Flyover – 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Photo by Joe Skibinski

By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio

The international driver lineup for the Indianapolis 500 is always an intriguing element of the world’s greatest auto race.

Robert Shwartzman – Indianapolis 500 pole winner Photo by Joe Skibinski

Led by sensational, pole-winning rookie Robert Shwartzman of Israel, Sunday’s 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge features a 33-car field consisting of 19 drivers from 13 countries, eight former event winners and five NTT IndyCar Series champions.

Thirty-four entries began the Month of May seeking a grid spot on the historic, 2.5-mile oval. Consider this post your suitable-for-printing personal fan’s guide to “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Team Penske ace Josef Newgarden earned his second career “500” victory last May after passing native Mexican Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren on the 200^th and final lap. Newgarden’s second straight Lap 200 pass earned the 34-year-old native of Nashville, Tenn., another space on the Borg-Warner Trophy.

Newgarden became just the sixth driver to win an Indy 500 in consecutive years, joining Wilbur Shaw (1939-40), Mauri Rose (1947-48), Bill Vukovich (1953-54), Al Unser (1970-71) and Helio Castroneves (2001-02). No driver has won three in a row, Newgarden’s target on Sunday, May 25.

Josef Newgarden – Indianapolis 500 Practice – Photo by Titus Slaughter

However, Newgarden’s bid for open-wheel history will be launched from the 32^nd spot after he and teammate Will Power _ the 2018 Indy 500 champion _ were involved in a weird circumstance just before the start of Sunday’s Top 12 Qualifying session. Newgarden’s No. 2 Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Team Penske Chevrolet and Power’s No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevy were pulled from making their respective single attempts after being cited with a violation of INDYCAR Rule 14.7.8.16 _ specifically, an unapproved body fit on the rear attenuator of each Dallara chassis.

INDYCAR officials dropped Power from 12^th on the grid to 33^rd on Monday. A 44-year-old native of Australia, Power is in the final year of his contract with team founder/owner Roger S. Penske. Power, like Newgarden, is a two-time series champion for the 88-year-old Penske, whose Penske Entertainment Corp. also owns the series and IMS but has not been immune from rules violations.

Roger Penske — Photo by: Joe Skibinski

On Wednesday morning, “The Captain” meted-out in-house justice when he fired three prominent members of Team Penske management in the aftermath of the rule violation. Penske announced he had “parted ways” with longtime Team President Tim Cindric, INDYCAR Managing Director Ron Ruzewski and INDYCAR General Manager Kyle Moyer.

“Nothing is more important than the integrity of our sport and our race teams,” Penske said in a statement released to media. “We have had organizational failures during the last two years, and we had to make necessary changes. I apologize to our fans, our partners and our organization for letting them down.”

If that scenario paints Newgarden and Power as Race Day villains…they’ll have to deal with it before an announced sellout crowd expected to approach 350,000.

The list of other former winners features four-time champion Castroneves of Brazil (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021) and two-time winner Takuma Sato of Japan (2017, 2020). In addition, single-event winners Scott Dixon of New Zealand (2008), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014), Alexander Rossi (2016) and Marcus Ericsson of Sweden (2022) are aiming for a coveted second victory. The record for winners in one field is 10, set in 1992.

Helio Castroneves – 2021 Indianapolis 500 winner. Photo by Joe Skibinski

Castroneves joined the Four-Time Winners Club with A.J. Foyt Jr., Al Unser and Rick Mears via his emotional victory in 2021 for Meyer Shank Racing. Castroneves is 50, and a victory Sunday would make him the oldest winner in “500” history, a record held by Unser, who won the 1987 edition just five days short of his 48th birthday. The same holds true for “Taku,” who is 48.

The field includes five past INDYCAR champions _ six-time champ Dixon; three-time/reigning champ Alex Palou of Spain; two-time champs Newgarden and Power and “Captain America,” otherwise known as Hunter-Reay.

Palou, the three-time/reigning NTT IndyCar Series champion, will start the race from P6 _ the outside position in the three-car second row. Winner of four of the series’ first five races this season, Palou is the runaway point-leader and a bona fide contender to win his first oval-track race.

