—32nd and 33rd.
That means a recovery drive is in store for Penske’s drivers. Fortunately, their cars have looked strong in traffic. But once they get near the front—where the air is clean—it’s still unclear whether they’ll have the pace to dominate.
If a Penske car wins, it likely won’t be a popular victory. On Carb Day, Newgarden—despite being American—was booed by fans in the wake of the illegal car controversy.
PhotographyPenske Entertainment
