Indy 500 Lineup 2016: Starting Grid and Viewing Info for IndyCar's Top Race

The Indianapolis 500 has long been a must-watch event for racing fans everywhere, and Sunday's 100th edition is no different due largely to the depth and talent of the field that will vie for a victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

As many as half the drivers competing in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing have a legitimate chance to take the checkered flag, including several who have already done so in the past. Seven different drivers have won the Indy 500 over the past eight years, and that trend of unpredictability seemingly has a strong chance to continue in 2016.

Ahead of the highly anticipated event, here is everything you need to know about when and where to watch the Indianapolis 500, as well as a closer look at some of the top contenders.

Where: Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana

When: Sunday, May 29 at 12 p.m. ET

Watch: ABC

Live Stream: WatchESPN

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

Drivers to Watch

Simon Pagenaud

Simon Pagenaud has never finished better than eighth in the Indianapolis 500, but as the most dominant driver in the IndyCar Series so far in 2016, he may be the person to beat Sunday.

Pagenaud enters the weekend on an absolute tear, having won each of the past three races, and he holds a commanding, 76-point lead in the standings.

The 32-year-old Frenchman qualified eighth for the Indy 500, and he has a ton of confidence in the car and the team around him, according to Pete DiPrimio of the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel:

"

All the work we did last year is finally showing. It's very enjoyable. It's a great time. Obviously when you're winning is when you have the most fun in racing.

[...]

We have the best cars and we are the best team. That pushes us to the limits even farther. That's why things happen. We've had a really good start, but it's a long, long way to go for us.

"

While Pagenaud didn't continue his trend of taking the pole after winning three poles in the season's first five races, the fact that he was part of the Fast Nine suggests he should have a good enough car to contend for the victory.

A Frenchman hasn't won the Indianapolis 500 since Gaston Chevrolet in 1920, but Pagenaud has a golden opportunity to end that drought if his recent form carries over to Sunday's race.

Scott Dixon

Scott Dixon is one of just six active drivers with an Indianapolis 500 win to their credit in Sunday's field, and he has a chance to join an elite group of drivers who have won the race on multiple occasions.

The New Zealander's first and only Indy triumph came back in 2008, and while he has five top-10 finishes at the track since then, he has been unable to take the checkered flag for a second time.

Dixon nearly found himself in a precarious position when he had engine issues ahead of qualifying, but Chip Ganassi Racing managed to fix the problem in time, which Dixon was grateful for, according to Jeff Olson of USA Today: "It was huge. We had an engine fail—to what extent I'm not sure—and I can't thank the team enough. Not just Team Target, but the other three teams, as well."

That resulted in a solid, 13th-place qualifying run, which puts Dixon in a decent position to contend Sunday.

The car has seemingly gotten better since then, too, as Dixon was thrilled with it during a recent practice run:

Dixon regularly finds himself in the mix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and while it hasn't happened in recent years, he knows how to seal the deal there.

He is also running well so far in 2016 with one victory to his credit and the No. 2 spot in the standings, so he has the momentum needed to be a factor in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

Juan Pablo Montoya

After winning last year's Indianapolis 500 from the No. 15 starting spot, Juan Pablo Montoya will have a bit more work to do this year from the 17th position.

The Colombian star had some struggles during qualifying, but he believes he has a strong car to his credit entering Sunday's event:

Montoya and his team managed to make some adjustments and generate plenty speed between qualifying and the race last year, so there is plenty of reason to believe they can pull off a similar feat in 2016.

The 40-year-old veteran is a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, and he has won once already this season, making him among the top contenders despite his mediocre qualifying performance.

Montoya has always enjoyed a great deal of success at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and if he manages to find his way to the front of the field, he will be extremely difficult to knock off.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.