104th Indy 500 Preview
After Carb Day on Friday, August 21st, the IndyCar engines go silent at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the teams and drivers will wait nervously for the 104th running of the most famous, most important auto race in the world – the Indy 500.
There will be no parade this year, no pre-race hoopla. There will be no fans, and while it simply won’t be the same at the track, winning this race is no less important.
To an IndyCar driver, winning one Indy 500 changes their life, their career, and their self-confidence.
The Indy 500 is a 3-hour dance on the knife edge of control at 220-mph. One lapse in concentration, one broken $1 part, one slip by your pit crew and it can be all over.
Weather Forecast
The National Weather Service in Indianapolis is calling for less than a 20% chance of showers or thunderstorms after 2 p.m. on race day, with a high of 85 degrees.
The green flag is scheduled to drop about 2:30 p.m. Sunday, but meteorologists expects sunshine and dry skies.
Race Odds to win Indy 500
Note: +450 means if you bet $100 you win $450 (plus you get your $100 bet back) which is another way of saying the odds on Scott Dixon are 4.5:1
| Driver | Odds to win |
| Scott Dixon | +450 |
| Marco Andretti | +700 |
| Alexander Rossi | +750 |
| Ryan Hunter-Reay | +800 |
| Simon Pagenaud | +1000 |
| Josef Newgarden | +1200 |
| Will Power | +1200 |
| Takuma Sato | +1600 |
| Rinus Veekay | +1800 |
| Colton Herta | +2000 |
| Conor Daly | +2000 |
| Felix Rosenqvist | +2000 |
| Fernando Alonso | +2200 |
| James Hinchcliffe | +2200 |
| Helio Castroneves | +2500 |
| Graham Rahal | +2800 |
| Pato O’Ward | +3000 |
| Marcus Ericsson | +3300 |
| Alex Palou | +4000 |
| Santino Ferrucci | +4000 |
| Ed Carpenter | +5000 |
| Oliver Askew | +5000 |
| Tony Kanaan | +5000 |
| Spencer Pigot | +6000 |
| Zach Veach | +6600 |
| Jack Harvey | +8000 |
| Charlie Kimball | +10000 |
| James Davison | +10000 |
| Sage Karam | +12500 |
| Dalton Kellett | +15000 |
| JR Hildebrand | +15000 |
| Ben Hanley | +20000 |
| Max Chilton | +20000 |
‘5 Things To Look For’ Heading into the 104th Indianapolis 500
After more than a year of waiting, one of the cornerstones of the American sporting landscape roars back to life. The 104th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge pits 33 of the best racing athletes in the world against each other in a 500-mile quest for immortality. Some of racing’s legendary drivers made their names at Indianapolis. Who will join them Sunday, Aug. 23?
Here are 5 Things to Look For at the 104th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
Curse? What Curse?
Does the Andretti Curse exist in August?
Marco Andretti doesn’t seem to think it does.
The third-generation driver from one of racing’s most storied families has been one of the fastest drivers in the lead-up to the 104th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
Last Sunday he became the first member of his famed racing family to win the Indy 500 pole in more than 30 years, joining his grandfather Mario as an Indianapolis 500 pole winner. 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner Mario Andretti won the last of his three Indy 500 poles in 1987.
Now he seeks to join his grandfather on the Borg-Warner Trophy, by capping a perfect August with a win in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Sunday.
“I don’t think it (the curse) exists in August, so we are good,” Andretti said in an interview this week. “As a family we would talk that we are blessed, not cursed, but it is a cool media story, and we have been running with it.
“Results-wise, yeah, maybe there is something to it because, man, the three of us have been so dominant here. We have a bunch of podiums, but this is one place where that doesn’t matter.”
Team Penske chases The Captain’s 19th Indy 500 win from mid-pack
If Team Penske is to claim its third Indianapolis 500 win in a row, it will have to do it from further back in the starting field than normal.
The highest-placed Team Penske driver is Josef Newgarden, who starts 13th in the Indianapolis 500, while defending champion Simon Pagenaud starts 25th, one row behind 2018 winner Will Power, who starts 22nd. Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves starts even further back, in 28th.
