For the first time in years I'm really looking forward to the Indy 500.
Essentially there are 3 IRL drivers that are head over heels above the others but 2 are really CART drivers that simply moved series this year. These 3 include
- Helio Castro Neves (last year's Indy 500 winner)
- Gil de Ferran (last year's runner up) and
- Sam Hornish Jr. (IRL point leader)
Some other IRL drivers that have an outside shot are the 2 Laziers (Buddy and Jaques), Scott Sharp, Jeff Ward and Eddie Cheever Jr., Eliseo Salazar and Greg Ray
Then you have all the CART guys coming in for a run. They include
- Michael Andretti (3rd in last year's race)
- Kenny Brack (who won as an IRL driver in 1999 and will probably be the favorite for the race)
- Dario Franchitti
- Paul Tracy
- Jimmy Vasser
- Bruno Junqueira and
- Tony Kanaan
Then you have 3 others that don't run either series but are intriguing.
- Arie Luyendyk has won the race a couple of times and is coming back for a good team. He also went incredibly fast in practice.
- Robby Gordon would have beat Brack in 1999 if he didn't run out of gas on the last lap and is an accomplished Indy racer although he now is full time in NASCAR.
Finally you have Johnny Herbert who retired from Formula 1 a couple of years back and is getting a ride for Beck Motorsports. It's his first oval race but how can you count out an accomplished F1 driver?
Essentially there are 3 IRL drivers that are head over heels above the others but 2 are really CART drivers that simply moved series this year. These 3 include
- Helio Castro Neves (last year's Indy 500 winner)
- Gil de Ferran (last year's runner up) and
- Sam Hornish Jr. (IRL point leader)
Some other IRL drivers that have an outside shot are the 2 Laziers (Buddy and Jaques), Scott Sharp, Jeff Ward and Eddie Cheever Jr., Eliseo Salazar and Greg Ray
Then you have all the CART guys coming in for a run. They include
- Michael Andretti (3rd in last year's race)
- Kenny Brack (who won as an IRL driver in 1999 and will probably be the favorite for the race)
- Dario Franchitti
- Paul Tracy
- Jimmy Vasser
- Bruno Junqueira and
- Tony Kanaan
Then you have 3 others that don't run either series but are intriguing.
- Arie Luyendyk has won the race a couple of times and is coming back for a good team. He also went incredibly fast in practice.
- Robby Gordon would have beat Brack in 1999 if he didn't run out of gas on the last lap and is an accomplished Indy racer although he now is full time in NASCAR.
Finally you have Johnny Herbert who retired from Formula 1 a couple of years back and is getting a ride for Beck Motorsports. It's his first oval race but how can you count out an accomplished F1 driver?
