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Press Release INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, June 6, 2022) – Eldon Rasmussen, a Canadian driver who made three starts in the Indianapolis 500, died June 5. He was 85. Rasmussen, a native of Edmonton, Alberta, competed in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in 1975, 1977 and 1979. His best start was 32nd in 1975 and 1977, with a best finish of 13th in 1977 in the No. 58 Rent-a-Racer, Inc. entry that featured a “Ras-car” chassis he built with his considerable fabrication skills. In the 1975 race, Rasmussen was involved in one of the most dramatic accidents in Indianapolis 500 history. Tom Sneva was trying to lap Rasmussen and ran over his left front wheel, launching Sneva’s car into the Turn 2 wall. The car exploded and disintegrated upon impact, but Sneva miraculously escaped serious injury. Rasmussen started racing on dirt tracks in Southern Alberta, including making more than 600 starts in the touring CAMRA series. He made more than 50 USAC Sprint Car starts before climbing to the USAC National Championship throughout the 1970s, with three top-10 finishes in 23 career starts. His finished a career-best seventh in a 100-mile heat race in 1975 at Ontario Motor Speedway, and he finished ninth in the 500-mile feature that weekend. He retired as a driver in 1979 after suffering an injury in a crash at Pocono Raceway and then returned his focus to his in-demand work as a race car engineer, designer, builder and fabricator in the Indianapolis area. Rasmussen designed and built some of the first wings for Indianapolis 500 cars and created innovative rear wings for NHRA Top Fuel dragsters. He also built machines for varied racing disciplines, including ice racing, motorcycle sidecar racing and karting. Rasmussen was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2001.

By Adam Carabine It certainly wasn’t the way they’d planned it, but AJ Allmendinger and his #16 Kaulig Racing Chevy Camaro found its way to victory lane, despite multiple issues. After a strong showing in practice, things turned for the worse during qualifying. Allmendinger was not pleased with the car, and the team opted to make unapproved adjustments to fix things. The team reportedly made 31 different adjustments on the car ahead of the race – though even just one would have voided his qualifying and sent him to the rear. Things got worse from there. In the warm-up laps before the green flag, more chaos ensued, perhaps best summed up by Allmendinger himself: “[The to-the-rear penalty] required us to let all the cars [pass me before the start of the race], but nobody would pass. By the time they were going green, we were half a lap behind them. So I panicked and tried to catch them and went sailing off in turn 10 and I thought I destroyed the nose of the car. I was in the pits before ever taking the green flag, went a lap down, went off [the track] 3 or 4 more times.” After a caution gave him the free pass, to put him back on the lead lap, Allmendinger just worked to keep making up spots. “I’m super hard on myself, especially at these road course races, and I felt like I was just letting us completely down throughout the course of the race, so I was very frustrated at myself, and once we got back up front there, I said it in my mind, with everything that I’d done to cause us to lose this race, I was going to do everything I could to make sure we won it.” And win it he did. The final restart came with 4 to go. Leader Myatt Snider led the field to the start/finish line, but had lost the lead to Allmendinger by turn 5. He explained his thought process through the final laps, “The car wasn’t the best, but we got up front, and I got confidence in myself that I could make it happen, that I could do it.” Allmendinger’s win will go down in history, as this was the first National Series race at Portland International Raceway. It also mirrored a win he had at this track 16 years ago in a Champ Car. When asked about returning back here to win again, he said “To be able to A – still be a part of motorsports 16 years later, and B – be with a great team like Kaulig Racing that allow me to be who I am, and know that when I’m pissed off, it’s because I care and I’m mad at myself and to be able to win the first race, there’s only one chance to win the first race for a series at a place.” While the victory will be remembered for years to come, the celebration will have to be short-lived, as Allmendinger will fly to St. Louis to participate in the “Enjoy Illinois 300” at WWT Gateway with the Cup Series. On whether the win at Portland impacted his preparation for WWT, he joked, “I’m not going to lie, with like 40 to go, I thought maybe Matt [Kaulig} won’t have me race tomorrow because I sucked so bad today, he doesn’t want me in his car.” He addressed the struggles his Cup Series team has been having in practice and qualifying in St. Louis without him: “We’re struggling in St. Louis as a company right now it looks like, so [I’ll] just try to go make the best of it. […] It’s completely different, we go there tomorrow and run top-20? That’s like a win for us right now.” Racing fans will be watching Allmendinger and Kaulig Racing try to continue their momentum in St. Louis tomorrow. As for a potential return to Portland? The Xfinity Series has an option with the track for 2 more years. Despite the poor weather, the stands were packed, and it was noticed by the race winner. “We saw the crowd. It’s important to keep these northwest fans a part of NASCAR. It’s fun to be here. Anytime that you go to the racetrack and you see a huge crowd, [and] it’s going to be tough to get out of the parking lot, that’s a good thing. That’s what this industry needs. As long as we keep getting big crowds like this, we need to keep coming to places like this.

