The formal entry list for the 100th Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil has been released with no surprises for the expected full field of 33 cars.
The breakdown of cars is 17 Honda primary cars and aero kits with 16 Chevrolet primary cars and aero kits. Backup cars (T-cars) aren’t listed as in past years.
Buddy Lazier’s team, which was the only team that hadn’t done a formal unveil of its program, has been confirmed with a number switch to the No. 4 and a renaming of the team to Lazier Burns Racing, with additional investment coming from past team owner Tom Burns.
Conor Daly’s usual No. 18 Jonathan Byrd’s Hospitality Honda will have a new primary sponsor to be revealed soon, with the Jonathan Byrd’s colors and signage moving to his Dale Coyne Racing teammate, Bryan Clauson, for the month of May on his No. 88 Honda. Clauson’s car is entered as the No. 88 Cancer Treatment Centers of America Honda.
A Grace Autosport entry is not present despite its announcing its intentions last May, which leaves Katherine Legge in the unfortunate position outside a ride for the third straight year.
All told, there are six past winners in the field:
- 2-Juan Pablo Montoya, 2000 and 2015
- 3-Helio Castroneves, 2001, 2002 and 2009
- 4-Buddy Lazier, 1996
- 9-Scott Dixon, 2008
- 10-Tony Kanaan, 2013
- 28-Ryan Hunter-Reay, 2014
There are also five rookies in the field, all of whom competed at the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis this weekend. Although Daly is a series rookie owing to the few number of starts he had before this season, he has two past Indianapolis 500 starts (2013, 2015)
- 8-Max Chilton
- 16-Spencer Pigot
- 25-Stefan Wilson
- 61-Matthew Brabham
- 98-Alexander Rossi
Lazier, at 48, is the oldest driver entered with Sage Karam, still only 21 but set for his third 500, the youngest.
The full entry list is linked here.
Practice begins today with rookie orientation program and refresher runs from 12 to 2 p.m., with all cars able to go on track from 2 to 6 p.m.