1998 Indianapolis 500
Encyclopedia
The 82nd Indianapolis 500 was held at Indianapolis
on Sunday, May 24, 1998. This was the first Indianapolis 500
fully sanctioned by the Indy Racing League after the IRL relied on USAC to sanction the 1996–1997 races. The race was part of the 1998 Pep Boys Indy Racing League season
.
Eddie Cheever, Jr., a former Formula One
competitor and Indy rookie in 1990
, highlighted his
racing career with this lone Indianapolis win. The 1998 race ushered in a compacted, two-week schedule for the Indy 500, omitting an entire week of practice, and trimming qualifying from four days down to two.
split continued into its third year. The two series began moving further apart, and for the second time, no major teams from the CART
ranks entered at Indianapolis. CART teams raced on Saturday at the Motorola 300
.
For 1998, the schedule for the month of May was trimmed down, in an effort to reduce costs. An experimental "two-week" schedule was proposed, consisting of one full week of practice, and two days of time trials. An open test was scheduled in April which also included rookie orientation.
take the honor of "first car on the track." Crashes during the day were suffered by Jack Hewitt
and Jimmy Kite
, neither were serious. Robbie Buhl
was the fastest car of the day, at 219.325 mph.
led the speed chart, with a lap of 223.703 mph. It was the fastest lap since the normally aspirated engine formula was adopted in 1997. Eight drivers in total broke the 200 mph barrier.
Danny Ongais
suffered the most serious crash thus far for the month, and was sidelined with a concussion. Arie Luyendyk
, Mike Groff
, Raul Boesel
and Tony Stewart
all suffered mechanical problems, and required tows back to the garage area.
Off the track, Eddie Cheever
announced a sponsorship deal with Rachel's Potato Chips.
nearly matched his speed from a day before, with a fast lap of 223.691 mph. Second best Kenny Brack
was a full 2 mph slower at 221.593 mph.
Sunny skies, with temperatures in the 70s greeted the Speedway for the third day in a row.
took the honors for fastest of the day at 221.691 mph, while Tony Stewart
sat out the day. Temperatures topped out at 80 degrees late in the day.
suffered his second wall contact of the week, backing the car into the wall in turn 4. Another warm, 83 degree afternoon saw Tony Stewart
once again on top of the speed chart (223.430 mph).
topped the speed chart with the fastest lap of the month (223.797 mph). Kenny Brack
and Billy Boat
were also over 221 mph.
Boat, however, wrecked his primary car in turn 3 shortly after the 11 a.m. start. Also spinning in a separate incident (but not making contact) was Jack Hewitt
.
At the close of practice, Tony Stewart
entered time trials as the favorite for the pole position. Stewart led the speed chart on four of the six days of practice (sitting out one day). Foyt
drivers Kenny Brack
and Billy Boat
were also front row favorites, however, Boat's crash on Friday seemed to dim his chances.
(220.236 mph) and Tony Stewart
(220.386 mph), but the speeds were down from their expectations.
At noon, Kenny Brack
took over the provisional pole with a run of 220.982 mph. Minutes later, Jimmy Kite
crashed for the third time of the week. At 12:45 p.m., Billy Boat
took to the track for his run. His first lap was a remarkable 224.573 mph, the fastest lap of the month. The three other laps dropped off, but his four-lap average of 223.503 mph was fast enough to secure the pole position.
Sixteen cars completed runs before the mid-afternoon down time. Around 4:15 p.m., qualifying resumed, with drivers Scott Sharp
and Eddie Cheever
among those making the field. At 5:15 p.m., Greg Ray
squeezed onto the front row, as the second-fastest qualifier (221.125 mph).
At the end of the day, the field was filled to 26 cars, after a record 42 qualifying attempts. Among the notables not yet in the field were Arie Luyendyk
, Lyn St. James
, and Jeff Ward
. Luyendyk suffered through engine trouble most of the day.
Billy Boat
's unexpected speed in qualifying drew the attention of competitors, given that it occurred in the heat of the day, and it was 2½ miles per hour faster than he had run all week. Team Menard
threatened to protest, and accused Foyt Racing
of cheating by illegally using nitrous
. The Indy Racing League took no action, and Boat was not penalized.
, Arie Luyendyk
and Jeff Ward
were among the early qualifiers. Scott Harrington
, however, blew an engine and wrecked on his second lap, which put a halt to qualifying for nearly 45 minutes.
In the heat of the day (1:52 p.m.), Eliseo Salazar
completed a run at 216.259 mph, the second-slowest in the field. His run was followed by a long down-time, as teams waited for optimum conditions.
