21. Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing
And after a complete lineup overhaul from last year, Juncos Hollinger Racing now have two drivers who don't necessarily show well in qualifying, but manage to find themselves at the front on race day somehow. Conor Daly did it again in 2024 with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, and he has a chance for his fourth straight top 10 finish in 2025.
20. David Malukas, A.J. Foyt Enterprises
Coming into the 2025 IndyCar season, David Malukas was my dark hose pick to win the Indy 500. He competes for an A.J. Foyt Enterprises team that have been at their best in the Indy 500 since forming their technical alliance with Team Penske in 2023, and Malukas has historically been good on ovals, scoring a podium finish for Dale Coyne Racing in each of his first two full seasons. But he will need to overcome a rough start to the year to get the job done.
19. Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing
On raw speed, ranking Felix Rosenqvist this low is criminal, especially after he was Honda's only representative in last year's first three rows, but in six career Indy 500 starts, he has finished higher than 27th place just twice. Last year wasn't his fault, as it came down to a mechanical issue, but he had a legitimate chance to win from the front row in 2023 before that crash with Kyle Kirkwood. It's really a matter of whether or not he can put 500 strong miles together.