It's been six years since an American driver grabbed the checkered flag at the Indianapolis 500 and this year's crop of speedsters are hoping to end the drought on Sunday.
Since 2006, not a single driver from American soil has managed to win the title, and with just nine racers in the 33-car contest, it won't be easy.
American's strongest hopes lie on Ryan Hunter-Reay, who will be starting on the front row, Marco Andretti, Graham Rahal and Ed Carpenter.
""The American talent vying for the win here is as tough as all the other threats combined," Ryan Hunter-Reay, an IndyCar veteran, told USA TODAY Sports. "It's the best chance Americans have had to win this race in a long time.
"All the American drivers want to be the American hero. We all grew up watching the great American drivers of another era -Michael Andretti, Bobby Rahal, Al Unser Jr. We grew up idolizing them. We wanted to be them, and now we have that opportunity."
From 1967 to 1988, Americans won every Indy 500. But as the sport continued to grow, American interest declined. Many of the top drivers like Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman and Danica Patrick have moved to the more profitable NASCAR.
A win on Sunday would not only end the American drought, but perhaps bring an American audience back to the sport.
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