By Adam Carabine Mother Nature struck again, shortening the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ qualifying session on Friday afternoon. Initially, drivers were split into two groups – each would get 15 minutes to lay down their best laps. The five fastest drivers from each group were then going to have their own 10-minute session to compete for the pole. With practice having taken place under moderate showers earlier in the day, the teams were no strangers to the rain. However, when Group A began their qualifying session, the track had mostly dried, and everyone was running slick tires, which are faster overall, but have no grip in the rain. Anthony Alfredo ran in Group A, posting the best time of the group – 76.071. By the time Group B got out on the track, light showers had picked up again. The best times in the second group were almost 1 second slower than the first group. The final qualifying session did get started, but before drivers had a chance to put down a hot lap, the rain had picked up even more. While NASCAR is able to run in the rain at road courses like Portland International Raceway, all of the cars at this point were running on slick tires. Rather than calling all the final qualifiers down to change tires, they simply cancelled the final session, resulting in Anthony Alfredo’s lap time from Group A standing as the pole winner! “By no means did I expect our first pole to be on a road course, but I just put a lot of work in behind the wheel and studied film to try to figure out how to be a better road course racer,” said Alfredo. Not only was it his first career pole, but it was the first for his Our Motorsports as well, a team still looking for their first win. “This is big for our team, honestly, it’s one step closer to getting our first win. Some say it’s just a pole, but for us, we’re accomplishing a lot of big things as a small team. We don’t have a lot of resources, and we’re doing a lot with a little.” Alfredo’s #23 Chevrolet Camaro has had a run of bad luck over the past few weeks, finishing with two DNFs and finishing P32 and P33. “We haven’t had any incidents all year long, and the last two weeks we’ve had DNFs,” he said. “We’ve been right on that playoff bubble.” Despite recent trouble, Alfredo’s first career pole leaves him hopeful in his push for the playoffs. “With where we run, week in and week out […] it’s pretty challenging to make it in [to the playoffs], and this is definitely going to help us with that.” Anthony Alfredo will hope to punch his ticket to the playoffs Saturday June 4, at the Inaugural Pacific Office Automation 147 in Portland, Oregon.

By Adam Carabine

`Photo Credit: @INDYCAR With the Indianapolis 500 behind us, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES enters the dog days of summer with a final trip to the small island of Belle Isle right outside the Motor City. Marcus Ericsson enters this race as your point leader in the series as a first time Indianapolis 500 winner. Drivers like Pato O'Ward, Scott Dixon and, Colton Herta will try and close the points gap as the hunt for the 2022 Astor Cup starts to heat up. Event History: In 1992 CART made its first visit to Belle Isle and raced there until 2001. INDYCAR and the American Le Mans Series returned to the track in 2007 and then had a brief three-year hiatus until INDYCAR returned in 2012 in the doubleheader format we have known for a while. This is the first race back in a standalone event since 2012 and the last race to be held at the circuit when next year, the series returns to the streets of Detroit for the first time since 1991. Your 2022 Indianapolis 500 Champion Marcus Ericsson is the defending winner of the Detroit Grand Prix. Track Facts: The Belle Isle Circuit is a temporary street course that measures 2.35 miles long and is one of the narrowest circuits on the schedule. Nine right and five left-hand turns make up the fourteen-turn course. The action spots to watch out for would be the braking points at Turns Three and Seven that are proceeded by long straights. There are eight active drivers who have found success in Detroit. (Ericsson, O'Ward, Power, Newgarden, Rahal, Pagenaud, Dixon, and Castroneves.) The fastest lap in series history is held by Josef Newgarden with a 1:14.2062. Championship Standings: (Top Five) 1st - Marcus Ericcson: 226 2nd - Pato O'Ward: -13 3rd - Alex Palou: -14 4th - Will Power -24 5th - Joesf Newgarden: -52 2023 Driver Changes: Earlier in the week, Andretti Autosport announced that former Indy Lights Champion Kyle Kirkwood would be piloting the No. 27 Honda for the team replacing former Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi. A few days later, Arrow McLaren SP announced Rossi will be a full-time driver for them next year. Driver Changes: Due to Callum Illott's broken hand, he has not been cleared back to INDYCAR competition for this weekend's race. Therefore, filling in for him is Santino Ferrucci. Ferrucci will be making his second start in the 2022 season as he finished 10th in the 2022 Indianapolis 500. Weather: Sunday will not have the picture-perfect weather that the Indy 500 had as temps should be in the high 60s for the Detroit Grand Prix. Rain could be an issue as forecast is calling for a 25% chance of rain. Weekend Prediction: In INDYCAR after the Indianapolis 500 is when the real season begins as a championship battle has 12 more races to determine a series champion at Laguna Seca and it starts right here. With the 500 being a double-points event. The first chance to make or break your season starts over the course of the next eight races to separate the contender's vs the pretenders. But after a very disappointing Indianapolis 500 and one of the best drivers that I have ever seen on street courses in a long time, my pick to win the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix will be Colton Herta. You can watch the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Sunday, June 6th on the USA Network or Peacock at 3:00 P.M. EST.

