2009 Indy 500 Odds & Predictions

Indy Racing League fans get ready for the 93rd running of the storied Indianapolis 500 at the Brickyard this Sunday. If you’re not making the trip to Indy, you can catch “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” live on ABC. Sportsbook.com has made 2008 IRL Series Champ, and defending Indy 500 champ, Scott Dixon the race day favorite at +350. In this article, we’ll take a look at several drivers I like to run well at the Brickyard, including my prediction on the winner.

Bet the Favorite Scott Dixon at +350 to Win the Indy 500 – Dixon comes into this year’s Indy 500 with lots of momentum, having won the last series race in Kansas. It’s hard to think the race favorite won’t be among the contenders down the stretch as Dixon has not finished worst than sixth place in his last three starts at Indy. What isn’t in Dixon’s favor Sunday is the fact that Indy has not had a repeat winner since Helio Castroneves pulled it off in 2001 and 2002.

Bet Helio Castroneves at +400 to Win the Indy 500 – Some of you might want to throw some money down on two-time Indy 500 champ Helio Castroneves, who will be this year’s pole sitter. Pole sitter’s have done well at Indy in recent history, winning seven of the last 21 races. But keep in mind that Castroneves is 0-2 from the pole in the Indy 500.

Bet Dario Franchitti at +700 to Win the Indy 500 – NASCAR might not be Franchitti’s bag, but the guy has proved to be an Indy racing genius. He brought home the 2007 Indy 500 and history tells us to expect another strong finish. Franchitti has finished no worse than seventh place in his last three Indy starts, and he stands an excellent chance running from the front in the No. 3 position. Franchitti has already taken the checkered flag at Long Beach and this could be win No. 2.

Bet Tony Kanaan at +700 to Win the Indy 500 – Kanaan enters the biggest race of the year as the current points leader and he will have a score to settle with the track after getting knocked out on the 105th lap last year. While some might say Kanaan is due, I say it is going to be hard to pull the trigger when considering his average finish at Indy is 9.83.

Bet Danica Patrick at +1000 to Win the Indy 500 – If you’ve been following racing, you know that Danica Patrick is the real deal. Patrick comes in having finished in the top five in her last two races, but Indy has not treated her as well recently. Was her fourth place finish in 2005 beginners luck? She’s certainly gone down hill at Indy since with eighth place finishes in 2006 and 2007 and a 22nd last year.

Bet Long Shot Dan Wheldon at +1800 to Win the Indy 500 – 2005 Indy 500 Champ Dan Wheldon is showing the best long shot value by my calculations and should be worth a small wager on race day. History alone tells us to give him some strong consideration on Sunday. In six Brickyard starts, Wheldon has a win and three more top five finishes. I know the history behind winners and the pole positions, but Wheldon won the race in 2005 from the 16th position so starting from the 18th spot this year does not rule him out for a second.

Prediction: Helio Castroneves +400 - He is running fast, able to get his car up to 225 mph in qualifying while other drivers struggled to reach 224 mph. I think Castro breaks through as the pole sitter.

Odds to Win the 2009 Indy 500 – Dan Wheldon +1800, Danica Patrick +1000, Dario Franchitti +700, Ed Carpenter +10000, Graham Rahal +2000, Helio Castroneves +400, Hideki Mutoh +4000, John Andretti +10000, Justin Wilson +10000, Marco Andretti +1200, Paul Tracy +2500, Robert Doornbos +5000, Ryan Briscoe +600, Ryan Hunter-Reay +10000, Scott Dixon +350, Scott Sharp +6000, Tony Kanaan +700, Vitor Meira +2500, Will Power +3000, Field (Any Other Driver) +700