It’s a long race.
Whenever I talk with a driver or team member about any race they’ll always at some point during the conversation say something to the effect of: ‘it’s a long race so we’ll have to be patient and be there at the end.’
It sounds like the obvious cliché when talking about the Indianapolis 500 to mention that it’s a long race, but well, it is. I mean extraordinarily long. Last year’s event was completed in just less than three hours, and that’s a lot of time for things to happen – some good things or possibly some bad things.
Adding to the pressure of a long race, with many pit stops and possible changes in strategic direction as the action unfolds – which alone is enough to create fantastic drama – is that this weekend on the final Sunday in May, Izod IndyCar teams will be racing in the event that defines the series and holds a cherished place in history. The Indianapolis 500.
So who can win this 97th running of the famed race? That’s what everyone wants to know. The answer is anyone in the field, and I’m not saying that just to be politically correct. Strange and sometimes cruel twists have given us many surprising winners over the years; could it happen again? Absolutely.
Of course if you start up front, your chances of winning the race and drinking the milk in celebration afterwards are better. The winner has started from pole position 20 times and on 43 occasions the race victor had a front-row starting spot.
Ed Carpenter will start on pole position and has proven he can win long races on big ovals. Carpenter scored wins the last two seasons at California Speedway – another long race.
Andretti Autosport has five drivers starting in the top nine positions, two of them on the front row, rookie Carlos Munoz and third-generation driver Marco Andretti. Andretti has led laps at Indy in previous years and is off to a sensational start in 2013, sitting just 13 points behind top spot in the championship standings. Yes, odds say things might work in their favour, but Andretti luck has not been good at Indianapolis.
Only a year ago, Dario Franchitti crossed the yard of bricks first after starting 16th. So even though he starts 17th this year and teammate Scott Dixon is one starting spot better, they are both strong contenders. Franchitti wants his fourth Indy 500 win more than anything and Dixon has led more laps at the famed speedway than any other driver in the field and was a winner in 2008.
Team Penske also has a strong contingent up front with three entries in the top eight, including three-time winner Helio Castroneves, who would also like to have his name mentioned with AJ Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears as the only men to win the famed race on four occasions.
Yes I give the Canadian contingent a very good opportunity to win the illustrious race as well. James Hinchcliffe starts ninth and has the Andretti juggernaut behind him. He’s won twice in four races this season and also has the right mindset to not get overwhelmed on the big stage.
Alex Tagliani will roll off 11th for the 200-lap event and while all the cars in front of him have Chevrolet power, he is in a Honda, so I wouldn’t worry about that. Single-car speed and running in traffic are two very different things, so I expect Tag to be competitive.
Other big name contenders include Tony Kanaan, who has been close before, and defending series champion and race winner at Barber Motorsport Park earlier this year, Ryan Hunter-Reay. I’d also keep an eye on rookies Tristian Vautier, who has been fast but has made first year driver mistakes, and Conor Daly who will make his first ever IndyCar series start and is a proven winner in lower tiers of racing.
What I will guarantee is drama, emotion, a couple of miscues and twists of fate. That’s the common theme just about every year and what makes the Indianapolis 500 the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.