By Adam Carabine Welcome to the 2nd annual Playoff Forecast project. Projections are calculated by simulating the 2022 Cup Series schedule 125,000 times, using a top-secret predictive formula that is based on 3 important factors: Driver History @ Each Track, Driver Recent Overall History, and Team Performance. How to read it: The numbers in brackets show that driver’s position last week. The percentages in each column refer to the probability of that driver making it to that round. We have also simulated the week's Cup Series race. Check back each week to see who's favoured to win. Please note that due to this week’s race at WWT Gateway being the first ever Cup Series race there, this may not be as accurate as at other longer-tenured tracks. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @StatChatRefresh Or you can email directly: acarabine@racingrefresh.com Get all your StatChat Merch from the Racing Refresh online store!

NASCAR's Charter System has evolved since its founding in 2015. Below is a year to year guide following each of the 36 charter systems. Green - Season Champion Yellow - Business Change (Sell, Lease, Alliance) Salmon - Internal Change 2015-2016 Seasons 2016-2017 Seasons 2017-2018 Seasons 2018-2019 Seasons 2019-2020 Seasons 2020-2021 Seasons 2021-2022 Seasons Charters that have not had number or ownership changes from 2015-2022 #2 - Team Penske #3 - Richard Childress Racing #4 - Stewart-Haas Racing #10 - Stewart-Haas Racing #11 - Joe Gibbs Racing #14 - Stewart-Haas Racing #18 - Joe Gibbs Racing #20 - Joe Gibbs Racing #22 - Team Penske #47 - JTG Daugherty Racing Charters That Have Won The Most Championships 2015 /2019 #18 - Joe Gibbs Racing (2 Championships) 2021 #5/ 2019 #48 - Hendrick Motorsports (2 Championships) 3 Others - (1 Championship)

NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series will compete at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. Track Info Track Length: 1.25 Miles Race Length: 200 Miles (160 Laps) First Race: September 19, 1998 – Ram Tough 200 Presented by Pepsi Grandstand Seating Capacity: 65,000 Degree of Banking in Corners: 11 degrees – Turn 1 & 2; 9 degrees – Turn 3 & 4 Length of Frontstretch: 1,922 feet Length of Backstretch: 1,976 feet Cup Race -160 laps / 200 miles (1.25 Mile Oval) Truck Race - 160 laps / 200 miles (1.25 Mile Oval) Cup Series Entry List 1 - Ross Chastain 2 - Austin Cindric 3 - Austin Dillon 4 - Kevin Harvick 5 - Kyle Larson 6 - Brad Keselowski 7 - Corey LaJoie 8 - Tyler Reddick 9 - Chase Elliott 10 - Aric Almirola 11 - Denny Hamlin 12 - Ryan Blaney 14 - Chase Briscoe 15 - TBA (Rick Ware Racing) 16 - AJ Allmendinger 17 - Chris Buescher 18 - Kyle Busch 19 - Martin Truex Jr. 20 - Christopher Bell 21 - Harrison Burton 22 - Joey Logano 23 - Darrell Wallace Jr. 24 - William Byron 31 - Justin Haley 34 - Michael McDowell 38 - Todd Gilliland 41 - Cole Custer 42 - Ty Dillon 43 - Erik Jones 45 - Kurt Busch 47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 48 - Alex Bowman 51 - Cody Ware 77 - Josh Billicki 78 - BJ McLeod 99 - Daniel Suarez Truck Series Entry List 1 - Hailie Deegan 02 - Jesse Little 3 - Jordan Anderson 4 - John Hunter Nemechek 5 - Tyler Hill 7 - TBA 9 - Blaine Perkins 12 - Spencer Boyd 13 - Johnny Sauter 15 - Tanner Gray 16 - Tyler Ankrum 17 - Taylor Gray 18 - Chandler Smith 19 - Derek Kraus 20 - Matt Mills 22 - Austin Wayne Self 23 - Grant Enfinger 24 - Jack Wood 25 - Matt Dibenedetto 30 - Tate Fogleman 33 - Mason Maggio 35 - Jake Garcia 38 - Zane Smith 40 - Dean Thompson 