IndyCar Driver Robert Wickens Confirms He's Paralyzed from Waist Down
Oct 25, 2018
FORT WORTH, TX - JUNE 08: Robert Wickens, driver of the #6 Lucas Oil SPM Honda, stands on the grid following practice for the Verizon IndyCar Series DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 8, 2018 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
IndyCar driver Robert Wickens announced in an Instagram post he is paralyzed from the waist down, calling himself a "paraplegic" Thursday.
The post contains a video of his physical therapy as he noted he is still working on his recovery:
Did my first slide transfer as a paraplegic today. My upper body is getting stronger and stronger and hopefully I’ll be able to do it unassisted soon. I’ve only been posting videos of the small movement in my legs, but the reality is I am far away from walking on my own. Some people are a bit confused with the severity of my injury, so I wanted let you know the reality of it. I’ve never worked harder for anything in my life, and I am giving it all I’ve got to spark those nerves in my legs.
Wickens was initially injured in a crash at Pocono Raceway on Aug. 19.
According toBob Pockrassof ESPN, Wickens suffered a variety of injuries from the crash, including a "thoracic spinal fracture, neck fracture, tibia and fibula fractures to both legs, four broken ribs, a broken right forearm, a broken elbow, fractures in both hands and a pulmonary contusion."
An additional injury to his spinal cord is also likely affecting his feeling in his legs.
Wickens was in his first year with IndyCar but was in the midst of an impressive run prior to the crash.
The 29-year-old finished the season with 10 top-10 finishes in 14 events, while his seven top-five finishes ranked fifth in the IndyCar series. Despite missing the final three races, he ended the year tied for 10th in the standings.
Robert Wickens' Car Flies into Fence During Crash; Helicoptered to Hospital
Aug 19, 2018
FORT WORTH, TX - JUNE 08: Robert Wickens, driver of the #6 Lucas Oil SPM Honda, stands on the grid following practice for the Verizon IndyCar Series DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 8, 2018 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
IndyCar driver Robert Wickens had to be taken to a hospital by helicopter after a crash during Sunday's ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway.
"Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver Robert Wickens is being treated for injuries to his lower extremities, right arm and spine following an incident in the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway. He also sustained a pulmonary contusion. He will undergo an MRI and probable surgery at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest."
Per NBC Sports' Jerry Bonkowski, Wickens and Ryan Hunter-Reay touched wheels coming out of a turn, and Wickens' car went up the fence and spun around in midair against the wall.
James Hinchcliffe collided with Wickens' car after it settled on the ground. Safety crews got Wickens out of his vehicle before moving him to the paddock area, where he was helicoptered to a local hospital.
Per ESPN.com, drivers were allowed to get out of their cars and the race was delayed as workers cleared debris from the track and repaired the fence.
"I'm OK; just thinking about Robert," Hunter-Reay said, per Bonkowski. "It's unfortunate, but I just hope Robert is OK. I started pulling ahead, and once we got to [Turn] 2...I thought I had got past him."
Takuma Sato and Pietro Fittipaldi were also involved in the accident, though Bonkowski noted they appeared to be uninjured along with Hunter-Reay. Hinchcliffe appeared to be favoring his wrists while "walking gingerly to a safety vehicle."
Wickens, 29, is in his first season on the IndyCar circuit. He entered Sunday ranked sixth in the standings with 380 points.
Indy 500 2018: Results, Top Finishers and Analysis from 102nd Edition of Race
May 27, 2018
Will Power, of Australia, leads Simon Pagenaud, of France, though the first turn during the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis Sunday, May 27, 2018. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Australian Will Power rallied on the 196th lap to take the lead, and he defeated pole-sitter Ed Carpenter to win the Indianapolis 500 Sunday.
Power and the rest of the field endured a yellow flag with 12 laps to go when Tony Kanaan crashed on Lap 188, and when the green flag came out with seven laps remaining, Power had the fastest race car and was able to take advantage of two leaders having to make pit stops.
Power was 40 car lengths ahead with two turns to go, and he finished the race smoothly to clinch the victory.