At 4:30 p.m., qualifying resumed, and several cars took to the track. During the next hour, 13 attempts were made, but only 5 were run to completion. Jimmy Kite
found the needed speed, and managed to fill the field to 33 cars at 4:55 p.m. With Billy Roe
(215.781 mph) on the bubble, Mike Groff
bumped him out at 5:23 p.m., putting Eliseo Salazar (216.259 mph) on the bubble. Minutes later, Roe
went back out and bumped his way back into the field. The move placed Johnny Unser
(216.316 mph) on the bubble. Claude Bourbonnais
, Dan Drinan
, and Lyn St. James
all fell short of Unser's speed, and failed to bump him out. With four minutes remaining, Eliseo Salazar
scrambled into Stan Wattles
' back-up car, but managed only 211 mph on the first two laps. The car began smoking, and he was waved off. The 6 o'clock gun fired with Hideshi Matsuda
waiting in line.
With Lyn St. James having failed to qualify, the 1998 Indy 500 had an all-male field for the first time since 1991
.
gave the command to start engines at 11:32 a.m. EST, and the field pulled away for the parade laps.
got loose in turn one, and pitched J. J. Yeley
down to the inside. Yeley did a half-spin in turn one, and made slight contact with Eddie Cheever
. Both cars were undamaged and continued. At the front of the pack, Billy Boat
led the first dozen laps. On lap 13, Greg Ray
took over the lead, with Tony Stewart
charging in third. On lap 21, Buhl became hung up in traffic, and Stewart dove into the lead down the main stretch. One lap later, however, his engine blew and the car coasted to a stop in turn 1. A dejected Stewart, suffering misfortune in his third straight "500", blurted out on live television "This has been my number one goal; every year I get shit on."
(Stewart's teammate) also blew an engine, dropping out on lap 45. As the green came out on lap 49, a major crash occurred in turn 3. Several cars were running two-wide as they approached turn three. Sam Schmidt
, running inside of Davey Hamilton
, got into the grass, lost control, and spun backwards into the turn three wall. Eddie Cheever
, immediately behind, slipped underneath, and escaped the incident. Stan Wattles
ran into the back of Mark Dismore
, and they collected Roberto Guerrero
. Billy Roe
was left with nowhere to go, and was caught up in the incident. Jim Guthrie then approached the scene and ran over debris, which caused the car to pinch down and cut through the grass. He hit an errant rear wing, and the car shot head-on into the outside wall. Guthrie was transported to Methodist Hospital
with a broken elbow, broken leg, and cracked ribs.
After a long yellow flag, and series of pit stops, Kenny Brack
and Eddie Cheever
worked into their lead, with Arie Luyendyk
and Buddy Lazier
also amongst the top five.
took the lead at the halfway point, and traded the lead with Eddie Cheever
over the next 50 laps. After earlier gearbox troubles, Billy Boat
finally dropped out for good on lap 132, then Arie Luyendyk
lost a clutch on lap 153.
By lap 160, Eddie Cheever
led Buddy Lazier
with rookie Steve Knapp
the only other car on the lead lap. John Paul, Jr.
's chances for a win died when he stalled four times trying to exit the pits on lap 177. He lost three laps, and was in the pits for almost four minutes.
leading Lazier
by 1.1 seconds. Cheever stretched the lead to over 3 seconds, but another yellow on lap 191 was brought out by the smoking car of Marco Greco
.
With five laps to go, the green came back out, and Lazier was nose-to-tail with Cheever. Cheever held off the challenge, and stretched out to a 3.19-second margin to victory. Steve Knapp
, the only other driver to finish on the lead lap, was named rookie of the year.
(W) – former Indianapolis 500 winner; (R) – Denotes Rookie Candidate
*C Chassis
: D=Dallara
, G=G-Force
, R=Riley & Scott
*E Engine
: I=Infiniti
, O=Oldsmobile
*T Tire
: F=Firestone
, G=Goodyear
Failed to qualify:
#15
Chile Eliseo Salazar
#27
Canada Claude Bourbonnais
#29
United States Joe Gosek
#54
Japan Hideshi Matsuda
#66 United States Scott Harrington
#24 United States Dan Drinan
#23 United States Paul Durant
#90 United States Lyn St. James
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....
on Sunday, May 24, 1998. This was the first Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
fully sanctioned by the Indy Racing League after the IRL relied on USAC to sanction the 1996–1997 races. The race was part of the 1998 Pep Boys Indy Racing League season
1998 in IRL
The 1998 Pep Boys Indy Racing League season was one of relative stability compared to the previous two seasons. For the first time the season consisted of a single and complete spring, summer, and fall like all other forms of motorsport. 15 drivers completed the entire 11 race schedule, twice as...
.
Eddie Cheever, Jr., a former Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
competitor and Indy rookie in 1990
1990 Indianapolis 500
The 74th Indianapolis 500 was held at Indianapolis on Sunday, May 27, 1990. Arie Luyendyk took the lead with 32 laps to go, and earned his first-ever victory in championship-level competition...
