As in years past, this year's greatest spectacle in racing is not lacking in stories that capture our attention. Some stories will appeal to the technical race fan, whereas others may interest fans of particular drivers. Whichever story piques your interest the most, here are some key questions to keep an eye on in Sunday's race, and I'm sure others will emerge as the race goes on.
Which Engine Will Triumph? One of the most intriguing storylines for me has to be the Chevy vs. Honda battle. Chevy dominated the top ten qualifying spots, but Honda won the race last year and appeared to have better fuel mileage. In the final practice on Friday, a Honda was the fastest car (Simon Pagenaud). I have to believe Honda has another rabbit up its sleeve and is waiting to pull it out on race day.
Who Will Find Redemption? As I mentioned in a previous blog, this year also features many drivers on the path to redemption. Whether it's a revenge-seeking story like Ryan Briscoe or Katherine Legge, a personal battle like AJ Allmendinger, or a desire to expunge previous Indy 500 demons like JR Hildebrand and Takuma Sato, there are no shortage of storylines here. Oriol Servia is another driver to keep an eye on, because he probably has the most pressure of anyone in the field. Due to lack of sponsorship, his team will close up shop after the Indy 500--unless he can win the biggest race of the year. While his story will not be known to many casual fans, I would suspect a lot of diehard IndyCar fans will be rooting for him to have some success.
Will the Early-Season Andretti Success Continue? Andretti Autosport has been dominant all year, winning three of the first four races, and getting all five of their cars into the Fast 9 for qualifying. Can they translate this early season success into success at Indianapolis, a place that has seemed to haunt the Andrettis since Mario's lone win in 1969. In particular, Marco Andretti will be one to watch, as, like his father, he has been so close so many times, only to run into problems or bad luck late in the race.
Will the Quest for Four Be Achieved? Two three-time winners, Dario Franchitti and Helio Castroneves, will be going for that sacred fourth victory, and both have legitimate, serious shots at getting it. In fact, they may both be considered the favorites to win this race. Dario and Helio faced off in the final round of the Pit Stop Challenge, so perhaps that was a sign of things to come on race day. Winning a fourth Indy 500 would put either driver in some exclusive company and cement his legacy as one of the greatest drivers in IndyCar history.
How Will Blocking Impact the Race? With the controversy in Brazil over a non-blocking call for Takuma Sato, we have to see if blocking penalties will come into play on Sunday. Beaux Barfield has informed all of the drivers of blocking rules for the 500, so they should be aware of these guidelines. Whether or not this awareness leads to actual enforcement (not to mention the drivers remembering the rules in the heat of the moment!) remains to be seen. Apparently, if I understand the rule correctly, drivers are supposed to leave room for drivers to pass on the left side. If that's the case, then Dario would have received a penalty with this rule in place last year. I think this could be a big story as the race progresses.
Can an American Finally Win Again? I read a discouraged fan's comment on Facebook about how the number of Americans in the field keeps shrinking. While that may be true, there are certainly plenty of Americans to watch this year; in fact, USA has 11 cars in the field (or one-third of the entries), more than any other country. Ed Carpenter sits on the pole and is the hometown hero. Ryan Hunter-Reay is last year's series champ but has never won Indy. Two Indy 500 rookies, Allmendinger and Conor Daly, could make things interesting. Graham Rahal and Marco Andretti are trying to follow in their fathers' (and grandfather's) footsteps. It would certainly help IndyCar's popularity if one of these drivers were to win. But the crowd favorite is probably Brazilian Tony Kanaan. His charisma, humor, and history at Indianapolis definitely make him someone to root for.
I usually don't make predictions for any race or season, but I'll break with tradition and share my pick to win. I have been saying all month it's going to be Takuma Sato, but even though I'm not fully convinced of that choice any more, I'll have to stick with it. Personally, I would love to see any American, Kanaan, or Ryan Briscoe win. There are plenty of drivers and stories to watch at the 2013 Indy 500. Above all else, though, let's hope for a safe, entertaining race.
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