Idaho driver goes into Indy 500 with strong showing last year, fast practice

He has a new race car, a fresh team and a closer view of the start/finish line when the green flag waves at Sunday’s 109th Indianapolis 500.

Idaho native Sting Ray Robb, a third-year NTT IndyCar driver born in Boise who grew up in Payette, hopes to pick up where he left off during last year’s Indianapolis 500. That’s when he started 23rd in the field of 33, finished 16th and won $228,000 after leading 23 laps, a career first.

“That was the most fun I’ve had in a race car on an oval,“ Robb said afterward. “If not for that yellow (caution), I think we would’ve been fighting for the win.“

Robb, 23, starts this year‘s 500 from the middle of row six (of 11), or 17th, in the No. 77 Dallara-Chevrolet for Junco Hollander Racing. Driving for his third team in as many years, he nonetheless remains confident heading into a world-famous event where officials expect 350,000 fans, the first sellout since 2016.

“I don’t really know what kind of race car I have, but I do know that it’s fast,“ said Robb, who began racing karts at age 5 and ran as high as third, at almost 223 mph, in final practice Friday. “The car has been very, very quick. I’m excited to see what we can do for the race.“