As he climbed from the car after winning Saturday’s INDYCAR Grand Prix, Will Power looked like he’d been through a battle. He was victorious. He also was wiped out.

Not far away, his closest challenger, Scott Dixon, looked fresh after driving from 18th to second.

When asked about Power’s skills during the post-race press conference, Dixon embarked on a heartfelt compliment before drifting off course into a masterful piece of trolling.

“I think he was a bit worn out after the race, though, man,” Dixon said, grinning wryly. “He was on the ropes a little bit. He needs to work out a little bit more.”

It was so very Kiwi/Ozzie, a good-natured jab from one mate to another. It was one fit racer poking at another fit racer about fitness. It was unexpected, clever and entertaining.

That brings us to today and the start of oval practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The green flag has waved for the unexpected, clever and entertaining that will culminate with the 102nd Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. We have no idea what lies ahead, and that’s why we return, year after year, to witness it.

People who aren’t into this event often wonder why it needs so much preparation. Why the 36 hours of pounding laps for just one race? Aside from the obvious – it’s so technical and precise that hours of experimentation and data are necessary – there’s the extended answer: If you gave these teams three months to practice, they’d show up every day.

But there’s a twist this time. This version of the 500 offers the additional mystery of a new universal aero kit that dramatically changes the feel and function of the car. Less downforce means less grip. Less grip means more sliding and lifting. More sliding and lifting means the Indianapolis 500 is even more unpredictable than before. And it always has been a notoriously unpredictable race.

Let’s take a look at some of the unknowns of the next 13 days:

• Team Penske. As if Power’s victory in the INDYCAR Grand Prix wasn’t enough -- Power scored the team’s record 200th Indy car victory and 20th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Penske appears again to be the prerace best-in-show. Only two other times in history has a team fielded a lineup with three champions from previous seasons, and Penske was one of them. Yet none of the three full-timers in the lineup – Power, Josef Newgarden or Simon Pagenaud – has won the 500.
• Helio Castroneves. Speaking of Team Penske, its three-time winner returns for a shot at a record-tying fourth. He’s always good at IMS, and he has plenty of “who-you-callin’-old” angst. He also has four poles at Indy. If the Penske cars have speed, and there’s no reason to believe they won’t, expect Helio to compete for the top starting spot and the victory.
• Robert Wickens. Considering him a rookie is rather comical and more than a little deceiving. He’s been at the top levels of professional motorsports for years. He’s been the best newcomer in the Verizon IndyCar Series season this season, with three finishes among the top four. Schmidt Peterson Motorsports has perfected the clever aspect to this race. Look for Wickens and James Hinchcliffe to be part of the story throughout.
• Andretti Autosport. With two previous 500 winners – Ryan Hunter-Reay and Alexander Rossi – in its six-driver lineup and victories in three of the last four 500s, Michael Andretti’s team is large and experienced. Just when you think it’s spread too thin, it responds with depth.
• Dixon and Ed Jones. Dixon is always a force at Indy, as is Chip Ganassi Racing. And let’s not forget that Ed Jones forever will be the unofficial 2017 Indy 500 rookie of the year.   
• Danica. Drivers, start your comments section. She’s ending her career, and it’s impossible to find anyone who’s meh about her. If the three elements of Indy are the unexpected, the clever and the entertaining, Danica Patrick fills the latter. Whether she’ll be competitive is the question. Ed Carpenter Racing has a history of fielding fast cars, so don’t be shocked if she’s in the mix. Like Helio, she has a point to prove.
• TK. It hasn’t been an outstanding start to the partnership of Tony Kanaan and A.J. Foyt, but Kanaan and engineer Eric Cowdin know all the Indy tricks. This one is worthy of backing if only to hear the roar of hundreds of thousands.   
• Unpredictability. When a sporting event begins, we have no idea who will win it. We might think we do, but reality says we don’t. It’s the reason we’re drawn to sports in general and this race in particular.

Think about the past seven races alone. Did anyone know JR Hildebrand would crash in the final turn and clear the way for Dan Wheldon in 2011? Did anyone know, even during the final lap, if Hunter-Reay would hold of Castroneves and Marco Andretti to win by 0.0600 of a second in 2014? Did anyone know for sure if Rossi had enough fuel in 2016?

Did anyone – anyone? – call Sato’s win last year?

Yes, the Indianapolis 500 is unexpected, clever and entertaining. But it’s the unexpected that truly draws us. Day after day, lap after lap, year after year.