Ahead of the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 this weekend, a scandal has rocked the race involving the defending champion. Josef Newgarden, who has won each of the last two Indy 500s, is one of two Team Penske drivers who were penalized after failing inspection in qualifying over the weekend.

Schwartzman will be flanked on the front row by two-time Indy 500 champion Takuma Sato and last year's runner-up Pato O'Ward. Sato is one of three former champions who will start in the first three rows, with 2008 winner Scott Dixon in fourth and 2022 champion Marcus Ericsson in ninth.

This year marks the first time that the grandstands have been sold out for the Indy 500 since 2016, with organizers expecting about 350,000 fans in attendance. A local television blackout in the Indianapolis area has also been lifted for the event known as the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

The Indianapolis 500 is sold out for the first time in nearly a decade. That means about 350,000 fans, or about 1 for every 1,000 people living in the U.S., will be at the historic racetrack for the 109th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Sunday.