2024 Indy 500 Entry List: The Quest to NOT Be This Year's Graham Rahal

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• IndyCar veteran Graham Rahal was the one driver bumped from last year's Indianapolis 500 field in qualifying.

• Last year, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing teammate Jack Harvey topped Rahal's qualifying time on the final run of last chance qualifying on Bump Day.

• Rahal eventually got into the race as a replacement for injured driver Stefan Wilson, who was hurt in a crash the Monday of race week.

Practice and qualifying for the 108th Indianapolis 500 is this week, and you can expect to hear Graham Rahal's name and likeness make its way to the TV coverage a few times.

No, the popular IndyCar veteran Rahal is not necessarily a favorite for the pole or to win this year's race. After all, Rahal hasn't won an IndyCar race since 2017 when he swept a two-race doubleheader at Belle Isle in Detroit. He hasn't won on a high-speed oval since Texas in 2016.

Rahal's claim to fame, or at least the reason for at least some of the attention coming his way this week, is the fact that he was the one driver bumped from last year's field in qualifying when Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing teammate Jack Harvey topped Rahal's qualifying time on the final run of last chance qualifying.

Rahal eventually got into the race as a replacement for injured driver Stefan Wilson, who was hurt in a crash the Monday of race week.

It all made for some must-see TV.

This year, qualifying for the 500 is May 18 and 19. The run for the pole and the all-important run for the final three spots in the 33-car field will be May 19. And, just like last year, there are 34 cars entered for 33 spots.

While Bump Day used to be more fun for the fans when a half dozen—or more—drivers battled for the final qualifying spot, there will still be drama for that driver on the bubble going into the final minutes of last chance qualifying.

One driver will be this year's Graham Rahal.

As for this year's entry list, eight former Indy 500 winners lead the way. Those include 2023 first-time winner Josef Newgarden. Other past 500 winners hoping to climb another rung on the ladder of Indianapolis 500 greats are four-time winner Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021), two-time winner Takuma Sato (2017, 2020), along with single-500 winners Scott Dixon (2008), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014), Alexander Rossi (2016), Will Power (2018) and Marcus Ericsson (2022).

Castroneves, at 49 years old, will be making his only scheduled IndyCar race start at the 500. Should he win to become the first five-time winner of the race, Castroneves will have to beat not only 32 other drivers, but Father Time, as well, as IndyCar's Spider-Man tries to become the oldest Indy 500 race winner. Al Unser set that record in 1987 when he won his fourth Indy 500 just five days before turning 48.

Newgarden, in addition to trying to become the first repeat Indy 500 winners since Castroneves pulled off the feat in 2001 and 2002, will be chasing a $440,000 bonus being offered by BorgWarner for a back-to-back win.

There will also be plenty of eyes on past NASCAR champion Kyle Larson, who is attempting the Indy 500/Coca-Cola 600 double. Just five other drivers in history have raced in both races on the same day: John Andretti, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon and Kurt Busch.

Indy 500 rookies on this year's entry list are Larson, Marcus Armstrong, Tom Blomqvist, Linus Lundqvist, Christian Rasmussen, Nolan Siegel and Kyffin Simpson.

2024 Indy 500 Entry Breakdown

Courtesy of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Public Relations

Winners (8): Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Josef Newgarden, Will Power, Alexander Rossi, Takuma Sato

Rookies (7): Marcus Armstrong, Tom Blomqvist, Kyle Larson, Linus Lundqvist, Christian Rasmussen, Nolan Siegel, Kyffin Simpson

U.S. drivers (13): Marco Andretti, Ed Carpenter, Conor Daly, Santino Ferrucci, Colton Herta, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Kyle Kirkwood, Kyle Larson, Josef Newgarden, Graham Rahal, Sting Ray Robb, Alexander Rossi, Nolan Siegel

International drivers (21, from 13 countries): Marcus Armstrong, Tom Blomqvist, Agustín Canapino, Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Pietro Fittipaldi, Romain Grosjean, Callum Ilott, Katherine Legge, Christian Lundgaard, Linus Lundqvist, Scott McLaughlin, Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou, Will Power, Christian Rasmussen, Felix Rosenqvist, Takuma Sato, Kyffin Simpson, Rinus VeeKay

Engines (34): Honda 18, Chevrolet 16 (all cars use Dallara chassis and Firestone tires)