Indy 500 Lineup 2015: Full Starting Grid and Predictions for Top Drivers
The Indianapolis 500 is an annual Memorial Day weekend tradition and part of a tremendous racing day along with NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600. It's a chance to pay tribute to fallen heroes before enjoying a couple of storied races.
IndyCar's yearly visit to Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the most highly anticipated stop on its schedule. Winning the Indy 500 is the type of accomplishment that can really take a driver's career to another level. Multiple victories can help them become legends.
Let's check out all of the important information for the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing." It's followed by a look at the starting grid and predictions for the 99th edition of the event.
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Viewing Details
Where: Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana
When: Sunday, May 24 at 12 p.m. ET
Watch: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Starting Grid
| Scott Dixon (first) | Will Power (second) | Simon Pagenaud (third) |
| Tony Kanaan (fourth) | Helio Castroneves (fifth) | Justin Wilson (sixth) |
| Sebastien Bourdais (seventh) | Marco Andretti (eighth) | Josef Newgarden (ninth) |
| J.R. Hildebrand (10th) | Carlos Munoz (11th) | Ed Carpenter (12th) |
| Oriol Servia (13th) | Charlie Kimball (14th) | Juan Pablo Montoya (15th) |
| Ryan Hunter-Reay (16th) | Graham Rahal (17th) | Simona de Silvestro (18th) |
| James Jakes (19th) | Alex Tagliani (20th) | Sage Karam (21st) |
| Conor Daly (22nd) | Townsend Bell (23rd) | Takuma Sato (24th) |
| Pippa Mann (25th) | Gabby Chaves (26th) | Sebastian Saavedra (27th) |
| Jack Hawksworth (28th) | Stefano Coletti (29th) | Bryan Clauson (30th) |
| Ryan Briscoe (31st) | Tristan Vautier (32nd) | James Davison (33rd) |
Predictions for Top Finishers
Winner: Helio Castroneves
Few drivers have enjoyed as much success in the Indy 500 as Castroneves. The Brazilian won his first two appearances in the race (2001 and 2002) and added another victory in 2009 to move within one triumph of matching the all-time record.
He's finished in the top 10 four times in five starts since that last win. The record-tying victory has remained elusive, however. Perhaps this will finally be the year he joins A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr. and Rick Mears atop the all-time list.
Castroneves went through a scary crash during practice for this year's race. Thankfully he made it through the incident without any serious injuries. Mike Brudenell of the Detroit Free Press passed along his comments about the accident.
"It's just natural to think about it, you can't forget it," Castroneves said. "But I'm thinking about what strategy I'm going to use in the race a whole lot more. I'm consumed with that."
Since he's physically ready to compete, he figures to contend once again. Only twice in 14 appearances has he finished outside the top 10. Given the speed he's shown and his record at the track, he's a solid pick to kiss the bricks on Sunday.
Second: Tony Kanaan
Kanaan is another longtime Indy 500 stalwart. He'll be making his 14th start and has tallied six top-five finishes. There are questions about his ability to contend, however, after finishing 26th last year in his first season with Chip Ganassi Racing.
It marked the fourth time the 40-year-old driver had ended up outside the top 25. So along with the good, there has been some bad for him at Indy. But the brightest moment was his long-awaited win in 2013, as he noted to Matt Glenesk of the Indianapolis Star:
The good news for Kanaan is his car has looked far more competitive during the buildup to this year's race than it did 12 months ago. He's starting on the second row, which obviously yields more confidence than his 16th-place start last year.
As a result, look for him to get back in the mix during the business end of the race. A second win should be within reach. He's struggled to close the deal over the years, but as long as a driver is in contention, they have a chance in the mad dash for the finish.
Third: Scott Dixon
Like Kanaan, Dixon has one Indy 500 victory under his belt. It came back in 2008 when he started on the pole, led 115 of the 200 laps and claimed the checkered flag. Seven years later he's on the pole for the first time since that race and hopes for a repeat result.
He hasn't been a contender in each of the last two races, finishing 14th and 29th. Barring a crash, he should best those finishes with his car showing breakaway speed. Richie Hall of the Hamilton County Reporter was surprised by the pace:
Dixon is off to a good start this season with a win and three top-10 finishes in five starts. So all the signs point to him being tough to beat on Sunday. But winning the Indy 500 isn't as easy as he made it look in 2008, even from the pole.
There are a lot of hurdles during the course of 500 miles. So while he's certainly among the top contenders, an outstanding qualifying effort doesn't make him a lock. It all depends on how his car is running during those final laps when fellow veterans like Castroneves and Kanaan make their moves.
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