Indianapolis 500 preview: Favorite, underdog, top storylines

On Sunday, the stars of the NTT IndyCar Series will tackle the famed 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500, with coverage scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. ET on Fox, and the green flag is set for just after 12:30 p.m. ET.

Here is everything you need to know as drivers prepare for the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing."

Favorite: Alex Palou (+260, per DraftKings)

One year removed from his first win in the Indianapolis 500, Palou returns to familiar territory after claiming the pole position for Sunday's race.

The four-time series champion has three wins already this season and has been sporty throughout the two weeks of practice and qualifying for the prestigious race. Past winners like Josef Newgarden, who was quickest in Friday's final practice, as well as Scott Dixon, Takuma Sato and Helio Castroneves, are just some of the veterans who could be standing in Palou's way.

Make no mistake, though, the Spaniard is the clear favorite.

Underdog: Kyle Kirkwood (+3000, per DraftKings)

The Andretti Global driver qualified a disappointing 25th for the race, but don't let that starting spot fool you. The Jupiter, Florida, native won the inaugural Grand Prix of Arlington and is the only driver in the series with a top-10 finish in every race this season.

As a result, he only trails Palou by 27 points in the standings and has positioned himself well for a title run if he can have a solid race on Sunday. Kirkwood only has a best finish of seventh there in four starts, but he was seventh in final practice and seemed really confident in the handling of his No. 27 Honda.

Alexander Rossi cleared to race after violent practice crash

One day after qualifying a career-best second for the Indianapolis 500, Rossi was involved in a violent multi-car crash in Monday's practice session and was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.

Since then, Rossi has undergone successful outpatient procedures on a finger on his left hand and his right ankle. On Friday, he announced that he was cleared to race on Sunday, even radioing to his team, "Amazing job, guys. Thing feels great. Thank you," when referring to the handling of his backup car.

Katherine Legge set for historic 'Double' attempt

Legge will roll off 26th as she gets set to become the sixth driver ever and the first female to attempt all 1,100 miles between both races at Indianapolis and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600, a task referred to as "The Double."

Of the five drivers to attempt it before - John Andretti (1994), Robby Gordon (1997, 2000, 2002-04), Tony Stewart (1999, 2001), Kurt Busch (2014) and Kyle Larson (2024-25) - only Stewart completed every lap in 2001, proving how much of a challenge it is for drivers to successfully complete both races.

Scott McLaughlin looking to put 2025 heartbreak behind him

"By far the worst moment of my life."

That is how McLaughlin described his bizarre crash during pace laps of the 2025 Indianapolis 500, per Nick Bromberg of Yahoo Sports. As McLaughlin warmed up his tires, he lost control of his car on a cold track and sustained race-ending damage with the inside wall before the green flag even waved.

The famed speedway has not been kind to McLaughlin, with only one top 10 and three finishes of 20th or worse in five starts. However, he will roll off ninth, eager to put last season behind him and redeem himself with the ultimate glory.