42 - Carson Hocevar 43 - Blake Lothian 44 - Kris Wright 45 - Lawless Alan 51 - Corey Heim 52 - Stewart Freisen 56 - Timmy Hill 61 - Chase Purdy 66 - Ty Majeski 88 - Matt Crafton 90 - Justin Carroll 91- Colby Howard 98 - Christian Eckes 99 - Ben Rhodes 146 - TBA 147 - Brennan Poole Track Facts Track Length: 1.967 Miles Race Length: N/A First Xfinity Race: June 4, 2022 – NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Grandstand Seating Capacity: 30,000+ Degree of Banking in Corners: Virtually flat road course (clockwise) Length of Frontstretch: N/A Length of Backstretch: N/A Number of Turns: 12 Xfinity Race - 75 laps / 147.5 miles (1.967 Mile Road Course) Xfinity Entry List 1 - Sam Mayer 02 - Brett Moffitt 2 - Sheldon Creed 4 - Bayley Currey 5 - Scott Heckert 6 - Gray Gaulding 07 - Joe Graf Jr. 7 - Justin Allgaier 8 - Josh Berry 9 - Noah Gragson 10 - Landon Cassill 11 - Daniel Hemric 16 - AJ Allmendinger 18 - Connor Mosack 19 - Brandon Jones 21 - Austin Hill 23 - Anthony Alfredo 26 - Parker Chase 27 - Jeb Burton 31 - Myatt Snider 34 - Jesse Iwuji 35 - Patrick Emerling 36 - Alex Labbe 38 - Darren Dilley 39 - Ryan Sieg 44 - Andy Lally 45 - Stefan Parsons 47 - Ryan Vargas 48 - Jade Bufford 51 - Jeremy Clements 54 - Ty Gibbs 66 - JJ Yeley 68 - Brandon Brown 91 - Mason Fillippi 98 - Riley Herbst 108 - Spencer Pumpelly 113 - TBA 178 - Josh Williams

(Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) By Matt Marr Memorial Day weekend - aka "The Greatest Day in Motorsports" ends each year with the NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch started on the front row bringing the field to the green flag. Kyle Busch spun after making contact with Daniel Suarez on lap 45 battling for the lead. Chase Elliott took the green checkered flag, capturing Stage 1. Elliott was leading Stage 2 with 35 laps to go but the caution came out for Kyle Larson as he slid into the infield off turn 4. The big one struck with less than 10 to go in Stage 2. Ryan Blaney lost control in turn 2 collecting a number of cars behind him. Daniel Suarez held off Ross Chastain and Erik Jones to win Stage 2. Caution number 13 was brought out by Noah Gragson with 46 laps remaining in Stage 3. He was running in the top 10 before spinning off of turn 4. Ross Chastain collected the Stage 3 win. A red flag was brought out after caution number 16 with 55 laps to go, as Chris Buescher wrecked and flipped several times in the infield grass. It took two overtimes and an extra 19.5 miles over the scheduled distance, but Denny Hamlin held off a hard charging Kyle Busch to win his first Coca-Cola 600. Coca-Cola 600 top 5: 1. Denny Hamlin 2. Kyle Busch 3. Kevin Harvick 4. Chase Briscoe 5. Christopher Bell

Part 2 Part #1

By Adam Carabine

By Adam Carabine Welcome to the 2nd annual Playoff Forecast project. Projections are calculated by simulating the 2022 Cup Series schedule 125,000 times, using a top-secret predictive formula that is based on 3 important factors: Driver History @ Each Track, Driver Recent Overall History, and Team Performance. How to read it: The numbers in brackets show that driver’s position last week. The percentages in each column refer to the probability of that driver making it to that round. We have also simulated the week's Cup Series race. Check back each week to see who's favoured to win. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @StatChatRefresh Or you can email directly: acarabine@racingrefresh.com Get all your StatChat Merch from the Racing Refresh online store!

