INDIANAPOLIS — Each time the massive, conventional sporting occasions pop up on the lounge TV, from the Kentucky Derby to the Masters to these midweek midafternoon “WTH are they doing?” Olympic occasions, everybody loves that one man within the room who’s instantly the professional on that sport, although nobody within the room has watched that occasion for the reason that final time it was on, one or 4 years earlier.

Like, when Uncle Earl, who has by no means left his hometown, is instantly throwing out gems like, “Properly, I knew that man from Belarus wasn’t going to make it into the 10-meter springboard finals as a result of his splash was too huge.”

OK, let’s be sincere. Everybody sort of hates that man. Until they are that man. So, as we do each Could (or final yr in August), this is our Informal Memorial Day Weekend Indy 500 Fan’s Row-by-Row Information to Sounding Like You Know What You are Speaking About for the a hundred and fifth operating of the Biggest Spectacle in Racing, aka the Indianapolis 500.

How you can watch

When: Sunday, midday ET

TV: NBC

Row 1

Scott Dixon
2008 Indy 500 winner
No. 9
Hometown: Auckland, New Zealand
Workforce: Chip Ganassi Racing
Engine: Honda
Automobile coloration: Burnt orange and blue
Milk alternative if he wins: Complete
Why you need to care about him: As a result of he is the best IndyCar racer of his technology and has a rising argument for best ever, with 51 wins and 6 championships. Actually, you need to learn this really great story written about him by a extremely good-looking ESPN senior author.

Colton Herta
No. 26
Hometown: Valencia, California
Workforce: Andretti Autosport
Engine: Honda
Automobile coloration: Black and gold with blur trim
Milk alternative if he wins: Complete
Why you need to care about him: Missed beating Dixon for the pole place by a scant .030 mph, which over a 2½-mile racetrack interprets to lower than 7 toes. In 2019 he turned the youngest-ever IndyCar winner and had added three extra victories since, together with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on April 25.

Rinus Veekay
No. 21
Hometown: Hoofddorp, Netherlands
Workforce: Ed Carpenter Racing
Engine: Chevy
Automobile coloration: Black with orange polka dots
Milk alternative if he wins: Complete
Why you need to care about him: He gained the Indy GP on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway street course simply two weeks in the past. His precise final identify is Van Kalmthout, however even his household shortens that to “VK,” so to make life simpler on American audiences, he goes with Veekay.

Row 2

Ed Carpenter
No. 20
Hometown: Indianapolis
Workforce: Ed Carpenter Racing
Engine: Chevy
Automobile coloration: Crimson prime half, white sidepods
Milk alternative if he wins: Complete, however he has lengthy mentioned that he desires buttermilk, a tribute to the primary milk gulped in Victory Lane by Louis Meyer in 1936. American Dairy Affiliation Indiana Inc. has mentioned that if he can be prepared to strive some choices previous to the race, it could be open to the concept.
Why you need to care about him: Nobody is extra beloved among the many folks of Speedway, Indiana, as Carpenter, who was actually raised on the racetrack. He is the stepson of Tony George, who oversaw IMS and IndyCar for years, and is the step-grandson of Tony Hulman, the person who saved Indianapolis Motor Speedway from damage after World Battle II.

Tony Kanaan
2013 Indy 500 winner
No. 48
Hometown: Salvador, Brazil
Workforce: Chip Ganassi Racing
Engine: Honda
Automobile coloration: Crimson, white and blue with American Legion sponsorship for Memorial Day
Milk alternative if he wins: 2%
Why you need to care about him: He’s imagined to be retired, however when Chip Ganassi requested TK to share this experience with NASCAR-turned-IndyCar racer Jimmie Johnson this season because the oval specialist, the 46-year-old jumped on the likelihood.

Alex Palou
No. 10
Hometown: Sant Antoni de Vilamajor, Spain
Workforce: Chip Ganassi Racing
Engine: Honda
Automobile coloration: White with mild blue nostril and wing
Milk alternative if he wins: Complete
Why you need to care about him: He gained his very first race with Chip Ganassi Racing, stunning the sector on the Birmingham GP on April 18.

Row 3

Ryan Hunter-Reay
2012 Indy 500 winner
No. 28
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Workforce: Andretti Autosport
Engine: Honda
Automobile coloration: Darkish yellow with crimson trim
Milk alternative if he wins: 2%
Why you need to care about him: In 2012, he gained the Indy 500 and the IndyCar title however has struggled to repeat both since. He’s married to the sister of former IndyCar and NASCAR racer Robby Gordon.

