2023 Indianapolis 500 outlook: The kids are alright

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace.

The Indianapolis 500 will be run for the 107th time on May 28, and Mark Glover will be attending his 59^th 500. Here's his take on the race to come:

For someone who has been going to the Indianapolis 500 for as long as I have, I'll admit that it's often hard to accept change.

The iconic names of Foyt, Unser, Mears and more no longer populate the field of cars, and if you examine the starting grid for Sunday's 107th running of the world-famous race, you'll find a lot of young faces ... with names that likely are not known to casual racing fans.

To which I say ... fantastic.

Man, are these kids good!  Fast, seemingly fearless.  Hitting sharp corners at 242 miles per hour looks like a walk in the park to them.  Six inches from the wall at 235 mph?  No sweat.  And these young guns are mixing it up in what is arguably the most competitive era -- front of the field to back -- in Indy 500 history.

It appears that anyone and/or his dog can record a lap at 232 mph or 233 mph, which translates to semi-terrifying dicing in heavy traffic on race day.  Are the young guns scared?  On the contrary.  They appear to be lusting for bullet-like speed and nose-to-tail dogfights.

Is it any wonder that Sunday's 33-car starting field is the fastest in the history of the race -- by far -- with an average qualifying speed of 232.184 mph?

Spaniard Alex Palou will start from the No. 1 post with a record four-lap average pole speed of 234.217 mph. He is typical of the young guns now in the sport.  All of 26, he's already claimed one IndyCar Series title and appears addicted to holding the accelerator flat to the floor on the 2.5-mile Indy oval.

Among the top six starters joining Palou on Sunday are Dutch driver Rinus VeeKay, 22; Swedish pilot Felix Rosenqvist, a comparative senior citizen at 31; 24-year-old American Santino Ferrucci and Mexican driver Pato O'Ward, age 24.  The prospect of these drivers mixing it up at the front, with some serious chargers coming from the middle of the pack on Sunday, is enough to make even the calmest race fan giddy.

So, who wins it?

It's hard to bet against Palou: fast, super-competitive, with the championship-laced Chip Ganassi Racing team behind him.  But I kind of like O'Ward to claim racing's most glittering jewel.  He's been knocking on the door the previous two years.  He knows how to hustle around the Speedway and move through traffic.  If he stays out of trouble, I like his chances.

Then again, I could say that about any of the young guns in the field.

I believe youth will be served on race day, but there are a few veterans in the field who could make big history.

There's six-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon. The 42-year-old New Zealand driver has just one Indy 500 victory ... and seen a handful of them snatched from his grasp over his long career.  He had the race in the palm of his hand last year, when a late-race speeding penalty in the pits crushed his hopes.

There's 48-year-old Brazilian driver Tony Kanaan, an enormous crowd favorite racing in what he says will be his final 500.  Could he write the Hollywood ending on Sunday?  Yes, it could happen.

Although his car has not run at the top of the time charts, 48-year-old Brazilian Helio Castroneves will try once again to win an unprecedented fifth Indianapolis 500.

And there's my dark horse favorite -- Northern California's own Alexander Rossi. The 31-year-old shocked everyone with an unexpected Indy 500 win as a rookie in 2016.  He's come close several times since then and is a master at whipping through traffic at Indy.  Indy win No. 2 could be in the mix.

In sum, obviously, it's a wide-open race this year. Can't wait for the green flag to wave on Sunday.