The 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 is set to go down on Sunday, May 29th at high noon on ABC. The 2.5 mile oval will host 33 different IndyCars that will compete at the Indianapolis Speedway, racing’s most hallowed venue. James Hincliffe from Toronto, Canada and his #5 Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda will start out front based on his qualifying efforts at the beginning of the week. Juan Pablo Montoya will be slated in the 17th starting position and hopes to take his #2 Verizon Team Penske hot-rod to victory lane for the second year in a row.
Simon Pagenaud, who has taken the checkered flag in the last three IndyCar Series races, will begin in the eighth spot. Pagenaud is knotted up with Will Power and his Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet as the Indianapolis 500 favorite at +600. Power finished runner-up to 2015 victor Juan Pablo Montoya and recorded the sixth fastest qualifying time for the race. Pagenaud should give Power and the field all they can handle as his Menards Team Penske Chevrolet clearly has been the fastest car over the last month of competition.
IndyCar’s Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan are the other top two contenders to watch out for. Kanaan has found his way to Victory Lane here before in 2013 and also sits in the top ten in the IndyCar standings. Castroneves may be the drivers’ favorite in the field due to his experience and his repeated success at the Indianapolis 500. The Sao Paulo, Brazil native is starting out of the ninth position and has won three times before, the most recent victory coming in 2009. Las Vegas has Kanaan at +900 and Castroneves dialed in at +650.
Scott Dixon is another driver that betting gurus are considering as the Indianapolis 500 winner. The Target Chip Ganassi Racing speedster found his way glory at Phoenix International Raceway in April and has been a front runner for the better half of the five races he ran. Dixon, as of this article, is also a +650 betting line.
Ryan Hunter-Reay, Graham Rahal, and Takuma Sato are some of the best Indianapolis 500 dark-horses to consider. The three drivers are nestled inside the top 10 in the 2016 IndyCar standings. Hunter-Reay actually won here back in 2014. He struggled a bit last year coming in 15th, but had an impressive 3rd place finish in 2013.
The 35-year-old Hunter-Reay may be the best bet of the three, as he had a very strong 14 IndyCar races to his name and has enjoyed some very solid success at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway the past few years. Whether the +2000 racer can capture his 15th victory on May 29th is yet to be seen.
Graham Rahal was competitive at last year’s Indianapolis 500 finishing in fifth. The #15 Steak n’ Shake Honda has its work cut out for it, starting in the back in 26th. Rahal has recorded three wins during his young career. The New Albany, Ohio native will definitely be a car to keep an eye on. His +2500 offers more money back when it comes to betting than Hunter-Reay’s does.
A few sleepers to consider might be Buddy Lazier at +10000 and Charlie Kimball and his +4000. Lazier has found his way to the winner’s circle and a cold glass of milk, the traditional drink of the victor, in 1996. The Camarillo, California native knows how to maneuver through the field at the tricky oval.
Kimball could be a better bet when it comes to a possible winner. The #42 Tresiba Chevrolet has been very good at the Indianapolis 500, placing third in 2015 and bringing three other top 10 runs at this venue. The Chip Gnassi teammate only has one career IndyCar Series win on his resume, but he’s run well here and could be a huge upset payout.
ODDS TO WIN THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500:
|
|
STARTING LINE-UP FOR THE 2016 INDIANAPOLIS 500:
1. (5); James Hinchcliffe;Honda;;230.760 (2:36.0063)
2. (21);Josef Newgarden;Chevrolet;230.700 (2:36.0407)
3. (28);Ryan Hunter-Reay;Honda;230.648 (2:36.0821)
4. (29);Townsend Bell;Honda;230.481 (2:36.1950)
5. (26);Carlos Munoz;Honda;230.287 (2:36.3264)
6. (12);Will Power;Chevrolet;229.669 (2:36.7471)
7. (7);Mikhail Aleshin;Honda;229.562 (2:38.8205)
8. (22);Simon Pagenaud;Chevrolet;229.139 (2:37.1096)
9. (3);Helio Castroneves;Chevrolet;229.115 (2:37.1265)
10. (77);Oriol Servia;Honda; 229.060 (2:37.1638)
11. (98);Alexander Rossi;Honda; 228.473 (2:37.5679)
12. (14);Takuma Sato;Honda; 228.029 (2:37.8747)
13. (27);Marco Andretti;Honda;;227.969 (2:37.9161)
14. (9);Scott Dixon;Chevrolet; 227.991 (2:37.9007)
15. (6);JR Hildebrand;Chevrolet; 227.876 (2:37.9809)
16. (42);Charlie Kimball;Chevrolet; 227.822 (2:38.0180)
17. (2);Juan Pablo Montoya;Chevrolet;227.684 (2:38.1141)
18. (10);Tony Kanaan;Chevrolet;227.430 (2:38.2906)
19. (11);Sebastien Bourdais;Chevrolet;227.428 (2:38.2919)
20. (20);Ed Carpenter;Chevrolet;227.226 (2:38.4325)
21. (19);Gabby Chaves;Honda;227.192 (2:38.4566)
22. (8);Max Chilton;Chevrolet;226.686 (2:38.8100)
23. (24);Sage Karam;Chevrolet;226.436 (2:38.9851)
24. (18);Conor Daly;Honda;226.312 (2:39.0721)
25. (63);Pippa Mann;Honda;226.006 (2:39.2877)
26. (15);Graham Rahal;Honda;225.847 (2:39.4002)
27. (61);Matt Brabham;Chevrolet;225.727 (2:39.4846)
28. (88);Bryan Clauson;Honda;225.266 (2:39.8111)
29. (16);Spencer Pigot;Honda;224.847 (2:40.1087)
30. (25);Stefan Wilson;Chevrolet;224.602 (2:40.2833)
31. (41);Jack Hawksworth;Honda;224.596 (2:40.2878)
32. (4);Buddy Lazier;Chevrolet;222.154 (2:42.0498)
33. (35);Alex Tagliani;Honda;No speed (crash)
The Hun’s Pick of the Race: My pick is a combination of talent, youth and a good old-fashioned bang for your buck. I will be taking up-and-comer Josef Newgarden at +1200, to drive onward to victory in the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500.
