The 2018 Indianapolis 500 features several drivers who aren’t IndyCar regulars. Meet the Indianapolis 500 drivers who are just here for Sunday’s race.
Next Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 starting grid will have more cars than any other Verizon IndyCar Series race, as more drivers come off the sidelines to compete in the biggest event of the 2018 IndyCar season.
Before the green flag drops, we’re giving you a quick primer on these new entrants—those who aren’t part of the regular IndyCar roster, whether they’re here for the first time or back for one last shot at America’s most important open-wheel race.
Get to know these nine newcomers below, before the 2018 Indianapolis 500 gets underway on Sunday, May 27 at 11 a.m. ET at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
In the order in which they qualified, here are all the non-regular drivers in the Indianapolis 500:
Danica Patrick
Qualified: 7th
Patrick will get a good part of the Indy 500 buzz, as Sunday will be the last race of her career following her departure from NASCAR after last season. But she also deserves it: she was the lone Indy-only driver to make it into the Fast Nine shootout. And with both of her Ed Carpenter Racing teammates also in that front group, including pole sitter Carpenter, Patrick is part of a strong squad for her last hurrah.
Helio Castroneves
Qualified: 8th
It feels like Helio Castroneves never left the Verizon IndyCar Series, but he did at the end of last season to join Team Penske’s IMSA team. The popular Brazilian is back gunning for what would be his fourth Indianapolis 500 victory if he can pull it off, and he was fast throughout the qualifying weekend. But after topping the speed chart on Saturday, Castroneves had a rough qualifying run Sunday and fell to eighth; his car will need some work to get back to its full potential.
James Davison
Qualified: 19th
Davison is back at Indianapolis having vastly improved over his dead-last starting position from 2017. Last year he was filling in for Sebastien Bourdais; this year, he’s driving his own car as part of a partnership between A.J. Foyt Racing and three other entries. Let’s hope the Australian’s luck continues to trend upward because he had a nasty incident during practice:
Carlos Munoz
Qualified: 21st
Carlos Munoz may have lost his full-time drive at Andretti Autosport, but that didn’t stop the team from offering him an Indianapolis 500 seat. Munoz has come within one spot of winning the Indy 500 not once, but twice; unfortunately for him, his starting position in the 2018 Indy 500 does not bode well for making it three. However, if there’s anybody who can exceed expectations at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it’s Carlos Munoz.
Stefan Wilson
Qualified: 23rd
Stefan Wilson returns for his second shot at the Indianapolis 500 after entering in 2016. The brother of the late Justin Wilson, Stefan has a racing career of his own and has done a great job of carrying on Justin’s legacy. He’s driving for Andretti Autosport, which as mentioned above is a huge plus given Andretti’s history of excellence at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And he’s always one to root for, given his great work both on and off track as you can see in the video below.
Sage Karam
Qualified: 24th
The wildcard in the 2018 Indy 500 field is Sage Karam, who is well-known for his aggressive and sometimes unpredictable style of driving. Karam is three spots back of where he qualified for last year’s Indianapolis 500 and has not finished higher than 28th in any of the last three years. But he drives hard and that could affect other drivers around him as well.
Oriol Servia
Qualified: 26th
Oriol Servia is another of the returning Indianapolis 500 drivers, though he was within the top half of the field last year. Servia, who’s seemingly raced for just about every team in the paddock, isn’t an immediate favorite to win but he can’t be dismissed either. He’s got experience and he’s a driver who more than knows his way around this track.
JR Hildebrand
Qualified: 27th
JR Hildebrand lost his full-time seat with Ed Carpenter Racing to Spencer Pigot, but he’s back with an Indianapolis 500 ride for local squad Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. Hildebrand could easily have won the Indy 500 a few years ago, and he always finds a way to be at least decently competitive, so he could easily play spoiler despite his late starting position. Plus, he’s way smarter than most of us, as shown in the video above where he shows off his math skills.
Jay Howard
Qualified: 28th
Howard is currently best known as the other guy in Scott Dixon’s terrible crash during the 2017 Indy 500. He qualified 20th for that race, so he’ll have a significant amount of more work to do in this event. Driving for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, he could mix things up in the rear of the field.
Conor Daly
Qualified: 33rd
Here’s the feel-good story of the 2018 Indianapolis 500: the reigning IndyCar Most Popular Driver squeezed his way into the field. After getting dismissed from A.J. Foyt Racing despite a solid effort in his first full-time ride, Daly fought and scrapped to secure sponsorship from the U.S. Air Force to field an extra entry for Dale Coyne Racing. Let’s see if this race goes as well as Daly’s time on The Amazing Race, especially as he starts next to his TAM teammate Alexander Rossi.
Next: Complete 2018 Indianapolis 500 qualifying results
The 2018 Indianapolis 500 takes place Sunday, May 27 at 11 a.m. ET. For complete coverage of the 2018 IndyCar season, follow the Motor Sports category at FanSided.