Press Release : Indycar Shell, Pennzoil To Build on Long-Standing Relationship with NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Team Penske Multiyear Extension To Include New, Official Fuel Designation for NTT INDYCAR SERIES INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, May 26, 2022) – Equilon Enterprises LLC (d/b/a Shell Oil Products US) and Pennzoil-Quaker State Company announced today a multiyear extension and expansion of their sponsorship agreement with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) and Team Penske. Building on a longtime business relationship and technical alliance that began in motorsports and has extended well beyond the track, the agreement will feature exciting new opportunities between industry-leading organizations, beginning in 2023. The agreement includes engagement across all Penske Entertainment and Team Penske platforms: Beginning in 2023, Shell will become the Official Fuel of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and IMS. Additional details regarding the Official Fuel designation for INDYCAR will be announced soon. Shell-Pennzoil will continue its sponsorship of Team Penske’s winning INDYCAR and NASCAR programs. Shell and Pennzoil also will be primary sponsors for two of Team Penske’s entries in the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. Two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Josef Newgarden will race the No. 2 Shell V-Power Chevrolet, and Scott McLaughlin will compete in the No. 3 Pennzoil Chevrolet at IMS. Pennzoil will extend its sponsorship as the Official Motor Oil and Lubricant Supplier of the IMS, INDYCAR and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Pennzoil will continue to sponsor the Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard NASCAR Xfinity Series race in July at IMS. Shell and Pennzoil will continue to serve as the preferred fuel and lubricant supplier for Penske Transportation Solutions and Penske Automotive Group. “We are proud of the global business relationship with Shell and Pennzoil that extends across our Penske companies,” Roger Penske said. “Over the years, we have experienced great success together on the track, and the relationship has evolved to include our transportation business operations all over the world. Our teams are also working with Shell and Pennzoil on product development and multiple sustainability initiatives to help keep us focused on the future.” “For more than 100 years, Shell has been forging long-lasting relationships that extend beyond the brand and products the company produces,” said Steve Reindl, president, Shell Lubricants Americas. “Our relationship with Penske continues to evolve, both commercially and in motorsport, giving Shell and Penske a vast platform to pursue our respective sustainability and decarbonization goals.” Shell-Pennzoil and Team Penske reunited in 2011, building on a racing legacy that was established in the 1980s. Pennzoil first aligned with Team Penske as a sponsor of its INDYCAR SERIES program in 1983 and won two Indianapolis 500 races (1984, 1988) with driver Rick Mears. Pennzoil became the Official Motor Oil and Lubricant Sponsor of INDYCAR and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2021 and has continued to expand the relationship, including today’s announcement of Shell becoming the Official Fuel of INDYCAR and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES beginning in 2023. “This new and significant step forward in our relationship with both the Shell and Pennzoil brands is tremendous news for our entire series, our storied venue and our legion of racing fans across the globe,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President & CEO Mark Miles said. “Shell will be a terrific fuel sponsor for INDYCAR, helping us maintain our world-class standards on track while always keeping an eye on the future. When it comes to our historic and exciting Brickyard Weekend, we know the team at Pennzoil will continue to invest in its growth and success here in Central Indiana and beyond.” About Shell Shell Oil Company is an affiliate of Shell plc, a global group of energy and petrochemical companies with operations in more than 70 countries. In the U.S., Shell operates in 50 states and employs more than 14,000 people working to help tackle the challenges of the new energy future. For more information visit www.shell.com Shell’s motorsports technical alliances around the world provide a testing ground for fuel and lubricant technologies and products in demanding road conditions. Shell and Pennzoil gain knowledge through these alliances to help address the mobility energy challenge with efficient solutions that power and protect motorists around the globe. About Pennzoil At Pennzoil we are passionate about driving the future and are relentlessly innovating to help transform the motor oil category. Pennzoil is the first synthetic motor oil made from natural gas. Base oil made from natural gas is 99.5% free from engine clogging impurities, making it purer than crude. Pennzoil Synthetic motor oil gives you unbeatable engine protection[1]. Pennzoil Platinum extends the life of your engine and