Indy 500 Lineup 2019: Starting Grid and Breakdown of Sunday's Thrilling Event

Team Penske's Simon Pagenaud will start Sunday's Indy 500 on pole position after the Frenchman came out on top after a gripping weekend of qualifying.

While much of the focus last Sunday was on Fernando Alonso's failure to qualify for the race in his McLaren, Pagenaud produced a brilliant performance to ensure he will be leading the drivers off at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Chasing him will be Ed Carpenter and Spencer Pigot, who will begin in second and third, respectively, for the Ed Carpenter Racing team. The IndyCar Series leader Josef Newgarden is in eighth spot, while defending Indy 500 champion Will Power starts in sixth.

Read on for more details of how the drivers line up for Sunday and a preview of how the race will go.

Indy 500 Fast Nine (all times in mph)

Row 1

1. No. 22 Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 229.992

2. No. 20 Ed Carpenter, Chevrolet, 229.889

3. No. 21 Spencer Pigot, Chevrolet, 229.826

Row 2

4. No. 63, Ed Jones, Chevrolet, 229.646

5. No. 88, Colton Herta, Honda, 229.086

6. No. 12, Will Power, Chevrolet, 228.645

Row 3

7. No. 18, Sebastien Bourdais, Honda, 228.621

8. No. 2, Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 228.396

9. No. 27, Alexander Rossi, Honda, 228.247

For the grid in full visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway website.

Race Preview

While the absence of Alonso robs the race of a fine driver, there are many intriguing storylines to latch on to ahead of Sunday's showdown.

For Team Penske, Pagenaud appears to be hitting form at an ideal point in the campaign. After winning the Indianapolis Grand Prix, he was steady throughout qualifying before upping the ante on Sunday.

This was the moment he realised he had secured pole position for the most prestigious race on the circuit:

As the man himself noted, it's been a long time since a Frenchman was on pole for the Indy 500:

The challenge will now be converting the optimal position into a win and moving into contention to compete for the overall IndyCar title—Pagenaud trails Newgarden by 37 points.

In a race renowned for its drama, Pagenaud will be taking little for granted, especially when there is a high-class selection of drivers behind him.

Pigot is chasing his first win in IndyCar and set the fastest speed of the weekend on Saturday, as his four-lap average was a blistering 230.083 miles-per-hour to send him into Bump Day as the quickest man on the circuit.

Power is another driver expected to shine on race day, and as Asher Fair of Beyond The Flag noted, he is regularly in contention in Indianapolis, having led at least one lap of every Indy 500 since 2013.

Power opened up on what he thinks will be needed to become the first driver to win this race back-to-back since Helio Castroneves in 2002:

"

Starting P4 this weekend, 2018 #Indy500 champ, @12WillPower, reflects on what it’s going to take to defend the title! pic.twitter.com/7AbvfBWVm6

— Team Chevy (@TeamChevy) May 20, 2019"

The drivers have been in feisty mood during their practice runs:

While the experience held by the likes of Power and Alexander Rossi—who won the event in 2016—can be crucial in negotiating the chaotic early stages of the race, the fearlessness of youth can be an asset, too.

Colton Herta is one to watch with that in mind, with the 19-year-old seeking to become the first rookie winner of the race since Rossi's triumph three years ago.

Starting in fifth, Herta has a fine chance if he can stay out of trouble early on. However, there's an assurance about Pagenaud's driving at the moment, and the signs are that he will be tough to beat.