The top sports betting IndyCar racing teams in the world have converged on Indianapolis this week in anticipation of the upcoming Indianapolis 500, as the field was established for the 94th installment of the epic race. The 500-mile race is scheduled for May 30th, but there has been significant build up to the event since practice runs opened at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this past Saturday, with last year’s winner Helio Castroneves the first to make his way on to the track just weeks before the World Cup betting.
Castroneves drove his Team Penske car to a 226.603 mile per hour finish in his opening practice run, setting the pace for the day with the best time, a feat that he would repeat on Sunday driving to a 227.046 time. The 35-year old opened in the inside position in the front row a year ago and was able to convert it in to a trip to victory lane. A three-time Indy 500 winner, Castroneves can put himself in excellent position to win in consecutive years for the second time in his career, and be just the fourth racer to become a four-time champion at Indianapolis, if he can finish the time trial week strong.
The Brazilian soccer betting fan will need to out-wheel one of the most competitive projected classes in the history of the race in order to win, with five different teams represented in the top five in the speed chart as of Wednesday. The top 21 drivers were separated by just .5755 of a second, and after the 2009 Indy 500 was the closest finishing field of all-time, this year may be the quickest turnover between the record ever.
A big part of that competition will be from five female racers, who will look to establish the largest starting field of female racers in the history of the Indy 500. Rookies Brazilian Ana Beatriz and Switzerland’s Simona De Silvestro, Milka Duno, the first female to secure the pole position at an Indy Car Sarah Fisher, and the first female to ever win an Indy Car race, Danica Patrick. Never before have women played such a prominent role in race-car driving, and with the influx of new talent and the level of competition at which they are able to drive, this race could make its mark in history for its diversity.
Scott Dixon has followed up his outstanding performance at the IZOD IndyCar Series at Kansas with excellent lap times in the opening Indy 500 betting practice sessions. Dixon finished ninth a year ago, despite leading for 73 laps. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver finished with a top time trial run of 226.549 MPH during Tuesday’s run. Will Power finished twelfth at Kansas, the first time this season that he has failed to either finish first or clinch the pole position in any of the first five races. The number-12 car will need a much better performance to have any chance of clinching a victory at Indianapolis, especially after another top performer, Dario Franchitti, captured the third spot pole position at Kansas, and ended up placing second in an excellent lead up to this weekend’s race.
