The Greatest Spectacle in Racing has returned. The 2025 Indy 500 will be raced at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 25. We aren’t even fully into race weekend, and we have great surprises, excellent drama, and everything is building towards a fun finish in Indy. Here is our preview of the Indy 500 with everything that you need to know!
The pole position was clinched by Robert Shwartzman. He made history by becoming the first rookie to win the pole since Teo Fabi in 1983. He is just the third rookie to ever do it, and it means we are kicking off the weekend with a hint that we could be in for some major surprises. He had a time of 231.207 which happens to be the third-fastest ever. While we all know the big names in this race, a time like that in the qualifier means we might be getting something truly special once the real thing begins.
While Schwartzman certainly stole some shine, all eyes will be on Josef Newgarden. He’s won the Indy 500 in 2023 and 2024, and will be going for his third-straight victory at the famous track. The issue is that he is starting 32nd in this race and the deepest that any winner has ever started is 28th.
Newgarden’s car failed inspection during the qualifier which makes his starting position the main issue for him entering the weekend. A win would be unprecedented, but the great drivers can find a way to finish first and this could just be the motivator that he needed to jump the rest of the field. He pocketed over $4.2 million a year ago and I’m sure his eyes will be on the prize yet again as he looks to solidify his spot in Indy 500 lore.
When the eyes are off Newgarden, they are deflected to Pato O’Ward. He has two second place finishes over the last three years. O’Ward has led 92 laps over the last four Indy 500 races so he knows what it takes to take command in this race, he’s just yet to figure out how to actually win the whole thing. He enters as the betting favorite this weekend and would be seen as a letdown if he isn’t at least in the mix as they come around the bend.
Alex Palou is the other obvious choice here for a great outing in Indianapolis. He is the current points leader in the IndyCar series. He has wins in four of the first five starts this season. But Indy is no joke, and Palou has yet to win on an oval track. He has a second, a ninth, a fourth and a fifth in his last four Indy 500 starts and has led 119 laps over the last five years so he is right in the hunt for his first win.
Odds:
- Pato O’Ward +500.
- Alex Palou, +600
- Scott McLaughlin, +700
- Scott Dixon, +700
- Josef Newgarden, +1000
- Takuma Sato, +1400
- Will Power, +1600