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IndyCar Grand Prix preview and predictions

By Brittany Frederick

Juan Pablo Montoya on track during qualifying for the IndyCar Grand Prix. Photo Credit: Karl Zeimler/Courtesy of IndyCar
Juan Pablo Montoya on track during qualifying for the IndyCar Grand Prix. Photo Credit: Karl Zeimler/Courtesy of IndyCar /
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Who will come out on top in the IndyCar Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway? We preview and predict Round 5 of the Verizon IndyCar Series season.

It’s time for the Month of May, which means the Verizon IndyCar Series is coming home to Indianapolis Motor Speedway and putting on its two biggest races of the year. The action begins with Saturday’s IndyCar Grand Prix, on the IMS road course and probably full of all kinds of open wheel shenanigans.

The fun starts with Team Penske once again dominating qualifying, ensuring that Will Power and Helio Castroneves are still at the front of the pack. These two guys have spent more time in the front row than teenage girls at a Justin Bieber concert. Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud and old friend Juan Pablo Montoya are all close behind. Fans are used to the Penske parade but are also used to the fact that it doesn’t guarantee a win.

Instead, we’ve got to look at some potential bracket busters. Scott Dixon could use a win himself after coming oh so close recently, and he’s the only non-Penske driver starting the IndyCar Grand Prix in the top five. How interesting would it be if he put Penske’s biggest rivals on the top of the podium? How the heck did JR Hildebrand finish third at Phoenix and end up in the back of the field for this race? Can Marco Andretti get his car to the finish line at all?

So many questions, so few laps to answer them in, and that’s what will make Round 5 so much fun to watch unfold.

WEATHER FORECAST:

It should be smooth driving for the Verizon IndyCar Series on Saturday, as Weather.com predicts that Indianapolis will enjoy clear skies and a high of 74 degrees. There’s only a 10 percent chance of rain.

THREE THINGS TO WATCH:

  • Juan Pablo Montoya: The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner returns to IndyCar this weekend as part of an Indianapolis-only deal with Team Penske. Montoya almost won the 2015 title and is still a threat any time he gets on a race track. Plus, he’s getting to race with/against the man who replaced him, Josef Newgarden, so that should be fun for IndyCar fans to see and compare.
  • Will Power’s willpower: Puns aside, it’s put up or shut up time for the driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet. He’s started up front in three of five races and for various reasons, he hasn’t been able to close the deal. He needs to close the deal, not only for his own pride but because he’s fallen pretty far in the IndyCar points as a result. Indianapolis could be a huge boost for Power, and you bet he knows it and will stop at nothing to get a win.
  • Andretti Autosport: Speaking of people in need, Andretti Autosport enters Indianapolis as the defending Indianapolis 500 champions and the team that apparently is being stalked by the Ghost of Mechanical Problems. Ryan Hunter-Reay and Alexander Rossi qualified in the Top 10 for the IndyCar Grand Prix, so can they finally get a decent result out of it?

PREDICTION:

You can point at almost any car in the IndyCar Grand Prix field and come up with a reason why they need to win this race. You can also point to almost any car in the field and come up with a reason why they can win this race. That’s how tough and unpredictable IndyCar’s competition has been to this point, which makes the GP particularly worth watching as a barometer going into the Indianapolis 500.

There’s no driver more determined in the field than Will Power, though, and Power has been fast when he’s not running into Charlie Kimball or getting flat tires. We have to believe that he has to break through at some point — and with another track record set in qualifying, the IndyCar Grand Prix ought to be that point.

Who comes in behind him? It could be any of his colleagues. Josef Newgarden looked amazingly fast in his Barber win and could have been on the podium in Phoenix if not for a badly timed pit stop, while Helio Castroneves is Helio Castroneves, Simon Pagenaud always sneaks up on people and Juan Pablo Montoya is like the Jaws of IndyCar, taking a bite out of the competition any time someone gets in his way. The Penske drivers are too good, and there are too many of them up front, for us to think at least two of them won’t finish strong.

We have Will Power on the top of the podium, followed by any one of his Penske teammates and with James Hinchcliffe sneaking up to spoil the sweep with another strong road/street course performance.

Next: IndyCar Grand Prix qualifying results

The 2017 IndyCar Grand Prix takes place Saturday, May 13 at 3:30 p.m. ET from Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be nationally televised on ABC. For the latest IndyCar news throughout race weekend, follow the Motor Sports category at FanSided here.