Indianapolis 500 GP

2023 Indianapolis 500 Odds

The 107th Indianapolis 500 is the sixth race of the 2023 IndyCar schedule and the year’s biggest race. It is the oldest and most prestigious event on the IndyCar calendar. Nicknamed the “Brickyard,” it’s part of the Triple Crown of Motorsport along with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix. The event even includes drivers who don’t compete in the regular IndyCar season.

Favorites & Drivers To Watch

Alex Palou is the early favorite to win the 2023 Indianapolis 500. The defending champion has been fast all month, and he will be looking to defend his title in front of a packed house at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Rinus VeeKay is another driver to watch. The young Dutchman has been impressive in his rookie season, and he has a real chance to win the biggest race of the year.

Felix Rosenqvist is also in contention. The Swede has been fast all season, and he will be looking to add his name to the list of Indianapolis 500 winners.

Santino Ferrucci is a dark horse. The American has been inconsistent this season, but he has the speed to win if everything goes his way.

These are just a few of the drivers who could win the 2023 Indianapolis 500. The race is always unpredictable, and anything can happen on race day. So be sure to tune in on May 29th to see who will be crowned the winner.

Other Drivers To Watch

In addition to the drivers mentioned above, here are a few other drivers who could be contenders for the 2023 Indianapolis 500:

These drivers all have the experience and speed to win the Indianapolis 500, and they will all be looking to make their mark on the history of the race.

Odds To Win the Indy 500 Race
Driver *Last Updated: 5/23/2023Moneyline
Alex Palou+600
Rinus VeeKay+1200
Felix Rosenqvist+1200
Santino Ferrucci+1200
Pato O’Ward+750
Scott Dixon+900
Alexander Rossi+1000
Takuma Sato+1200
Tony Kanaan+1800
Marcus Ericsson+1200
Will Power+1600
Ed Carpenter+3000
Scott McLaughlin+1200
Kyle Kirkwood+2500

Indy 500 Schedule

Final Practice (Card Day) – 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET

Pit Stop Competition – 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET

Indianapolis 500 History & Highlihts

The Indianapolis 500 has one of the oldest and most storied histories of any automobile race in the world. The complex for the oval was built in 1909 to host a bunch of small events.

At the time, it was a gravel-and-tar track. The first long-distance race in 1909 was 100 laps and was won by Bob Burman in a Buick. After the early events drew thousands of spectators, owner Carl G. Fisher spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to repave the track with 3.2 million bricks.

The first official Indianapolis 500 was held on May 30, 1911. The winner’s purse was $25,000 (more than $800,000 today) and immediately gave the race a prestigious status in international racing.

Forty drivers raced for the win, with Ray Harroun winning in a Marmon Wasp. That included his new invention: a rear-view mirror.

Purdue Marching Band Tradition Begins

One year later, the winning purse was doubled to $50,000, and a riding mechanic became mandatory. The grid was limited to 33 drivers, which remains in place today.

International drivers won each race from 1913 through 1916. American Howdy Wilcox won the 1919 event in a Peugeot after a two-year hiatus during World War I. The 1919 Indianapolis 500 was the first time the Purdue All-American Marching Band played before the race, a tradition that continues today.

Between World War I and World War II, American drivers and manufacturers dominated the race.

Frenchman Gaston Chevrolet won in 1920, but at every subsequent event through 1964, an American driver won, continuing the domination after the second war.

Offenhauser, a specialty engine manufacturer, also dominated the event then. The engine supplier won every Indianapolis 500 from 1947 through 1964. The event was on hiatus from 1942 through 1945 for World War II.

This era also saw many Formula 1 drivers try the event. Scotsman Jim Clark broke the streak of American winners in Offenhauser-powered cars by winning in 1965 in a Lotus 38-Ford. Fellow F1 champion and British driver Graham Hill won the following year in another Lola-Ford.

International Manufacturers Get Their Foot in the Door

By the late 1970s through the 1980s, international manufacturers and drivers became more common in the Indianapolis 500. American Tom Sneva won in 1983 but in a British-designed March 83C-Cosworth.

