Indy 500 Lineup 2015: Ranking Top Drivers to Watch in Marquee Field
The 2015 Indy 500 is once again set to live up to its billing as the top sporting event to look forward to during Memorial Day Weekend, as this year's field of drivers battling for the win is absolutely stocked with former winners and top contenders.
Scott Dixon will start from pole position and is a living IndyCar legend, while Helio Castroneves has already won the race three times. Compatriot Tony Kanaan is seen as a dangerous outsider, and former winner Juan Pablo Montoya should never be underestimated, either.
Ryan Hunter-Reay took the win last year in one of the closest finishes the Indy 500 has ever seen, and it's not hard to see why fans are expecting similar drama this year. Let's have a look at the top drivers going into Sunday's big race.
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No. 4: Juan Pablo Montoya
Simon Pagenaud came very close to knocking the Colombian off this list altogether, but as a former winner, Montoya should never be overlooked.
The former Formula 1 star didn't look as sharp as expected during qualifiers and will start quite a long way down the grid, but he believes his car will do much better during the actual race:
Montoya has tons of experience at the wheel of an IndyCar and knows the track very well. If there's any drama early in the race―which is expected―he should be able to benefit and move forward in a hurry.
Is Montoya likely to overcome his dreadful spot on the grid and walk away with the win? No, but that doesn't mean the other top contenders should take their eye of the Colombian just yet.
No. 3: Tony Kanaan
Talent has never been an issue for Kanaan, the 2013 winner of the Indy 500. How the rest of the grid will react to his controversial comments in the wake of James Hinchcliffe's crash might be, as reported by Jeff Olson of USA Today.
Motorsport.com's Nick DeGroot shared some of those comments, while noting they were particularly strong:
Kanaan obviously didn't mean to be rude or insensitive, and he took to Twitter to wish Hinchcliffe a speedy recovery:
Still, we won't know how the other drivers really feel about Kanaan's sentiments until the race starts. No one is suggesting anyone will actively boycott the Brazilian, but it will be interesting to see whether any of the drivers will be more aggressive in holding their lines or not.
No. 2: Helio Castroneves
The fact that Castroneves will even have the chance to win his fourth Indy 500 on Sunday after his spectacular crash earlier this month is incredible, something he even admitted during an interview with New Day:
The 40-year-old Brazilian has been chasing his fourth crown since he last won at Indianapolis, back in 2009, and has come agonisingly close on several occasions.
His form coming into the race looks just fine, as he sits comfortably in the top five of the IndyCar standings, and after last year's tight loss to Hunter-Reay, he will be more motivated than ever.
But while no man has more experience on this track than Castroneves does, there's someone who deserves to be ranked No. 1 more than the Brazilian heading into this race.
No. 1: Scott Dixon
It was tempting to include defending IndyCar champion Will Power in this list, but experience is one of the key elements when it comes to the Indy 500, and the Australian has never performed well in Indianapolis. Dixon has three championships and 36 total race wins under his belt―it's difficult to bet against such a resume.
The racing legend had a relatively uneventful week of preparation before grabbing a shock pole position, to the delight of author and racing fan John Green:
Dixon was supposed to be slower than Team Penske when it came to raw pace, and the fact that he was still able to grab pole position is an ill omen for the rest of the pack.
Building an early lead will be key for Dixon, as Power and Pagenaud will pressure him early, but if he can survive the early stages of Sunday's race, you have to like Dixon's chances of adding a second Indy 500 title to his legacy.
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