From: Michael Powell 
 
SEVEN TEAMS FILE ENTRIES ON INDIANAPOLIS 500 DEADLINE DAY
 
Penske, Andretti Green, Cheever, Hemelgarn, Dreyer & Reinbold, Nunn, PDM enter
 
INDIANAPOLIS, Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - Penske Racing, the winningest team
in Indianapolis 500 history, led seven teams that combined to file 13 entries
March 31 for the 88th Indianapolis 500.
 
The flurry of entries came on the deadline day for filing, as all entries must
be postmarked by midnight Wednesday, March 31. Additional entries are expected
to arrive in the next few days.
 
The 88th Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 30 at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway.
 
The teams combined to enter a total of 25 cars, including backup cars.
Andretti Green Racing filed four entries totaling eight cars, more than any
other team this year, while Marlboro Team Penske filed three entries totaling
six cars.
 
Filing two entries for four total cars was 1998 Indianapolis 500 winner
Cheever Racing, while 1996 Indy winner Hemelgarn Racing, PDM Racing and Nunn
Racing each filed an entry for two cars. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing filed an
entry for a single car.
 
Penske Racing has won a record 13 Indianapolis 500's, including the last three
in a row. In fact, Marlboro Team Penske has won the last four Indianapolis
500-Mile Races in which it has competed - 1994, 2001, 2002 and 2003.
 
Helio Castroneves, winner of the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" in 2001 and
2002, will drive the No. 3 Marlboro Team Penske Dallara/Toyota/Firestone, with
a backup entered. Rick Rinaman is the chief mechanic.
 
Castroneves will attempt to become just the ninth driver in the 88-year
history of the race to win the event three times. He started from the MBNA Pole
last year but finished second to now-retired teammate Gil de Ferran in an
attempt to become the first driver to win the race three consecutive years.
Castroneves has finished first, first and second in his first three starts at
Indy, the best record ever.
 
Two-time Indy Racing League# IndyCar# Series champion Sam Hornish Jr.,
Castroneves' new teammate, will drive the No. 6 Marlboro Team Penske
Dallara/Toyota/Firestone, with a backup entered. Matt Jonsson is the chief
mechanic.
 
Hornish will attempt to earn his first Indianapolis 500 victory in his fifth
start. His best finish is 14th in 2001, as Indianapolis is the only active
track in the IndyCar Series where Hornish has not recorded at least a top-six
finish during his career.
 
Marlboro Team Penske also filed an entry for the No. 66 Marlboro Team Penske
Panoz G Force/Toyota/Firestone, with a backup entered. The driver and chief
mechanic will be announced later.
 
Tim Cindric is the president of Penske Racing, with Tom Wurtz the manager of
the team's entries.
 
Andretti Green Racing filed four Indianapolis 500 entries for eight cars for
the second consecutive year.
 
IndyCar Series points leader Tony Kanaan will drive the No. 11 Team 7-Eleven
Dallara/Honda/Firestone, with a backup entered. Jeff Simon is the chief
mechanic.
 
Kanaan finished a career-best third last year in his second Indy start.
 
Bryan Herta will attempt to make his third Indianapolis 500 start - and his
first since 1995 - in the No. 7 XM Satellite Radio Dallara/Honda/Firestone
fielded by Andretti Green Racing, with a backup entered. Jeff Grahn is the
chief mechanic.
 
Herta's best finish was ninth as a rookie in 1994.
 
2003 Bombardier IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year Dan Wheldon will drive the
No. 26 Klein Tools/Jim Beam Dallara/Honda/Firestone fielded by Andretti Green
Racing, with a backup entered. Mike Horvath is the chief mechanic.
 
Wheldon placed 19th as a rookie last year after a spectacular crash on Lap
186.
 
"I'm very much looking forward to it," Wheldon said. "I
think the race this
year is going to be very tough. Certainly the way the season started, I am
quite comfortable in saying we have one of the most competitive championships
in the world, period.
 
"I love the place. I love to be here. It's the biggest sporting event in the
world and the biggest race that I will race in my career. I'm looking forward
to keeping on all fours this year."
 
Dario Franchitti rounds out the Andretti Green Racing entries in the No. 27
Arca/Ex Dallara/Honda/Firestone, with a backup entered. David Popielarz is the
chief mechanic.
 
Franchitti will attempt to make his second Indianapolis 500 start. He finished
19th as an Indy rookie in 2002 but missed last year's race due to a back injury
suffered in a motorcycle accident in April 2003.
 
Kyle Moyer is the team manager of Andretti Green Racing's entries.
 
Red Bull Cheever Racing filed entries for 2002 Indianapolis 500 Bank One
co-Rookie of the Year Alex Barron and rookie Ed Carpenter.
 
Barron will drive the No. 51 Red Bull Cheever Racing Chevrolet
Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone, with a backup entered. Craig McCain is the chief
mechanic.
 
Barron will attempt to make his third Indianapolis 500 start, as he finished
fourth and sixth, respectively, in 2002 and 2003.
 
Carpenter will drive the No. 52 Red Bull Cheever Racing Chevrolet
Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone, with a backup entered. Tom Vasi is the chief
mechanic. Carpenter won the inaugural Futaba Freedom 100 Menards Infiniti Pro
SeriesTM race last May at Indianapolis.
 
Max Jones is the team manager of the Red Bull Cheever Racing entries. Team
owner Eddie Cheever Jr. won the 1998 Indianapolis 500 as a driver-owner.
 
Hemelgarn Racing, one of the Indy Racing League's original teams, entered the
No. 91 Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone, with a backup. The driver will be named
later. Dennis LaCava is the chief mechanic with Lee Kunzman the team manager.
 
Buddy Lazier won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 driving for Hemelgarn.
 
PDM Racing, another original IRL team, entered the No. 18
Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone, with a backup entered. A driver and chief mechanic
will be named later. Larry Arnold is the team manager.
 
Nunn Racing filed an entry for the second consecutive day, previously entering
cars for 2003 Bank One Rookie of the Year Tora Takagi. Nunn entered the No. 21
Dallara/Toyota/Firestone today, with a backup.
 
The driver and chief mechanic will be named later. Peter Parrott is team
manager.
 
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing also filed an entry for the second straight day,
previously entering cars for team owner-driver Robbie Buhl. Dreyer & Reinbold
entered the No. 23 Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone, with no backup. The driver will
be named later.
 
Dan Miller is the chief mechanic, and John O'Gara is the team manager.
 
  [...]
 
***
 
Tickets: Tickets are available for the 2004 Indianapolis 500 on May 30. For
information, log on to www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com, or call the IMS
ticket office at (800) 822-INDY or (317) 492-6700.
 
___ Internet Rex 2.29
 


--- GTMail 1.26