protects for up to 15 years or 500,000 miles guaranteed[2]. When you choose Pennzoil synthetic 0W Carbon Neutral[3] motor oils, you can now make a difference and reduce your emissions[4] too. The Proof is in the Pennzoil. For more information about the full line of Pennzoil lubricating products, motor oils and filters, please visit www.pennzoil.com. About INDYCAR INDYCAR is the Indianapolis-based governing body for North America's premier open-wheel auto racing series, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and its developmental series, Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES features an international field of the world's most versatile drivers – including reigning series champion Alex Palou, six-time series champion Scott Dixon, two-time series champion Josef Newgarden and four-time and defending Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves – who compete on superspeedways, short ovals, street circuits and permanent road courses. The 2022 season consists of 17 races in the United States and Canada and is highlighted by the historic Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Indy Lights, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions are owned by Penske Entertainment Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Penske Corporation, a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader. For more information on INDYCAR and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, please visit www.indycar.com. For more information on Indy Lights, please visit www.indylights.com. About Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the world's largest spectator sporting facility, has been the worldwide leader in motorsports entertainment since opening in 1909. IMS will host the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 29, 2022, the world's most prestigious auto race. In 2022, IMS also hosts two NTT INDYCAR SERIES road races, on May 14 and July 30, and NASCAR Xfinity Series and Cup Series road races during Brickyard Weekend on July 30-31. The Racing Capital of the World also includes USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship and Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli/GT Challenge World Challenge America events. IMS, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and IMS Productions are owned by Penske Entertainment Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Penske Corporation, a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader. To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit ims.com.

For decades, Memorial Day weekend's main showcase in the sports world is the annual running of the Indianapolis 500. Thirty-three of the world's best drivers will be put in the ultimate test of man and machine in order to achieve racing immortality. Legends of motorsports have won this race. A Seven-Time NASCAR Cup Series champion attempts to defy the odds. A four-time winner attempts to achieve something no one has ever done, and seven rookies will be battling it out for a chance to defy everything in order to drink cold milk at the end of 500 miles. Weather will be no issue on race day as forecasts call for a clear and warm spring day with highs in the mid 80s with a one percent chance of rain. - The National Anthem will be conducted by Actor/Singer Jordan Fisher. -"Back Home Again in Indiana" will be conducted by Jim Cornelison. - Indianapolis Motor Speedway and NTT IndyCar Series Owner Roger Penske will give the starting command. - Former IndyCar Driver Sarah Fisher will drive the pace car. - Miles Teller of "Top Gun: Maverick" will be the honorary starter. 16 of the cars will be powered by Chevrolet. (Juncos Hollinger, Ed Carpenter Racing, DragonSpeed, Dreyer-Reinbold, A.J. Foyt Enterprises, Team Penske, Arrow McLaren SP) 17 cars will be powered by Honda (Chip Ganassi Racing, Meyer-Shank Racing, Rahal-Letterman Lanigan, Dale Conye Racing with HMD, Andretti Autosport) Starting Lineup for the 106th Running of The Indianapolis 500. Row 1: The fastest front row in Indianapolis 500 history is led by Scott Dixon who had the fastest ever car to take a qualifying time in race history. Dixon is a former Indy 500 champion and is the odds-on favorite to win the 500. There have been twenty winners coming from pole position in the history of the 500. Starting second is the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series Champion Alex Palou. Picking up where he left off by finishing second in the 2021 Indianapolis 500, Palou has shown speed all through the Month of May as he and all of his Chip Ganassi Racing teammates have been near the top of the speed charts throughout the multiple practice sessions. Rounding out Row One by starting third is Ed Carpenter Racing driver Rinus Veekay. In an earlier practice session, Veekay laid the fastest lap in 26 years at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a lap just over 234.7 miles per hour. Row Two: Sitting on the inside of Row Two is fan favorite at the Brickyard, Ed Carpenter. Carpenter in 2022 is making his 18th start in the 500 and his 10th as the only owner/driver in the field. In 2018, he had his best finish in the 500 with a second-place finish. Starting fifth is Chip Ganassi Racing driver and former Formula One racing driver Marcus Ericsson. Making his fourth Indy 500 start and third start for CGR. The Swedish driver has two wins in the IndyCar Series that both came in 2021 at Nashville and Belle Isle. Ericsson's best finish in the 500 came last year with an eleventh-place finish. 