IndyCar’s perennial underdog and perpetual good guy, Dale Coyne, along with wife Gail have expanded to a four-car effort for the 100th Indianapolis 500. It’s a big task for the small team, who with low expectations can always look to overachieve.
ENTRIES
Conor Daly, No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda
Gabby Chaves, No. 19 Boy Scouts of America Honda
Pippa Mann, No. 63 Susan G. Komen Honda
Bryan Clauson, No. 88 Jonathan Byrd’s Hospitality/DCR Honda
2016 SEASON SO FAR
Luca Filippi put in a number of solid qualifying runs and Daly has overachieved on the street courses. All told, both drivers have consistently shown promise, but haven’t produced the results to back it up in a very deep field.
INDY OUTLOOK
Mann, the Indy-only entrant, likely will be tasked as team leader along with engineer Rob Ridgely to guide and develop the setup and feedback as she heads into her fifth Indianapolis 500 – which is one more start than her three teammates have here, combined. Daly’s had a nightmare first two ‘500s with fire on a pit stop in 2013 and then fire sabotaging his car on the parade laps last year, and Clauson’s struggled for results with two other teams. Meanwhile Chaves will add extra enhanced depth as the fourth driver, having been confirmed late Wednesday for the month of May.
As ever with Coyne, staying out of trouble will ensure the potential of a good result. Things can’t go much worse than last year, when with three cars there were two in-week driver changes and then two cars crashed into each other on a pit stop exchange, injuring a couple crew members. At least one top-15 result is an achievable goal with anything more than that a realistic bonus.
RECENT RESULTS
- 2015: 22. 63-Mann (25), 27. 19-Davison (33), 28. 18-Vautier (32)
- 2014: 17. 18-Huertas (21), 22. 19-Wilson (14), 24. 63-Mann (22)
- 2013: 5. 19-Wilson (14), 15. 18-Beatriz (29), 30. 63-Mann (30)
- 2012: 7. 18-Wilson (21), 15. 19-Jakes (17)