2013 Indy 500 - Field of 33

In this year’s “Month of May” series, on each day leading up to the Indianapolis 500 on May 26, a different topic about the race or about Indianapolis will be discussed. Each of these topics will be ranked to create special “fields of 33” regarding the Indy 500. I hope you enjoy, and I hope you learn something about Indianapolis and the Indy 500, the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

The field of 33 is set for the 97th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, and an American will lead the field to the green flag for the first time since 2006! Indianapolis native Ed Carpenter won the pole position in one of the most exciting and emotional Pole Days in recent history. Can he go on to win the 500? Which of the other 32 drivers is most likely to get his/her face on the Borg-Warner Trophy? Let’s take a look at the 2013 Field of 33 and analyze their chances to win the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

Row 1

Ed Carpenter (Ed Carpenter Racing - Chevrolet)
Odds to win: 8:1
It's a great story to see Indy native Ed Carpenter win the pole position. Having a one-car team and as such a less-than-stellar pit crew will not help Carpenter's cause. Possibly the worst omen though is that a green-colored car has not won the Indy 500 since Jim Clark's Lotus in 1965.

Carlos Munoz (R) (Andretti Autosport - Chevrolet)
Odds to win: 12:1
He's had a great month, which is impressive for a rookie who has never competed in an IndyCar event before. He's the current leader in the Indy Lights series, but has been a shining star so far. He and his Andretti Autosport teammates have been great in race trim, working well together in the draft. Don't count the rookie out, but being priority number 5 in a five car team may limit his chances.

Marco Andretti (Andretti Autosport - Chevrolet)
Odds to win: 6:1
He is having the best season of his life right now. He has always been great at the Brickyard, but ended up just short on multiple occasions. I've never seen him so determined and focused, and that will serve him well on race day. Just hope that the Andretti bug doesn't bite yet again.

Row 2

E.J. Viso (Andretti Autosport - Chevrolet)
Odds to win: 15:1
Viso has found himself with Andretti Autosport. He's no longer the guy who always crashes. Will the same old Viso re-appear at the Brickyard, though? You can tell how much trust there is in this guy, as Vegas odds had him 100:1 to win prior to qualifications. He's still likely to have high odds. I'd put them better than that, and if you are a gambling man you could make some serious cash with that pick.

A.J. Allmendinger (R) (Team Penske - Chevrolet)
Odds to win: 12:1
He's not your standard rookie. Many years in both Champ Car and NASCAR make this guy a seasoned veteran. He knows how to race long-distance ovals, and he works well with Roger Penske. Keep an eye on #2 as the race progresses.

Will Power (Team Penske - Chevrolet)
Odds to win: 12:1
I would love to have Will Power with better odds. But his track record on ovals is just too shaky. He does have the fastest lap of the month, nearly hitting 230 mph. However, being without a win in over a year and having only one career victory on an oval, I have trouble choosing Will Power.

Row 3

Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport - Chevrolet)
Odds to win: 10:1
The defending series champion has been near the top in each and every practice this month. He's yet to make the big jump to looking of pure dominance at the Brickyard, though. He's one of well over a dozen potential winners here.

Helio Castroneves (W) (Team Penske - Chevrolet)
Odds to win: 6:1
Helio always is a favorite to win. His P8 start is a bit misleading as he went for it all in the Fast 9 and just missed. You'll see him leading laps. You'll see him competing. You'll see him fighting for his record-tying fourth trip to Victory Lane.

James Hinchcliffe (Andretti Autosport - Chevrolet)
Odds to win: 7:1
Coming off of his thrilling last-turn pass in Sao Paulo, Hinchcliffe looks to make May a great month again. Andretti power and the will to win (already with two victories this season, his first two ever) and that makes Hinchtown a definite favorite here.

Row 4

J.R. Hildebrand (Panther Racing - Chevrolet)
Odds to win: 25:1
He has had a sub-par 2013 season so far. But he is much better on the ovals and of course Panther Racing is a threat each year at Indy. Don't let the memories of 2011 haunt him!

Alex Tagliani (Bryan Herta Autosport - Honda)
Odds to win: 20:1
He's the top Honda in the field. No they definitely do not have the speed that Chevy does, but the same was true last year and Honda took first and second. On race day, the engines are equal. And Tags knows how to go quickly. He needs to avoid trouble early and he will be in contention.

Tony Kanaan (KV Racing - Chevrolet)
Odds to win: 10:1
On one restart last year, he went from sixth to first in just a few hundred yards. He knows what to do at the Brickyard. And he has the crowd behind him. He will surely finish in the top ten, as long as his machine doesn't break down and give him heartache.

Row 5

Oriol Servia (Panther - DRR - Chevrolet)
Odds to win: 35:1
This could be the last race for Servia in the Panther - DRR machine. The team is likely to disband. They will fight tooth and nail to get to Victory Lane. He knows how to race, and has the power behind him. Can a combo team produce enough from the intangibles (pit stops, engineering, etc.) to kiss the bricks, though?

