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What you should know about the 2018 Indy 500 drivers

  • 12:19 p.m. Sunday, ABC

Here's the Indy 500 history for each of the Indianapolis 500 starters.The 102nd 500 is scheduled for 12:19 p.m. Sunday.

Schedule:What's going on at the track this week

Race primer:Everything you need to know about the Indy 500

Fan guide:They're called 'yellow shirts' and other things to know before going to the track

Row 1

Ed Carpenter (from left), Simon Pagenaud, Will Power. Row 1 for the 2018 Indy 500

Ed Carpenter

Car No./team/engine: 20/Ed Carpenter/Chevrolet

Qualifying speed: 229.618 mph

In the race: He was fifth in 2008, the best of his 14 starts, two of which came from the pole (2013, '14). He was 11th last year after starting second.

How Butler can he get? Carpenter hangs out with Bulldogs coach LaVall Jordan, superfan Samantha Smith and Trip.

Simon Pagenaud

Car No./team/engine: 22/Penske/Chevrolet

Qualifying speed: 228.761

In the race: In six starts, his best finish is eighth in 2013. He started third in 2015 on the way to a 10th-place finish.

Pagenaud and teammate Josef Newgarden are engaging in an "autograph battle" all season. Pagenaud has claimed victory, and here's why

Will Power

Car No./team/engine: 12/Penske/Chevrolet

Qualifying speed: 228.607

In the race: In 10 starts, his best finish is runner-up in 2015. He has four other top-10 finishes.

The past couple of weeks have gone well for him. He won the IndyCar Grand Prix from the pole to earn Team Penske's 200th series victory.

Row 2

Josef Newgarden (from left), Sebastien Bourdais, Spencer Pigot. Row 2 of the 2018 Indy 500.

Josef Newgarden

Car No./team/engine: 1/Penske/Chevrolet

Qualifying speed: 228.405

In the race: He has a best finish of third in 2016 out of six starts. He's the defending IndyCar Series champ and leads this year's points with two race wins.

Newgarden and teammate Simon Pagenaud are engaging in an "autograph battle" all season. Newgarden is proud of this effort on Pagenaud's motorcoach:

Sebastien Bourdais

Car No./team/engine: 18/Dale Coyne/Honda

Qualifying speed: 228.142

In the race: His best finish in six starts is seventh in 2014. He missed last year's race after a horrifying qualifying crash.

Bourdais made what may already be the IndyCar pass of the season at Long Beach, where he gained three spots with one move.

Spencer Pigot

Car No./team/engine:  21/Ed Carpenter/Chevrolet

Qualifying speed: 228.107

In the race: He has two starts (18th in 2017, 25th in '16) both from the 29th position.

Pigot mixes in some sports car racing with his IndyCar effort.

Row 3 

Danica Patrick, Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon. Row 3 for the 2018 Indy 500.

Danica Patrick

Car No./team/engine:  13/Ed Carpenter/Chevrolet

Qualifying speed: 228.090

In the race: In seven starts between 2005-11, her best finish was third in 2009. She's the only woman to lead the race. This is her career finale.

She's also an author and is likely headed to television when racing is done. But you know some fans are just wondering if Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, her boyfriend, is showing up for the race.

Danica Patrick and Aaron Rodgers look on nduring the first quarter of game three of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs between the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Helio Castroneves

Car No./team/engine: 3/Penske/Chevrolet

Qualifying speed: 227.859

In the race: Three wins (2001 as a rookie, '02 and '09) and three runner-up finishes ('03, '14, '17). Eight more top-10s in his 17 starts.

He's had racing on his mind since a very young age.

Scott Dixon

Car No./team/engine:  9/Chip Ganassi/Honda

Qualifying speed: 227.262

In the race: He won from the pole in 2008 and has nine other top-10 finishes in 15 starts.

Dixon is indeed popular around Indianapolis. He and his wife Emma got this magazine cover.

Row 4

Tony Kanaan, Matheus Leist, Marco Andretti. Row 4 for the 2018 Indy 500.

Tony Kanaan

Car No./team/engine: 14/A.J. Foyt/Chevrolet

Qualifying speed: 227.664

In the race: He's the 2013 race champ, in an event that saw a record 68 passes for the lead. He has eight other top-10 finishes in 16 starts.