The race was conducted in 92-degree heat, the hottest temperature in race history, according to the ABC broadcast.
Power started the race from the outside position of the first row, and he had finished as high as second in 2015. Power took full advantage of surprising pit stops by Stefan Wilson and Jack Harvey to move into the lead, and he drove like a champion to earn the checkered flag.
The 37-year-old Power was ecstatic after the race, and he thanked owner Roger Penske and his team.
"It's the restart of my life," Power said, per Scott Horner of IndyStar.com. "P1 and 2 pitted, and I said, 'I think I'm gonna win this.' I was wondering if I was ever going to win this. I couldn't imagine winning in front of a crowd like this."
Here's a look at the full results of the 2018 Indianapolis 500:
Power gets the checkered flag as he approaches the finish line.
1. Will Power 2. Ed Carpenter 3. Scott Dixon 4. Alexander Rossi 5. Ryan Hunter-Reay 6. Simon Pagenaud 7. Carlos Munoz 8. Josef Newgarden 9. Robert Wickens 10. Graham Rahal 11. JR Hildebrand 12. Marco Andretti 13. Matheus Leist 14. Gabby Chaves 15. Stefan Wilson 16. Jack Harvey 17. Oriol Servia 18. Charlie Kimball 19. Zach Claman De Melo 20. Spencer Pigot 21. Conor Daly 22. Max Chilton 23. Zach Veach 24. Jay Howard 25. Tony Kanaan 26. Sage Karam 27. Helio Castroneves 28. Sebastien Bourdais 29. Kyle Kaiser 30. Danica Patrick 31. Ed Jones 32. Takuma Sato 33. James Davison
Danica Patrick, making her last start before retiring from racing, crashed in Turn 2 of Lap 68, bringing her race and her career to a halt. After a brief medical exam revealed that she was fine, she admitted her disappointment with the way the race ended.
"It's an entire career. But what really launched it was this, so it's both of them. I've had a lot of good fortune here and did still have some this month, it just didn't come on race day. But we had some good moments," Patrick said during an on-camera interview with ABC (h/t ESPN.com).
Helio Castroneves also saw his dreams of getting his fourth Indy 500 title end abruptly when he crashed on Lap 146. Castroneves was hoping to join A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser as a four-time winner of the classic race. Castroneves has had nine unsuccessful attempts since winning his third championship.
Takuma Sato, who won last year's race, was involved in a crash with James Davison early in the race, and both drivers went out of the race. Davison's car was moving considerably slower than the rest of the cars in the field, and Sato was unable to avoid the mishap.
Indy 500 Results 2018: Will Power Wins Storied Race for 1st Time in Career
May 27, 2018
Will Power, of Australia, leads Simon Pagenaud, of France, though the first turn during the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis Sunday, May 27, 2018. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Will Power is a former IndyCar champion. He's one of the most decorated drivers of his generation. His street course brilliance ranks among the all-time greats.
But he'd never tamed the Indianapolis 500—until Sunday.
Power dominated the field in IndyCar's premier race, earning his first Indianapolis 500 win. He was more than three seconds ahead of second-place Ed Carpenter, and third-place Scott Dixon was the only other driver within five seconds.
Alexander Rossi and Ryan Hunter-Reay rounded out the top five.
The win marked Power's 30th on the IndyCar circuit. It's his second straight this season.
Car owner Roger Penske now holds 17 wins at the Indy 500.
Defending race champion Takuma Sato had the polar opposite experience in 2018. Sato crashed out just 46 laps into the race and finished 32nd in the 33-car field.
Also disappointing was Danica Patrick, who spun out and crashed into the wall during Lap 67, ending her historic career in bitter disappointment. The 36-year-old trailblazer announced she would be retiring from the sport following this year's Indy 500, the place of some of her biggest career triumphs.
Instead of a fitting end, Patrick instead lost control of her GoDaddy car coming out of a turn to complete the 67th lap and caused a caution. Her car hit the outside retaining wall hard and cut across traffic back to the inside fence.
