The 108th Indianapolis 500 has the largest class of rookies since 2014. Let’s dive in and learn more about these drivers conquering the brickyard for the first time.
Kyle Larson
The most talked about rookie for the 108th Indianapolis 500 is Kyle Larson. The 2021 Nascar Cup Series champion is looking to do “the double.”
This is doing the Indianapolis 500, hopping on a plane to Charlotte, and doing the Coke 600. The last driver that did this was Kurt Busch back in 2014.
Larson’s pace in the HendrickCars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet has been very impressive. In the Indy 500 Open Test a few weeks back, he finished second in the standings.
Of all the rookies taking part in the 500 this year, Larson is definitely the most viable contender. The 31-year-old’s talent and experience in Nascar and IMSA Sportscar machinery combined with Arrow McLaren’s pace at the speedway means he could be a big player. He will be starting in a very impressive 5th place for the big show.
Kyle Larson is FAST on Fast Friday.
He’s got a racing legend helping him in Tony Kanaan. #Indy500
📺: Peacock pic.twitter.com/sUe7IzDXmU
— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 17, 2024
Marcus Armstrong
Marcus Armstrong is far from a stranger to IndyCar, but this is his first time entering the Indianapolis 500. The young Kiwi exclusively raced on road/street circuits but is looking to conquer the brickyard.
Armstrong has proven his talent in IndyCar in the past, but the speedway is a whole different beast.
While CGR has been on the back foot in terms of pace at the brickyard this year, Armstrong did qualify and will start in 16th position.
Tom Blomqvist
Tom Blomqvist is an accomplished IMSA Sportscar champion who has made the transition to full-time IndyCar. The Briton replaced the injured Simon Pageneud at Meyer Shank Racing last year and earned himself a ride.
While he is a rookie at the brickyard, he has the talent and experience to put on a good showing. Blomqvist and his Meyer Shank Racing Honda qualified 25th.
Linus Lundqvist
Like Blomqvist and Armstrong, Linus Lundqvist is not a rookie in IndyCar. The Swede did a handful of races for Meyer Shank Racing last year before getting a full-time ride with Chip Ganassi Racing.
The Swede put his Chip Ganassi Racing Honda machine in 27th place for the big race.
Christian Rasmussen
Christian Rasmussen is Ed Carpenter Racing’s rookie for the 108th Indianapolis 500. The 23-year-old from Denmark won the 2023 Indy NXT championship and is currently contracted to run road and street courses with ECR.
He will be starting the 108th Indy 500 in 24th place, just ahead of Tom Blomwvist.
Kyffin Simpson
Simpson, is one of the youngest rookies at just 19 years old. The Chip Ganassi Racing man is a former Indy NXT driver in addition to competing in the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship.
Simpson is starting the race in 18th position.
Nolan Siegel
Nolan Siegel jumped from Indy NXT to IndyCar for 2024 for a part-time schedule with Dale Coyne Racing.
Things haven’t gone as smoothly as he hoped for his rookie debut for the Indianapolis 500. During Fast Friday, he had a big crash and had to get his spare car.
Using the spare car means there’s a whole new mountain to climb. This is because of the work setting up the car from the week of practice is thrown out the window.
Unfortunately, this young man’s dream of qualifying for the 108th Indianapolis 500 did not come true. In an effort to respond to Marcus Ericsson’s run, he crashed his DCR Honda during Last Chance Qualifying.
