Sunday marks the first time the Indianapolis 500 will take place in August.
The 104th edition of the race moved from the last weekend of May to Sunday, and is also more than the same in the IndyCar Series racing schedule.
The 33 participants had six races and two and a half months to feel comfortable in their cars before they waved the green flag at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Marco Andretti is on the pole and will join through Scott Dixon and Takuma Sato in the front row. Dixon and Sato are two of the top 8 Indy 500 winners on the field, but only part of them starts the race in the most sensitive part of the starting grid.
Indy 500 Information
Date: Sunday, August 23
Start time: 1 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. ET flag)
Television: NBC
Live streaming: NBC Sports app or NBCSports.com.
Possibilities
Scott Dixon: $425 (bet $100 to win $425)
Alexander Rossi: $750
Ryan Hunter-Reay: $800
Josef Newgarden: $900
Marco Andretti: $900
Will: $1000
Simon Pagenaud: $1,100
Rinus VeeKay: $1400
Takuma Sato: $1500
Odds of Caesars Palace.
Overview
Andretti produced the fastest speeds in the qualifying procedure last weekend, but is not considered the favorite before the race. In fact, 3 other competitions are thought of as the most important features to bring the checkered flag into the eyes of the punters.
Andretti has done well in Indy 500 in recent years, having finished in the top 10 in his last 4 appearances. During this period, the driving force of the No. 98 car finished a larger, equivalent or worse place than its initial position.
Although his recent record is excellent, Andretti has 8 top 10 results on his CV, and Andretti Autosport has gone to victory lane with three other drivers in the Indy 500 since 2014.
Sato, who is now with Rahal Letterman Racing, one of the winners of this period, the others are Ryan Hunter-Reay and Alexander Rossi. Sato, Hunter-Reay and Rossi started from the 3 most sensitive and were driven through Honda, which is the fastest of the two brands in testing and qualification.
Each member of this trio can pose a risk to Andretti from the start, as can Dixon, who won the first 3 races of the IndyCar series of the season.
The shape and speed of the five-time IndyCar Series champion, who almost pulled Andretti off the pole, make him an intriguing betting option, even if he’s the favourite. Dixon has only one Indy 500 name to his credit, and Sunday may be his most productive chance for a winner in several races of the prestigious open-wheel race.
Honda drivers get a challenge at some point from Chevrolet drivers, who have had a week to work with their groups to improve their failed configuration in testing and qualifying.
Josef Newgarden will lead the Chevrolet car load from the fifth row, and may be the ultimate harmful risk to the Honda platoon. Newgarden won the last IndyCar Series race in Iowa, and took part in the team to win the 2019 Indy 500 before settling for fourth place.
Last year’s winner Simon Pagenaud has a difficult task to face as a champion, as he starts the race in 25th place.
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