Indy 500 Preview: 5 Questions

1. Can anyone beat Penske and Ganassi?

These two teams have combined to win 7 of the last 10 Indy 500s.  This year, however, they have faced some tough competition from a handful of teams, mainly Sam Schmidt Motorsports.  With surprise pole-sitter Alex Tagliani leading the field to the green flag, the month as been very unpredictable.  Possible candidates to "steal" the 500 from the power house teams include Tagliani, teammate Townsend Bell, Oriel Servia, and previous winners Dan Wheldon and Buddy Rice.  

2. Who will win Rookie of the Year?

There are 4 rookies in this year's field- 2 near the front of the grid, and 2 near the back.  Panther Racing's JR Hildebrand has been very impressive so far around the 2.5 mile oval after struggling on the early road course races. Newman-Haas's James Hinchcliffe has one of the best teams around supporting him, as evident by his teammate, Oriel Servia, starting 3rd.  Charlie Kimball runs for the new 2-car Ganassi team, and has been towards the middle of the pack all month long.  Finally, there is Pippa Mann, who drives for one of the lower-funded teams and just squeaked in to the field.  All four of the rookies are graduates of the Firestone Indy Lights Series.  My pick for Rookie of the Year is NH's James Hinchcliffe.

3. How will the double file restarts play out?

Probably the most talked about subject this May has been the introduction of double file restarts for the first time in the race's 100 year history.  All of the drivers have voiced their complaints about not only the double file restarts, but also a slower approach to the yard of bricks for the start of the race. Race officials have listened a bit, moving the restart cones from the beginning of pit road to the entrance of turn 4.  Regardless, a restart with 10 or less laps to go will be extremely exciting and potentially dangerous for the drivers on the dirty outside lane.


4. Which driver will improve the most positions from start to finish?

With many big name drivers and teams starting in the last 4 rows for the 95th Indianapolis 500, plenty of action will be taking place throughout the field. Drivers such as Tony Kanaan, Paul Tracy, Danica Patrick, and Marco Andretti have all had magical runs at Indy, and certainly can storm to the front.  Teammates Graham Rahal and Charlie Kimball are backed by Chip Ganassi, who knows how to handle race day at Indianapolis.  The start of the race will be crucial to these drivers, they need to be able to pick up spots fast, but safely. My pick for most positions gained is Marco Andretti, who starts 27th and should finish in the top 10.

5. Who will win the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500?

The month so far has been fairly equal, with both high budget and low budget teams making the Fast 9 in qualifying.  However, race day is different.  Pit stops are absolutely necessary to a successful race, as drivers will be making 7 or 8 of them.  Downforce levels are also key.  The winner must have the experience to slice through slower traffic, and stay ahead of the pack.  My pick for the 2011 Indy 500 is Scott Dixon.  The Kiwi has been quietly fast all month, qualified in 2nd, and has won the race before back in 2008.  With his team's abundant resources, Dixon should have the field covered on race day.