Kanaan uses the Speedway oval for more than cars. He's an avid cyclist and rode on the oval on Pole Day.

Matheus Leist 

Car No./team/engine:  4/A.J. Foyt/Chevrolet

Qualifying speed: 227.571

In the race: He's a rookie, but he's in. Not bad for someone who has yet to turn 20.

Leist is soft-spoken, so he got some "help" shooting this promo from teammate Tony Kanaan.

Marco Andretti 

Car No./team/engine: 98/Andretti/Honda

Qualifying speed: 227.288

In the race: 8 top-10 finishes in 12 starts. He finished runner-up as a rookie in 2006, but that was a rough one as Sam Hornish Jr. passed him just before the finish line.

Marco hangs out with the best, including former Colts receiver Reggie Wayne.

Row 5

Zachary Claman De Melo, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Charlie Kimball. Row 5 for the 2018 Indy 500.

Zachary Claman De Melo

Car No./team/engine:  19/Dale Coyne/Honda

Qualifying speed: 226.999

In the race: He's a rookie and a late fill-in for the injured Pietro Fittipaldi.

He's a Canadian, but so what. De Melo was cool hanging out with Vice President Mike Pence on Fast Friday.

Ryan Hunter-Reay

Car No./team/engine: 28/Andretti/Honda

Qualifying speed: 226.788

In the race: 2014 champion has two other top-10s among his 10 starts. He got past Helio Castroneves in the closing laps then held him off by 0.06 seconds.

Charlie Kimball

Car No./team/engine:  23/Carlin/Chevrolet

Qualifying speed: 226.657

In the race: He finished third in 2015 and has four other top-10 finishes in seven starts. He improved from his starting position in six starts.

Kimball expresses all the feelings of driving for a first-year IndyCar team.

Row 6 

Takuma Sato, Kyle Kaiser, Robert Wickens. Row 6 for the 2018 Indy 500.

Takuma Sato

Car No./team/engine: 30/Rahal Letterman Lanigan/Honda

Qualifying speed: 226.557

In the race: He's the defending champ, winning from a No. 4 starting spot. He has eight starts. None of his other starts is better than 10th, and he has no other top-10 finishes.

This is the kind of stuff you get to do when you're the defending Indy 500 champion.

Kyle Kaiser

Car No./team/engine: 32/Juncos/Chevrolet

Qualifying speed: 226.398

In the race: It's his first time in this race, but he has won here in Indy Lights.

Kaiser is fan of "stick and ball" sports, mostly Bay Area teams. But he can get a baseball fix in Indy.

Robert Wickens

Car No./team/engine: 6/Schmidt Peterson/Honda

Qualifying speed: 226.296

In the race: It's all new to him, though he adapted quickly in the IndyCar Grand Prix, finishing third. Though he's an IndyCar rookie, he has adapted well to every track so far.

Wickens and Alexander Rossi tangled at St. Petersburg. They "fought" upon their return to Indianapolis.

Row 7 

James Davison, Max Chilton, Carlos Munoz. Row 7 for the 2018 Indy 500.

James Davison

Car No./team/engine: 33/A.J. Foyt (with Byrd, Hollinger, Belardi)/Chevrolet

Qualifying speed: 226.255

In the race: In three starts, his best finish is 16th as a rookie in 2014. He has started from the last position twice. Here's a little bad blood: He wasn't upset when fan favorite James Hinchcliffe failed to qualify.

It has been quite a wild ride -- literally -- for Davison at the Speedway this year. He crashed in Fast Friday practice, but his Foyt/Byrd/Bellardi team scrambled to repair his car in time for qualifying.

Max Chilton

Car No./team/engine:  59/Carlin/Chevrolet

Qualifying speed: 226.212

In the race: He finished fourth last year in his second start.

Chilton has IMS experience, but he can be surprised by the uncertain conditions.

Carlos Munoz

Car No./team/engine: 29/Andretti/Honda

Qualifying speed: 226.048

In the race: Runner-up as a rookie in 2013 and also in 2016. In three other starts, has finished 10th, 20th and fourth. His best finishes came in starts from the first or second rows.

