DRIVERS TO WATCH

■ SCOTT DIXON: It’s been an eventful week for Dixon, who starts from the pole for the third time in his career. Hours after earning the right to lead the 33-car field, he was robbed while waiting in a Taco Bell drive-thru. The four-time IndyCar Series champ posted the fastest fourlap qualifying speed of 232.164 mph last Sunday. That was the fastest since Arie Luyendyk’s 236.986 in 1996. Dixon has finished eighth or better in nine of his past 11 Indy 500s. In his starts from the pole, Dixon finished fourth in 2015 and won in 2008. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver has two runner-up finishes (2007, 2012).

■ FERNANDO ALONSO: The two-time Formula One world champion gave up the Monaco Grand Prix to spend his weekend in Indiana. Few rookie appearances have generated as much buzz as Alonso’s Indy 500 effort. The Andretti Autosport driver has impressed in picking up the oval circuit’s nuances. But can he become the 11th F1 driver to win the Indy 500? Alonso starts fifth, in the middle of Row 2, with a qualifying average of 231.300 mph.

■ ALEXANDER ROSSI: The Andretti Autosport driver is out to prove last year’s fuelmileage win was no fluke. Rossi was the 10th rookie to win the 500 (the first since Helio Castroneves in 2000), but history might not be on his side this time. The last back-to-back winner was Castroneves in 2000 and 2001. In all, five drivers have won consecutive Indy 500s (Wilbur Shaw, Mauri Rose, Bill Vukovich, Al Unser and Castroneves). Rossi starts on the outside of Row 1 with a qualifying average of 231.487 mph.

■ MARCO ANDRETTI: What’s an Indianapolis 500 without an Andretti? The family has 72 starts among five members, including 12 from Marco, and one win to show for it with Mario’s victory in 1969. Marco finished 13th last year to break a streak of four straight top-six finishes. His best – and most heartbreaking – finish was second as a rookie in 2006 when Sam Hornish Jr. passed Andretti at the line and beat him by 0.064 of a second. Andretti starts in the middle of Row 3 with a 230.474 qualifying average.

■ HELIO CASTRONEVES: The three-time winner had his worst qualifying effort in 17 tries and is 19th on the grid. It’s just the fourth time he’s started outside the top 10. Still, Castroneves has the experience to maneuver his Team Penske car to the front and join A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser as the only fourtime winners. Until this year, his worst starting position was 16th in 2001. He finished 17th.