, highlighted his
racing career with this lone Indianapolis win. The 1998 race ushered in a compacted, two-week schedule for the Indy 500, omitting an entire week of practice, and trimming qualifying from four days down to two.
Schedule
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Continuing split from CART
The ongoing IRL/CARTChamp Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
split continued into its third year. The two series began moving further apart, and for the second time, no major teams from the CART
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
ranks entered at Indianapolis. CART teams raced on Saturday at the Motorola 300
Emerson Indy 250
The Emerson Indy 250 is a former American Open Wheel Racing event held at Gateway International Speedway from 1997 to 2003. It was a part of the CART series from 1997 to 2000, and part of the IRL from 2001-2003....
.
Rule changes
After controversy in 1997, the "25/8 Rule", which locked in entries to the starting field based on points standings, was scrapped for 1998. The 33-car field would revert to the traditional 33 fastest qualifiers.For 1998, the schedule for the month of May was trimmed down, in an effort to reduce costs. An experimental "two-week" schedule was proposed, consisting of one full week of practice, and two days of time trials. An open test was scheduled in April which also included rookie orientation.
Sunday May 10
Opening day saw Mike GroffMike Groff
Mike Groff is a former race car driver in CART and the Indy Racing League and the 1989 Indy Lights champion. He made 54 starts in CART beginning in 1990 with a best finish of 6th, occurring at Phoenix International Raceway in 1994...
take the honor of "first car on the track." Crashes during the day were suffered by Jack Hewitt
Jack Hewitt
Jack Hewitt , is a former driver and two-time champion in the USAC Silver Crown Series.- Racing career :He raced in the 1998 Indianapolis 500, placing 12th...
and Jimmy Kite
Jimmy Kite
Jimmy Kite is an American race car driver. He debuted in the Indy Racing League in 1997 and has competed in over 30 IRL races, including five Indianapolis 500s...
, neither were serious. Robbie Buhl
Robbie Buhl
Robbie Buhl is a former Indy Racing League competitor and current team-owner, with the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team in the IRL's IndyCar Series...
was the fastest car of the day, at 219.325 mph.
Monday May 11
Tony StewartTony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...
led the speed chart, with a lap of 223.703 mph. It was the fastest lap since the normally aspirated engine formula was adopted in 1997. Eight drivers in total broke the 200 mph barrier.
Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais is a former racecar driver from the United States.He is the only native Hawaiian to compete at the Indianapolis 500...
suffered the most serious crash thus far for the month, and was sidelined with a concussion. Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500....
, Mike Groff
Mike Groff
Mike Groff is a former race car driver in CART and the Indy Racing League and the 1989 Indy Lights champion. He made 54 starts in CART beginning in 1990 with a best finish of 6th, occurring at Phoenix International Raceway in 1994...
, Raul Boesel
Raul Boesel
Raul de Mesquita Boesel is a former racing driver who raced for the March and Ligier Formula One teams and later raced in Champ Car and the Indy Racing League.He won the 1987 World Sportscar Championship and the 1988 24 Hours of Daytona...
and Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...
all suffered mechanical problems, and required tows back to the garage area.
Off the track, Eddie Cheever
Eddie Cheever
Edward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different...
announced a sponsorship deal with Rachel's Potato Chips.
Tuesday May 12
Tony StewartTony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...
nearly matched his speed from a day before, with a fast lap of 223.691 mph. Second best Kenny Brack
Kenny Bräck
Kenny Bräck is a race car driver from Sweden. Until his retirement from racing, he competed in the CART, Indy Racing League and the IROC series. He is the winner of the 1999 Indianapolis 500 and the 1998 driving champion of the Indy Racing League. He survived one of the racing sport's biggest...
was a full 2 mph slower at 221.593 mph.
Sunny skies, with temperatures in the 70s greeted the Speedway for the third day in a row.
Wednesday May 13
Moisture from an overnight shower delayed the start of practice for about a half hour. Billy BoatBilly Boat
William "Billy" Leonard Boat is a former American open wheel driver who raced in the Indy Racing League....
took the honors for fastest of the day at 221.691 mph, while Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...
sat out the day. Temperatures topped out at 80 degrees late in the day.
Thursday May 14
Jimmy KiteJimmy Kite
Jimmy Kite is an American race car driver. He debuted in the Indy Racing League in 1997 and has competed in over 30 IRL races, including five Indianapolis 500s...
suffered his second wall contact of the week, backing the car into the wall in turn 4. Another warm, 83 degree afternoon saw Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...
once again on top of the speed chart (223.430 mph).
