27. Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Graham Rahal is another veteran driver whose Indy 500 contention window is closing, if it hasn't already been shut. He has beaten a total of one car, that being a wrecked backup car, in qualifying over the last two years combined, and it's been more than four years since his most recent top five finish in an oval race. Even a huge step forward from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing probably won't be enough to bring him back to his 2020 or 2021 form.
26. Marco Andretti, Andretti Global
Speaking of veteran drivers whose Indy 500 contention windows are closed, we have Marco Andretti, who has done just one race per year since 2021 and has not finished in the top 10 in the Indy 500 since 2017. Even in 2020, when he started from pole, he never actually led the race, and last year marked his first Indy 500 wreck in 12 years. I no longer see any way for him to break the Andretti Curse.
25. Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren
Another young McLaren driver by the name of Pato O'Ward failed to qualify for the Indy 500 in a slow car before moving to Arrow McLaren, and he has been a contender every year since. I simply cannot see the same thing unfolding for Nolan Siegel, however, as he has yet to have a true breakthrough moment with a team whose other two drivers are both in the top four in the standings.