Looking through the starting grid for the for the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500, Chevrolet powerplants dominated the qualifying effort. The top 10-positions are all Chevy engines. The 2.2-liter Chevrolet IndyCar V6 has made Chevrolet Racing look like a hero so far.
Squeezing massive horsepower from a compact engine is part of the technology that Chevrolet has been working on for several years. The IndyCar engine’s twin turbochargers essentially replace cubic inches when it comes to providing extra muscle, the same way turbocharging helps four-cylinder engines in the Chevrolet Sonic and Cruze provide power comparable to bigger engines.
Starting Grid for the 2013 Indianapolis 500 (Chevy entries are underlined)
Row 1: (1) Ed Carpenter, Dallara/Chevy (2) Carlos Munoz, Dallara/Chevy (3) Marco Andretti, Dallara/Chevy
Row 2: (4) EJ Viso, Dallara/Chevy (5) AJ Allmendinger, Dallara/Chevy (6) Will Power, Dallara/Chevy
Row 3: (7) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara/Chevy (8) Helio Castroneves, Dallara/Chevy (9) James Hinchcliffe, Dallara/Chevy
Row 4: (10) JR Hildebrand, Dallara/Chevy (11) Alex Tagliani, Dallara/Honda (12) Tony Kanaan, Dallara/Chevy
Row 5: (13) Oriol Servia, Dallara/Chevy (14) Justin Wilson, Dallara/Honda (15) Sebastien Bourdais, Dallara/Chevy
Row 6: (16) Scott Dixon, Dallara/Honda (17) Dario Franchitti, Dallara/Honda (18) Takuma Sato, Dallara/Honda
Row 7: (19) Charlie Kimball, Dallara/Honda (20) James Jakes, Dallara/Honda (21) Simon Pagenaud, Dallara/Honda
Row 8: (22) Townsend Bell, Dallara/Chevy (23) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara/Honda (24) Simona De Silvestro, Dallara/Chevy
Row 9: (25) Josef Newgarden, Dallara/Honda (26) Graham Rahal, Dallara/Honda (27) Sebastian Saavedra, Dallara/Chevy
Row 10: (28) Tristan Vautier, Dallara/Honda (29) Ana Beatriz, Dallara/Honda (30) Pippa Mann, Dallara/Honda
Row 11: (31) Conor Daly, Dallara/Honda (32) Buddy Lazier, Dallara/Chevy (33) Katherine Legge, Dallara/Honda
Chances for Chevy-Power in Victory Circle
Ed Carpenter is a monster on oval courses. Starting from the front on an oval track gives him an advantage that the other drivers don’t want to see. Don’t buy into the media hype about Carpenter racing being an underfunded and underdog team. Carpenter is the most talented oval track racer in the field. Combine that talent with starting up front and Chevrolet dependability and Carpenter could be your next Indy winner.
Carlos Munoz is facing what every other Rookie does at the brickyard, great expectations and poor luck. Munoz might be one of the few that can win the great race on his first attempt but don’t forget what happened to JR Hildebrand two years ago. Even with Chevy-power, bad luck can put you in the wall and out of the race.
If he can dodge the Andretti curse, Marco Andretti might put Chevrolet into the winner’s circle. Currently #1 in the power rankings because of his consistent fast speed. Helio Castroneves knows how to win and how to get around the brickyard. Having captured four wins already, the patient and smooth driver may get his fifth Indy win.
Will Power is not the greatest on oval tracks but he’s been consistent enough to take over as Penske’s top driver. Not having had a lot of success at Indy may play into Power’s emotions and cost him a decent finish.
James Hinchcliffe placed 9th on the starting grid, which is close enough to keep him up with the leaders. With two early wins to start the 2013 season, Hinchcliffe could put the Go Daddy car on victory lane this year.
Outside Shots: EJ Viso, AJ Allmendinger and Ryan Hunter-Reay.
We look forward to the 97th running of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. While the outcome is in doubt, we feel pretty strongly that a Chevy-Powered car with bring the driver to the line first.