Helio Castroneves
2001, 2002, 2009 Indy 500 winner
No. 06
Hometown: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Workforce: Meyer Shank Racing
Engine: Honda
Automobile coloration: Black prime, darkish pink (or is it darkish purple?) sidepods
Milk alternative if he wins: 2%
Why you need to care about him: With three wins in 9 years, it as soon as appeared inevitable that he would be a part of Indy’s most unique membership of four-time winners. However he has been caught one win behind the massive three of A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr. and Rick Mears for 12 years now. That is his twenty first Indy 500 begin however first with a group aside from Roger Penske’s.

Marcus Ericsson
No. 8
Hometown: Kumla, Sweden
Workforce: Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
Engine: Honda
Automobile coloration: Black with gold pinstripes
Milk alternative if he wins: 2%
Why you need to care about him: The one Swede within the area is sponsored by Huski Chocolate, a Yoohoo-like Swedish chocolate drink, due to course he’s.

Row 4

Alexander Rossi
2016 Indy 500 winner
No. 27
Hometown: Nevada Metropolis, California
Workforce: Andretti Autosport
Engine: Honda
Automobile coloration: Royal blue and gold
Milk alternative if he wins: Complete
Why you need to care about him: You would possibly acknowledge him because the stunning rookie winner of the 2016 Indy 500 … or because the wild man who has been essentially the most thrilling loser of the race the previous few years … or from his stint on “The Superb Race” with fellow IndyCar racer Conor Daly.

Ed Jones
No. 18
Hometown: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Workforce: Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan
Engine: Honda
Automobile coloration: Yellow prime half, black sidepods, black-and-white slashes down backbone
Milk alternative if he wins: 2%
Why you need to care about him: The person is a strolling passport. He was born in Dubai, however he’s a British citizen who lives in Miami and retains an condominium in Indianapolis.

Pato O’Ward
No. 5
Hometown: Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Workforce: Arrow McLaren SP
Engine: Chevy
Automobile coloration: Darkish McLaren racing orange prime, black sidepods
Milk alternative if he wins: Complete
Why you need to care about him: His full identify is Patricio O’Ward and he was raised in Mexico Metropolis, however his nickname Pato and his O’-starting final identify make some folks assume he have to be from Eire. “That ends as quickly as I say howdy,” the 22-year-old says with amusing. He was raised on street racing, however he earned his first win on the uber-fast Texas Motor Speedway oval on Could 2.

Row 5

Pietro Fittipaldi
Indy 500 rookie
No. 51
Hometown: Miami
Workforce: Dale Coyne Racing w/ RWR
Engine: Honda
Automobile coloration: White with a purple swath down the perimeters
Milk alternative if he wins: Complete
Why you need to care about him: He’s the grandson of Emerson Fittipaldi, the two-time F1 champion and two-time Indy 500 champion who rankled the Indianapolis crowd when he gulped orange juice as a substitute of milk in 1993 to advertise his Brazilian orange grove enterprise. Final week, the American Dairy Affiliation Indiana awarded Pietro its Quickest Rookie of the 12 months award. This Fittipaldi guarantees he is sticking with milk.

Felix Rosenqvist
No. 7
Hometown: Varnamo, Sweden
Workforce: Arrow McLaren SP
Engine: Chevy
Automobile coloration: McLaren racing orange and black, blended Zubaz-style
Milk alternative if he wins: 2%
Why you need to care about him: From unique supercars to F1, McLaren is understood for futuristic automotive innovation, however Rosenqvist joined teammates Juan Pablo Montoya and Pato O’Ward by rolling into Indy aboard a ratty outdated Winnebago painted McLaren orange.

Takuma Sato
2017, 2020 Indy 500 winner
No. 30
Hometown: Tokyo
Workforce: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Engine: Honda
Automobile coloration: White prime, blended crimson and yellow nostril and sidepods
Milk alternative if he wins: 2%
Why you need to care about him: The defending Indy 500 champ gained right here in August in entrance of zero followers. “I’ll by no means complain about profitable this race. However I might have used some cheering. Let’s examine if we can provide them a purpose to cheer Sunday.”