She was able to exit the car on her own power, but her 30th-place finish is the worst of her career at the Indianapolis 500.
"I'm a little sad," Patrick said, perBob Packrassof ESPN.com. "I will say that I'm for sure very grateful for everybody and for being able to finish it up like I wanted to.
"There still were a lot of great moments this month, a lot of great moments this year. ... Today was really disappointing for what we were hoping for and what you want for your last race, but I'm grateful for all of it."
Patrick previously competed in this year's Daytona 500, which also ended in a crash.
"It was definitely not a great ending, but I said before I came here that I feel like if it was a complete disaster—as not in the ballpark at all and look silly—then people may remember that and if I win people will remember that," Patrick said.
"But probably anything in between might just be a little part of a big story. I kind of feel like that's how it is."
Three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves also saw his race end in a late crash. He finished 27th.
Indy 500 Live Stream 2018: Viewing Info for Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
May 27, 2018
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 25: Simon Pagenaud of France, driver of the #22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet drives during Carb Day for the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on May 25, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
On Sunday, we'll once again have an answer to one of racing's best questions: Who will get to drink the celebratory bottle of milk at the Indianapolis 500?
To ensure you don't miss that moment, or any other on Sunday, we'll take a look at the viewing schedule below for the 102nd running of the race, along with the race order and some storylines from Sunday.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 25: Danica Patrick, driver of the #13 GoDaddy Chevrolet, practices on Carb Day for the 102nd Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on May 25, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana.(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
One of the main storylines on the day will be Danica Patrick, who will retire after the race. And Patrick took stock of her career ahead of Indianapolis during an interview with CBS News' Dana Jacobson:
"I think all of my life I've kind of felt like you're only as good as your last race. And it's fine to live by that when you're in the middle of it, because it drives you and pushes you. But for that to really be the reality of your entire career is really silly.
"People are going to remember ... 20-some years of racing, the 13 years professionally at IndyCar and NASCAR level ... not necessarily how I did at the Indy 500 in my very last year. Unless I win."
Patrick has already made history at the Indianapolis 500, becoming the first woman to ever hold a lead at the event. She led for a total of 19, in fact, during the 2005 running of the race, during her rookie year. She finished fourth that year and has five top-10 finishes at the Indianapolis 500, including a third-place finish in 2009, the best finish for a female driver in the history of the race.
Finishing with a win would be a storybook conclusion to her career, but the competition will be stiff. There's Helio Castroneves, a three-time winner who is seeking to join only A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears in the history books as a four-time winner.
. @H3lio Castroneves chasing No. 4 as his #Indy500 career winds down.
Then there's Takuma Sato, the defending champ. In the first row, Ed Carpenter, Simon Pagenaud and Will Power are all seeking their first triumph in the race, while Scott Dixon—in the third row with Patrick and Castroneves—is gunning for his second.
The favorite, meanwhile, is 2016 winner Alexander Rossi, who holds 8-1 odds, per Oddsshark.com.
Castroneves (10-1), Josef Newgarden (10-1) and Power (10-1) round out the favorites.
Indy 500 Schedule 2018: TV Start Time, Live Stream Coverage and Race Info
May 27, 2018
Ed Carpenter heads into the first turn during a practice session for the IndyCar Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis Monday, May 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
The 2018 Indianapolis 500 features a loaded field with 33 drivers competing to win the most prestigious IndyCar Series race of the year.
Ed Carpenter is starting Sunday's race from the pole position. The 37-year-old has failed to win the Indianapolis 500 the previous two times he led the field (2013, 2014).
