Official Indy 500 entry list.

[Down F0rce]

The entry list is up. All cars have a backup, except those denoted with a *


CONFIRMED CARS WITH DRIVERS

Panther Racing
2 - Tomas Enge
4 - Tomas Scheckter
95 - Buddy Lazier

Malboro Team Penske
3 - Helio Castroneves
6 - Sam Hornish Jr.

Andretti/Green Racing
7 - Bryan Herta
11 - Tony Kanaan
26 - Dan Wheldon
27 - Dario Franchitti

Fernandez Racing
8 - Scott Sharp
55 - Kosuke Matsuura

Fernandez/Nunn Racing
5 - Adrian Fernandez

Target Chup Ganassi Racing
9 - Scott Dixon
10 - Darren Manning
33 - Ryan Briscoe

Rahal Letterman Racing
15 - Buddy Rice
16 - Danica Parick
17 - Vitor Meria

Vison Racing
20 - Ed Carpenter
22 - Jeff Ward

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
24 - Roger Yasukawa
44 - Jeff Bucknum*

Sam Schmidt Motorsports
70 - Richie Hearn

Hemelgarn Racing
91 - Paul Dana

Red Bull Cheever Racing
51 - Alex Barron
83 - Patrick Carpentier

Playa del Racing
21 - Jaques Lazier

Roth Racing
25 - Marty Roth*

AJ Foyt Racing
14 - AJ Foyt IV
41 - Scott Mayer
48 - Larry Foyt

Newman/Hass Racing
36 - Bruno Junqueira
37 - Sebastien Bourdais*


CONFIRMED CARS, WITH NO DRIVERS NAMED YET

66 - Malboro Team Penske
18 - PDM Racing
98 - Beck Motorsports

[Snips1]

A lot of top drivers and teams there, hope N/H has two entries, with Gidley and Bourdais

[Tim Northcutt]

I know that they are longshots, but Beck Motorsports and PDM might be possibilities...

Team Owner also mentioned the possibility of a 2nd car within the Mo Nunn/Fernandez group...

But just with the ones you have listed (including rumors), that would be 33, if all ofthem come through

[Kicking-back]

Originally Posted by Snips1

A lot of top drivers and teams there, hope N/H has two entries, with Gidley and Bourdais

Newman Haas has Junqueira and Bourdais - where do you get Gidley from?

[Team Owner]

Access may be completely done now except for a little sponsorship money that Greg could do a one-off Indy deal with a team other than his own.

Mark Taylors house in Indy is up for sale and he and Nessie have moved back home to England.

[luke]

I doubt Bourdais will take part like he didn't last year. If Hass does take part, I take it Junqueira will be the only driver.

[luke]

Also, I expect there shall be more entries from the smaller teams, that just do Indy. As the time rolls on.

[Kicking-back]

Originally Posted by luke

I doubt Bourdais will take part like he didn't last year. If Hass does take part, I take it Junqueira will be the only driver.

That was because Haas was only ever doing a one-car entry last year.

He is supposedly doing two this time.

[GP Racer]

You can add a third entry from Penske to that list!

Speed is reporting that Penske will make a 3 car effort for this years Indy 500. It will be Toyota powered, but the chassis is undecided, and no driver has been named as yet. Any guesses?

[Kicking-back]

Max Papis has done a couple of races for Penske in the past - maybe him

[Down F0rce]

I've added it to the list.

Penske entred a third car last year with a G-Force, but no one ended up driving it. They entered two extra G-Force's in '03, again no one endd up driving them...well actully Gil drove one to victory but you know what I mean

[Hazza]

Didn't Barron drive one of them either 1 or two years ago?

[luke]

Originally Posted by Down F0rce

I've added it to the list.

Penske entred a third car last year with a G-Force, but no one ended up driving it. They entered two extra G-Force's in '03, again no one endd up driving them...well actully Gil drove one to victory but you know what I mean

Roger Penske, prefers for his drivers to have either chassis, so there's no advantage, that's why Gil Ferran drove and won the race in 2003 with a G-force.
Last year he wanted Hornish to drive it but, both drivers prefered the Dallara.

[Down F0rce]

He filled in for Gil at Motegi, he didn't race at Indy though.

The extra Penske last year became Sam Schmidt's entry, so I suppose another team could use it. I suppose there is a T car as well?

[BootsOntheSide]

I suspect Penske will test out both chassis during prac tice,a dn run whichever each driver feels iwll be faster. I cna see the third one beign loaned out at the last minute, epsecially if we haven't reached 33 by then.

Isn't Bucknum's numebr more likely to be 25, given that Fisher raced that for them in 2003? For what it's worth.

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally Posted by luke

Roger Penske, prefers for his drivers to have either chassis, so there's no advantage, that's why Gil Ferran drove and won the race in 2003 with a G-force.
Last year he wanted Hornish to drive it but, both drivers prefered the Dallara.

If I remember correctly, the Penske G-Force was leased to Sam Schmidt Motorsports last year, and PJ Jones qualified it with Lucas Oil sponsorship....

Can someone verify that for us???

Team Owner, maybe???

But that is what I remember, anyway...

[evo]

Originally Posted by Tim Northcutt

If I remember correctly, the Penske G-Force was leased to Sam Schmidt Motorsports last year, and PJ Jones qualified it with Lucas Oil sponsorship....

Can someone verify that for us???

Team Owner, maybe???

But that is what I remember, anyway...

Yeah, that's what happened.

[Down F0rce]

Jones drove for Beck, Hearn drove for Sam last year.

[Down F0rce]

All the officially confirmed entries can be found here, by the way:

http://www.indy500.com/news/story.php?story_id=4090

[N I Tram]

I wouldn't let the low amount of entries worry you, there's plenty of time yet and a lot of the series regulars haven't entered later. There are a lot of irons in the fire that should result in extra cars.

[Tim Northcutt]

Entries only ahve to be postmarked by the deadline date....thus they always trickle in over a 10 day period or so before a n Official List is published.....

It happens every year....

[BootsOntheSide]

10 days? And I thought the UK postal service was bad. Maybe yours needs to spend less time sueing bands called 'The Postal Service' and mroe time sending letters...

There's a lot to look forward to this week, as you say - things like Nunn Fernandez and Playa Del are likely to be added.

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

10 days? And I thought the UK postal service was bad. Maybe yours needs to spend less time sueing bands called 'The Postal Service' and mroe time sending letters...

There's a lot to look forward to this week, as you say - things like Nunn Fernandez and Playa Del are likely to be added.

They get a lot of mail, and I'm sure that they allow plenty of time for entrance fee checks to clear, any delayed forms to come in, etc., before they release an "Official List"


Mark my words....the "Official List" usually comes out anywhere from 7-10 days after the deadline....has happened every year for decades....

[evo]

Originally Posted by Down F0rce

Jones drove for Beck, Hearn drove for Sam last year.

Err, yeah, that's what I meant... Richie Hearn. Hopefully he'll get another shot this year.

[BootsOntheSide]

Yea I was just kidding Tim, and taking a rare chance to mention the makers of one of my favourite albums of recent years. I have little doubt that there will be 26-30 entries, and enough extras in time for bump day.