But luck may be in Team Penske’s favor. The last time the team failed to place a car in the first three rows of an Indianapolis 500 was 2002, when Castroneves and Gil de Ferran started 13th and 14th. Castroneves went on to win the race.
Fernando’s Final Chance at Triple Crown?
Fernando Alonso will start his second Indianapolis 500, but the two-time Formula One World Champion knows it may be his final chance to earn the “Triple Crown of Motorsports,” at least for the near future.
The Spanish driver, who has wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Monaco Grand Prix, qualified 26th in the No. 66 Ruoff Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet. But he is due to return to Formula One in 2021 with Renault, so he won’t be able to race at Indianapolis next May due to conflicting events.
“I agree with you, the team has the potential to have a competitive package here,” Alonso told INDYCAR. “They have the experience, they have the talent, and they have the personnel. It’s up to us now to have a good event, clean days like we had today with no issues. We are trying to improve the car step by step, small set of changes but always trying to have 100 percent answers, positive or negative while not getting lost.”
Graham Hill is the only driver to complete the Triple Crown, while two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya, the only other active driver with two wins, would complete the feat with a win at Le Mans.
No First-Time Jitters
Five rookie drivers will make their Indianapolis 500 debut Sunday, but two have shown no first-time jitters. Dutchman Rinus VeeKay, 19, qualified fourth, the best performance for a teenager in Indy 500 history. He was honored as the fastest rookie by the American Dairy Association on Tuesday. Another rookie, Spain’s Alex Palou, qualified seventh.
Chasing History
Eight former winners qualified for the Indy 500, the most former winners to start the race since a record 10 former winners started the 1992 race.
Helio Castroneves is the only multi-time winner who will compete in the race as he seeks to join A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears as four-time winners of the Indianapolis 500.
If one of the other seven former winners – Simon Pagenaud, Will Power, Takuma Sato, Alexander Rossi, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Tony Kanaan or Scott Dixon — win on Sunday, they would join the exclusive club of 19 multi-time winners of the race.
Fast Facts
Event weeks: Wednesday, Aug. 12 – Sunday, Aug. 23
Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a 2.5-mile oval
Race distance: 200 laps / 500-miles
Firestone tire allotment: Thirty sets for use throughout the event
Twitter: @IMS, @IndyCar, #Indy500, #IndyCar
Event website: www.ims.com
INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com
2019 race winner: Simon Pagenaud (No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet)
2019 NTT P1 Award winner: Simon Pagenaud (No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet), 2 minutes, 36.5271 seconds, 229.992 mph (four laps)
NBC/NBCSN broadcasts (all times Eastern): Qualifying, 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, NBC (live). Fast Nine Shootout, 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16, NBC (live). Practice, 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16, NBCSN (live). Final Practice, 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 21, NBCSN (live). Race: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 23 (live). Leigh Diffey is the lead announcer for the NBC broadcasts alongside analysts Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy.
NBC Sports Gold livestreaming: All Indianapolis 500 practice sessions and all of Saturday’s qualifying will stream live on INDYCAR Pass on NBC Sports Gold, NBC Sports’ direct-to-consumer livestreaming product.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the chief announcer alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. All NTT INDYCAR SERIES races are broadcast live on the INDYCAR Radio Network, Sirius 211, XM 205, IndyCar.com and on the INDYCAR Mobile APP powered by NTT DATA. Live coverage of NTT INDYCAR SERIES qualifying is available on Sirius 211, XM 205, IndyCar.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app.
At-track schedule (all times local):
FRIDAY, AUG. 21
11 a.m.-1 p.m. – Indianapolis 500 final practice, NBCSN
11 a.m.-4:50 p.m. – Indianapolis 500 qualifying, NBC Sports Gold (3 p.m. NBC)
SUNDAY, AUG. 23
1 p.m. – NBC on air
1:30 p.m. – Driver Introductions
2:23 p.m. – “Drivers, start your engines”
2:30 p.m. – 104th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge (200 laps/500 miles), NBC (Live)
Race notes:
* The Indianapolis 500 will be the 104th 500-mile Indy car race conducted on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s oval. Ray Harroun won the inaugural race in 1911. Simon Pagenaud won the race in 2019 to become the first Frenchman to win the Indianapolis 500 in more than 100 years and give Roger Penske his 18th Indianapolis 500 win.