Here's one way to recognize Carlos on the track:

Row 8 

Gabby Chaves, Stefan Wilson, Sage Karam. Row 8 of the 2018 Indy 500.

Gabby Chaves

Car No./team/engine: 88/Harding/Chevrolet

Qualifying speed: 226.007

In the race: His ninth-place finish last year is the best of his three starts.

Chaves gets some golf tips from his team's driving consultant, two-time Indy 500 Al Unser Jr.

Stefan Wilson 

Car No./team/engine:  25/Andretti/Honda 

Qualifying speed: 225.863

In the race: He finished 28th in his lone start two years ago.

Wilson represents organ donation efforts in honor of his brother, Justin, who was killed in a racing accident. He's also affiliated with a group that trains veterans for motor sports jobs.

Sage Karam

Car No./team/engine:  66/Dreyer & Reinbold/Chevrolet

Qualifying speed: 225.863

In the race: He finished ninth as a rookie in 2014 and has made four starts.

The Capt. Andrew Luck faux Twitter account is popular, so knockoffs were inevitable. Here's one with a missive from Karam. 

Row 9 

Zach Veach, Oriol Servia, JR Hildebrand. Row 9 for the 2018 Indy 500

Zach Veach

Car No./team/engine: 26/Andretti/Honda 

Qualifying speed: 225.748

In the race: He finished 26th last year as a rookie.

He knows there's more than racing at the track.

Oriol Servia

Car No./team/engine: 64/Rahal Letterman Lanigan/Honda

Qualifying speed: 225.699

In the race: His fourth-place finish in 2012 is the best in nine starts. He finished sixth as a front-row starter in 2011.

This striking helmet is inspired by the art of Salvador Dali.

JR Hildebrand

Car No./team/engine:  66/Dreyer & Reinbold/Chevrolet

Qualifying speed: 225.418

In the race: He finished a heartbreaking second as a rookie in 2011 after a crash in the final turn. He has three other top-10 finishes in seven starts.

Here's some of Hildebrand's reading list. You know, light stuff like Watergate, car construction and the future of the world.

Row 10

Jay Howard (from left), Ed Jones, Graham Rahal. Row 10 for the 2018 Indy 500

Jay Howard

Car No./team/engine: 7/Schmidt Peterson/Honda

Qualifying speed: 225.388

In the race: Two starts (30th in 2011, 33rd in '17). 

Howard shows there's more to race training than simulators.

Ed Jones

Car No./team/engine: 10/Chip Ganassi/Honda

Qualifying speed: 225.362

In the race: He was last year's top-finishing rookie, taking third.

In case Jones ever forgets his rookie Indy 500 effort, he has artwork to remind him.

Graham Rahal

Car No./team/engine: 25/Rahal Letterman Lanigan/Honda

Qualifying speed: 225.327

In the race: He finished third in 2011, his best outcome in 10 starts. He was fifth in 2015. This is his worst starting position.

He's not the only racer in the family. Rahal congratulated his wife, Courtney Force, after an NHRA win earlier this month.

Row 11 

Jack Harvey (from left), Alexander Rossi, Conor Daly. Row 11 for the 2018 Indy 500.

Jack Harvey

Car No./team/engine: 60/Michael Shank (with Schmidt Peterson)/Honda

Qualifying speed: 225.254

In the race: He finished 31st last year as a rookie.

Harvey is making new fans, especially the ones he has to kneel to meet.

Alexander Rossi

Car No./team/engine: 27/Andretti/Honda 

Qualifying speed: 224.935

In the race: He won the 100th running of the race two years ago as a rookie. He was seventh last year. He was 10th in first-day qualifying, but a tire pressure issue left him in the back row on Pole Day.

The morning after his win, he already looked like a veteran.

IndyCar driver Alexander Rossi (98) poses for photos following his win in the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 Monday, May 30, 2016, morning at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Conor Daly

Car No./team/engine: 17/Dale Coyne (with Thomas Burns)/Honda

Qualifying speed: 224.429

In the race: He has made four starts, with a top finish of 22nd in his rookie 2013 season. So this is weird: Rossi and Daly were stuck at the hip for "The Amazing Race," and now they're side-by-sice on the starting grid.

After his turn on network TV, Daly has hung out with stars such as Channing Tatum.