Chevrolet IndyCar V-6 Teams and Drivers Ready for 97th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race
DETROIT (May 23, 2013) – The 33-car field is set for the 97th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race scheduled for Sunday, May 26th, and will feature 17 driver entries powered by the Chevrolet V6 2.2 liter direct injected twin turbocharged purpose built engine fueled by renewable E85.
Ed Carpenter, in his No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, will lead the traditional field comprised of 11 rows of three to the green flag. With deep roots in Indiana, hailing him as a local hero to Indy 500 race fans, Carpenter is the first owner/driver to win the pole for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing since 1975.
Months of preparation, coupled with hours of testing and practice on the famed 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway will culminate when the most famous words in auto racing, “Drivers, Start Your Engines”, are uttered to signal the start of the 200 lap/500 mile race in pursuit of one of the most coveted awards in motorsports, the Borg-Warner Trophy.
“The keystone event of the IZOD IndyCar Series, the Indianapolis 500, is nearly upon us and Team Chevy has positioned itself well for the start of the race,” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager for the IZOD IndyCar Series. “Our engineers, teams and technical partners have been preparing for the event since the day after the 2012 race was over. The competition in the Series remains tight, and the fans are sure to witness another memorable Indy 500, paced by the all-new 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.
“Congratulations again to Ed Carpenter and the entire Ed Carpenter Racing Team for winning the pole position for Sunday’s race. We are looking forward to competing and being “back home again in Indiana”.
Andretti Autosport will field five Chevrolet-powered cars and drivers in the Indy 500. Rookie Carlos Muñoz and Marco Andretti, who currently sits second in the Series’ point standings, will fill the front row with Carpenter, starting second and third respectively. E.J. Viso will start fourth, defending IZOD IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay will roll off seventh and two-time 2013 winner James Hinchcliffe will take the green flag from the ninth starting spot to place all five of the Andretti Autosport entries in the first three rows.
Team Penske’s rookie driver, A.J. Allmendinger, will make his career first Indy 500 start from fifth position on the grid. Joining Allmendinger in row two will be his teammate Will Power starting sixth. The third Team Penske Chevrolet IndyCar V6 driver, three-time Indy 500 winner, Helio Castroneves, will start eighth.
Panther Racing’s JR Hildebrand had a strong qualifying effort, securing the 10th starting spot. His teammate, eight-year IndyCar series veteran Townsend Bell, will make his sixth Indianapolis 500 start, taking the green from the 22nd starting position. Panther/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing driver, Oriol Servia, a fan favorite at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, will start in 13th position.
Tony Kanaan will make his 12th start in the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. He will pilot his KV Racing Technology Chevrolet from the 12th starting position. His teammate Simona De Silvestro, the fastest of the four women to qualify for this year’s race, will start 24th.
Hoping to add an Indy 500 win to his list of motorsports accolades will be Dragon Racing’s Sebastien Bourdais who will start 15th. He is followed by teammate Sebastian Saavedra who recorded the third fastest speed on ‘Bump Day’ to start 27th.
1996 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Lazier will make his first start in the Indianapolis 500 since 2008. The 2000 IZOD IndyCar Series champion will start 32nd.
Chevrolet has won three of the first four races of the season, and has collected four poles which includes Carpenter’s Indy 500 pole-winning accomplishment.
Live broadcast overage of the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500 begins at 11 a.m. ET Sunday, May 26 on ABC. The green flag is set to wave at 12:30 p.m. The famed race will also be broadcast by the IMS Radio Network, including Sirius and XM Channels 211 and www.indycar.com.
