The 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 is Sunday afternoon, and plenty of stories have been circulating in the racing capital of the world over the past week.
Roger Penske, owner of Team Penske and the NTT IndyCar Series, fired three of his top leaders within Team Penske after failed qualifying inspections forced 2 of his drivers to the rear of the field for Sunday’s race. Robert Shwartzman became the first rookie since Teo Fabi in 1983 to sit on the race pole.
But who are the drivers further back to keep an eye on? “Conor Daly is incredibly confident,” said IndyCar Radio’s Ryan Myrehn. “He compared this year’s car to the car he had in 2021, when he ran up front and led a bunch of laps, he feels that was the best car he has ever had at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” Myrehn said.
Another driver Myrehn suggested fans watch closely is Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood, “I’m stunned he didn’t have a better qualifying effort because he has been so confident over the month of May.” Kirkwood had a career-best finish in last year’s Indy 500 of P7. “That car is still a contender,” Myrehn said.
The 109th Indianapolis 500 is Sunday, May 25th, 2025, at 12:45 pm.