To that end, Palou paced Monday’s two-hour, post-qualifying practice at 226.765 mph after completing a conservative 53 laps in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Alex Palou – Indianapolis 500 Qualification. Photo by John Cote

“I’m feeling really comfortable,” said Palou, 28, fully-aware that victory on Sunday would check-off the only empty box on his otherwise brilliant INDYCAR resume. “There’s still a lot of work to do, and I guess for everybody else, as well. It’s not easy to be in traffic and overtake but I’m really comfortable. I’m able to overtake. I’m ready for Carb Day.”

Indeed, next up is Friday’s traditional final, two-hour practice of the Month of May _ Miller Lite Carb Day. That session is booked from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (EDT), followed by the annual Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge. Broadcast coverage will be provided by FS1, FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Kyle Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion from Hendrick Motorsports, will attempt for the second straight year to become the fifth driver to complete “The Double” of racing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., on the same day. Larson is bidding to join John Andretti, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon and Kurt Busch in that daunting 1,100-mile journey. Busch, the 2004 Cup champion, was the most recent “crossover” driver to complete the feat in 2014.

Larson earned Indy 500 Rookie of the Year honors last May after qualifying fifth and finishing 18th. However, the native Californian never turned a wheel in the NASCAR race after waiting-out a lengthy morning rain-delay at IMS. Opting to complete the 500 before flying to CMS, Larson arrived just as the Cup race was ending early due to rain.

Kyle Larson – Indianapolis 500 Qualifying – Photo by Josh Hernandez

Shwartzman shocked the open-wheel world last Sunday by qualifying on-pole in his first-oval race with a four-lap/10-mile average speed of 232.790 mph in the No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet.

Shwartzman, a 25-year-old native of Tel Aviv, Israel, is the first rookie to earn P1 for the Indy 500 since Italian-born Teo Fabi wheeled the No. 33 Skoal Bandit March/Cosworth to Rookie of the Year honors in the race’s 67^th edition in 1983. Shwartzman is just the third rookie to win the pole on-track as well as the sixth first-year starter to lead the field to its flying start.

PREMA Racing _ which joined the INDYCAR ranks this season after years of success in European competition _ became the first team to claim the 500 pole in its first attempt since Mayer Motor Racing placed 1983 event-winner Tom “The Gas Man” Sneva P1 in 1984.

Also competing for Rookie of the Year honors are Louis Foster of Great Britain and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Nolan Siegel of Arrow McLaren. Jacob Abel was bumped from the field late Sunday during Last Chance Qualifying by Rinus Veekay, his veteran Dale Coyne Racing teammate from The Netherlands.

Expanded, live Race Day coverage will be aired Sunday by FOX Sports, FOX Deportes, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network beginning at 10 a.m. (EDT), with the green flag set for 12:45 p.m.

2025 INDY 500 ENTRY BREAKDOWN

Winners (8) _ Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Josef Newgarden, Will Power, Alexander Rossi, Takuma Sato.

Rookies (3) _ Louis Foster, Robert Shwartzman, Nolan Siegel.

U.S. drivers (14) _ Marco Andretti, Ed Carpenter, Conor Daly, Santino Ferrucci, Colton Herta, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Kyle Kirkwood, Kyle Larson, David Malukas, Josef Newgarden, Graham Rahal, Sting Ray Robb, Alexander Rossi, Nolan Siegel.

International drivers (19, from 13 countries) _ Marcus Armstrong, Helio Castroneves, Devlin DeFrancesco, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Louis Foster, Jack Harvey, Callum Ilott, Christian Lundgaard, Scott McLaughlin, Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou, Will Power, Christian Rasmussen, Felix Rosenqvist, Takuma Sato, Robert Shwartzman, Kyffin Simpson, Rinus VeeKay.

Engines (34) _ Chevrolet 18, Honda 16 (all cars use Dallara chassis and Firestone Firehawk tires).