2013 Indianapolis 500 Champion Tony Kanaan is making his one and only start in the 2022 Indianapolis 500 as the fifth entry in the Chip Ganassi Racing stable and would hear loud cheers coming from the 300,000 fans in attendance if he took his car to victory lane. Row Three: Row Three is shared by two of the three Arrow McLaren SP entries with Pato O'Ward starting seventh and Felix Rosenqvist starting eighth. Both drivers in all practice sessions have been towards the top of speeds with the aid of a draft and seem to have the most stable cars in traffic that I have seen so far. Each have strong cars and have to potential to have a strong run in the 500. Starting on the outside of Row Three in the ninth position is the highest qualifying rookie in the field is former Formula One driver Romain Grosjean. Grosjean is the highest qualifying Andretti Autosport driver in the field and is making his third ever oval start in his IndyCar career. Grosjean is IndyCar's most popular driver and has an average finish of 27th in two starts on ovals. Row Four: Row Four is Champions row as it is led by two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Takuma Sato. Winning the race in 2017 and 2020, Sato is certainly an odds-on betting favorite as he will certainly be advancing through the field. Being probably one of the most aggressive drivers in the field. Look for him to make aggressive moves in order to march to the front. Starting eleventh is 2014 NTT IndyCar Series Champion and the 2018 Indianapolis 500 Champion, Will Power. The fastest Team Penske driver in the field certainly has not had races go his way in the past but he will keep his nose out of trouble and be there towards the end. Rounding out Row Four in the twelfth position is 2022 Indianapolis 500 rookie and 7x NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson. Johnson is the odds-on fan favorite to win the 500 this year as it would send shockwaves through the motorsports land scape if he did. Johnson has proved he has had speed all month long being in the top three of the board for most practice sessions. In his first IndyCar oval start at Texas earlier this year he had a very impressive sixth place finish. In NASCAR, Johnson has finished inside the top three seven times and has four victories in the Brickyard 400. Row Five: Inside row five is Indy 500 rookie David Malukas. Driving for Dale Coyne Racing, the IndyCar rookie lit up Indy Lights in 2021 by winning seven times and finishing inside the podium in 16 of the 20-race season. Malukas is no stranger to the famed oval as he finished eleventh in the 2019 Freedom 100 and had the same result in his first oval start at Texas earlier this year. Starting fourteenth is two-time IndyCar Series Champion and Team Penske driver Joesf Newgarden. Newgarden has not found as much success at the Brickyard as much as the other ovals in the series. With an average finish in the 500 with a 14.3 and his best finish was in 2016 as he rounded out the podium. It wouldn't be a surprise that he won, but he certainly won't be most people's first choice. He was also the winner at this year's Texas race with a dramatic last lap pass coming to the line. In the Dreyer-Reinbold Racing office, it is Indianapolis 500 or bust as the team is fielding two cars in its one and only IndyCar Series start this year. Piloting the first entry for the team is Santino Ferrucci. In his fourth ever start in the 500 and never finishing outside the top seven in any of his starts, look for Ferrucci to be one of the contenders in the late stages in the race. Row Six: The highest qualifying Meyer-Shank Racing driver belongs to the 2016 IndyCar Series Champion and 2019 Indianapolis 500 winner Simon Pagenaud. Last year, he finished third in his final 500 start with the powerhouse Team Penske. Now moving to the hometown team of Racing Refresh. Studio 1396 will be cheering on this champion to go two spots higher this year. Most people remember JR Hilderbrand for going too high in turn four during the 2011 Indianapolis 500 and having one of the most shocking moments in 500 history. Yet the driver who decided to for-go instruction at MIT to pursue his racing dreams is making his 13th start in the 500 and his second with A.J. Foyt Enterprises. Starting in 18th position is another Indiana native in Conor Daly. Daly led for 40 laps in the 2021 Indianapolis 500 and was unable to recover after making impact with the loose tire of Graham Rahal on lap 118. His best finish in the 500 was 10th in the 2019 Indianapolis 500. Row Seven: Callum Ilott is currently in his first full-time season in IndyCar and will be another rookie to make his first 500. A graduate of the Ferrari Driver Academy and was used as a reserve driver for Alfa Romeo during the 2022 Miami Grand Prix, Ilott is coming off his best finish