2018 Indianapolis 500 Viewing Schedule
Start Time: 12 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Live Stream: ESPN App or Watch ESPN
Starting Grid
Row 1: Ed Carpenter, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power
Row 2: Josef Newgarden, Sebastien Bourdais, Spencer Pigot
Row 3: Danica Patrick, Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon
Row 4: Tony Kanaan, Matheus Leist, Marco Andretti
Row 5: Zachary Claman DeMelo, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Charlie Kimball
Row 6: Takuma Sato, Kyle Kaiser, Robert Wickens
Row 7: James Davison, Max Chilton, Carlos Munoz
Row 8: Gabby Chaves, Stefan Wilson, Sage Karam
Row 9: Zach Veach, Oriol Servia, JR Hildebrand
Row 10: Jay Howard, Ed Jones, Graham Rahal
Row 11: Jack Harvey, Alexander Rossi, Conor Daly
Despite his ability to win poles for the Indianapolis 500, Carpenter hasn't had much success in the actual race. His best finish was fifth in 2008, and he finished 10th (2013) and 27th (2014) the previous two times he started in the first position.
After Carpenter won the pole this year, he sounded confident about putting together a successful run on the track.
"I figured we could go 229 [mph] based on last night," Carpenter told reporters on May 20. "I wasn't expecting a 230 [on his first lap]. Of all my pole runs, this came the easiest."
The last pole-sitter to win the Indianapolis 500 was Helio Castroneves in 2009. That came during a stretch when the driver who started from the pole won the race four times in six years from 2004 to 2009.
Sunday's event is also notable because it will be the final race of Danica Patrick's career. She announced last November her plan to walk away from the sport after one more run in Indianapolis.
"Nothing that was being presented excited me, then about three weeks ago, I just blurted out, 'What about Indy? Let's end it with the Indy 500,'" she told the Associated Press (h/t Sports Illustrated). "This ignites something in me. But I am done after May. Everyone needs to put their mind there. My plan is to be at Indy, and then I'm done."
This is Patrick's first appearance in the Indianapolis 500 since 2011. The 36-year-old has finished in the top 10 at this race seven different times, including a career-best third-place showing in 2009.
Patrick is starting from the seventh position. She became the first woman to lead a lap at the Indianapolis 500 and has led a total of 29 laps in this race during her career.
For all the hype around Carpenter and Patrick leading up to the race, it's a driver starting in the final row who is the favorite to win.
Per OddsShark, Alexander Rossi is the top choice to take the checkered flag at 8-1 odds. He had a disastrous qualifying run that will force him to start 32nd in the 33-driver field, via IndyCar.com's Jeff Olson:
"It was probably the most terrifying four laps I've ever done. It was everything. I just got out of the car, so it's impossible to diagnose exactly what happened. From about halfway through Lap 1, it was about just bringing the car back. Thank God we weren't under threat to not be in the race, so it didn't really matter."
Rossi has had a terrific IndyCar season with four top-five finishes in five races. He is currently second in the overall points standings, trailing Josef Newgarden by two points (178 to 176), and previously won the Indy 500 in 2016.
History isn't on Rossi's side to get a second win. No one has ever started worse than 28th and won the Indianapolis 500. The best finish by any driver from the 32nd position is second, most recently accomplished in 1981 by Mario Andretti.
Newgarden is in a prime position to keep his hot streak going. The reigning IndyCar Series champion has won two of the first five events this season and is starting the Indy 500 from the second row.
This race hasn't been kind to Newgarden historically. He has finished outside the top 20 three times in six trips to the Indianapolis 500 and came in 19th last year.
If there is going to be a year for Newgarden to change that narrative, it would seem to be 2018.
There is no shortage of contenders in this year's field, and the storyline of Patrick's final race makes this one of the biggest Indianapolis 500 races in the 102-year history of this event.
Indy 500 2018: Starting Grid, TV Schedule, Lineup, Odds and Pre-Race Storylines
May 27, 2018
Ed Carpenter leads Will Power, of Australia, into the first turn during the final practice session for the IndyCar Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis Friday, May 25, 2018. (AP Photo/R Brent Smith)
One of the fastest and most electric events in all of sports takes place Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The 102nd edition of the Indianapolis 500 should be as exciting as the first 101 races, as one of the most talented fields in race history fights it out to earn an opportunity to kiss the bricks at the finish line and take a sip of milk in the winner's circle.
