Filling the field???

[GRW1983]

With no news yet regarding an entry list for the Indy 500, lets see who could fill the field to make sure we get to, at least 33 cars. Townsend Bell, Buddy Rice, Jay Howard, Pippa Mann, John Andretti, Jaques Lazier and even Buddy Lazier have all had a mention recently as trying to land a ride for the 500. Bell had been linked with the 2nd Carpenter or a 3rd Schmidt, Rice with a 3rd Panther/DRR, Howard has also been linked with Schmidt and Pippa Mann with Coyne. Jaques Lazier is buying a brand new DW12 from Dallara and hopes to partner with an existing team, he also said that Buddy wants a drive as well. John Andretti has also expressed interest. Honda/Chevy will supposedly supply around 17 cars each, so 34 cars is looking like the most we'll get in May.

[mr nobody]

With no news yet regarding an entry list for the Indy 500, lets see who could fill the field to make sure we get to, at least 33 cars. Townsend Bell, Buddy Rice, Jay Howard, Pippa Mann, John Andretti, Jaques Lazier and even Buddy Lazier have all had a mention recently as trying to land a ride for the 500. Bell had been linked with the 2nd Carpenter or a 3rd Schmidt, Rice with a 3rd Panther/DRR, Howard has also been linked with Schmidt and Pippa Mann with Coyne. Jaques Lazier is buying a brand new DW12 from Dallara and hopes to partner with an existing team, he also said that Buddy wants a drive as well. John Andretti has also expressed interest. Honda/Chevy will supposedly supply around 17 cars each, so 34 cars is looking like the most we'll get in May.

No second Carpenter car. Buddy Lazier supposedly has the DW12 that was the Fan Force United chassis last year (not 100% known true) and Jacques is buying a DW12 new from Lotus. Buddy Rice probably in a Panther/DRR car. The rest is a total crapshoot right now however I would say that Pippa is the longest of those shots, even longer the John Andretti getting a ride. The biggest "in play" card on all of this is when that entry list gets put out. If there are only 27 confirmed entries there will be some money ponied up from IMS and the series to get 33 cars in the field. If the DW12 would have been kept at the original price it was said to have cost, there would probably be nearer 40 cars for Indy verses the 27 confirmed so far.

[GRW1983]

No second Carpenter car. Buddy Lazier supposedly has the DW12 that was the Fan Force United chassis last year (not 100% known true) and Jacques is buying a DW12 new from Lotus. Buddy Rice probably in a Panther/DRR car. The rest is a total crapshoot right now however I would say that Pippa is the longest of those shots, even longer the John Andretti getting a ride. The biggest "in play" card on all of this is when that entry list gets put out. If there are only 27 confirmed entries there will be some money ponied up from IMS and the series to get 33 cars in the field. If the DW12 would have been kept at the original price it was said to have cost, there would probably be nearer 40 cars for Indy verses the 27 confirmed so far. Actually, we have 30 confirmed entries so far. The 27 cars fielded at Long Beach (with Michel Jourdain Jr expected to run the 3rd Rahal entry), Conor Daly in the 2nd Foyt, Ryan Briscoe in the 4th Ganassi and Carlos Munoz running a 5th Andretti/AFS entry. After that, things are looking a bit thin. According to Curt Cavin, both Schmidt and Coyne plan to run 3rd cars, but the sponsorship isn't in place just yet so they are both 50-50. If they do come off, that would give Honda 17 cars. Panther/DRR may well field a 3rd car for Buddy Rice giving Chevy 16 cars. That would give us 33 cars, but anything after that is looking unlikely. Buddy Lazier with Fan Force United(???), Jaques Lazier buying his own chassis from Dallara and trying to partner with an existing team, as well as John Andretti trying to land somewhere. Supposedly, Fisher, Herta, KV, Carpenter and Dragon won't field additional cars, so it looks like Schmidt, Coyne and Panther/DRR are the only rides available. The difficulty after that is whether Honda/Chevy are willing to take on some Indy 500 only entries like a Fan Force United or a Shank, as well as looking after their current teams.

