So you’ve read through PART ONE and you’re not convinced? Everyone so far seemed awesome but, they don’t catch your eye? That’s fine!
We’ve got twelve more drivers for you to peruse and decide who you’re going to cheer for, but choose quickly (and wisely)! The Indy 500 is fast approaching!
Ed Jones: The rookie who dominated the 2016 Indy Lights competition. He’s young but, oh man is he fast. Ed ended up with a top 10 finish in his first IndyCar race at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, that’s talent.
Tony Kanaan: The ladies love him and the men want to be him. In his 20th season, Tony Kanaan is an icon in IndyCar. A championship, Indy 500 win, 16 other race wins and 15 poles, you can say Tony is a pretty darn good IndyCar driver. Oh yeah, he also has a record over 266 consecutive IndyCar starts since June 2001. The man is a machine.
Charlie Kimball: Since 2011, Charlie has had 44 top 10 finishes and 13 top 5 finishes. His first IndyCar win was at Mid-Ohio and has been a fan favourite ever since. He’s not just a fantastic racer, but also a very smart cookie. He was accepted at Stanford University before deciding to fully commit to a racing career- a man all about chasing his dreams.
Juan Pablo Montoya: Any racing fan knows this Columbian man’s name. IndyCar, NASCAR, Formula 1, you name it, he’s probably raced it. With a pair of Indy 500 wins and a championship, JPM is a race car driver to be feared when he appears behind competitors. We were going to put him in our special Indy Entries article for next week but, then he showed up at INDYCAR Grand Prix and still managed a top 10 finish.
Carlos Munoz: ½ of the A.J. Foyt team. Like JPM, Carlos is also from Columbia and also an Indy 500 threat- coming in second twice including his first Indy start. He has finished top 10 in championship points twice in three years of full-time driving so you can bet on Carlos working his way up to top 5 this year.
Josef Newgarden: It’s hard to believe that this guy is only 26 years old seeing as he’s in his 6th year of full-time IndyCar driving and he has led over almost 700 laps. 38 top 10s, 19 top 5s, 4 wins all in 88 races. Again, he’s ONLY 26 years old. What else can we say to convince you that this kid is the real deal? Maybe that last year he finished 4th in championship points? He’s only 26!
Simon Pagenaud: The reigning champion. Oh, you need more than that to convince you? You shouldn’t. Simon won 5 races last year, 3 consecutively and 4 from a pole position. Then he won 3 more pole positions. In a season that is 16 races long, Simon started at the pole for 7 of them, let that sink in.
Spencer Pigot: The other half of Ed Carpenter’s #20 car. Until his car caught on literal fire, it looked like Spencer was going to ruin everyone’s day at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Take one look at Spencer’s career leading up to IndyCar and you’ll find yourself going, “man, this kid is going to be good” but, he’s already good and he’s only going to get better.
Will Power: 2014 IndyCar champion, 30 wins, 47 poles and truly one of the best names in racing. He’s unstoppable. Being a new father couldn’t even slow him down as he won the poles for Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Grand Prix of Alabama and the INDYCAR Grand Prix. If you want to cheer for a legend in the making, this is the guy to cheer for. It also helps that he’s on one of the most iconic teams in racing- Team Penske.
Graham Rahal: Another child from a legendary family- the son of Bobby Rahal. Graham is making a name for himself. Not only is he a fan favourite, he also holds the record of youngest driver to win an IndyCar race (2008) and a pole position (2009), both in St. Petersburg. He’s had an incredibly successful career thus far, highlighted by ending the last two seasons in 4th and 5th in points, respectively.
Alexander Rossi: Last year was a big year for this kid. Tell me, any of you got your Indy 500 tickets yet? Can you tell me whose face is on the ticket? Yup, Alexander Rossi. The rookie sensation took the Borg-Warner and has been chasing that win ever since. He’s got a point to prove and you can bet on him proving it this year.
Takuma Sato: Before starting with IndyCar in 2010, Takuma drove in Formula One and showed immense amounts of talent in that series. He is also the first Japanese driver to win an IndyCar race. His 5th place finish in Grand Prix of St. Petersburg set the tone for how the rest of Takuma’s season is going to be and you better watch out for him during the Indy 500.
Stay tuned next week when we take you through the special Indy 500 entries and- you guessed it, Alonso!