Only 64 Cars Entered for Indianapolis 500

Sixty-four cars, the fewest since 1975, have been entered for the 81st Indianapolis 500 on May 25, Indy Racing League officials said Tuesday.

Of the 64, only 30--three shy of the traditional 33 starters--had drivers assigned.

The field is smaller because IRL rules stipulate new chassis and engine combinations this year, ruling out entries from CART, the other Indy car organization. The entry shows 28 G Force and 29 Dallara chassis, with seven cars unspecified. Forty-six cars will have Oldsmobile Aurora engines and 13 will be powered by Nissan Infinity Indy engines, with the power in five cars unspecified.

Most teams filed multiple-car entries, hoping to find second drivers once their No. 1 drivers have qualified. Pole qualifying is May 10, with trials also scheduled May 11 and May 17-18.

Nine of the 30 drivers named are rookies, among them former national motocross champion Jeff Ward. The first three days of practice, starting May 3, will be limited to the U.S. Auto Club’s rookie orientation program. Veterans, including defending champion Buddy Lazier and 1990 winner Arie Luyendyk, will begin practice May 6.

Tony Stewart, last year’s pole-sitter, heads Menard’s six-car entry.

THE ENTRIES

1, Scott Sharp, Danville, Calif., G Force-Aurora, A.J. Foyt Enterprises; 1T, Sharp, Dallara-Aurora; 2 and 2T, Tony Stewart, Indianapolis, G Force-Aurora, Team Menard; 3 and 3T, Robbie Buhl, Gross Point, Mich., G Force-Aurora, Team Menard; 4 and 4T, Kenny Brack, Sweden, G Force-Aurora, Galles Racing International; 5, Arie Luyendyk, Netherlands, G Force-Aurora, Treadway Racing; 5T, TBA, Treadway Racing; 6, Scott Goodyear, Canada, G Force-Aurora, Treadway Racing; 7 and 7T, Eliseo Salazar, Chile, Dallara-Aurora, Team Scandia; 8, Vincenzo Sospiri, Monaco, TBA-TBA, Team Scandia.

9, Lyn St. James, Daytona Beach, Fla., TBA-TBA, Hemelgarn Racing; 10 and 10T, Mike Groff, Pasadena, G Force-Infiniti, Jonathan Byrd-Cunningham Racing; 11, TBA, A.J. Foyt Enterprises; 12 and 12T, Buzz Calkins, Denver, G Force-Aurora, Bradley Motorsports; 14, Davey Hamilton, Boise, Idaho, G Force-Aurora, A.J. Foyt Enterprises; 14T, Hamilton, Dallara-Aurora; 15, TBA, G Force-Infinity, Tempero-Giuffre; 16, Sam Schmidt, Las Vegas, Dallara-Aurora, Blueprint Racing; 17 and 17T, Affonso Giaffone, Brazil, Dallara-Aurora, Chitwood Motorsports; 18, John Paul Jr., West Palm Beach, Fla., Dallara-Aurora, PDM Racing.

20 and 20T, G Force-Aurora, Team Menard; 21 and 21T, Roberto Guerrero, San Juan Capistrano, Dallara-Infiniti, Pagan Racing; 22, Marco Greco, Brazil, Dallara-Aurora, Team Scandia; 27 and 27T, Jim Guthrie, Albuquerque, N.M., Dallara-Aurora, Blueprint Racing; 28, Tyce Carlson, Indianapolis, TBA-TBA, PDM Racing.

30 and 30T, TBA, G Force-Aurora, McCormack Motorsports; 33, Fermin Velez, Spain, Dallara-Aurora, Team Scandia; 34 and 34T, Alessandro Zampedri, Monaco, Dallara-Aurora, Team Scandia; 36, TBA, G Force-Aurora, Johansson Motorsports.

40, Jack Miller, Carmel, Ind., Dallara-Infiniti, Arizona Motorsports; 40T, Miller, TBA-TBA, Arizona Motorsports; 41, TBA, A.J. Foyt Enterprises; 42 and 42T, Robby Gordon, Orange, G Force-Aurora, Team Sabco; 43, TBA, Team Scandia; 44, TBA, Dallara-Aurora, Sinden Racing.

50 and 50T, Billy Roe, Gilbert, Ariz., Dallara-Aurora, Eurointernational; 51 and 51T, Eddie Cheever, Tampa, Fla., G Force-Aurora, FirstPlus Team Cheever; 52 and 52T, Jeff Ward, San Juan Capistrano, G Force-Aurora, FirstPlus Team Cheever; 54 and 54T, TBA, Dallara-Infiniti, Beck Motorsports.

77, Stephan Gregoire, France, G Force-Aurora, Chastain Motorsports; 81, Gary Bettenhausen, Indianapolis, Dallara-Aurora, Terhune-Bamets Racing; 90, St. James, Dallara-Infiniti, LSJ Racing-Hemelgarn Racing; 91 and 91T, Buddy Lazier, Vail, Colo., Dallara-Infiniti, Hemelgarn Racing; 97, Greg Ray, Plano, Texas, Dallara-Aurora, Thomas Knapp Motorsports; 98 and 98T, TBA, Dallara-Infiniti, Beck Motorsports.

DRIVERS YOU WON’T SEE

Al Unser Jr.

Michael Andretti

Jimmy Vasser

Bobby Rahal

Scott Pruett

Paul Tracy

Alex Zanardi

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Indy Facts

* What: 81st Indianapolis 500

* When: May 25

* Last year’s winner: Buddy Lazier

* TV: ABC