Luyendyk's Indy 500 grid guide
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk casts his eye over the grid for this weekend's big race at the Brickyard and gives his verdict on each of the contenders
Ed Carpenter and his self-run team came up against the powerhouses of Andretti Autosport and Penske in Indianapolis 500 qualifying last weekend and emerged on top.
The Chevrolet teams outperformed their Honda rivals, but a poor qualifying performance didn't stop the Japanese manufacturer winning the race last year.
It's a tough one to call so AUTOSPORT spoke to the 1990 and 1997 Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk for his view. Here's what he said...
Qualified: Pole
Team: Ed Carpenter Racing
Engine: Chevrolet
Car #20
Indy 500 debut: 2004
Indy 500 starts: 9
Indy 500 best result: 5th (2008)
Ed Carpenter has amazed me as far as how he's just kept getting better and better over the years, particularly on the big ovals. His win at Fontana last year was pretty impressive, considering that he almost white-walled it with two laps to go. And at Indy, he ran really well here and was up there until close to the end when he had some sort of problem. The fact that his family owns the track has nothing to do with the fact that he's really good around here!
Qualified: 2nd
Team: Andretti Autosport
Engine: Chevrolet
Car #26
Indy 500 debut: Rookie
Indy 500 starts: 0
Indy 500 best result: NA
Munoz has been running well for a rookie, and he has been playing with guys in the draft. He had a moment when Marco [Andretti] lifted going into Turn 1 and Munoz almost ran into the back of him and had to put two wheels onto the concrete patch on the inside of the corner, and even a bit onto the grass.
But he kept it together. So he's already had his first moment at Indy! His heart rate probably went up ...
He looks a little aggressive from the get-go, which I don't think is the way to go here, but we'll have to wait and see. Hopefully Michael Andretti will calm him down a little bit.
Qualified: 3rd
Team: Andretti Autosport
Engine: Chevrolet
Car #25
Indy 500 debut: 2006
Indy 500 starts: 7
Indy 500 best result: 2nd (2006)
Marco has run really well here - he's had one second place, and finished third twice. So he seems to like the place, and he'll be competitive for sure, especially based on how he's been running this year.
In some ways your early-season form isn't much of a guide for Indy because the race is so different, but for Marco it's more of a confidence thing that you bring with you from having a few really good results.
Qualified: 4th
Team: Andretti Autosport
Engine: Chevrolet
Car #5
Indy 500 debut: 2008
Indy 500 starts: 5
Indy 500 best result: 18th (2012)
Viso still has to prove himself, in my opinion, as far as the 500 and bringing the car to the end. But for the whole Andretti team - [Ryan] Hunter-Reay, Marco, [James] Hinchcliffe and Viso - those guys have all been working together really well.
In practice, they've been drafting each other a lot, and figuring out the cars in traffic, and they were the ones to start that on the first day of practice. They didn't waste any time.
Qualified: 5th
Team: Team Penske
Engine: Chevrolet
Car #2
Indy 500 debut: Rookie
Indy 500 starts: 0
Indy 500 best result: NA
Allmendinger has a lot of experience from NASCAR, but racing in NASCAR is different to racing at the Indy 500. He was good in Champ Car, but he's a rookie here.
The thing he has going for him is that he has a great team who can really guide him through the lead-up and also through the race, and calm him down. They know how to work with their drivers, and he's getting a lot of help from his team-mates, and obviously Penske is always going to be a threat to win here.
Right now, I wouldn't pick Allmendinger as one of the favourites for the race. But then again, a couple of years ago I wouldn't have picked [JR] Hildebrand either, and he almost won it. When a guy is pretty new to it, a lot depends on his confidence and comfort level behind the wheel.
Qualified: 6th
Team: Team Penske
Engine: Chevrolet
Car #12
Indy 500 debut: 2008
Indy 500 starts: 5
Indy 500 best result: 5th (2009)
Jeez, this guy has had some bad luck here. I just hope for him that he can have a good result so that he can walk away from the place feeling that he's had a strong race.
His year has been pretty dreadful so far, but at least he has had the speed. He'll be fast, and it's his fifth visit to Indy. He's bound to be successful with the team that he has.
