Indy 500 live stream 2017: How to watch online, radio, and more

Last year, Alexander Rossi became the first rookie to win the Indianapolis 500 since 2001 thanks to a bold and risky fuel strategy. His final lap average speed of less than 180 miles per hour saved enough gas to fend off a thirsty and refueled field en route to a historic victory — even though it meant sputtering to a stop before he could finish his victory lap.

Rossi will attempt to defend his crowd in America’s greatest racing event Sunday afternoon. He’ll have to hold off a new high-profile rookie to do so.

Spanish driver Fernando Alonso will make his first start at the hallowed track in 2017, taking a break from his Formula One schedule to test his mettle on the mostly-American circuit. The two-time F1 champion will skip the Monaco Grand Prix to soak up the sights and sounds of 250,000-plus racing fans in the heart of Indiana. The race will mark his first venture into IndyCar — though Speedway staple Mario Andretti is hopeful it won’t be his last.

The 2008 champion, Scott Dixon, is currently the betting favorite to claim the checkered flag. The New Zealander won pole position after a 232-mph qualifying lap earned him the top spot in the Fast Nine Shootout. He’ll be joined by Indiana favorite Ed Carpenter and Rossi at the head of the 33-car grid. Combined, they’ll be the first drivers to hit the bricks and roar to a start when the green flag waves at approximately 12:17 p.m. Eastern time.

They’ll have quite a field to fend off. Aside from Dixon and Rossi, five other former champions dot the grid, including the ever-dangerous Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, and Juan Pablo Montoya. They’ll be flanked by IndyCar vets like Marco Andretti, Takuma Sato, and Will Power — all of whom would be unsurprising and deserving victors.

Those open-wheel titans will take to what may be a sloppy track. Sunday’s weather report calls for scattered thunderstorms in Indianapolis, which would make a fast track slick and drive fans into the paddock to avoid lightning strikes at a venue choked with metal bleacher seats. It would also complicate pit stops and add a little more chaos into what’s already a hectic race.

Pre-race coverage begins on ABC at 11 a.m., leading up to the event’s official start 77 minutes later. Here are all the details you’ll need to follow along on television, via the internet, or on the radio.

Date: Sunday, May 28

Location: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Time: 11 a.m. (pre-race coverage), 12 p.m. (race coverage)

Green Flag: Approximately 12:17 p.m.

TV: ABC

Online Streaming: WatchESPN

Radio: Your local IMS radio affiliate can be found here

Row 1: Scott Dixon, Ed Carpenter, Alexander Rossi
Row 2: Takuma Sato, Fernando Alonso, JR Hildebrand
Row 3: Tony Kanaan, Marco Andretti, Will Power
Row 4: Ryan Hunter-Reay, Ed Jones, Oriol Servia
Row 5: Mikhail Aleshin, Graham Rahal, Max Chilton
Row 6: Charlie Kimball, James Hinchcliffe, Juan Pablo Montoya
Row 7: Helio Castroneves, Jay Howard, Sage Karam
Row 8: Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud, Carlos Munoz
Row 9: Gabby Chaves, Conor Daly, Jack Harvey
Row 10: Pippa Mann, Simon Pigot, Buddy Lazier
Row 11: Sebastian Saavedra, Zach Veach, James Davison