for the upstart Juncos Hollinger Racing team with and 8th place finish at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis earlier this month. In his first ever oval start this year at Texas, he finished in 16th place 2016 Indianapolis 500 Champion Alexander Rossi is making what many are his final Indianapolis 500 with Andretti Autosport due to poor finishes in the past couple of years. Averaging a 28th place finish in his past two start at the 500 due to some poor luck, no other driver is looking to rebound as much as him.....except the driver who starts to the outside of row seven. Rounding out row seven is Graham Rahal. No other driver had a more heartbreaking end to their 500 hopes last year as he lost a tire coming out of the pits in turn two on lap 118. Rahal always seems to be a contender at the 500 and if he could put a solid day together, he can very well end up with a win that has eluded him since his rookie year in 2008. Row Eight: Rounding out the two entries for Dreyer-Reinbold Racing is Sage Karam who as of now will be making his only IndyCar start in 2022. Karam finished seventh in last year's Indy 500 as he battled through the field from his 31st starting position. Starting beside him in 23rd is Marco Andretti in his only IndyCar start in 2022 as well. It will be his seventeenth Indy 500 start as his best finish came in his rookie campaign in 2006 with a second-place finish. It has been since the 60s since an Andretti went to victory lane and imagine the roar of the crowd can be heard all the way to Nazareth, Pennsylvania if he takes home an elusive Borg-Werner Trophy. Rookie Devlin Defrancesco is another Indy 500 rookie making the field in 2022. Driving for the famed Andretti Autosport team, Defrancesco has had a disappointing beginning to IndyCar career with a finish no better than 17th at the Grand Prix of Alabama earlier this year. Row Nine: 2022 Grand Prix of Indianapolis winner Colton Herta will make his fourth start in the Indianapolis 500 starting in the 25th position. In his driving history, Herta won the 2018 Freedom 100 in Indy Lights and has his best finish on an oval in the IndyCar Series with a fifth-place finish at the 2021 XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway. In qualifying, Herta blew an engine and will move to the back of the field at the start of the race. Starting in 26th is the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year, Scott McLaughlin. McLaughlin will be making his second Indy 500 start after having one of the most impressive starts on ovals after never driving them before in his career with a 7.2 average finish on ovals with his worst finish coming in the 2021 Indianapolis 500. Rounding out row nine is the Four-Time Indianapolis 500 Champion Helio Castroneves. Last year, "Spider-Man" gave Meyer-Shank Racing the most impressive win the team has ever had across all forms of motorsports it competes in. (along with being on the team earned an overall win in the 2022 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.) Castroneves is using the same chassis that brought him victory in the 500 last year and will be a threat towards the end of 500 miles. If he wins, he will be the only Five-Time winner of the event Row Ten: 2021 Indy Lights Champion Kyle Kirkwood qualified 28th for his first Indianapolis 500. Being the only driver in IndyCar history to win a championship in each stage of the Road to Indy program. Kirkwood has shown flashes of the raw talent that he brings to the series but has not had the results to show for it as his best finish this year was a tenth place run at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. Dalton Kellett had the biggest incident during the Month of May as he crashed hard into Turn One on Monday's open practice session. In his two previous starts in the 500 he went from a 31st finishing position to a 23rd finishing position in his two starts. In his one and only start in the 2022 IndyCar Series season in the third and final entry for Arrow McLaren SP is two-time Indianapolis 500 Champion and 1999 IndyCar Series Champion Juan Pablo Montoya. Row Eleven: Rahal-Letterman Lannigan teammates Christian Lundgaard and Jack Harvey start 30th and 31st respectively. For Lundgaard, he will be making his first Indy 500 start in only his second ever oval start. His best finish in the series came at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis earlier this month with a ninth-place finish. As for Harvey, who was the 2014-2015 Indy Lights championship runner-up is making his sixth start in the 500. Rounding out the thirty-three-car field in Stefan Wilson. Wilson made a late entry to the 500 as Team DragonSpeed got a deal together when the month started. Wilson will be making his fourth Indy 500 start as he took no-time in qualifying due to engine issues. You can catch the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on your local NBC affiliate. Coverage begins at 11:00 A.M. on NBC and Peacock. If you can't watch, tune to Sirius-XM IndyCar Radio. On Racing Refresh, join us all day in our 24-hour broadcast of the greatest day in motorsport. 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