Friday May 15
The final day of practice before pole day was warm, with a high of 81 degrees. Tony StewartTony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...
topped the speed chart with the fastest lap of the month (223.797 mph). Kenny Brack
Kenny Bräck
Kenny Bräck is a race car driver from Sweden. Until his retirement from racing, he competed in the CART, Indy Racing League and the IROC series. He is the winner of the 1999 Indianapolis 500 and the 1998 driving champion of the Indy Racing League. He survived one of the racing sport's biggest...
and Billy Boat
Billy Boat
William "Billy" Leonard Boat is a former American open wheel driver who raced in the Indy Racing League....
were also over 221 mph.
Boat, however, wrecked his primary car in turn 3 shortly after the 11 a.m. start. Also spinning in a separate incident (but not making contact) was Jack Hewitt
Jack Hewitt
Jack Hewitt , is a former driver and two-time champion in the USAC Silver Crown Series.- Racing career :He raced in the 1998 Indianapolis 500, placing 12th...
.
At the close of practice, Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...
entered time trials as the favorite for the pole position. Stewart led the speed chart on four of the six days of practice (sitting out one day). Foyt
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
A.J. Foyt Enterprises is a racing team in the IZOD Indycar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A. J. Foyt. Foyt Enterprises won IRL titles in 1996 with Scott Sharp and 1998 with Kenny Bräck, the latter driver also winning the Indianapolis 500 for the team...
drivers Kenny Brack
Kenny Bräck
Kenny Bräck is a race car driver from Sweden. Until his retirement from racing, he competed in the CART, Indy Racing League and the IROC series. He is the winner of the 1999 Indianapolis 500 and the 1998 driving champion of the Indy Racing League. He survived one of the racing sport's biggest...
and Billy Boat
Billy Boat
William "Billy" Leonard Boat is a former American open wheel driver who raced in the Indy Racing League....
were also front row favorites, however, Boat's crash on Friday seemed to dim his chances.
Pole Day – Saturday May 16
Pole day dawned sunny and clear, with temperatures in the high 70s. Qualifying started on-time proptly at 11 a.m., but saw two early wave-offs. The first two notable runs were put in by Robbie BuhlRobbie Buhl
Robbie Buhl is a former Indy Racing League competitor and current team-owner, with the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team in the IRL's IndyCar Series...
(220.236 mph) and Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...
(220.386 mph), but the speeds were down from their expectations.
At noon, Kenny Brack
Kenny Bräck
Kenny Bräck is a race car driver from Sweden. Until his retirement from racing, he competed in the CART, Indy Racing League and the IROC series. He is the winner of the 1999 Indianapolis 500 and the 1998 driving champion of the Indy Racing League. He survived one of the racing sport's biggest...
took over the provisional pole with a run of 220.982 mph. Minutes later, Jimmy Kite
Jimmy Kite
Jimmy Kite is an American race car driver. He debuted in the Indy Racing League in 1997 and has competed in over 30 IRL races, including five Indianapolis 500s...
crashed for the third time of the week. At 12:45 p.m., Billy Boat
Billy Boat
William "Billy" Leonard Boat is a former American open wheel driver who raced in the Indy Racing League....
took to the track for his run. His first lap was a remarkable 224.573 mph, the fastest lap of the month. The three other laps dropped off, but his four-lap average of 223.503 mph was fast enough to secure the pole position.
Sixteen cars completed runs before the mid-afternoon down time. Around 4:15 p.m., qualifying resumed, with drivers Scott Sharp
Scott Sharp
Scott Sharp is an American race car driver in the American Le Mans Series. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Scott Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League....
and Eddie Cheever
Eddie Cheever
Edward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different...
among those making the field. At 5:15 p.m., Greg Ray
Greg Ray
Greg Ray is a former IRL IndyCar Series driver.After winning the SCCA national Formula Atlantic championship in 1993, he moved up to the CART-sanctioned Toyota Atlantic series in 1994....
squeezed onto the front row, as the second-fastest qualifier (221.125 mph).
At the end of the day, the field was filled to 26 cars, after a record 42 qualifying attempts. Among the notables not yet in the field were Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500....
, Lyn St. James
Lyn St. James
Lyn St. James is a retired professional IndyCar driver with 8 CART and 5 Indy Racing League starts to her name. She is just one of seven women who successfully qualified for the Indianapolis 500, and became the first woman to win the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award...
, and Jeff Ward
Jeff Ward (motocross)
Jeff Ward is the first motocross rider in history to win every major AMA motocross national championship...
. Luyendyk suffered through engine trouble most of the day.
Billy Boat
Billy Boat
William "Billy" Leonard Boat is a former American open wheel driver who raced in the Indy Racing League....