Row 6

James Hinchcliffe
No. 29
Hometown: Toronto
Workforce: Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport
Engine: Honda
Automobile coloration: Mild orange, teal and white, sort of a Miami Dolphins really feel
Milk alternative if he wins: Complete
Why you need to care about him: The person they name “Hinch” is finest identified for his near-fatal crash throughout Indy 500 observe on Could 18, 2015. Two years in the past, he took off all his clothes and informed me about it.

Scott McLaughlin
Indy 500 rookie
No. 3
Hometown: Christchurch, New Zealand
Workforce: Workforce Penske
Engine: Chevy
Automobile coloration: The well-known Pennzoil Yellow Submarine super-bright yellow
Milk alternative if he wins: Complete
Why you need to care about him: The rookie was additionally Workforce Penske’s finest qualifier. His reward? His teammates are the main suspects in a prank unleashed on his motor house final week, when it was coated by dozens of inflatable sheep. Why sheep? McLaughlin defined with an eye fixed roll: “They heard we’ve got extra sheep than folks in New Zealand. That truth is sort of as poorly researched as their joke.”

Graham Rahal
No. 15
Hometown: New Albany, Ohio
Workforce: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Engine: Honda
Automobile coloration: Darkish crimson backbone, blue sides, white nostril
Milk alternative if he wins: 2%
Why you need to care about him: The son of 1986 winner Bobby Rahal is now a father himself. Daughter Harlan Ann was born to Graham and his spouse, NHRA drag racing star Courtney Power, on Nov. 2, 2020.

Row 7

Conor Daly
No. 47
Hometown: Noblesville, Indiana
Workforce: Ed Carpenter Racing
Engine: Chevy
Automobile coloration: Silver with gold roof trim and crimson nostril and tail, U.S. Air Power “Crimson Tail” design paying tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen Crimson Tails heroes of World Battle II
Milk alternative if he wins: 2%
Why you need to care about him: As a result of that Crimson Tails livery is superb, nearly as superb because the mullet Daly has grown for the month of Could.

Jack Harvey
No. 60 Hometown: Bassingham, England
Workforce: Meyer Shank Racing
Engine: Honda
Automobile coloration: Scorching pink with black sidepods
Milk alternative if he wins: Complete
Why you need to care about him: Harvey spent almost his complete Indy 500 media day session taking the media by not the nuances of driving an IndyCar at 230 mph however relatively the nuances of constructing the transition between English and American popular culture. “I believed they would not be as completely different as they’re. However no less than as soon as a day I make a reference and everybody within the room simply stares at me. I am like, ‘Oh, you do not have that right here?'”

Josef Newgarden
No. 2
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Workforce: Workforce Penske
Engine: Chevy
Automobile coloration: White with black trim
Milk alternative if he wins: Complete
Why you need to care about him: Be sincere, you thought a man named Jack Harvey was in all probability from, like, Nashville, proper? And also you in all probability assume Josef Newgarden is from a farm in Germany, however he is truly the one from Nashville.

Row 8

JR Hildebrand
No. 1
Hometown: Sausalito, California
Workforce: A.J. Foyt Enterprises
Engine: Chevy
Automobile coloration: White with crimson trim and nostril with a giant No. 1, based mostly on A.J. Foyt’s first Indy 500 winner
Milk alternative if he wins: Complete
Why you need to care about him: Do an online seek for “2011 Indy 500 end” and inform me you do not need this man to win this race.

Santino Ferrucci
No. 45
Hometown: Woodbury, Connecticut
Workforce: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Engine: Honda
Automobile coloration: Crimson nostril and entrance half, inexperienced again half (it is greens by way of his grocery retailer sponsor)
Milk alternative if he wins: Complete
Why you need to care about him: He misplaced his F2 license for wrecking a teammate throughout a postrace cool-down lap; he as soon as acquired a high quality for texting whereas driving his race automobile; he is dipping his toe into NASCAR; and he has a wild haircut. All we’d like now’s to play the “Dangerous Boys” theme tune from “Cops.”

Juan Pablo Montoya

No. 86
2000, 2015 Indy 500 winner
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Workforce: Arrow McLaren SP
Engine: Chevy
Automobile coloration: McLaren racing orange excessive half, white backside half
Milk alternative if he wins: Chocolate/entire
Why you need to care about him: Sure, the two-time Indy 500 winner wrote in chocolate for his milk alternative, although it is not likely an possibility. Why? White milk is the Indy custom. Plus, it pictures significantly better.