Qualified: 7th
Team: Andretti Autosport
Engine: Chevrolet
Car #1
Indy 500 debut: 2008
Indy 500 starts: 5
Indy 500 best result: 6th (2008)
Hunter-Reay has always been pretty good at Indy, except for that one year that he didn't qualify [ED: 2011 with Andretti, although he ended up replacing Bruno Junqueira at AJ Foyt Enterprises and finished 23rd].
That was the year that he was struggling with his set-up. But obviously, being the champion, he's a guy who comes through in the races.
Qualified: 8th
Team: Team Penske
Engine: Chevrolet
Car # 3
Indy 500 debut: 2001
Indy 500 starts: 12
Indy 500 best result: 1st (2001, 2002, 2009)
Castroneves is very eager to take a fourth win here. He's one of those guys who really has this place dialled in.
Qualified: 9th
Team: Andretti Autosport
Engine: Chevrolet
Car #27
Indy 500 debut: 2011
Indy 500 starts: 2
Indy 500 best result: 6th (2012)
Having already won two races this year, he comes to Indy with a lot of things to be positive about. Having positive energy and a level of confidence always helps when you come here.
But I think lots of cars will be competitive. It will just come down to the individual and how calm and cool they can be on race day.
Just based on history, I think Marco can be the strongest of the Andretti clan, but Hinchcliffe ran well here last year as well.
Qualified: 10th
Team: Panther Racing
Engine: Chevrolet
Car #4
Indy 500 debut: 2011
Indy 500 starts: 2
Indy 500 best result: 2nd (2011)
Panther Racing and JR Hildebrand could be really competitive. They've always been good around here, and JR seems to be running quite well so far. Every time they go out there, they look pretty quick.
Qualified: 11th
Team: BHA/Barracuda Racing
Engine: Honda
Car #98
Indy 500 debut: 2009
Indy 500 starts: 4
Indy 500 best result: 10th (2010)
Tagliani was really fast here a couple of years ago in qualifying, and he obviously really knows his way around the place.
But he is still running with a smaller team that doesn't have all the resources. There could be a Cinderella story like we almost had last year - if he hadn't got that drive-through penalty he'd have been right there at the end.
So it's a team that could pull a surprise. There are a few of those!
Qualified: 12th
Team: KV Racing Technology
Engine: Chevrolet
Car #11
Indy 500 debut: 2002
Indy 500 starts: 11
Indy 500 best result: 2nd (2004)
Simona has really been giving Kanaan a run for his money as far as pushing him along, and it could be the same here. But I rate Kanaan as one of the best drivers at Indy at the moment when it comes to racecraft. He's due for a win here, and it could be this year.
Qualified: 13th
Team: Panther/DRR
Engine: Chevrolet
Car #22
Indy 500 debut: 2008
Indy 500 starts: 4
Indy 500 best result: 4th (2012)
I'm not so sure Servia will benefit so much from the ongoing developments that Panther Racing has. [ED: Servia's Panther DRR team will withdraw from the season after Indy due to a lack of finances].
Townsend Bell will probably benefit more than Oriol. Servia likes this place, and I think he can definitely be a top-10 guy. But I don't think as a team, they can carry him to Victory Lane.
Qualified: 14th
Team: Dale Coyne Racing
Engine: Honda
Car #19
Indy 500 debut: 2008
Indy 500 starts: 5
Indy 500 best result: 7th (2010, 2012)
Justin won a race for the team last year at Texas, and they've been really competitive at a few other places. So he could be another surprise.
I rate Wilson really highly, and I'm a bit surprised that none of the big teams have picked him up - it doesn't matter whether he's on a road course or an oval, he can always be quick.
Qualified: 15th
Team: Dragon Racing
Engine: Chevrolet
Car #7
Indy 500 debut: 2005
Indy 500 starts: 2
Indy 500 best result: 12th (2005)
I don't know about these Dragon guys. I've been looking at their pace in practice, and I've been watching them drive around on their own, and they just don't really have the speed.
Qualified: 16th
Team: Chip Ganassi Racing
Engine: Honda
Car #9
Indy 500 debut: 2003
Indy 500 starts: 10
Indy 500 best result: 1st (2008)
There isn't much to pick between Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon. He's pretty complete as a driver, and he's with one of the best teams.