's unexpected speed in qualifying drew the attention of competitors, given that it occurred in the heat of the day, and it was 2½ miles per hour faster than he had run all week. Team Menard
Team Menard
Team Menard was an auto racing team in the Indianapolis 500 and Indy Racing League owned by John Menard. From 1991 to 1996 they modified their own Buick V6 engines for racing. This combination won pole for the 500 with Scott Brayton in 1995 and 1996; Tony Stewart used this combination for the first...
threatened to protest, and accused Foyt Racing
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
A.J. Foyt Enterprises is a racing team in the IZOD Indycar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A. J. Foyt. Foyt Enterprises won IRL titles in 1996 with Scott Sharp and 1998 with Kenny Bräck, the latter driver also winning the Indianapolis 500 for the team...
of cheating by illegally using nitrous
Nitrous
Nitrous oxide is a chemical compound used as an oxidizing agent to increase an internal combustion engine's power output by allowing more fuel to be burned than would normally be the case.-Nitrous and NOS:...
. The Indy Racing League took no action, and Boat was not penalized.
Bump Day – Sunday May 17
With seven positions remaining in the field, the second and final day of time trials saw heavy activity. In the first hour, veterans Raul BoeselRaul Boesel
Raul de Mesquita Boesel is a former racing driver who raced for the March and Ligier Formula One teams and later raced in Champ Car and the Indy Racing League.He won the 1987 World Sportscar Championship and the 1988 24 Hours of Daytona...
, Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500....
and Jeff Ward
Jeff Ward (motocross)
Jeff Ward is the first motocross rider in history to win every major AMA motocross national championship...
were among the early qualifiers. Scott Harrington
Scott Harrington
Scott Harrington is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. Starting out on two wheels, Harrington won a number of championships and achieved much success in the world of AMA Motocross and Supercross. In 1986 Sports Car Magazine picked Harrington as one of the three most promising drivers in...
, however, blew an engine and wrecked on his second lap, which put a halt to qualifying for nearly 45 minutes.
In the heat of the day (1:52 p.m.), Eliseo Salazar
Eliseo Salazar
Eliseo Salazar Valenzuela is a Chilean racing driver, and the only one of his countrymen to compete in Formula One. He participated in 37 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix scoring a total of three championship points...
completed a run at 216.259 mph, the second-slowest in the field. His run was followed by a long down-time, as teams waited for optimum conditions.
At 4:30 p.m., qualifying resumed, and several cars took to the track. During the next hour, 13 attempts were made, but only 5 were run to completion. Jimmy Kite
Jimmy Kite
Jimmy Kite is an American race car driver. He debuted in the Indy Racing League in 1997 and has competed in over 30 IRL races, including five Indianapolis 500s...
found the needed speed, and managed to fill the field to 33 cars at 4:55 p.m. With Billy Roe
Billy Roe
Billy Roe , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1997-1998 and 2000-2002 seasons with 16 career starts, including 2 at the Indianapolis 500. His best IRL finish was a 12th place at Nashville Speedway in 2001. In the 1997 Las Vegas Motor Speedway race, he fielded his own car...
(215.781 mph) on the bubble, Mike Groff
Mike Groff
Mike Groff is a former race car driver in CART and the Indy Racing League and the 1989 Indy Lights champion. He made 54 starts in CART beginning in 1990 with a best finish of 6th, occurring at Phoenix International Raceway in 1994...
bumped him out at 5:23 p.m., putting Eliseo Salazar (216.259 mph) on the bubble. Minutes later, Roe
Billy Roe
Billy Roe , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1997-1998 and 2000-2002 seasons with 16 career starts, including 2 at the Indianapolis 500. His best IRL finish was a 12th place at Nashville Speedway in 2001. In the 1997 Las Vegas Motor Speedway race, he fielded his own car...
went back out and bumped his way back into the field. The move placed Johnny Unser
Johnny Unser
Johnny Unser is a former race car driver. He is the son of open wheel driver Jerry Unser, cousin of Al Unser, Jr. and Robby Unser, nephew of Al Unser and Bobby Unser, and first cousin once removed of Alfred Unser. He made 5 starts in CART in 1993 and 1994 with a best result of 15th...
(216.316 mph) on the bubble. Claude Bourbonnais
Claude Bourbonnais
Claude Bourbonnais , is a former driver in the Toyota Atlantic, Indy Lights, and CART Championship Car series. He raced in the 1994 CART series with 5 starts...
, Dan Drinan
Dan Drinan
Dan Drinan is an American sprint car driver from Indianapolis who failed on three separate attempts to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. His first attempt came in 1996, the first year that the Indy Racing League sanctioned the race...