March won five consecutive Indianapolis 500 events from 1983-1987. In 1989, Brazilian Formula 1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi became the first international winner since Hill with his first of two victories.

The 1990s saw winners from Brazil (Fittipaldi), Canada (Jacque Villeneuve), the Netherlands (Arie Luyendyk), and Sweden (Kenny Brack), and average speeds remained near 150 mph.

The next decade saw international drivers win most of the races for the first time since the 1910s. Columbian Juan Pablo Montoya kicked things off with a win in 2000.

Brazilian Hélio Castroneves won three of his four Indianapolis 500 races in this decade in 2001, 2002, and 2009. Fellow Brazilian Gil de Ferran won in 2003.

British drivers Dan Wheldon and Dario Franchitti won in 2005 and 2007, respectively, and New Zealander Scott Dixon won in 2008. Starting in 2005, the Dallara chassis was used by all of the winners.

The Centennial Era

To celebrate 100 years since the opening of the track, organizers held the “Centennial Era” celebration from 2009 to 2011 to bookend 100 years since the opening of the track (in 1909) and the first Indianapolis 500 (in 1911). The new decade saw more international winners and competitors.

Repeat winners Franchitti (2010, 2012) and Dan Wheldon (2011) came before first-time winner Tony Kanaan of Brazil in 2013. Montoya won again in 2015.

Takuma Sato became the first Japanese driver to win the event with his victory in 2017.

Will Power’s win in 2018 made him the first Australian driver to win the Indianapolis 500. Rookie American Alexander Rossi won the 100th Indianapolis 500 in 2016 with upwards of 350,000 fans in attendance.

The latest decade began with repeat winners with Sato in 2020 and Castroneves in 2021. Swede Marcus Ericsson was the most recent winner in 2022. This comes as drivers regularly average upwards of 170 mph during the 500-mile race.

Four drivers have the most wins at the event: Castroneves, A.J. Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977), Rick Mears (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991), and Al Unser (1970-71, 1978, 1987). Team Penske has the most wins of any team, with 18.

2022 Indianapolis 500 Results
RankDriverTeam
1Marcus EricssonChip Ganassi Racing
2Pato O’WardArrow McLaren SP
3Tony KanaanChip Ganassi Racing
4Felix RosenqvistArrow McLaren SP
5Will PowerTeam Penske

Circuit Information

Indianapolis 500

The 107th Indianapolis 500 is held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The iconic four-corner oval has two 0.625-mile straightaways between turns two and three as well as four and one.

Shorter straits of 0.125 miles separate from turns one and two as well as three and four. All turns are a quarter-mile long and are banked at 9.2 degrees.

The race single-lap record is 38.119 seconds set by Eddie Cheever in 1996.

Indianapolis 500 Grand Prix FAQs

When was the first Indianapolis 500?

The first Indianapolis 500 was held in 1911.

What other names does the Indianapolis 500 have?

It was first called the International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race but it’s commonly called the “Indy 500” or simply “the 500”. All references to “International Sweepstakes” was dropped starting in 1979.

Who’s won the most Indianapolis 500 events?

Four drivers are tied with the most wins with four: Brazilian Hélio Castroneves and Americans A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears, and Al Unser.
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clemson
Clemson
Arizona
Arizona
Thursday, March 28, 2024
50%
50%
March Madness
san diego st.
San Diego St.
UConn
UConn
Thursday, March 28, 2024
50%
50%
March Madness
alabama
Alabama
North Carolina
North Carolina
Thursday, March 28, 2024
50%
50%
MLB
cardinals
Cardinals
Dodgers
Dodgers
Thursday, March 28, 2024
50%
50%
MLB
cubs
Cubs
Rangers
Rangers
Thursday, March 28, 2024
50%
50%
March Madness
gonzaga
Gonzaga
Purdue
Purdue
Friday, March 29, 2024
50%
50%
March Madness
creighton
Creighton
Tennessee
Tennessee
Friday, March 29, 2024
50%
50%
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