Six former champions are in the 33-driver field, with Helio Castroneves being the one in the group with multiple Indy 500 championships.
Ed Carpenter begins the race on the pole, while Simon Pagenaud and Will Power guide the field to the green flag alongside him in Row 1.
In addition to the previous champions, the list of contenders features an array of talented drivers who dominated the IndyCar series but haven't yet broken through at the Indy 500.
TV Schedule
TV: ABC
Start of Coverage: Noon ET
Green Flag: 12:19 p.m. ET
Starting Grid
Row 1: Ed Carpenter, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power
Row 2: Josef Newgarden, Sebastien Bourdais, Spencer Pigot
Chevrolet Attempting to Become Dominant Manufacturer
Honda has been the dominant manufacturer at the Indy 500 since the turn of the century, but the trend appears to be changing based off the practice and qualifying sessions in recent weeks.
Chevrolet put eight cars in the top 10 starting positions, including all three drivers on Row 1.
Since Helio Castroneves won with a Chevrolet package in 2002 for Team Penske, Tony Kannan in 2013 and Juan Pablo Montoya in 2015 have been the only Chervolet-powered champions.
If the Chevrolet cars are capable of maintaining the same level of dominance from qualifying, we will see most of those machines headline the top 10 positions on track.
However, there is a chance Honda takes control of the race once again, as talented drivers like Kanaan, Alexander Rossi, Takuma Sato and Marco Andretti work their way up the field.
While it does matter how much power a car contains in its engine, the drivers are still the ones who navigate the vehicles, and Honda possesses the past two Indy 500 champions in Rossi and Sato, as well as 2008 winner Scott Dixon.
Top 7 Starters in Search of 1st Indy 500 Win
The third straight first-time Indy 500 champion could come from the top seven starting positions, as each of the successful drivers is looking to add the missing piece to their resume.
Ed Carpenter sits on the pole, while teammates Spencer Pigot and Danica Patrick begin the race in sixth and seventh, respectively.
Among the drivers in the first two rows, Josef Newgarden, Sebastien Bourdais and Will Power all have victories in the first five races of the IndyCar series season.
Second-place starter Simon Pagenaud is no slouch, either, as he comes into Sunday's race off a pair of top-10 finishes.
Since every inch of separation is beneficial at the Indy 500, expect the group of drivers in the first three rows to attempt to break away from the field in the first 50 laps.
If that occurs, the jockeying for position will become more intense and an emphasis will be put on pit strategy, as each team looks to gain the upper hand for stretches of the race.
A first-time champion could emerge from further down the starting order, but the collection of seven drivers at the top of the starting grid appears to have the best shot at achieving that feat given its components' respective track records.
Indy 500 2018: TV Schedule, Start Time, Live Stream, Odds for Showcase Race
May 27, 2018
Helio Castroneves, of Brazil, drives during a practice session for the IndyCar Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis Monday, May 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
The odds for the 2018 Indianapolis 500 favor past champions and the top in-form drivers.
Alexander Rossi fits into both categories, which is one of the main reasons why he comes into Sunday's race as the favorite.
Directly beneath Rossi on the odds chart are three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves, IndyCar series leader Josef Newgarden and Will Power, all of whom are capable of dominating the race.
The favorites should generate the most buzz, but if you scan further down the odds list, there are some intriguing options worth taking a risk on.
Rarely do you see a favorite starting in second-to-last position, but that's the case with Rossi on Sunday.
The 2016 Indy 500 winner begins the race in 32nd position, which dampens his chances of title contention a little bit.
However, there are 200 laps in the race, which gives Rossi plenty of time to make up his deficit and join the leaders near the middle of the competition.
We should know within the first 25 laps if Rossi's team corrected the mistakes from practice and qualifying to put the 26-year-old in good position to thrive.
If he begins to surge up the field once the green flag drops, it will prove his car has a package capable of working past the other 32 drivers.
As talented as Rossi is, he's going to face a good amount of traffic, and with the cars going over 220 miles per hour each lap, patience is required to properly navigate through the slower machines.
