Yahoo Autos Entry List: The Indianapolis 500 Will Have a Full Field
The 104th Indianapolis 500 will feature a full field of 33 drivers.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway unveiled the Field of 33 that will eventually take the green flag on Sunday, August 23.
The field includes eight previous winners, headlined by three-time winner Helio Castronves (2001, 2002, 2009) and single winners Scott Dixon (2008), Tony Kanaan (2013), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014), Alexander Rossi (2016), Takuma Sato (2017), Will Power (2018) and Simon Pagenaud (2019).
Castroneves, making what he expects to be his final start for Team Penske, is looking to become just the fourth four-time winner behind AJ Foyt, Al Under and Rick Mears.
There was some trepidation that INDYCAR and IMS would not be able to reach a full field due to the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic, but late entries by Ben Hanley (DragonSpeed Racing) and James Davison (Dale Coyne, Byrd Racing, Belardi Autosport and Rick Ware Racing) will ensure 11 rows of 3.
The purse for the event has been nearly slashed in half.
Roger Penske announced an additional $2 million to reach a total $15 million purse when he completed his purchase of the Speedway back in January. However, with fans not permitted into the venue for the delayed event, the purse will not hold just $7.5 million – with the winner to receive just over $1 million.
In 2019, Simon Pagenaud earned $2,669,529 from his first 500 victory.
Meanwhile, the remaining non-winners is highlighted by two-time Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso, competing with Arrow McLaren SP. Alonso is attempting to become just the second driver behind Graham Hill to win the global motorsports triple crown -- the Indianapolis 500, 24 Hours of Le Mans and Monaco Grand Prix.
The field includes six past INDYCAR champions: Dixon, Hunter-Reay, Kanaan, Josef Newgarden, Pagenaud and Power. Newgarden is the reigning NTT INDYCAR champion.
Five drivers are eligible for rookie of the year honors this season: Oliver Askew, Dalton Kellett, Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou and Rinus VeeKay.
Andretti Autosport has entered six cars -- the most of any team.
Practice opens Wednesday, Aug. 12 and runs through Friday, Aug. 14. Crown Royal Armed Forces Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 15 and Sunday, Aug. 16. The traditional final practice, expanded to two hours as part of Miller Lite Carb Day, will be held Friday, Aug. 21.
NBC’s live Indianapolis 500 broadcast begins at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday Aug. 23, with the green flag set for 2:30 p.m. The local live blackout has been lifted for the 2021 race.
Complete Entry List
1 Josef Newgarden Team Penske Chevrolet
3 Helio Castroneves Team Penske Chevrolet
4 Charlie Kimball AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet
5 Pato O'Ward Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet
7 Oliver Askew Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet
8 Marcus Ericsson Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
9 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
10 Felix Rosenqvist Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
12 Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet
14 Tony Kanaan AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet
15 Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
18 Santino Ferucci Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser Sullivan
20 Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
21 Rinus Veekay Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
22 Simon Pagenaud Team Penske Chevrolet
24 Sage Karam Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet
26 Zach Veach Andretti Autosport Honda
27 Alexander Rossi Andretti Autosport Honda
28 Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda
29 James Hinchcliffe Andretti Autosport Honda
30 Takuma Sato Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
41 Dalton Kellett AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet
45 Spencer Pigot Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
47 Conor Daly Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
51 James Davison Dale Coyne Racing Honda
55 Alex Palou Dale Coyne Racing Honda
59 Max Chilton Carlin Chevrolet
60 Jack Harvey Meyer Shank Racing Honda
66 Fernando Alonso Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet
67 JR Hilderbrand Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet
81 Ben Hanley DragonSpeed Chevrolet
88 Colton Herta Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport Honda
98 Marco Andretti Andretti Herta Autosport with Marco Curb-Agajanian