Official NTT IndyCar Series entry list for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge at the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 25, with car number in parenthesis, driver, hometown, car name with engine supplier and team entrant:

1. (2) Josef Newgarden-(W), Nashville, Tenn., Shell V-Power NITRO+ Team Penske Chevrolet/Team Penske
2. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Christchurch, New Zealand, Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet/Team Penske
3. (4) David Malukas, Chicago, Ill., Clarience Technologies Chevrolet/A.J. Foyt Enterprises
4. (5) Pato O’Ward, Monterrey, Mexico, Arrow McLaren Chevrolet/Arrow McLaren
5. (06) Helio Castroneves-(W), Sao Paulo, Brazil, Cleveland-Cliffs Honda/Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian
6. (6) Nolan Siegel-(R), Palo Alto, Calif., Arrow McLaren Chevrolet/Arrow McLaren
7. (7) Christian Lundgaard, Hedensted, Denmark, Arrow McLaren Chevrolet/Arrow McLaren
8. (8) Kyffin Simpson, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Journie Rewards Chip Ganassi Racing Honda/Chip Ganassi Racing
9. (9) Scott Dixon-(W), Auckland, New Zealand, PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda/Chip Ganassi Racing
10. (10) Alex Palou, Barcelona, Spain, DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda/Chip Ganassi Racing
11. (12) Will Power-(W), Toowoomba, Australia, Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet/Team Penske
12. (14) Santino Ferrucci, Woodbury, Conn., Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet/A.J. Foyt Enterprises
13. (15) Graham Rahal, New Albany, Ohio, United Rentals Honda/Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
14. (17) Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, Calif., HendrickCars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet/Arrow McLaren with Rick Hendrick
15. (18) Rinus VeeKay, Hoofddorp, The Netherlands, askROI Honda/Dale Coyne Racing
16. (20) Alexander Rossi-(W), Nevada City, Calif., ECR Java House Chevrolet/Ed Carpenter Racing
17. (21) Christian Rasmussen, Copenhagen, Denmark, ECR Splenda Chevrolet/Ed Carpenter Racing
18. (23) Ryan Hunter-Reay-(W), Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Dreyer & Reinbold Racing-Cusick Wedbush Securities Chevrolet/DRR-Cusick Motorsports
19. (24) Jack Harvey, Bassingham, England, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Invest Chevrolet/DRR-Cusick Motorsports
20. (26) Colton Herta, Valencia, Calif., Gainbridge Honda/Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian
21. (27) Kyle Kirkwood, Jupiter, Fla., Siemens Honda/Andretti Global
22. (28) Marcus Ericsson-(W), Kumla, Sweden, Allegra Honda/Andretti Global
23. (30) Devlin DeFrancesco, Toronto, Canada, Dogecoin Honda/Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
24. (33) Ed Carpenter, Indianapolis, Ind., ECR Splenda Stevia Chevrolet/Ed Carpenter Racing
25. (45) Louis Foster-(R), Odiham, England, Desnuda Tequila Honda/Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
26. (51) Jacob Abel-(R), Louisville, Ken., Miller High Life Honda/Dale Coyne Racing
27. (60) Felix Rosenqvist, Varnamo, Sweden, SiriusXM Honda/Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian
28. (66) Marcus Armstrong, Christchurch, New Zealand, SiriusXM/Root Insurance Honda/Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian
29. (75) Takuma Sato-(W), Tokyo, Japan, AMADA Honda/Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
30. (76) Conor Daly, Noblesville, Ind., Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet/Juncos Hollinger Racing
31. (77) Sting Ray Robb, Payette, Idaho, Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet/Juncos Hollinger Racing
32. (83) Robert Shwartzman-(R), Tel Aviv, Israel, PREMA Racing Chevrolet/PREMA Racing
33. (90) Callum Ilott, Cambridge, England, PREMA Racing Chevrolet/PREMA Racing
34. (98) Marco Andretti, Nazareth, Pa., MAPEI/Curb Honda/Andretti Herta with Marco & Curb-Agajanian

Note _ All cars use the fourth generation NTT IndyCar Series chassis (Dallara IR-12) with universal IR-18 aerodynamic bodywork, Chevrolet or Honda twin-turbocharged V-6 engines and Firestone Firehawk tires.

(W) _Denotes Indianapolis 500 winner

(R) _ Denotes Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year candidate; Jacob Abel was bumped from the field during Last Chance Qualifying.