Indianapolis 500 Driver Power Rankings

Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda. CHARLIE KIMBALL. #10. [Starting Position: 16th] — Charlie Kimball is the only driver who has finished in the top 5 in the past two Indy 500 races. Currently in a last-place tie in the championship standings among full-time drivers, Kimball desperately needs a good finish to get his season going. He’ll only start in the middle of the pack, but that is exactly where he has started the past few seasons at Indy before coming away with solid top 5 results.. No. 83

#9. [Starting Position: 4th] — Takuma Sato is hungry for a win, and he has the fastest car at Indy that he’s ever had. He hasn’t won a race in over four years, so expect him to put it all on the line. However, as we saw in the 2012 Indy 500 when he was still searching for his first IndyCar win, he got too aggressive challenging Dario Franchitti for the lead on the last lap of the race and crashed. Sato is infamous for causing wrecks, so his spot on this list compensates for that.. No. 26. Andretti Autosport, Honda. TAKUMA SATO

ED CARPENTER. #8. [Starting Position: 2nd] — Ed Carpenter has historically been very strong at the Indy 500, but his best finish is just a 5th place effort in 2008. While he is making his third front row start in the past five seasons, for the first time this one comes without the pressure of being the polesitter. As the fastest Chevrolet driver in qualifying, Carpenter appears to have his best chance ever at winning the race in his 14th attempt.. No. 20. Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet

[Starting Position: 6th] — For the sixth straight season, JR Hildebrand will attempt to complete unfinished business he has had at the Indy 500 since crashing in the final turn and losing the race lead in 2011 before finishing in 2nd place. He has racked up three straight top 10 finishes in the Indy 500 since 2014, and he appears to be one of Chevrolet’s top drivers after a solid qualification run. This is probably Hildebrand’s best chance to date to numb the pain from his 2011 heartbreak.. No. 21. Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet. JR HILDEBRAND. #7

#6. [Starting Position: 8th] — Marco Andretti, like JR Hildebrand, has had his share of heartbreak at Indy. He has five finishes inside the top 4 and six in the top 6 in 11 attempts at the Indy 500 but has never been able to go to Victory Lane. Not including the three Indy 500 races in which he has crashed, he has finished outside of the top 10 only once. He’ll start the race in 8th place, which is right around where he usually starts, so expect him to at the very least put up a fight and be in the mix as the laps wind down like usual.. No. 27. Andretti Autosport, Honda. MARCO ANDRETTI