If Rossi puts himself in the top 10 for the final quarter of the race, he should be able to contend for his second title in three years, a feat that hasn't been achieved since Dario Franchitti won in 2010 and 2012.
Plenty of Drivers with Long Odds Worth Taking a Risk On
Betting on the favorite is a fun exercise in order to have the best chance to win money, but there are a few competitors with longer odds who might be worth a wager as well.
Danica Patrick, who is competing in her final race, leads off the list of intriguing betting options beneath the collection of favorites.
Patrick wouldn't have come back to the Indy 500 unless she believed she had a chance to win the race, which is plenty of motivation to go out on top.
Defending champion Takuma Sato is even further down the odds chart at +3,000, and with a pair of top-10 finishes in the races leading up to the Indy 500, there's a strong chance the Japanese could make some noise.
Spencer Pigot has the longest odds of the drivers starting in the top 10, as he sits at +4,000. Although he isn't the most recognizable driver in the field, the 24-year-old could take advantage of his high starting spot and remain at the front of the competition.
Other long shots to consider are Charlie Kimball, who has four top-10 finishes at the Indy 500, and rookie Robert Wickens, who impressed in the early part of the IndyCar series season with a trio of top-five performances.
Indy 500 Lineup 2018: Full Starting Grid and Predictions for Top Drivers
May 27, 2018
Helio Castroneves, of Brazil, heads into the first turn during the final practice session for the IndyCar Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis Friday, May 25, 2018. (AP Photo/R Brent Smith)
Thirty-three drivers enter the 2018 Indianapolis 500 with a chance to kiss the bricks and drink the famed milk in the winner's circle.
However, only one competitor in the group that contains six previous champions of the Indy 500 can etch their name into history.
The top contenders for Sunday's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway range from the most dominant driver on the IndyCar circuit to a three-time champion in search of yet another crown.
While the favorites will receive the most attention, and rightfully so, it has to be noted the past two Indy 500 winners were not favored to win.
Starting Grid
Row 1: Ed Carpenter, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power
Row 2: Josef Newgarden, Sebastien Bourdais, Spencer Pigot
Row 5: Zachary Claman Demelo, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Charlie Kimball
Row 6: Takuma Sato, Kyle Kaiser, Robert Wickens
Row 7: James Davison, Max Chilton, Carlos Munoz
Row 8: Gabby Chaves, Stefan Wilson, Sage Karam
Row 9: Zach Veach, Oriol Servia, JR Hildebrand
Row 10: Jay Howard, Ed Jones, Graham Rahal
Row 11: Jack Harvey, Alexander Rossi, Conor Daly
Predictions for Top Drivers
Josef Newgarden
Josef Newgarden picked up where he ended the 2017 IndyCar series in 2018, as he holds a pair of victories and four top-10 finishes.
The 27-year-old is one of the top contenders in search of his first Borg-Warner Trophy, but he's been relatively unsuccessful at the Indy 500.
Newgarden has four finishes outside the top 15, including a 19th-placed mark from a year ago, to go along with his career-best third-placed finish in 2016 and a ninth-placed drive in 2015.
If he cashes in on his recent form Sunday, Newgarden would become the seventh Team Penske driver to capture the checkered flag at Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1996.
Newgarden should be near the front of the pack for most of the race, as he starts on the inside of Row 2 in fourth.
As long as he stays up top and avoids trouble, Newgarden should have one of the best cars and challenge for the title.
Prediction: Second
Helio Castroneves
Helio Castroneves won three of Team Penske's six Indy 500 championships since 1996, as he made it into the winner's circle in 2001, 2002 and 2009.
Even though it's been a while since the Brazilian graced victory lane with his presence, he's been a fixture in the top 10.
Since his most recent Indy 500 triumph, Castroneves has finished outside of the top 10 just twice, with one of those being an 11th-placed mark.
Castroneves came close to winning a year ago, as he took second behind first-time winner Takuma Sato.
Given all of the achievements he's earned at the Indy 500, it will come as no surprise to see Castroneves near or at the front of the pack.