* Eight drivers entered have won the Indianapolis 500, the most since a record 10 drivers qualified for the 1992 race. Helio Castroneves has won the race three times (2001, 2002 and 2009) while Scott Dixon (2008), Tony Kanaan (2013), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014), Alexander Rossi (2016), Takuma Sato (2017) and Will Power (2018) and Simon Pagenaud (2019) are the other former winners entered.
* There have been four different winners in the first six NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season. Scott Dixon (Texas Motor Speedway, GMR Grand Prix, Road America-1), Felix Rosenqvist (Road America-2), Simon Pagenaud (Iowa-1) and Josef Newgarden (Iowa-2) have won races in 2020.
* Tony Kanaan has finished in the top four in four of the last nine Indianapolis 500s, including his win in 2013.
* Five Indianapolis 500 rookie drivers are entered: Oliver Askew, Dalton Kellett, Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou and Rinus VeeKay.
* Twenty-one drivers have won the Indianapolis 500 from the pole – most recently Simon Pagenaud in 2019.
* Team Penske has 18 wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the most of any team. Andretti Autosport has five wins while Chip Ganassi Racing has won four times. A.J. Foyt Enterprises has won twice.
* Scott Dixon has a chance to join Will Power and Simon Pagenaud as a winner on both the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and the famed 2.5-mile oval in the same season. Will Power accomplished the feat in 2018, while Pagenaud did it last year.
* The Indianapolis 500 will be the fourth oval race of the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. The previous oval races were won by Scott Dixon (Texas Motor Speedway), Simon Pagenaud (Iowa-1) and Josef Newgarden (Iowa-2). The remaining two oval races will take place at World Wide Technology Raceway (Aug. 29-30).
Starting Lineup
| Row 1 | ||
Marco Andretti Warmup: 216.333
Lap 1: 231.826
Lap 2: 231.146
Lap 3: 230.771
Lap 4: 230.532
4 Lap Average: 231.068
|
Scott Dixon Warmup: 219.456
Lap 1: 231.768
Lap 2: 231.163
Lap 3: 230.941
Lap 4: 230.337
4 Lap Average: 231.051
|
Takuma Sato Warmup: 214.150
Lap 1: 230.805
Lap 2: 230.916
Lap 3: 230.659
Lap 4: 230.520
4 Lap Average: 230.725
|
| Row 2 | ||
Rinus VeeKay Warmup: 216.388
Lap 1: 231.560
Lap 2: 230.937
Lap 3: 230.449
Lap 4: 229.879
4 Lap Average: 230.704
|
Ryan Hunter-Reay Warmup: 222.229
Lap 1: 231.267
Lap 2: 230.637
Lap 3: 230.351
Lap 4: 230.340
4 Lap Average: 230.648
|
James Hinchcliffe Warmup: 216.682
Lap 1: 230.395
Lap 2: 230.050
Lap 3: 229.527
Lap 4: 229.509
4 Lap Average: 229.870
|
| Row 3 | ||
Alex Palou Warmup: 218.817
Lap 1: 231.901
Lap 2: 230.364
Lap 3: 228.083
Lap 4: 228.398
4 Lap Average: 229.676
|
Graham Rahal Warmup: 211.851
Lap 1: 230.389
Lap 2: 230.126
Lap 3: 229.746
Lap 4: 227.284
4 Lap Average: 229.380
|
Alexander Rossi Warmup: 216.250
Lap 1: 230.708
