Indy 500 Lineup 2017: Starting Grid and Breakdown of Sunday's Thrilling Event

On the heels of Scott Dixon capturing the pole in the Fast Nine portion of Indianapolis 500 qualifying, the field and starting grid for the 101st running of the Indy 500 are officially set.

This year's field is stacked with top-level talent, and it is difficult to point to any single driver as a clear favorite, especially since a different driver has won the 500-mile race in each of the past six years.

Here is a look at how the 33 qualified drivers will line up for the start of the 2017 Indianapolis 500, as well as further analysis regarding some of the race's top contenders.

Starting Position	Driver
1	Scott Dixon
2	Ed Carpenter
3	Alexander Rossi
4	Takuma Sato
5	Fernando Alonso
6	J.R. Hildebrand
7	Tony Kanaan
8	Marco Andretti
9	Will Power
10	Ryan Hunter-Reay
11	Ed Jones
12	Oriol Servia
13	Mikhail Aleshin
14	Graham Rahal
15	Max Chilton
16	Charlie Kimball
17	James Hinchcliffe
18	Juan Pablo Montoya
19	Helio Castroneves
20	Jay Howard
21	Sage Karam
22	Josef Newgarden
23	Simon Pagenaud
24	Carlos Munoz
25	Gabby Chavez
26	Conor Daly
27	Jack Harvey
28	Pippa Mann
29	Spencer Pigot
30	Buddy Lazier
31	Sebastian Saavedra
32	Zach Veach
33	James Davison

Top Drivers to Watch

Scott Dixon

For the third time in his illustrious career, New Zealand's Scott Dixon captured the pole for the Indianapolis 500.

His performance this year is undoubtedly his most impressive, however, as his four-lap average was the fastest in more than two decades, according to Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Twitter:

Dixon was so impressive during qualifying that even fellow driver Graham Rahal couldn't stop himself from marveling:

Dixon is a former Indy 500 winner, having taken the checkered flag in 2008, and he has a long history of success at IMS.

Including his victory, Dixon has finished inside the top 10 on 10 different occasions in the Indy 500.

He came in fourth and eighth in the past two years, respectively, and based on how his car looked during qualifying, there is every reason to believe he will be in the mix and vying for a win once again this year.

Fernando Alonso

Drivers from other racing series often try their hand at running for glory in the Indianapolis 500, and the biggest example of that in 2017 is Fernando Alonso.

The Spaniard is a Formula One star with 32 career race wins and two world championships to his credit.

Despite having no IndyCar experience, Alonso made the Fast Nine and qualified fifth, which suggests he will be a contender Sunday.

Per BBC's Andrew Benson, however, Alonso is tempering expectations and not getting too excited about his run:

"

Super performance by @alo_oficial to be in the fast nine and therefore first three rows. He says it's "not important". Very impressive, tho

— Andrew Benson (@andrewbensonf1) May 20, 2017"

While Alonso has plenty to overcome in terms of competing with IndyCar veterans, he is a longtime racer in his own right.

He also has quality equipment driving for Andretti Autosport, which should allow him to keep pace with the top competition.

Juan Pablo Montoya

With two career Indianapolis 500 wins to his credit, Juan Pablo Montoya is one of only two active drivers to have won the race on multiple occasions along with Helio Castroneves' three.

The Colombia native was victorious two years ago, and in four career starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he has finished fifth or better on three occasions.

Montoya didn't qualify particularly well as he will start 18th, but he isn't overly concerned, according to Jim Ayello of the Indianapolis Star: "I don't play big into qualifying. I never have here. I proved it two years ago when I won, and after eight laps, I was dead last. It doesn't really matter where you qualify."

He qualified 15th when he won the Indy 500 in 2015, and an 18th-place start shouldn't do much to hinder his chances.

Montoya made his season debut in the IndyCar Grand Prix with a 10th-place finish, which should give him some momentum heading toward the 500.

With winning experience at IMS on his side, Montoya is among the drivers to beat provided he doesn't run into any mechanical issues.