[mr nobody]

Buddy Lazier bought the chassis that FFU used last year. I forgot about Daly and Briscoe being confirmed as well as Munoz. The ole mind doesn't remember like it use to.

As far as the rest and thin, it's going to be up to Chevy/Honda and some series cash to get to 33 unless some rides start popping up and I think morel mushrooms have a better chance of popping up then that many extra rides.

[Anubis]

Is Stefan Wilson in the frame anywhere? He was mentioned pre-season, but I can't remember in what context.

[SoCalPVguy]

What ever happened to Playa Del Racing ?

[dj_bytedisaster]

Last year after the Paralympics their had been reports that before the games Ganassi allegedly had offered Alex Zanardi to build a special car for him should he win a gold medal, which - as we know - he did, twice. But since nothing has been heard of it since, it seems to have been little more than an optimistic rumour, which is sad. I would have liked to see Alex at Indy, which he sadly never did :(

Since all likely candidates have been named already, here's a list of people/teams that I would love to have a crack at Indy.

Kimi Räikkönen
Due to his short stint in the truck series, he has some moderate experience in oval racing and he strikes me as the guy, who would just love to pull a stunt like that :burnout:

Michael Schumacher
It's only wishful thinking, but I would love to see the old man have a go at one of the world's most prestigious race. I miss the good ol' days, when the real greats tried to win F1, Indy and LeMans at least once in their lifetime.

Cyndie Allemann
When it comes to quick girls in Motorsport, no other nation exports more of them than plucky little Switzerland. She and fellow girl racer Natacha Gachnang earned themselves some notoriety, when the two among them won each and every race of the 1998 Swiss Karting Championship. In 1999 she went on to become the first ever female European Junior Kart Champion. In 2006 she took pole at the only ever Oval F3 race in Germany on the Eurospeedway and went on to finish 3rd. She later raced Indy Lights, too and did reasonably well in what was not exactly a top team.
Heck, you never can have enough girls on the grid. Get some entries for Kathrin Legge, Danica and Natacha Gachnang and let's have a Ladies Championship :D

Michael Andretti
I miss the days when he still un-retired for Indy every year. I was totally gutted when Hornish robbed him and Marco on the home stretch.

Ferrari
They built and tested an Indycar in 1986, but sadly never raced it. I would love to see a racing legend like Ferrari in one of the most legendary races in the world.

[GRW1983]

A quick update. Pippa Mann will drive a 3rd Dale Coyne entry, taking the total confirmed entries for the Indy 500 to 31. According to Curt Cavin, Townsend Bell is in the frame at Panther, if that entry happens. Bryan Clauson has been linked to a 3rd KV entry and Buddy Lazier could take his chassis to Ed Carpenter and be his 2nd entry, as Ed has said the only way he'd run a 2nd car is if someone provides one. No further news on Jay Howard, John Andretti or Jacques Lazier getting a ride at the moment.

[AutoSociale]

It's a wonderful tradition that hopefully continues, but just the same it's embarrassing for IndyCar to make up the numbers with some of the candidates in the news. Also seems like it's not safe for the professional guys who have to race with the drivers who shouldn't be out there.

[mr nobody]

It's a wonderful tradition that hopefully continues, but just the same it's embarrassing for IndyCar to make up the numbers with some of the candidates in the news. Also seems like it's not safe for the professional guys who have to race with the drivers who shouldn't be out there.

There have always been drivers in the 500 and racing in general that have no business being out there on track and in the race. It's part of racing. This isn't something new or recent. You can go back to racing's early days and find guys who had no business in the seat of a car and follow that up to the present. It's only been something people have complained about recently.

[GRW1983]

Another quick update. We currently have 33 confirmed car/driver combinations, with a 2nd Schmidt/Petersen entry being filed today for the #99/99T, although no driver has been listed. This could be for Buddy Rice, but Rob Edwards has said that it is "doubtful" that the car will run. NBCSN is reporting that this makes 35 current entries, although I believe that this includes the 2nd Ed Carpenter entry that was listed originally, but has since been withdrawn by the team. So, I believe we are at 33 confirmed entries with a possible 34th entry from the Schmidt camp. 17 Chevy's and 17 Honda's, if the #99/99T runs.