Chevy teams ready for start of Indy 500 practice

Fresh off two NTT INDYCAR SERIES victories in a row, Chevrolet drivers turn their attention to the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval and “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Practice for the 105th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge begins Tuesday, May 18.

Chevrolet’s 18-car Indianapolis 500 lineup includes three past winners, four race rookie of the year award winners, two pole winners, two rookies, and the winners of the past two NTT INDYCAR SERIES races.

Following the six scheduled practice sessions totaling 26 hours, drivers backed by the powerful 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged, direct-injected Chevrolet V6 engine will aim to claim the NTT P1 Award for the seventh time since the Bowtie brand returned to engine manufacturer competition in 2012.

NBC and NBCSN will telecast qualifications to set the 33-car field on Saturday, May 22, and Sunday, May 23.

Chevrolet front-row starters since 2012

2019: First – Simon Pagenaud. Second – Ed Carpenter. Third – Spencer Pigot

2018: First – Ed Carpenter. Second – Simon Pagenaud. Third – Will Power

2017: Second – Ed Carpenter

2016: Second – Josef Newgarden

2015: First – Scott Dixon. Second – Will Power. Third – Simon Pagenaud

2014: First — Ed Carpenter. Third – Will Power

2013: First – Ed Carpenter. Second – Carlos Munoz. Third – Marco Andretti

2012: First – Ryan Briscoe. Second – James Hinchcliffe. Third – Ryan Hunter-Reay

Simon Pagenaud, who will drive the No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet, turned his pole start into victory in 2019. Will Power, who will drive the No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet, won in 2018, while Juan Pablo Montoya won in 2015 and 2000. Montoya will drive the No. 86 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet.

Rinus VeeKay will attempt to join Pagenaud and Power in sweeping the Month of May races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. VeeKay, who will drive the No. 21 Bitcoin Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing, earned his first Series victory May 15 in the GMR Grand Prix on the 3.439-mile,14-turn IMS road course. VeeKay paced Chevrolet drivers in the 2020 Indy 500 by qualifying fourth in his rookie run.

“I’m very keen to try to sweep the month of May. That’s of course my goal,” said VeeKay, 20, of The Netherlands. “The mentality and everyone’s confidence is super high at the team, so I think we can definitely go for that win. We’ve had an awesome car last year, and Ed Carpenter Racing has showed the last few years that they have the car to win the ‘500’. I feel super confident.

“First race win takes a lot of pressure off. Now I can just drive the ‘500’, and now it’s just going to be focusing on the best possible result. I want to thank Ed Carpenter Racing for everything they’ve done for me so far, and Chevy for the great engines. Indy 500 coming up, lots of power, lots of speed. I’m sure we’ll be good.”

Overall, Chevrolet has 11 victories in the Indy 500 and another six have been recorded by General Motors’ brands. It’s also the 100th anniversary of Tommy Milton winning the Indy 500 in a car owned by company co-founder Louis Chevrolet.

Simona De Silvestro, the 2010 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, returns for the first time since 2015 in the No. 16 Rocket Pro Chevrolet for the team owned by Beth Paretta.

Pato O’Ward, the 2020 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year, claimed his initial Series victory May 1 on the Texas Motor Speedway oval in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet. JR Hildebrand, runner-up in his first ‘500’ start and Montoya are also former rookie of the year winners who will rely on Chevrolet power this year.

Scott McLaughlin, driving the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet, and RC Enerson in the No. 75 Top Gun Racing Chevrolet are among the three Indy 500 rookies. McLaughlin has three top-10 finishes in the five NTT INDYCAR SERIES races, including runner-up at Texas Motor Speedway in his first oval race.

NBC will telecast the 200-lap race at 11 a.m. ET Sunday, May 30. The 2021 mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette Stingray hardtop convertible will lead the field to the green flag. The 2021 race marks the 32nd time for Chevrolet to pace dating to 1948, and the 18th time since 1978 for America’s favorite sports car.

TEAM CHEVY LINEUP:

JR Hildebrand, No. 1 ABC Supply/AJ Foyt Racing

Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Shell Fuel Rewards Team Penske

Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske

Dalton Kellett, No. 4 K-Line Insulators/AJ Foyt Racing

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP

Felix Rosenqvist, No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP

Charlie Kimball, No. 11 Tresiba/AJ Foyt Racing

Will Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske

Sebastien Bourdais, No. 14 ROKiT/AJ Foyt Racing

Simona De Silvestro, No. 16 Rocket Pro/Paretta Autosport

Ed Carpenter, No. 20 SONAX Ed Carpenter Racing

Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Bitcoin Ed Carpenter Racing

Simon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards Team Penske

Sage Karam, No. 24 DRR-AES Indiana Dreyer & Reinbold Racing

Conor Daly, No. 47 U.S. Air Force Ed Carpenter Racing

Max Chilton, No. 59 Gallagher Carlin

RC Enerson, No. 75 Top Gun Racing

Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 86 Arrow McLaren SP