Indy 500 primer: Will Power looks to go back-to-back
The Greatest Spectacle in Racing is scheduled to take place Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Will Power will attempt to defend his title from a year ago.
Thunderstorms are in the forecast and could conceivably delay the 103rd Indianapolis 500 or push it to Memorial Day on Monday.
If the 200-lap race proceeds as planned, here's what you need to know:
Basics
Location: Indianapolis
Start time: 12:45 p.m. ET
How to watch: NBC
The Indy 500 marks the sixth leg of the IndyCar Series but is its premier event. It takes place on a short oval.
Starting Grid
Simon Pagenaud qualified with the fastest time and will have pole position to start the race.
Row 1: Simon Pagenaud, Ed Carpenter, Spencer Pigot
Row 2: Ed Jones, Colton Herta, Will Power
Row 3: Sebastian Bourdais, Josef Newgarden, Alexander Rossi
Row 4: Marco Andretti, Conor Daly, Helio Castroneves
Row 5: Marcus Ericsson, Takuma Sato, James Davison
Row 6: Tony Kanaan, Graham Rahal, Scott Dixon
Row 7: Oriol Servia, Charlie Kimball, JR Hildebrand
Row 8: Ryan Hunter-Reay, Santino Ferrucci, Matheus Leist
Row 9: Jack Harvey, Jordan King, Ben Hanley
Row 10: Zach Veach, Felix Rosenqvist, Pippa Mann
Row 11: Sage Karam, James Hinchcliffe, Kyle Kaiser
One competitor who won't be on the track Sunday is Fernando Alonso, as the two-time Formula 1 champion failed to qualify for the event.
Favorites
Pagenaud and Power are the betting favorites to finish in the winner's circle. Eight others enter the race with odds better than 20-1:
| Driver | Odds | Start Position |
|---|---|---|
| Simon Pagenaud | 7-1 | 1 |
| Will Power | 7-1 | 6 |
| Ed Carpenter | 8-1 | 2 |
| Josef Newgarden | 8-1 | 8 |
| Alexander Rossi | 8-1 | 9 |
| Spencer Pigot | 12-1 | 3 |
| Colton Herta | 12-1 | 5 |
| Scott Dixon | 12-1 | 18 |
| Helio Costroneves | 14-1 | 12 |
| Sebastien Bourdais | 18-1 | 7 |
Odds courtesy: Las Vegas Westgate SuperBook