Fansided

Meet the new 2019 Indianapolis 500 drivers

By Brittany Frederick

Kyle Kaiser prepares to qualify for the 2019 Indianapolis 500. Photo Credit: James Black/Courtesy of IndyCar.
Kyle Kaiser prepares to qualify for the 2019 Indianapolis 500. Photo Credit: James Black/Courtesy of IndyCar. /
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Indianapolis 500
Jordan King. Photo Credit: John Cote/Courtesy of IndyCar. /

Jordan King

Qualified: 26th

Team: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

What you need to know: Regular IndyCar fans will likely remember the name Jordan King. That’s because he drove the road and street courses for the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing car last season, splitting time with Ed Carpenter. He’s been replaced in that role by Ed Jones for 2019, but the 25-year-old King landed an Indy 500 driver with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

Since he only drove the non-oval events in the 2018 IndyCar season, King has never gotten the chance to participate in the Indianapolis 500 before. His best finish in another IndyCar event was 11th place in last year’s Honda Indy Toronto.

It’ll be very interesting to see how he races on an oval, especially since he’s picked the most important oval in the world to start with!

But he’s got 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato and Graham Rahal as his teammates, so at least he has some great colleagues to lean on.

Indianapolis 500
J.R. Hildebrand. Photo Credit: John Cote/Courtesy of IndyCar. /

J.R. Hildebrand

Qualified: 21st

Team: Dreyer & Reinbold Racing

What you need to know: Another former driver for Ed Carpenter Racing, J.R. Hildebrand is one of those IndyCar journeymen. He started his IndyCar career with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing almost a decade ago in 2010, and he’s continued working hard ever since. Whenever he turns up in a race, fans know they’re going to get a solid effort (and some great hair besides).

Hildebrand narrowly missed winning the Indianapolis 500 in 2011, when he finished in second place for Panther Racing. He’s made seven attempts to get his face on the Borg-Warner Trophy since, with his best finish being sixth place in 2016.

He also has two other podium finishes, both from his 2017 campaign as the full-time driver of Carpenter’s No. 21 car (which is now driven by Spencer Pigot).

Off-track, the 2009 Indy Lights champion is also known for his incredible smarts. Hildebrand was a National Merit Scholar, and was accepted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but chose racing over going to MIT.

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