Qualified: 17th
Team: Chip Ganassi Racing
Engine: Honda
Car #10
Indy 500 debut: 2002
Indy 500 starts: 9
Indy 500 best result: 1st (2007, 2010, 2012)
Last year, it was a surprise to me that Dario won, because in practice and qualifying they were nowhere, and then in the race they really had it together. I couldn't tell you what it is, but it is more than just a case of the driver getting his act together.
In the end, we saw that Dario won the race and Dixon was second, but it could easily have been the other way around. So as a team, Target really has been the driving force behind Dario's success here.
What have guys like Dario and Helio Castroneves figured out about Indy that other drivers haven't? It's difficult to say. I know from myself that I was always good here and kind of figured out when to go fast. But I also had races where I could have won if I'd been a little more patient. I made mistakes here, like we all do.
Qualified: 18th
Team: AJ Foyt Enterprises
Engine: Honda
Car #14
Indy 500 debut: 2010
Indy 500 starts: 3
Indy 500 best result: 17th (2012)
Sato has been a surprise this year. We always knew he was quick, but now he has shown that he can put it all together; put together races and finish them. So it has been an exceptional year for him.
I think that with AJ Foyt's team at Indy, he can be very competitive again like he was last year with Rahal's team. Based on how they ran last year, I think we can expect Sato to do very well.
Qualified: 19th
Team: Chip Ganassi Racing
Engine: Honda
Car #83
Indy 500 debut: 2011
Indy 500 starts: 2
Indy 500 best result: 8th
He is another guy who will benefit from the way the team works together. You already see that from the first four races - he has had a really good year so far.
That's going to work for both Kimball and Ryan Briscoe, and give them a chance to be really competitive.
Qualified: 20th
Team: Rahal Letterman Lanigan
Engine: Honda
Car #16
Indy 500 debut: 2012
Indy 500 starts: 1
Indy 500 best result: 15th (2012)
During the first few days of practice, the Rahal drivers didn't look happy - I know Michel Jourdain [ED: Who did not qualify] wasn't happy, and neither Rahal nor Jakes were quick.
They might be struggling to find some speed from these cars for qualifying, but they ran well here last year with Sato. Based on that they might be good in the race, because Sato wasn't all that great in qualifying either. [ED: he qualified 19th].
Qualified: 21st
Team: Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
Engine: Honda
Car #77
Indy 500 debut: 2012
Indy 500 starts: 1
Indy 500 best result: 16th (2012)
Simon ran decently last year, and he as a driver and SPM as a team are certainly capable of being competitive. It's his second year at Indy so he knows what to expect, and that makes a big difference.
Qualified: 22nd
Team: Panther Racing
Engine: Chevrolet
Car #60
Indy 500 debut: 2006
Indy 500 starts: 6
Indy 500 best result: 4th (2009)
It's easy to just do laps around here, but there are guys who can go out and go for pole by just getting a bit more out of it and running on the ragged edge.
And then there's guys who can race really well. Bell is definitely one of them. He has been amazing in the one-offs that he has done in the past; he has a really good feel for this place and races really well.
Qualified: 23rd
Team: Chip Ganassi Racing
Engine: Honda
Car #8
Indy 500 debut: 2005
Indy 500 starts: 7
Indy 500 best result: 5th (2007, 2012)
Briscoe qualified on pole last year, so he knows his way around here, and he's with a good team.
He could be another guy who can spring a surprise, because those Ganassi guys all work together really well.
Qualified: 24th
Team: KV Racing Technology
Engine: Chevrolet
Car #78
Indy 500 debut: 2010
Indy 500 starts: 3
Indy 500 best result: 14th (2010)
I have Kanaan on my list of guys who can win this thing, but Simona won't be far behind. It will be close. She'll have a shot at a top 10 finish for sure, based on the way things are going this year.
I rate her pretty highly as a driver; she's probably the fastest female if you want to put it in that category. But regardless, she's one of the fastest drivers out there.
Qualified: 25th
Team: Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
Engine: Honda
Car #21
Indy 500 debut: 2012
Indy 500 starts: 1
Indy 500 best result: 25th (2012)
They're one of the only teams that are a single entry, and I think that could hurt them when it comes to getting the car ready for race day. It's nice to have some other data from another guy.