When the final 20-25 laps come around, look for Castroneves to use his wealth of experience to pull off riskier moves that the drivers in search of their first Indy 500 win may not be willing to try.
Prediction: First
Alexander Rossi
It's rare to see a ton of attention paid to Row 11, but that's what Alexander Rossi brings to the 32nd starting position as a past champion.
The 2016 Indy 500 winner is looking to reverse his poor week in Indianapolis by charging up the field and making a statement early in the race.
Just like Newgarden, the 26-year-old is in terrific form, as the Californian holds four top-five finishes this season, with three of them being in the top three.
Rossi won the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, which was the third race on the IndyCar series calendar, and he has a victory from Watkins Glen in his possession from the end of the 2017 campaign.
Previous results suggest Rossi finds a way to put it together and contend at the Indy 500, which will only be a good thing for the sport, as yet another dramatic finish is expected.
Indy 500 Lineup 2018: Full List of Drivers and Qualifying Times for Marquee Race
May 25, 2018
Alexander Rossi drives during a practice session for the IndyCar Grand Prix auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Friday, May 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Qualifying at the Indianapolis 500 last Sunday witnessed the fastest cars go over 229 miles per hour, as the best four-lap average speed determined the pole winner.
During Sunday's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (12:05 p.m. ET), the fastest lap will be several mph off that pace, but the hunt to cross the checkered line in first place will be the priority as the 500-mile race nears its end.
Chevrolet was the dominant manufacturer in qualifying, as seven of the nine drivers starting in the first three rows have Chevy motors, but Honda has reigned supreme in the winner's circle over the last decade.
The 102nd edition of the motorsports spectacle carries plenty of intriguing storylines featuring drivers who have been in the spotlight for a long time and those looking to make their first major breakthrough on the open-wheel racing stage.
Starting Grid and Qualifying Speeds
Row 1: Ed Carpenter (229.618 mph), Simon Pagenaud (228.761), Will Power (228.607)
Danica Patrick is looking to win her first Indy 500 in her final professional race.
While there are a plethora of full-time drivers in better form, Patrick has the firepower behind her to pose a threat throughout the race.
Patrick is racing for Ed Carpenter Racing, a team that put three cars in the top seven starting positions, including owner Ed Carpenter on the pole.
With Carpenter and sixth-place starter Spencer Pigot around her, the seventh-place starter should be able to get off to a fast start.
However, there is plenty of concern surrounding Patrick's return to the Indy 500, as she hasn't consistently raced in the IndyCar Series since 2011. In the seven years she competed at Indy before leaving for NASCAR, Patrick recorded six top-10 finishes, with her best being a third-place mark in 2009.
If she banks off the experience gained from her previous runs at Indy, Patrick should be able to keep herself in the top 10 for most of the race.
The final 20 laps can bring all sorts of chaos given how hard each driver is working to get to the front, and with experience of staying at the top of the field from 2005 to 2011, Patrick should be able to have an opportunity to win Sunday.
Will Rossi Be Able to Challenge From 32nd?
While most of the attention is focused on the drivers starting in the top 10, there is one key name to watch from the last row.
2016 champion Alexander Rossi starts in 32nd place after recording one of the worst average speeds in qualifying.
If Rossi's team is able to right the ship and have his car properly prepared for Sunday, he should work his way toward the front of the field.
The good news for Rossi is he carries plenty of experience from his championship run two years ago and is running well this season, as he is second on points behind Josef Newgarden.
Don't expect Rossi to be in the top 10 in the first 50 or so laps as he tries to navigate through the field, which at times will be three-wide on the 2.5-mile oval. But if Rossi is able to avoid trouble in the first half of the race, he should be in solid position to emerge out of a group of experienced drivers, such as Patrick and Helio Castroneves.
While winning the 500 from the 32nd starting position is perceived as a near-impossible task, Rossi has the skills behind the wheel and a team capable of making up ground on pit stops.
If everything goes perfect for Rossi, we'll hear his name plenty during the final hour of the broadcast.
