Indy 500 Lineup 2016: List of Drivers and Qualifying Times for Marquee 2016 Race

Ahead of the historic 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, several drivers have established themselves as top contenders by virtue of some impressive qualifying runs.

James Hinchcliffe captured the pole with strong performances on Day 1 of qualifying as well as the Fast Nine event, but he'll have plenty of company at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the eve of Memorial Day.

A Fast Nine driver hasn't won the Indy 500 since 2011, but many of those who qualified inside the first three rows seemingly have a legitimate chance to take the checkered flag.

Here is a full rundown of how all 33 drivers qualified, as well as a closer look at some of those who stand out above the rest in terms of potentially vying for a victory in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

Starting Postion	Driver	Average Speed (MPH)
1	James Hinchcliffe	230.76
2	Josef Newgarden	230.7
3	Ryan Hunter-Reay	230.648
4	Townsend Bell	230.481
5	Carlos Munoz	230.287
6	Will Power	229.669
7	Mikhail Aleshin	229.562
8	Simon Pagenaud	229.139
9	Helio Castroneves	229.115
10	Oriol Servia	229.06
11	Alexander Rossi	228.473
12	Takuma Sato	228.029
13	Scott Dixon	227.991
14	Marco Andretti	227.969
15	JR Hildebrand	227.876
16	Charlie Kimball	227.822
17	Juan Pablo Montoya	227.684
18	Tony Kanaan	227.43
19	Sebastien Bourdais	227.428
20	Ed Carpenter	227.226
21	Gabby Chaves	227.192
22	Max Chilton	226.686
23	Sage Karam	226.436
24	Conor Daly	226.312
25	Pippa Mann	226.006
26	Graham Rahal	225.847
27	Matt Brabham	225.727
28	Bryan Clauson	225.266
29	Spencer Pigot	224.847
30	Stefan Wilson	224.602
31	Jack Hawksworth	224.596
32	Buddy Lazier	222.154
33	Alex Tagliani	No Speed

James Hinchcliffe

Hinchcliffe and the No. 5 team dominated qualifying, and that performance was made even more impressive by the fact that he nearly lost everything at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last year.

A practice crash left Hinchcliffe with a punctured leg and life-threatening blood loss. He missed the remainder of the 2015 season, but returned with a vengeance in 2016 and conquered the very track that put him in the hospital last year.

According to Rachel Cohen of the Associated Press (h/t ABC News), Hinchcliffe is happy to put what happened last year behind him: "I came into the month of May really hoping that by the time we left, we'd have a new story to tell. Regardless of what happens on Sunday, I'm so proud of my team and what we've accomplished. We've at least taken a good step toward closing that chapter and starting a new story."

Hinchcliffe's story of redemption is already a great one, and it led to a huge celebration when he clinched the pole, as seen in this video courtesy of IndyCar Series:

The Canadian received an outpouring of support regarding the accomplishment, including a tweet from renowned car owner Chip Ganassi:

Hinchcliffe hasn't had much luck in the Indy 500 over the years aside from a sixth-place finish in 2012, but this is undoubtedly his best car yet.

He is also in solid form early in the IndyCar season as he sits eighth in the standings, so this may very well be his best chance to enter Victory Lane yet.

Hinchcliffe has already conquered his Indianapolis demons in many ways, so he figures to be plenty focused Sunday, and he has the equipment needed to beat the rest of the field just as he did in qualifying.

Ryan Hunter-Reay

Among former Indy 500 winners, nobody has a better starting position than Ryan Hunter-Reay, who will cross the start-finish line in the No. 3 position.

The 35-year-old veteran won the race in 2014, and after an up-and-down 2015 season, he appears ready to get back on track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

According to Jerry Bonkowski of NBC Motor Sports Talk, Hunter-Reay was happy with the quality of his car during qualifying: "It was so close. The car was the best we've had in qualifying this whole time. I knew it would start to go loose. I couldn't feel the rear much. It was a great run, but that's all we had in it."

Hunter-Reay also finished first in the third practice ahead of qualifying, and he seemed optimistic despite plenty of on-track frustration over the past year-plus, per AutoWeek: 

"

Coming off the year we had here last year where I couldn't get the car to do anything I needed it to, it's nice to have the [No.] 28 DHL Honda up towards the front, especially here at Indy. This is what we wait for all year, to get back on track here, start working with the car, feel the energy of the biggest race in the world.

"

Hunter-Reay has been somewhat inconsistent through five races as he is ninth in the standings, but his experience and success at Indianapolis gives him a leg up on most of his opponents.

The fact that he also has a fast car to go along with it is a great sign, and he has a legitimate chance to become just the third active driver in IndyCar with multiple Indy 500 wins to his credit.

Helio Castroneves

Only 10 drivers in IndyCar history have won the Indianapolis 500 on three or more occasions, and only one of them is still active. That driver is Helio Castroneves, and a victory Sunday would allow him to tie the record as the winningest driver in the history of the race.

Castroneves will start on the outside of Row 3 in ninth place, and he has experience winning when starting near the front of the field, according to Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star:

It has been seven years since the Brazilian star's last Indy 500 triumph, however, and he hadn't won since 2002 before that.

That drought suggests his past success at Indianapolis may not be a huge deciding factor, and Castroneves approaches the race in a manner that suggests he agrees, per Joe Spears of Indianapolis Monthly: "In my mind, I look at this as a brand-new race. We're starting all over again. Just because we won three times, it won't be easy, and it won't be the same as the times before. Every year, it changes."

Experience has to count for something, though, and the 41-year-old may know the track better than anyone else in the field.

The fact that he was among the Fast Nine means he has a car that is likely capable of winning, and if he is in a battle near the front in the latter stages, his savvy may make the difference.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.