Hey race fans, it’s that time of year again. The 2022 Indy 500 is approaching and it’s time to look at all of the storylines surrounding this year’s event. This includes TV coverage, a surprising newcomer, and the celebrity pace car driver. Of course analysis won’t be complete without talking about past winners. So we’ll have that too. Without further ado, let’s take a close look at everything involved.
- Celebrity pace car driver
- Sarah Fisher
- Sarah Fisher is a retired American auto-racer. She competed in the IndyCar Racing League from 1999 to 2010. She is currently 41 years-old
- She qualified for the Indy 500 9 times, but she never came close to winning the prestigious race.
- In 11 seasons racing in the IndyCar Circuit, Fisher competed in 81 races with 2 podiums and 7 top ten finishes. She qualified in the pole position once.
- Surprising newcomer
- Jimmie Johnson
- In the 2021 offseason, NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson declared that he would race in the IndyCar Circuit for the 2022 season.
- Johnson is a 7-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion. He also won two Daytona 500 races, 4 victories at the BrickYard 400, and 4 victories at the Coca-Cola 600.
- IndyCar racing is a lot different from NASCAR, which is why it’s such a pleasant surprise to see Jimmie Johnson qualify for the Indy 500 in his first season racing in the IndyCar Racing League.
- Past winners
- Helio Castroneves
- Helio Castroneves is the 2021 Indy 500 winner. He has won the race 4 times. That is tied with A.J. Hoyt, Rick Mears, and Al Unser.
- If Castroneves wins, it would be his 5th Indy 500 victory and he would be the winningest driver at the Indy 500 race track.
- Dario Franchitti
- Franchitti won the Indy 500 in 2007, 2010, and 2012.
- He also won the IndyCar Series Championship in 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011.
- Mario Andretti
- The Andretti family is one of the more recognizable names in racing.
- Mario Andretti won the Indy 500 in 1969.
- Scott Dixon
- Scott Dixon won the Indy 500 in 2008.
- Dixon has qualified in the pole position at the Indy 500 five times. This includes qualifying for the 2022 pole position.
- TV and broadcast crew
- Fubo TV and Peacock
- Race fans can catch this year’s Indy 500 on Fubo TV, which is also offering a free trial to view the race.
- Fans can also view the race with a Peacock Streaming subscription
- NBC Sports App and NBCSports.com
- Fans who don’t want to sign up for a Fubo TV or Peacock subscription can view the event by downloading the NBC Sports App or going to NBCSports.com
- NBC has announced that Mike Tirico and Danica Patrick will once again cover the Indy 500 for the network.
- Mike Tirico did NBC’s primetime coverage of the Winter Olympics earlier this year.
- Danica Patrick is an IndyCar Champion having won the 2008 Indy Japan 300.
- She also had a top-five finish at the 2005 Indy 500. This allowed her to become the highest placing woman in Indy 500 history.
The 2022 Indy 500 will take place on Sunday May 29th. The pre-race coverage will begin at 11:00 am eastern time zone/8:00 am pacific time zone. The race will begin at 12:45 pm eastern time zone/9:45 am pacific time zone. It is the 106th edition of the race.