, and Lyn St. James
Lyn St. James
Lyn St. James is a retired professional IndyCar driver with 8 CART and 5 Indy Racing League starts to her name. She is just one of seven women who successfully qualified for the Indianapolis 500, and became the first woman to win the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award...
all fell short of Unser's speed, and failed to bump him out. With four minutes remaining, Eliseo Salazar
Eliseo Salazar
Eliseo Salazar Valenzuela is a Chilean racing driver, and the only one of his countrymen to compete in Formula One. He participated in 37 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix scoring a total of three championship points...
scrambled into Stan Wattles
Stan Wattles
Stan Wattles , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1996-2001 seasons with 19 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in 1998-2000. He placed 8th in two races, and led his 2 laps in his first, in 1996 at Walt Disney World Speedway, but never led in his other contests...
' back-up car, but managed only 211 mph on the first two laps. The car began smoking, and he was waved off. The 6 o'clock gun fired with Hideshi Matsuda
Hideshi Matsuda
Hideshi Matsuda , is a racecar driver and Japanese TV reporter. He has raced in several 24-hour races, including Daytona and LeMans. He also raced 4 times in the Indianapolis 500, in 1994-1996 and 1999, usually for Beck Motorsports. He also drove in one CART Championship Car race at Twin Ring...
waiting in line.
With Lyn St. James having failed to qualify, the 1998 Indy 500 had an all-male field for the first time since 1991
1991 Indianapolis 500
The 75th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26, 1991. Rick Mears won from the pole position, becoming the third four-time winner of the Indy 500, joining A. J. Foyt and Al Unser....
.
Pre race
Rain fell race morning, and delayed the start of the race by about 35 minutes. While track drying efforts were on-going, a dog snuck out onto the track in turn four, and began running down the pit lane. It eluded officials, and ran all the way to turn two before being caught. Mari Hulman GeorgeMari Hulman George
Mari Hulman George, born Mary Antonia Hulman on December 26, 1934, in Terre Haute, Indiana, is the daughter of the late Anton "Tony" Hulman and Mary Fendrich Hulman, prominent Indiana philanthropists and business owners...
gave the command to start engines at 11:32 a.m. EST, and the field pulled away for the parade laps.
Start
At the start, Eddie CheeverEddie Cheever
Edward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different...
got loose in turn one, and pitched J. J. Yeley
J. J. Yeley
Christopher Beltram Hernandez Yeley is a NASCAR driver. Nicknamed "J. J." , he is currently a competitor in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, driving for Front Row Motorsports.-Open wheel:Yeley initially made a mark for himself in the world of auto racing when he took the Hoosier state by...
down to the inside. Yeley did a half-spin in turn one, and made slight contact with Eddie Cheever
Eddie Cheever
Edward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different...
. Both cars were undamaged and continued. At the front of the pack, Billy Boat
Billy Boat
William "Billy" Leonard Boat is a former American open wheel driver who raced in the Indy Racing League....
led the first dozen laps. On lap 13, Greg Ray
Greg Ray
Greg Ray is a former IRL IndyCar Series driver.After winning the SCCA national Formula Atlantic championship in 1993, he moved up to the CART-sanctioned Toyota Atlantic series in 1994....
took over the lead, with Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...
charging in third. On lap 21, Buhl became hung up in traffic, and Stewart dove into the lead down the main stretch. One lap later, however, his engine blew and the car coasted to a stop in turn 1. A dejected Stewart, suffering misfortune in his third straight "500", blurted out on live television "This has been my number one goal; every year I get shit on."
First half
Robbie BuhlRobbie Buhl
Robbie Buhl is a former Indy Racing League competitor and current team-owner, with the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team in the IRL's IndyCar Series...
(Stewart's teammate) also blew an engine, dropping out on lap 45. As the green came out on lap 49, a major crash occurred in turn 3. Several cars were running two-wide as they approached turn three. Sam Schmidt
Sam Schmidt
Sam Schmidt is a former Indy Racing League driver and current IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights Series team owner....
, running inside of Davey Hamilton
Davey Hamilton
Davey Jay Hamilton is a race car driver in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. He has made 50 series starts and while never winning a race, finished second 3 times...
, got into the grass, lost control, and spun backwards into the turn three wall. Eddie Cheever
Eddie Cheever
Edward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different...
, immediately behind, slipped underneath, and escaped the incident. Stan Wattles
Stan Wattles
Stan Wattles , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1996-2001 seasons with 19 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in 1998-2000. He placed 8th in two races, and led his 2 laps in his first, in 1996 at Walt Disney World Speedway, but never led in his other contests...
ran into the back of Mark Dismore
Mark Dismore
Mark Dismore is a former driver in the Indy Racing League and the 1990 Toyota Pacific champion as well as the winner of the 1993 24 Hours of Daytona with Dan Gurney's All American Racers in a Toyota GTP car with co-drivers Rocky Moran and P. J. Jones...
, and they collected Roberto Guerrero
Roberto Guerrero
Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982...
