2012 Indianapolis 500 Predictions
Written by Steve Janus - Google +
Racing fans around the world are gearing up for the 96th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race is scheduled for Sunday, May 25th over Memorial Day Weekend. Similar to the Daytona 500 on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the Indianapolis 500 is the biggest race of the season on the IndyCar Series. The history of this event is unlike any other and just one win at the Indy 500 can define a drivers career.
At last year’s event, Dan Wheldon held off J.R. Hildebrand and Graham Rahal for his second career victory at the Indianapolis 500. Unfortunately, Wheldon will not have the chance to defend his title, as he past away in a horrific car crash later in the year. Wheldon, who first won back in 2005,would have been one of three active drivers with multiple wins. Dario Franchitti captured his second title in 2010 and Helio Castroneves took home his third checkered flag at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2009.
Winning the Indianapolis 500 not only secures your spot in racing history, you get to “drink the milk” to solidify your victory. The tradition of the winner drinking milk started back in 1933, when Louis Meyer requested a glass of buttermilk after winning his second Indy 500.
While Hildebrand nearly won the 2011 Indianapolis 500 as a rookie driving for Panther Racing, this race is typically won by an experienced driver. It also doesn’t hurt to be a member of the Penske Racing Team. Owner, Roger Penske, has watched one of his cars win 15 times since 1972. No other owner in the history of the Indianapolis 500 has won more than five.
For those of you looking to place a wager on the 2012 Indianapolis 500, here is a quick look at the three drivers I feel have the best shot at making their way to victory lane on Sunday.
Ryan Briscoe
Briscoe is the odds on favorite to win the race this weekend, and I think it’s well deserved. Briscoe will be starting from the pole on Sunday in search of his first win at the Indianapolis 500. Briscoe hasn’t had the best of luck since joining Penske Racing at this event. After back-to-back Top 10 finishes in his first two starts at Indianapolis as a member of Luczo-Dragon Racing, Briscoe’s best finish as a member of Penske is a 15th place showing back in 2009. This driver is too talented to continue to finish outside the Top 10. It’s time for him to make a statement.
Scott Dixon
If you are looking for a driver with some value to bet on this weekend, I think Dixon is the driver to back. The 2008 Indianapolis 500 Champion has been as consistent as they come at this event. Dixon has finished sixth or better in each of his last six starts, including back-to-back 5th place finishes in 2010 and 2011. Dixon led 73 laps at the Indy 500 last year, 22 more than the next closest driver.
Will Power
Power is another prime contender from Penske Racing, and one that I think definitely needs to be considered to win this race. While Power hasn’t been able to win the Indy 500, he has really raced well at this even. In four career starts, he has four Top 15 finishes, including a 5th place finish back in 2009.
| Odds to Win 2012 Indianapolis 500 | |
| Dario Franchitti | +920 |
| Scott Dixon | +1027 |
| Helio Castroneves | +566 |
| Ryan Briscoe | +412 |
| Will Power | +502 |
| Marco Andretti | +925 |
| Tony Kanaan | +1540 |
| Ryan Hunter Reay | +1232 |
| James Hinchcliffe | +823 |
| JR Hildebrand | +4103 |
| Oriol Servia | +8203 |
| Alex Tagliani | +5127 |
| Graham Rahal | +2566 |
| Justin Wilson | +8203 |
| Rubens Barrichello | +4103 |
| Ed Carpenter | +8203 |
| Takuma Sato | +8203 |
| The Field | +1642 |
Got something to say?