Row 9

Marco Andretti
No. 98
Hometown: Nazareth, Pennsylvania
Workforce: Andretti Herta-Haupert with Marco & Curb-Agajanian
Engine: Honda
Automobile coloration: Darkish crimson with racing orange backbone and wing
Milk alternative if he wins: Complete
Why you need to care about him: The son of Michael and grandson of Mario is not racing full time and says it has honed his concentrate on lastly incomes the household’s first Indy 500 win since 1969. Plus, he seems so a lot happier.

Simon Pagenaud
2019 Indy 500 winner
No. 22
Hometown: Montmorillon, France
Workforce: Workforce Penske
Engine: Chevy
Automobile coloration: Day-Glo yellow
Milk alternative if he wins: Complete
Why you need to care about him: After profitable the 2019 Indy 500, he requested the artist who sculpts the silver faces for the Borg-Warner Trophy to additionally do certainly one of his beloved canine Norman. Now he has a son, Marley. “If I win once more, I supposed I must have silver face completed for him, too, proper?”

Sebastien Bourdais
No. 14
Hometown: Le Mans, France
Workforce: A.J. Foyt Enterprises
Engine: Chevy
Automobile coloration: Stable black with big white “ROKIT” lettering on aspect (BTW, that is the way you do it, younger sports activities entrepreneurs)
Milk alternative if he wins: 2%
Why you need to care about him: His nickname is “Sea Bass.” You want one more reason to love him?

Row 10

Stefan Wilson
No. 25
Hometown: Sheffield, England
Workforce: Andretti Autosport
Engine: Honda
Automobile coloration: White with crimson trim, blue rear
Milk alternative if he wins: Complete
Why you need to care about him: He gained the hearts of race followers with the grace he confirmed whereas publicly coping with the 2015 IndyCar dying of his wildly well-liked brother, Justin. He almost pulled off an upset win within the 2018 Indy 500. If he had been to tug it off this yr, there would not be a dry eye in Gasoline Alley.

Max Chilton
No. 59
Hometown: Sheffield, England
Workforce: Carlin
Engine: Chevy
Automobile coloration: Mild blue with a darkish blue wave, sort of a UNC-Duke combine
Milk alternative if he wins: Complete
Why you need to care about him: He missed the Indy Grand Prix street race earlier this month as a result of he went house to England to see household and had “journey points.” I really feel you, dude.

Dalton Kellett
No. 4
Hometown: Stouffville, Ontario
Workforce: A.J. Foyt Enterprises
Engine: Chevy
Automobile coloration: Sliced into thirds from entrance to rear with mild blue, white and black
Milk alternative if he wins: Complete
Why you need to care about him: He developed his love of racing operating laps round frozen lakes on a snowmobile. “I did not run a automobile round an oval till I used to be a youngster, however I already had about one million laps beneath my belt. They simply occurred to be on ice.”

Row 11

Sage Karam
No. 24
Hometown: Nazareth, Pennsylvania
Workforce: Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
Engine: Chevy
Automobile coloration: Mild blue with white up the backbone and inside sidepods
Milk alternative if he wins: 2%
Why you need to care about him: Karam is the twenty seventh racer to drive for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, together with the likes of Simon Pagenaud, Graham Rahal and Paul Tracy. However the group has gained just one race, on Jan. 29, 2000, with Robbie Buhl at Walt Disney World Speedway, which is now an empty inexperienced area you may see from the Magic Kingdom parking zone tram because it takes you again to your automobile. In different phrases, it has been some time.

Will Power
2018 Indy 500 winner
No. 12
Hometown: Toowoomba, Australia
Workforce: Workforce Penske
Engine: Chevy
Automobile coloration: Actually, actually black with a crimson stripe down the backbone
Milk alternative if he wins: Complete. He used to say “no choice” however bought uninterested in the flak he caught for being noncommittal and eventually made a decide.
Why you need to care about him: He needed to work tremendously onerous simply to make the sector for this yr’s race, however he made it in on the final second amid a lot drama. Then once more, you assume you are ever going to disclaim a man with that identify?

Simona de Silvestro
No. 16
Hometown: Thun, Switzerland
Workforce: Paretta Autosport
Engine: Chevy
Automobile coloration: White with crimson trim on the floor edges
Milk alternative if she wins: 2%, however she additionally wrote in buttermilk
Why you need to care about her: The vast majority of the Paretta Autosport roster is made up of ladies, from the motive force to group proprietor Beth Paretta to 4 of the seven over-the-wall pit crew members. You must learn this look into the Paretta team from my good friend and colleague Alyssa Roenigk.