3 things you need to know about the 2016 Indianapolis 500

With the Greatest Spectacle in Racing set to begin at 12:15 p.m. Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a 33-car field is preparing to win at the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Related: 3 memorable finishes at the Indianapolis 500

Here's what you need to know:

Racing after tragedy

Many Indy fans are simply happy to see James Hinchcliffe driving a car again after a near-fatal crash during practice at last year's Indy 500 caused a suspension rod to puncture his leg, ending his season. Just getting back on the track wasn't enough for the Canadian, though.

Back on the track this season racing for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, Hinchcliffe's finishes have improved in every race, and his hard work peaked earlier this week when he grabbed the pole position for Sunday - the first pole of his IndyCar career.

While a Hinchcliffe win would be incredible, a victory by Stefan Wilson may be even more miraculous. The 26-year-old will make his Indy 500 debut in the No. 25 car, which was formerly driven by his older brother Justin, who was fatally injured in a race last August.

After Justin's organs were used to save five lives, the younger Wilson agreed to a sponsorship agreement with the Indiana Donor Network, which is looking to add 2,500 organ donors by the end of the race. He shared his emotional story in The Players' Tribune on Thursday.

Who can beat Pagenaud?

If there's one driver with the best chance to win the first Indianapolis 500 of his career, it's Simon Pagenaud.

Entering the season with three career victories in five IndyCar campaigns, the Frenchman has already doubled that total, heading to Indianapolis with three consecutive wins, following two second-place finishes to start 2016.

In his second year racing for Team Penske, the 32-year-old has risen to the top of a team that features stars Helio Castroneves, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Will Power. Pagenaud admitted that after a difficult first season in which he finished 11th, he has greatly improved by learning from his teammates.

"Each one of us has strengths and weaknesses," he told the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. "As a driver, if you can look at what are the strengths and weaknesses of this guy and this guy, do I have those strengths? Can I make it better? Can you improve your weaknesses by looking at those guys?"

Pagenaud's best career result at Indy was an eighth-place finish in 2013.

The Americans

Despite the fact that IndyCar is the premier level of open-wheel racing in the United States, you'd never know by looking at the circuit's top drivers.

The current top four in the Driver Standings all hail from outside the United States (Pagenaud, Scott Dixon, Castroneves, Montoya) and the IndyCar series has only been won by two Americans in the past 13 years.

The international success is just as prevalent at the 500, with only three U.S.-born drivers winning at the Brickyard since 1999, but this year's race features several Americans who can make some noise.

Joining Hinchcliffe in the front row are 25-year-old Josef Newgarden and 2014 champion Ryan Hunter-Reay. Also near the front is Townsend Bell, who's starting right behind the pole-sitter in fourth position.

Further back are veterans Graham Rahal and Marco Andretti, who both have multiple top-five finishes at the Brickyard. Meanwhile, J.R. Hildebrand will look to avenge his devastating second-place finish from 2011, which saw him crash into the wall while leading on the final turn of the race.