Indianapolis 500: Where Field of 33 Stands After Arrow McLaren Signs Tony Kanaan


Tony Kanaan is the latest driver to secure his seat for the Indianapolis 500, which is filling up fast.
The 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 is still more than six months away, but the majority of the field is already set. Typically, the field of 33 drivers isn’t unveiled until January or February, but with limited engines available for next year, the available seats are drying up quickly.
Earlier this week, Arrow McLaren SP announced that veteran Tony Kanaan will be driving a fourth car for them in next year’s race. The 2013 Indy 500 winner joins their three full-time drivers Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist, and2016 winner Alexander Rossi.
How dangerous can this lineup be? All four of those drivers finished inside the top-five in this year’s race.
Several teams have already finalized their lineups for 2023. Team Penske will return with just their three full-time drivers, and Ed Carpenter Racing will have their same three as well.
Chip Ganassi Racing was the dominant team in this year's race, with Marcus Ericsson taking the victory, although all of their cars were capable of winning. Ericsson and series champions Scott Dixon and Alex Palou return, and their fourth car will have a two-time Indy 500 winner in Takuma Sato. Running a fifth car remains a possibillity. Jimmie Johnson would like to come back, but his return to NASCAR next year may complicate those plans.
RLL Racing will have their same three drivers, but will also be adding a fourth entry in the race next year. Team Owner Bobby Rahal has stated that funding has already been secured for that car, which means they will be able to pick the driver they want. Ryan Hunter-Reay and Johnson are two names to watch there.
Andretti Autosport will have five cars once again, with Marco Andretti set to make his 20th Indy 500 start. The team's four full-time drivers are headlined by Colton Herta, who is the only one to have won an IndyCar race. Kyle Kirkwood comes over to replace Rossi in the No. 27 car after an up-and-down rookie season this past year.
2023 Indianapolis 500 Projected Lineup | |||
Team | Engine | No. | Driver |
AJ Foyt Racing | Chevrolet | 14 | Santino Ferrucci |
AJ Foyt Racing | Chevrolet | 55 | Benjamin Pedersen |
Andretti Autosport | Honda | 26 | Colton Herta |
Andretti Autosport | Honda | 27 | Kyle Kirkwood |
Andretti Autosport | Honda | 28 | Romain Grosjean |
Andretti Autosport | Honda | 29 | Devlin DeFrancesco |
Andretti Autosport | Honda | 98 | Marco Andretti |
Arrow McLaren SP | Chevrolet | 5 | Pato O'Ward |
Arrow McLaren SP | Chevrolet | 6 | Felix Rosenqvist |
Arrow McLaren SP | Chevrolet | 7 | Alexander Rossi |
Arrow McLaren SP | Chevrolet | 66 | Tony Kanaan |
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 8 | Marcus Ericsson |
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 9 | Scott Dixon |
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 10 | Alex Palou |
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 11 | Takuma Sato |
Dale Coyne Racing | Honda | 18 | David Malukas |
Dale Coyne Racing | Honda | 51 | Sting Ray Robb |
Dale Coyne Racing | Honda | ||
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing | Chevrolet | 24 | Stefan Wilson |
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing | Chevrolet | ||
Ed Carpenter Racing | Chevrolet | 20 | Conor Daly |
Ed Carpenter Racing | Chevrolet | 21 | Rinus VeeKay |
Ed Carpenter Racing | Chevrolet | 33 | Ed Carpenter |
Juncos Hollinger Racing | Chevrolet | 77 | Callum Ilott |
Juncos Hollinger Racing | Chevrolet | 78 | Agustin Canapino |
Meyer Shank Racing | Honda | 60 | Simon Pagenaud |
Meyer Shank Racing | Honda | 06 | Helio Castroneves |
RLL Racing | Honda | 15 | Graham Rahal |
RLL Racing | Honda | 30 | Jack Harvey |
RLL Racing | Honda | 45 | Christian Lundgaard |
RLL Racing | Honda | ||
Team Penske | Chevrolet | 2 | Josef Newgarden |
Team Penske | Chevrolet | 3 | Scott McLaughlin |
Team Penske | Chevrolet | 12 | Will Power |
Meyer Shank Racing returns with their two Indy 500 winners, Simon Pagenaud and four-time winner Helio Castroneves. AJ Foyt will only field their two full-time cars next year, with rookie Benjamin Pedersen and the electric Santino Ferrucci. Dale Coyne Racing will likely field three cars at Indianapolis, possibly with Linus Lundqvist.
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing remains the only Indy-only team for now, but they will likely have two new drivers next year. Sage Karam has driven for them in each of the last six years but will not be returning in 2023. Juncos Hollinger Racing is adding a second car for Agustin Canapino to go along with their primary driver Callum Ilott.
A number of talented drivers are trying to find their way into the field of 33 next year. Hunter-Reay, Johnson, Karam, Simona de Silvestro, JR Hildebrand, and Ed Jones are all actively pursuing available rides. Others like Kyle Busch and Nicholas Latifi, and are less likely, but remain a slim possibility.