But they've been quick from day one, and Josef seems to enjoy this place. He could be another guy who could surprise everyone and finish well inside the top 10. I like his approach as a driver, and his professionalism.
He's a quick kid, but he's still a kid, and that's something to consider with him and guys like Conor Daly. Experience counts for a lot when it comes to the last 10 laps of the race, and in that regard those two guys have a bit of a disadvantage.
Look at Hildebrand two years ago [when he hit the wall while leading on the final lap]. You really wonder what was going through his head.
I think as a team Panther might have failed him a little bit by not nursing him to the end. Sometimes the driver has to nurse the car, and sometimes the team has to nurse the driver.
Keeping calm is very important. When I coach drivers at Indy, it's not coaching them on how to drive. Most of them already know how to drive. It's about coping with the pressure of the event, and everything around it. You can really get yourself crazy here.
There are a lot of mind games, not from other people, but just from the pressure of qualifying and racing here.
Qualified: 26th
Team: Rahal Letterman Lanigan
Engine: Honda
Car #15
Indy 500 debut: 2008
Indy 500 starts: 5
Indy 500 best result: 3rd (2011)
A lot of times you see teams struggling for qualifying speed but in the race they're capable of turning it around. That might be the case for Rahal.
Graham likes this place, but everybody who likes this place likes it when the car is good. When the car is bad, nobody likes it. It doesn't matter who you are.
Qualified: 27th
Team: Dragon Racing
Engine: Chevrolet
Car #6
Indy 500 debut: 2010
Indy 500 starts: 2
Indy 500 best result: 23rd (2010)
Something is missing there on the set-up and the whole team is just not getting the speed it needs to mix it up. So far it doesn't look like they'll be competitive, in my opinion.
Qualified: 28th
Team: Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
Engine: Honda
Car #55
Indy 500 debut: Rookie
Indy 500 starts: 0
Indy 500 best result: NA
He's shown that he has a lot of talent on road and street courses. But he's still a rookie, and being a rookie here is tough. Unless you're a guy like Juan Pablo Montoya, who was a rookie, but at the same time, not a rookie.
For a real rookie like Vautier, Munoz, and Daly, those are all young kids who are new to this game. It's going to be tough for them.
Qualified: 29th
Team: Dale Coyne Racing
Engine: Honda
Car #18
Indy 500 debut: 2010
Indy 500 starts: 3
Indy 500 best result: 21st (2010, 2011)
I don't give Beatriz much of a chance of being successful here. The whole programme hasn't looked very solid this year, and I don't see that improving much at Indy.
Qualified: 30th
Team: Dale Coyne Racing
Engine: Honda
Car #63
Indy 500 debut: 2011
Indy 500 starts: 1
Indy 500 best result: 20th (2011)
It's hard to judge Mann. She drove a really nice line on her refresher test, and I was sure she'd qualify.
But I really can't judge her as a driver because I just haven't seen her drive that much, and based on what she did in Lights, it's a bit hard to tell.
I don't see her having much of a chance in terms of a result.
Qualified: 31st
Team: AJ Foyt Enterprises
Engine: Honda
Car #41
Indy 500 debut: Rookie
Indy 500 starts: 0
Indy 500 best result: NA
Conor completed his rookie orientation on the Monday, and he had a good approach to it. He gets very excited about where he is, but I don't think he's an excitable guy in the car. He seems to be very level-headed, so he should do a good job.
Qualified: 32nd
Team: Lazier Partners Racing
Engine: Chevrolet
Car #91
Indy 500 debut: 1991
Indy 500 starts: 16
Indy 500 best result: 1st (1996)
Buddy has always been really capable here. When I raced, he was one of the guys you had to really watch out for.
But with that programme that they have in mind, to start running late in the week, they don't have a chance to shine at all, basically. I don't care how good you are.
Qualified: 33rd
Team: Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
Engine: Honda
Car #81
Indy 500 debut: 2012
Indy 500 starts: 1
Indy 500 best result: 22nd (2012)
They've made an entry for a third car, but the idea of starting on Sunday [Bump Day] ... really? I don't think that car has any chance.
These other guys have had all week long to run in traffic, and not having that puts them at a huge disadvantage.
*Note: DNQs/DNSs not counted towards totals
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