Indy 500 Lineup 2016: Full Starting Grid and Predictions for Top Drivers

The 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 offers plenty in the way of star power.

That's fitting, given the historic occasion.

James Hinchcliffe has one of the most notable comeback stories in any sport after a near-fatal wreck at the event last year and sits as the headliner.

But there's also household name Juan Pablo Montoya, and Will Power isn't far behind in star wattage. Helio Castroneves continues to chase history, though nobody continues to run better than Simon Pagenaud this season. Marco Andretti carries an impressive family name, and Ed Carpenter is a legend of the sport.

It goes on and on, but for those who seek out big names to help follow events, the Indy 500 has a little something for everyone. Here's a look at the info surrounding the race and predictions for some of the top drivers.

2016 Indy 500

When: Sunday at noon ET

Where: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

TV: ABC

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Starting Grid

Pole Position	Driver	Driver	Pole Position
1	James Hinchcliffe	Josef Newgarden	2
3	Ryan Hunter-Reay	Townsend Bell	4
5	Carlos Munoz	Will Power	6
7	Mikhail Aleshin	Simon Pagenaud	8
9	Helio Castroneves	Oriol Servia	10
11	Alexander Rossi	Takuma Sato	12
13	Scott Dixon	Marco Andretti	14
15	JR Hildebrand	Charlie Kimball	16
17	Juan Pablo Montoya	Tony Kanaan	18
19	Sebastien Bourdais	Ed Carpenter	20
21	Gabby Chaves	Max Chilton	22
23	Sage Karam	Conor Daly	24
25	Pippa Mann	Graham Rahal	26
27	Matt Brabham	Bryan Clauson	28
29	Spencer Pigot	Stefan Wilson	30
31	Jack Hawksworth	Buddy Lazier	32
33	Alex Tagliani

Predictions for Top Drivers

Will Power 

The runner-up behind Montoya last year, Power sits as one of the most notable names to watch this weekend because he's in the hunt to parlay the strong finish into a checkered flag. 

Improvement has been nothing short of a trend for Power since 2012, as his recent finishes show:

Year	Finish
2012	28
2013	19
2014	8
2015	2

He plans to use last year's experiences to help him Sunday. 

“It was a great race,” Power said, according to the Detroit Free Press' Mike Brudenell. “That sort of thing builds confidence for sure. I definitely learned from it. … You learn something new every time you come here.”

Starting sixth, Power seems in a position to keep the upward trend going. The only problem is how difficult it can be to get over the proverbial hump, especially in a field this deep. Look for Power to remain steady but lose out in the test of endurance late.

Prediction: Power finishes second.

Helio Castroneves

Few better stories than Castroneves' march toward history exist Sunday.

He is a three-time winner of the Indy 500, claiming victory in 2001, 2002 and 2009. A fourth would rank him among the all-time greats, and it's easy to feel for him even two years later, after Ryan Hunter-Reay passed him late to win in 2014.

Still, Castroneves has history on his mind, so much so that he suggested to USA Today's Jeff Olson that No. 4 might be more important than an outright championship:

"

It’s more to me than a championship. When people say I’m missing a championship in my career, I tell them I want a fourth Indy more than a championship. Don’t get me wrong — I still want a championship — but we have a generation of fans who haven’t seen a four-time winner. I think it would be really cool for the history of racing to win a fourth.

"

The Team Penske driver seems well on his way to contention Sunday. He's finished third, seventh and second over his last three outings, the last one in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis.

Slotted ninth, it's safe to presume Castroneves will make a late push for Victory Lane. In fact, it almost seems like the only thing that can stop him is a driver who simply cannot be surpassed often this year.

Which, of course, is something Sunday's field boasts thanks to the next man on the list.

Prediction: Castroneves finishes third. 

Simon Pagenaud

So far this has done much to hype up Pagenaud—and for good reason.

There's little need to jot down the incredible story of his season so far. The visual route is even more impressive:

DATE	RACE	PLACE	START
3/13	Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg	2	1
4/2	Phoenix Grand Prix	2	10
4/17	Grand Prix of Long Beach	1	3
4/24	Grand Prix of Alabama	1	1
5/14	Grand Prix of Indianapolis	1	1

As if this weren't wow-worthy enough, Pagenaud cruised in qualifying to land the eighth slot out of the gates. That's not perfect, but it's close enough to match pace over a crushing test of endurance before putting on his usual moves late.

Yet as great as Pagenaud has looked during his emergence, he still hasn't finished better than eighth over four starts at the Indy 500. But this is his second year with Penske Racing, and he credits the growing chemistry for the success thus far.

“It’s all the preparation that we put in last year,” Pagenaud said, according to Jerry Garrett of the New York Times. “All that work that happened in 2015. It wasn’t visible in terms of results. But we built a really strong team, with really awesome people.”

With a new look and talented team in tow, this seems like the perfect time for Pagenaud to seize his first Indy 500 win. This field is deep, but he's been by far the best driver on a week-to-week basis. That won't change at the sport's biggest event.

Prediction: Pagenaud wins the Indy 500.

Stats and information courtesy of IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com unless otherwise specified. Odds via Odds Shark.