IndyCar: 5 way-too-early bold predictions for the 2025 season

Tony Kanaan unretires, contends for Indy 500 win

Given what happened at Indianapolis Motor Speedway back in May, with rain forcing Kyle Larson to choose between the Indy 500 at NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports were proactive this time around.

It has been confirmed that 2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan, who currently serves as McLaren's sporting director, is officially Larson's backup driver for the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" in 2025, and unlike in 2024, he is set to take part in a veteran refresher test so that he is cleared to compete if he should be called upon.

Kanaan's 2023 Indy 500 was his fourth Indy 500 since his initial "Last Lap Tour", and after "retiring" following the race, many joked that he would eventually find his way back for a 23rd Indy 500 start.

If rain delays the 2025 Indy 500, he may get that chance, with Rick Hendrick having made clear that the Coca-Cola 600 is Larson's priority in 2025, thus preventing another totally unnecessary NASCAR playoff waiver fiasco.

I know that rain hasn't significantly impacted two Indy 500s in a row for nearly a half a century, but each Indy 500 is an independent event. In other words, we no longer need two in a row to make it two in a row.

Weather in Speedway, Indiana is completely unpredictable in late May. We have had races take place uninterrupted despite a 100% chance of rain before – multiple times within the last decade, in fact. Meteorologist or not, nobody really knows anything.

What we do know is that, should the disappointment of Larson once again coming up short of a full Memorial Day Double attempt become a reality, the fan-favorite Kanaan returning for one more shot in the Indy 500 (and at the age of 50, no less) would be a great consolation prize for IndyCar fans.

Kanaan finished the race in third place in 2022, so there's no reason to believe he wouldn't be a contender with a McLaren team that are always strong at the "Racing Capital of the World" if he does indeed get the chance to get back behind the wheel.

The 2025 IndyCar season is scheduled to get underway on Sunday, March 2 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, and the 109th running of the Indy 500, race number six on the 17-race schedule, is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 25. The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix is set to wrap up the season at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday, August 31. All races on the calendar are set to be shown live on Fox.