Indy 500 2013: Top Drivers to Watch in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing

The 2013 Indy 500 is the biggest event in the IndyCar racing season, and everyone in the 33-car field will be looking to make the best of the opportunity in the spotlight.

If last year's race was any indication, the 2013 version should be one of the highlights of the race season. 2012 race winner Dario Franchitti will be back to defend his crown, but he won't be the only talented driver angling for a championship.

The race features a loaded field that will provide fans with plenty of intense action on Sunday. Here's a full listing of the qualifiers for the race.

Pos.	Driver	Car No.
1	Ed Carpenter	20
2	Carlos Munoz	26
3	Marco Andretti	25
4	E.J. Viso	5
5	A.J. Allmendinger	2
6	Will Power	12
7	Ryan Hunter-Reay	1
8	Helio Castroneves	3
9	James Hinchcliffe	27
10	J.R. Hildebrand	4
11	Alex Tagliani	98
12	Tony Kanaan	11
13	Oriol Servia	22
14	Justin Wilson	19
15	Sebastien Bourdais	7
16	Scott Dixon	9
17	Dario Franchitti	10
18	Takuma Sato	14
19	Charlie Kimball	83
20	James Jakes	16
21	Simon Pagenaud	77
22	Townsend Bell	60
23	Ryan Briscoe	8
24	Simona de Silvestro	78
25	Josef Newgarden	21
26	Graham Rahal	15
27	Sebastian Saavedra	6
28	Tristan Vautier	55
29	Ana Beatriz	18
30	Pippa Mann	63
31	Conor Daly	41
32	Buddy Lazier	91
33	Katherine Legge	81

Here are the top contenders to watch on the 2.5-mile track:

Dario Franchitti

Franchitti may be having a mediocre season, but counting him out of this race would be a big mistake. He's only 15th in the point standings for the season, but he's won the race three times, including 2012's race. 

Things won't be easy, though. Franchitti will have to rally from the middle of the pack. He'll start off in the 17th position and has plenty of skilled drivers ahead of him.

With three Indy 500 wins in his career, Franchitti will be chasing history Sunday. According to CBS Sports, a fourth victory would tie him for most Indy 500 wins in history. Only A.J. Hoyt (1961, '64, '67 and '77), Al Unser (1970-71, 78, 87) and Rick Mears (1979, 84, 88, 91) have accomplished the feat.

Aside from joining that prestigious club, he could become the sixth driver to win the race in back-to-back years.

The odds may not be in his favor, but history says that Franchitti will be a contender.

Marco Andretti

Marco Andretti certainly has the name for racing, but the Indy 500 hasn't always been kind for Andretti's. The family hasn't won the race since his grandfather, Mario Andretti, took the checkered flag in 1969.

However, Marco has the car and skills to end the streak of poor performances this time around.

In four starts this season, he's claimed two top-five finishes and four top-10's. Throw in the fact that he led the most laps in last year's race with 59, and he's more than capable of having success at Indianapolis.

According to the Indy Car 500 PR Twitter account, Andretti is among the fastest racers in practice:

This could be the year that Marco ends the Andretti Indy 500 curse.

Helio Castroneves

Dario Franchitti won't be the only one with an extensive history at Indianapolis. Castroneves' resume at the premier race is even more impressive than Franchitti's.

Castroneves is one of the few to have won the race three times. And he won it two years in a row in 2001 and 2002.

His last victory came in 2009, but he's been racing really well in early 2013 and should be a contender on Sunday. He has two top-five finishes in four starts this season.

With a much better qualifying position than Franchitti (eighth), Castroneves could be the one who cements his legacy with a win on Sunday.