The final list of 33 drivers was announced May 15. The three four-time Indy 500 winners A. J. Foyt, Al Unser, Sr., and Rick Mears comprised the front row. The three most recent three-time winners Bobby Unser, Johnny Rutherford, and Hélio Castroneves, made up the second row. Three non-winners, Tony Bettenhausen, Sr., Dan Gurney, and Michael Andretti, were selected, although Gurney and Andretti are former race-winning owners, and both had second-place finishes in their careers. Ray Harroun, winner of the inaugural race was situated in row nine, alongside Tommy Milton, the first-ever two-time winner.