Good morning from IMS. I love the 5 am hour inside the Speedway- the stillness, the pent up energy waiting to burst forth at 6 am when the gates open, the silent front stretch where things will be very hectic in the next couple of hours, and most of all the ghosts of drivers past.

The latest from @Indycar_Wxman:

My weather app calls for the best chance of rain between 9 and 10 am. The rest of the day should be fine.

The 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 has many compelling storylines. How will Robert Shwartzman, the rookie polesitter, handle the start? Will we see a repeat winner? A fifth win for Helio Castroneves or three in a row for Josef Newgarden? I think the best chances for a repeat winner lie with either Takuma Sato or Scott Dixon.

Can Alex Palou continue his IndyCar victory juggernaut? Palou is still seeking his first win on oval, but I don’t think today is the day he gets it.

Will the hybrid be a factor? Will it be the difference in a last lap duel?

Five drivers-Scott McLaughlin, Colton Herta, Takuma Sato, Marcus Armstrong, and Ryan Hunter-Reay- are driving either rebuilt or back up cars. Hunter-Reay changed chassis after Friday’s fire during Carb Day.

Today’s race will come down to pit strategy and being in position to win on the final stint.

In the end, I’m sticking with my pick of Pato O’Ward. Let’s have a good, clean, safe race.

Here are some pics from this morning on pit lane.