INDIANAPOLIS — Practice will begin Tuesday for the 108th running of the Indy 500, and the 2024 season has been delivering on mid-May storylines in the run-up to the world’s biggest race.
Naturally, it all starts with NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, who will attempt to become the fifth driver to run the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in the same day (joining John Andretti, Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch, the most recent 10 years ago in 2014).
Josef Newgarden is happy to plunge into his Indy 500 title defense after an agonizing three weeks of fallout since being disqualified as the winner of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg season opener in a rulebreaking scandal at Team Penske.
And defending series champion Alex Palou has shown flashes of his dominant form from last year, winning on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course last Saturday for the second consecutive year (this time from the pole position). The Chip Ganassi Racing star will be aiming to win his second consecutive Indy 500 pole Sunday.
Here are five drivers to watch as nine hours of practice starts Tuesday on Peacock at 9 a.m. ET:
Kyle Larson
Age: 31
Team/Car: Arrow McLaren No. 5 Dallara-Chevrolet
Indy 500 record: First attempt at the Indianapolis 500. He has made numerous starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in NASCAR. In six Brickyard 400s from 2014-19, his best finish was fifth in ’16. He finished third on the IMS road course in 2021.
Why he’s worth watching: Larson will become the fifth driver to attempt racing the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, and this might be the most legitimate shot at a driver winning both races. The 2021 Cup Series champion could be considered a favorite to win at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Though he will be making his Indy 500 debut, he will be driving for a team whose cars have been top notch on the 2.5-mile oval the last few years. And Larson has shown the ability to win in everything he races, from Midgets to sprint cars to Dirt Late Models to sports cars to stock cars at the highest level.
Josef Newgarden
Age: 33
Team/Car: Team Penske No. 2 Dallara-Chevrolet
Indy 500 record: Defending Indy 500 winner; tied a record for most starts (12) before earning his first victory in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. His previous best finish had been third in 2016; the two-time IndyCar Series champion has an average finish of 13.1 on the Brickyard oval.
Why he’s worth watching: After only four races, this already has been the most controversial and tumultuous years of Newgarden’s 11 seasons in IndyCar. The Team Penske driver was disqualified after winning the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg season opener because it was discovered he illegally used the push to pass button on restarts, and he lost his strategist (Team Penske president Tim Cindric) and engineer (Luke Mason) for May at Indy because of internal suspensions by team owner Roger Penske. Indy tormented Newgarden before his win last year, and while the win changed that relationship, the events of 2024 will add a new layer of scrutiny.
Colton Herta
Age: 24
Team/Car: Andretti Global No. 26 Dallara-Honda
Indy 500 record: In five starts, he has a best finish of eighth (2020), one of only two top 10s. He emerged unscathed from a terrifying wreck final practice in 2022. (Herta has enjoyed more success on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course with a ‘22 win among three podiums.)
Why he’s worth watching: After a winless 2023 in the wake of becoming the highest-paid driver in IndyCar, Herta is exhibiting major signs of maturing into a consistent championship contender in his sixth season. He has two podiums in four races and is tied for third in the points standings. All seven of Herta’s IndyCar victories have been on road or street courses, but he is underrated as an oval driver, and he has vowed his career won’t end without an Indy 500 victory on his resume.
Alex Palou
Age: 27
Team/Car: Chip Ganassi Racing No. 10 Dallara-Honda
Indy 500 record: In four starts, his best finish was second to 2021 winner Helio Castroneves. Last year, he started from the pole and finished fourth despite falling to the rear after a pit lane incident with Rinus VeeKay. Palou has led at least 35 laps in each of the past three years.
Why he’s worth watching: It seems only a matter of time that this sublimely talented two-time series champion will win the world’s biggest race. Though he had zero experience on ovals before his 2020 debut, he has proved to be an extremely fast learner, and he drives for arguably the best team in IndyCar that builds very strong cars for the Brickyard. As the defending series champion, Palou also enters Indy as the points leader and the series’ hottest driver. He might be the favorite to win the Indy 500 pole for the second consecutive year.
Graham Rahal
Age: 35
Team/Car: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing No. 15 Dallara-Honda
Indy 500 record: Two podium finishes (third in 2011 and ’20) in 16 starts since 2008. The son of 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal has an average finish of 18.1 on the Brickyard oval and has led 28 laps.
Why he’s worth watching: If he were to win, it would set a record for most Indy 500 starts before a victory and also complete an incredible redemption arc. Rahal heartbreakingly failed to qualify last year but then started the race anyway in place of the injured Stefan Wilson. He and his team return with extra motivation after being dreadfully slow in 2023. And with teammate Christian Lundgaard an impending free agent, there’s a lot riding on RLL improving at Indy.