Lap 2: 229.911
Lap 3: 228.593
Lap 4: 227.748
4 Lap Average: 229.234
|
| Row 4 | ||
Colton Herta Warmup: 217.034
Lap 1: 231.735
Lap 2: 230.790
Lap 3: 230.438
Lap 4: 230.143
4 Lap Average: 230.775
|
Marcus Ericsson Warmup: 217.408
Lap 1: 231.277
Lap 2: 230.503
Lap 3: 230.470
Lap 4: 230.018
4 Lap Average: 230.566
|
Spencer Pigot Warmup: 222.976
Lap 1: 231.325
Lap 2: 230.850
Lap 3: 230.261
Lap 4: 229.727
4 Lap Average: 230.539
|
| Row 5 | ||
Josef Newgarden Warmup: 218.504
Lap 1: 230.431
Lap 2: 230.408
Lap 3: 230.316
Lap 4: 230.031
4 Lap Average: 230.296
|
Felix Rosenqvist Warmup: 211.622
Lap 1: 230.639
Lap 2: 230.205
Lap 3: 230.153
Lap 4: 230.021
4 Lap Average: 230.254
|
Pato O’Ward Warmup: 220.171
Lap 1: 230.809
Lap 2: 230.247
Lap 3: 230.040
Lap 4: 229.758
4 Lap Average: 230.213
|
| Row 6 | ||
Ed Carpenter Warmup: 218.696
Lap 1: 230.734
Lap 2: 230.300
Lap 3: 230.233
Lap 4: 229.582
4 Lap Average: 230.211
|
Zach Veach Warmup: 211.665
Lap 1: 230.644
Lap 2: 230.071
Lap 3: 229.685
Lap 4: 229.447
4 Lap Average: 229.961
|
Conor Daly Warmup: 214.386
Lap 1: 230.981
Lap 2: 229.892
Lap 3: 229.608
Lap 4: 229.345
4 Lap Average: 229.955
|
| Row 7 | ||
Santino Ferrucci Warmup: 207.841
Lap 1: 230.455
Lap 2: 230.075
Lap 3: 229.588
Lap 4: 229.578
4 Lap Average: 229.924
|
Jack Harvey Warmup: 212.848
Lap 1: 230.593
Lap 2: 229.851
Lap 3: 229.367
Lap 4: 229.639
4 Lap Average: 229.861
|
Oliver Askew Warmup: 214.585
Lap 1: 230.304
Lap 2: 229.855
Lap 3: 229.517
Lap 4: 229.367
4 Lap Average: 229.760
|
| Row 8 | ||
Will Power Warmup: 219.432
Lap 1: 230.343
Lap 2: 229.769
Lap 3: 229.472
Lap 4: 229.225
4 Lap Average: 229.701
|
Tony Kanaan Warmup: 220.147
Lap 1: 229.920
Lap 2: 229.342
Lap 3: 228.860
Lap 4: 228.501
4 Lap Average: 229.154
|
Dalton Kellett Warmup: 223.708
Lap 1: 229.111
Lap 2: 229.041
Lap 3: 228.841
Lap 4: 228.526
4 Lap Average: 228.880
|
| Row 9 | ||
Simon Pagenaud Warmup: 225.482
Lap 1: 229.529
Lap 2: 229.229
Lap 3: 229.032
Lap 4: 227.563
4 Lap Average: 228.836
|
Fernando Alonso Warmup: 217.351
Lap 1: 229.418
Lap 2: 228.846
Lap 3: 228.520
Lap 4: 228.291
4 Lap Average: 228.768
|
James Davison Warmup: 210.056
Lap 1: 230.957
Lap 2: 230.267
Lap 3: 227.771
Lap 4: 226.061
4 Lap Average: 228.747
|
| Row 10 | ||
|
Helio Castroneves Warmup: 218.707
Lap 1: 229.679
Lap 2: 228.341
Lap 3: 227.964
Lap 4: 227.520
4 Lap Average: 228.373
|
Charlie Kimball Warmup: 218.598
Lap 1: 229.677
Lap 2: 229.399
Lap 3: 228.980
Lap 4: 223.108
4 Lap Average: 227.758
|
Max Chilton Warmup: 211.704
Lap 1: 228.043
Lap 2: 227.165
Lap 3: 227.146
Lap 4: 226.862
4 Lap Average: 227.303
|
| Row 11 | ||
|
Sage Karam Warmup: 215.106
Lap 1: 227.609
Lap 2: 227.267
Lap 3: 226.940
Lap 4: 226.583
4 Lap Average: 227.099
|
JR Hildebrand Warmup: 220.501
Lap 1: 228.594
Lap 2: 225.328
Lap 3: 225.980
Lap 4: 225.494
4 Lap Average: 226.341
|
Ben Hanley Warmup: 209.691
Lap 1: 223.924
Lap 2: 222.562
Lap 3: 222.145
Lap 4: 223.046
4 Lap Average: 222.917
|
