Auto123.com has learned that both Buddy Rice and veteran Townsend Bell have secured deals that will allow them to take part in the 97th edition of the Indianapolis 500 and that other announcements could also be made in the coming days.
Rice is expected to join Sam Schmidt’s squad alongside Simon Pagenaud and rookie Tristan Vautier.
As for Bell, he is scheduled to become a member of the Panther Racing team and partner J.R. Hilderbrand. Bell's car will be sponsored by the DreamWorks’ Indy 500-themed movie, Turbo, which will be out this summer.
Furthermore, with Pippa Mann signed for Dale Coyne’s third car, Buddy Lazier acquiring a car with his father, and USAC champion Bryan Clauson closing in on enough sponsorship for a ride, there could be up to 36 cars trying to qualifying at Indy – with only 33 spots available on the grid.
Provisional entry list – Indy 500
Count, Car No, Driver, Engine, Entrant
1 1 Ryan Hunter-Reay Chevrolet Andretti Autosport
2 2 AJ Allmendinger (R) Chevrolet Team Penske
3 3 Helio Castroneves Chevrolet Team Penske
4 4 JR Hildebrand Chevrolet Panther Racing
5 NA Townsend Bell Chevrolet Panther Racing
6 5 E.J. Viso Chevrolet Team Venezuela/Andretti Autosport/HVM
7 6 Sebastian Saavedra Chevrolet Dragon Racing
8 7 Sebastien Bourdais Chevrolet Dragon Racing
9 8 Ryan Briscoe Honda Target Chip Ganassi Racing
10 9 Scott Dixon Honda Target Chip Ganassi Racing
11 10 Dario Franchitti Honda Target Chip Ganassi Racing
12 11 Tony Kanaan Chevrolet KV Racing Technology
13 12 Will Power Chevrolet Team Penske
14 14 Takuma Sato Honda A.J. Foyt Enterprises
15 15 Graham Rahal Honda Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
16 16 James Jakes Honda Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
17 18 Ana Beatriz Honda Dale Coyne Racing
18 NA Michel Jourdain Jr. Honda Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
19 19 Justin Wilson Honda Dale Coyne Racing
20 NA Pippa Mann Honda Dale Coyne Racing
21 20 Ed Carpenter Chevrolet Ed Carpenter Racing
22 22 Oriol Servia Chevrolet Panther DRR
23 25 Marco Andretti Chevrolet Andretti Autosport
24 26 Carlos Munoz (R) Chevrolet Andretti Autosport
25 27 James Hinchcliffe Chevrolet Andretti Autosport
26 41 Conor Daly (R) Honda A.J. Foyt Enterprises
27 55 Tristan Vautier (R) Honda Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
28 NA Buddy Rice Honda Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
29 67 Josef Newgarden Honda Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
30 77 Simon Pagenaud Honda Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports
31 78 Simona de Silvestro Chevrolet KV Racing Technology
32 83 Charlie Kimball Honda Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing
33 98 Alex Tagliani Honda Bryan Herta Autosport w/Curb-Agajanian
34 TBD Bryan Clauson TBD TBD
35 TBD Jay Howard TBD TBD
36 TBD Buddy Lazier TBD TBD
Rice is expected to join Sam Schmidt’s squad alongside Simon Pagenaud and rookie Tristan Vautier.
As for Bell, he is scheduled to become a member of the Panther Racing team and partner J.R. Hilderbrand. Bell's car will be sponsored by the DreamWorks’ Indy 500-themed movie, Turbo, which will be out this summer.
Furthermore, with Pippa Mann signed for Dale Coyne’s third car, Buddy Lazier acquiring a car with his father, and USAC champion Bryan Clauson closing in on enough sponsorship for a ride, there could be up to 36 cars trying to qualifying at Indy – with only 33 spots available on the grid.
Provisional entry list – Indy 500
Count, Car No, Driver, Engine, Entrant
1 1 Ryan Hunter-Reay Chevrolet Andretti Autosport
2 2 AJ Allmendinger (R) Chevrolet Team Penske
3 3 Helio Castroneves Chevrolet Team Penske
4 4 JR Hildebrand Chevrolet Panther Racing
5 NA Townsend Bell Chevrolet Panther Racing
6 5 E.J. Viso Chevrolet Team Venezuela/Andretti Autosport/HVM
7 6 Sebastian Saavedra Chevrolet Dragon Racing
8 7 Sebastien Bourdais Chevrolet Dragon Racing
9 8 Ryan Briscoe Honda Target Chip Ganassi Racing
10 9 Scott Dixon Honda Target Chip Ganassi Racing
11 10 Dario Franchitti Honda Target Chip Ganassi Racing
12 11 Tony Kanaan Chevrolet KV Racing Technology
13 12 Will Power Chevrolet Team Penske
14 14 Takuma Sato Honda A.J. Foyt Enterprises
15 15 Graham Rahal Honda Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
16 16 James Jakes Honda Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
17 18 Ana Beatriz Honda Dale Coyne Racing
18 NA Michel Jourdain Jr. Honda Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
19 19 Justin Wilson Honda Dale Coyne Racing
20 NA Pippa Mann Honda Dale Coyne Racing
21 20 Ed Carpenter Chevrolet Ed Carpenter Racing
22 22 Oriol Servia Chevrolet Panther DRR
23 25 Marco Andretti Chevrolet Andretti Autosport
24 26 Carlos Munoz (R) Chevrolet Andretti Autosport
25 27 James Hinchcliffe Chevrolet Andretti Autosport
26 41 Conor Daly (R) Honda A.J. Foyt Enterprises
27 55 Tristan Vautier (R) Honda Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
28 NA Buddy Rice Honda Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
29 67 Josef Newgarden Honda Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
30 77 Simon Pagenaud Honda Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports
31 78 Simona de Silvestro Chevrolet KV Racing Technology
32 83 Charlie Kimball Honda Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing
33 98 Alex Tagliani Honda Bryan Herta Autosport w/Curb-Agajanian
34 TBD Bryan Clauson TBD TBD
35 TBD Jay Howard TBD TBD
36 TBD Buddy Lazier TBD TBD