. Billy Roe
Billy Roe
Billy Roe , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1997-1998 and 2000-2002 seasons with 16 career starts, including 2 at the Indianapolis 500. His best IRL finish was a 12th place at Nashville Speedway in 2001. In the 1997 Las Vegas Motor Speedway race, he fielded his own car...
was left with nowhere to go, and was caught up in the incident. Jim Guthrie then approached the scene and ran over debris, which caused the car to pinch down and cut through the grass. He hit an errant rear wing, and the car shot head-on into the outside wall. Guthrie was transported to Methodist Hospital
Methodist Hospital of Indianapolis
Methodist Hospital of Indianapolis is a hospital part of Indiana University Health, located in Indianapolis, state of Indiana, United States. It is the largest hospital in the state of Indiana and one of only two regional Level I Trauma Centers in the state...
with a broken elbow, broken leg, and cracked ribs.
After a long yellow flag, and series of pit stops, Kenny Brack
Kenny Bräck
Kenny Bräck is a race car driver from Sweden. Until his retirement from racing, he competed in the CART, Indy Racing League and the IROC series. He is the winner of the 1999 Indianapolis 500 and the 1998 driving champion of the Indy Racing League. He survived one of the racing sport's biggest...
and Eddie Cheever
Eddie Cheever
Edward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different...
worked into their lead, with Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500....
and Buddy Lazier
Buddy Lazier
Robert Buddy Lazier is an American Indycar driver. He won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and has finished in the Top Ten in that race six times...
also amongst the top five.
Second half
John Paul, Jr.John Paul, Jr.
John Lee Paul, Jr. is a former race car driver in CART and the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series and winner of the 1982 12 Hours of Sebring while co-driving with his father John Paul, Sr....
took the lead at the halfway point, and traded the lead with Eddie Cheever
Eddie Cheever
Edward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different...
over the next 50 laps. After earlier gearbox troubles, Billy Boat
Billy Boat
William "Billy" Leonard Boat is a former American open wheel driver who raced in the Indy Racing League....
finally dropped out for good on lap 132, then Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500....
lost a clutch on lap 153.
By lap 160, Eddie Cheever
Eddie Cheever
Edward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different...
led Buddy Lazier
Buddy Lazier
Robert Buddy Lazier is an American Indycar driver. He won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and has finished in the Top Ten in that race six times...
with rookie Steve Knapp
Steve Knapp
Steve Knapp , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1998-2000 seasons with 13 career starts, including 3 at the Indianapolis 500. His best career finish was in his first race, a third place at the 1998 Indianapolis 500, where he was named Rookie of the Year. He never led...
the only other car on the lead lap. John Paul, Jr.
John Paul, Jr.
John Lee Paul, Jr. is a former race car driver in CART and the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series and winner of the 1982 12 Hours of Sebring while co-driving with his father John Paul, Sr....
's chances for a win died when he stalled four times trying to exit the pits on lap 177. He lost three laps, and was in the pits for almost four minutes.
Finish
With 17 laps to go, a restart saw CheeverEddie Cheever
Edward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different...
leading Lazier
Buddy Lazier
Robert Buddy Lazier is an American Indycar driver. He won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and has finished in the Top Ten in that race six times...
by 1.1 seconds. Cheever stretched the lead to over 3 seconds, but another yellow on lap 191 was brought out by the smoking car of Marco Greco
Marco Greco
Marco Greco is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and race car driver who competed in the Indy Racing League from 1996 to 1999. His best finish in the season points was 4th in 1997. He made four starts in the Indianapolis 500 with a best finish of 14th in 1998...
.
With five laps to go, the green came back out, and Lazier was nose-to-tail with Cheever. Cheever held off the challenge, and stretched out to a 3.19-second margin to victory. Steve Knapp
Steve Knapp
Steve Knapp , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1998-2000 seasons with 13 career starts, including 3 at the Indianapolis 500. His best career finish was in his first race, a third place at the 1998 Indianapolis 500, where he was named Rookie of the Year. He never led...
, the only other driver to finish on the lead lap, was named rookie of the year.