Justin Wilson (Dale Coyne Racing - Honda)
Odds to win: 50:1
They went quickly in practice and qualifications, but he has only ever performed exceptionally on one oval: Texas last season. It would sure be an interesting story, but the inexperience of the team will make Wilson less than likely to go all the way to Victory Lane.

Sebastien Bourdais (Dragon Racing - Chevrolet)
Odds to win: 50:1
I give Bourdais much better odds to win than most. People forget that he was a four-time series champion in ChampCar and also a talented Formula1 driver. He has raced the best and in my mind is always a threat to win.

Row 6

Scott Dixon (W) (Target Chip Ganassi Racing - Honda)
Odds to win: 8:1
His teammate Dario Franchitti won last year with an under-powered Honda engine. He started in...16th. Dixon has won before and surely can do so again, especially with the Ganassi team.

Dario Franchitti(W) (Target Chip Ganassi Racing - Honda)
Odds to win: 8:1
Dario looks to get a record-tying fourth victory at Indy. He won last year starting 16th, and this year will start 17th. Why not?

Takuma Sato (A.J. Foyt Enterprises - Honda)
Odds to win: 20:1
Sato finishes up this interesting row (these three were 1-2-3  when they took the white flag last year). He currently is the Series points leader and is racing with confidence unlike anything we've seen from him before. He will make the banzai move when he needs to, and will do anything to win the 500 (as you saw last year).

Row 7

Charlie Kimball (Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing - Honda)
Odds to win: 60:1
Being a part of the satellite Ganassi team does not bode well for Kimball. 

James Jakes (Dale Coyne Racing - Honda)
Odds to win: 80:1
Not much to say here. Dale Coyne Racing has not been competitive recently, and Jakes has never really impressed me so far in the IndyCar Series. He's a long shot, but again, anybody can win this race.

Simon Pagenaud (Schmidt-Hamilton Motorsports - Honda)
Odds to win: 50:1
Pagenaud is a wild card. Some races he is lights out fast and competitive, while others he will look like he is stuck in third gear.

Row 8

Townsend Bell (Panther Racing - Chevrolet)
Odds to win: 60:1
He has two top-four finishes in his 500 career. He knows this track well and always performs. Will it be good enough to win? He needs lots of help, but crazier things have happened. He's definitely capable.

Ryan Briscoe (Chip Ganassi Racing - Honda)
Odds to win: 35:1
My early odds for Briscoe were as low as 10:1. He has not meshed well with his Ganassi machine so far, and struggles to find speed. I think there is POTENTIAL for something to happen here, but as he has struggled so far to find speed, I find it tough to think he can reach Victory Lane in the one-off this year.

Simona de Silvestro (KV Racing - Chevrolet)
Odds to win: 60:1
No, she was not very quick in qualifying. But her car has looked much better in race trim. She did well as a rookie and held her own in an ancient chassis back in 2011. Ignore the Lotus year last year. It will be nice to see how she does in a good machine with a good team this year. Don't count her out to make a run at the top 5.

Row 9

Josef Newgarden (Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing - Honda)
Odds to win: 80:1
Newgarden is a great young talent, but is still too raw for an Indy victory.

Graham Rahal (Rahal Letterman Lanigan - Honda)
Odds to win: 60:1
He is much better than his qualifying position. He will be racing in the top ten for a portion of this race more than likely. Can he take dad all the way to Victory Lane? It sure is possible.

Sebastian Saavedra (Dragon Racing - Chevrolet)
Odds to win: 100:1
Believe it or not, a paint job is what is keeping Saavedra from better odds and legitimately ANY chance at drinking the milk. His chrome paint scheme kept flying off and IndyCar said no more. His new paint livery literally has lost him 2 mph in speed. We'll see if it can be fixed by Carb Day, but if not, you can pretty much count out any chance of victory.

Row 10

Tristan Vautier (R) (Schmidt-Hamilton Racing - Honda)
Odds to win: 100:1
The combo with fellow Frenchman Pagenaud has been good for Vautier. However, his oval capabilities are not nearly as good as his road/street course skills.

Ana Beatriz (Dale Coyne Racing - Honda)
Odds to win: 125:1
Ana Beatriz has done nothing of significance in her time in IndyCar so far.

Pippa Mann (Dale Coyne Racing - Honda)
Odds to win: 150:1
A one-off with Dale Coyne Racing isn't exactly good news for betting purposes.

Row 11

Conor Daly (R)   (A.J. Foyt Enterprises - Honda)
Odds to win: 90:1
He is one of the best young drivers in the world and nobody knows about him. I have a feeling you will know about him a lot more after this race. I see him coming from the last row to a top 12 finish and potentially stealing away rookie of the year honors.

Buddy Lazier (W) (Lazier Partners - Chevrolet)
Odds to win: 110:1
He doesn't have much speed. But he does have experience. Doubtful he will win, but you can sure expect him to be competitive.

Katherine Legge (Schmidt Peterson Pelfrey - Honda)
Odds to win: 200:1
Last minute deal to get the seat and no time in the car...no chance.



(images courtesy of indianapolismotorspeedway.com)