Results
| Finish | Start | No | Name | Qual | Rank | C | E | T | Laps | Led | Status | Entrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | 51 | United States Eddie Cheever Eddie Cheever Edward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different... |
217.334 | 22 | D | O | G | 200 | 76 | Running | Team Cheever |
| 2 | 11 | 91 | United States Buddy Lazier Buddy Lazier Robert Buddy Lazier is an American Indycar driver. He won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and has finished in the Top Ten in that race six times... (W) |
218.287 | 14 | D | O | G | 200 | 20 | Running | Hemelgarn Racing Hemelgarn Racing Hemelgarn Racing was a racing team in the Indy Racing League owned by Ron Hemelgarn. The team won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and 2000 Series Championship with driver Buddy Lazier. Along with A.J... |
| 3 | 23 | 55 | United States Steve Knapp Steve Knapp Steve Knapp , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1998-2000 seasons with 13 career starts, including 3 at the Indianapolis 500. His best career finish was in his first race, a third place at the 1998 Indianapolis 500, where he was named Rookie of the Year. He never led... (R) |
216.445 | 31 | G | O | G | 200 | 0 | Running | ISM Racing ISM Racing ISM Racing is a former autoracing team owned by Bob Hancher. The team fielded entries in the Indy Racing League and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.-Indy Racing League:... |
| 4 | 8 | 6 | United States Davey Hamilton Davey Hamilton Davey Jay Hamilton is a race car driver in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. He has made 50 series starts and while never winning a race, finished second 3 times... |
219.748 | 8 | G | O | G | 199 | 3 | Running | Nienhouse Motorsports |
| 5 | 21 | 52 | United States Robby Unser Robby Unser Robby Unser is a former Indy Racing League driver and eight time winner of the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb. He was the IRL rookie of the year in 1998. Robby made two starts in the Indianapolis 500 with a best finish of 5th in 1998. He also finished second twice in the 1998 season, his best... (R) |
216.533 | 29 | D | O | G | 198 | 0 | Running | Team Cheever |
| 6 | 3 | 14 |  Sweden Kenny BräckKenny Bräck Kenny Bräck is a race car driver from Sweden. Until his retirement from racing, he competed in the CART, Indy Racing League and the IROC series. He is the winner of the 1999 Indianapolis 500 and the 1998 driving champion of the Indy Racing League. He survived one of the racing sport's biggest... |
220.982 | 3 | D | O | G | 198 | 23 | Running | A.J. Foyt Enterprises |
| 7 | 16 | 81 | United States John Paul, Jr. John Paul, Jr. John Lee Paul, Jr. is a former race car driver in CART and the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series and winner of the 1982 12 Hours of Sebring while co-driving with his father John Paul, Sr.... |
217.351 | 21 | D | O | F | 197 | 39 | Running | Pelfrey Racing |
| 8 | 19 | 17 | United States Andy Michner Andy Michner Andy Michner , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. Michner attempted to qualify for the 1996 Indianapolis 500 in a 1991 Lola chassis. He returned to the series in 1998 and captured his career finish was an eighth place in his first race, the 1998 Indianapolis 500... (R) |
216.922 | 26 | D | O | G | 197 | 0 | Running | Chitwood Motorsports |
| 9 | 13 | 44 | United States J. J. Yeley J. J. Yeley Christopher Beltram Hernandez Yeley is a NASCAR driver. Nicknamed "J. J." , he is currently a competitor in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, driving for Front Row Motorsports.-Open wheel:Yeley initially made a mark for himself in the world of auto racing when he took the Hoosier state by... (R) |
218.045 | 16 | D | O | F | 197 | 0 | Running | Sinden Racing Services |
| 10 | 18 | 12 | United States Buzz Calkins Buzz Calkins Bradley "Buzz" Calkins is a former Indy Racing League driver. After a successful run in Indy Lights from 1993 to 1995 where he finished 11th, 10th, and 6th in his three seasons, he and his Bradley Motorsports team purchased a 1995 Reynard chassis to compete in the inaugural season of the IRL... |
217.197 | 24 | G | O | G | 195 | 4 | Running | Bradley Motorsports Bradley Motorsports Bradley Motorsports was a racing team in the Indy Racing League owned by Colorado convenience store owner Brad Calkins. His son, Buzz Calkins, drove the bright red cars shod in the livery of Bradley Food Marts, Brad Calkins' company. Bradley won the first IRL race in 1996 at Walt Disney World... |
| 11 | 26 | 7 | United States Jimmy Kite Jimmy Kite Jimmy Kite is an American race car driver. He debuted in the Indy Racing League in 1997 and has competed in over 30 IRL races, including five Indianapolis 500s... (R) |
219.290 | 9 | D | O | G | 195 | 0 | Running | Team Scandia Team Scandia Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andrew L. Evans that fielded a record 7 cars in the 1996 Indianapolis 500. Evans bought the team from Dick Simon during the 1996 season and Simon was listed as the owners of some of Scandia's cars in the 1996 "500"... |
| 12 | 22 | 18 | United States Jack Hewitt Jack Hewitt Jack Hewitt , is a former driver and two-time champion in the USAC Silver Crown Series.- Racing career :He raced in the 1998 Indianapolis 500, placing 12th... (R) |
216.450 | 30 | G | O | G | 195 | 0 | Running | PDM Racing PDM Racing PDM Racing is a racing team in the Indy Racing League and USAC Silver Crown series owned by Paul Diatlovich. Almost always a low budget team and affectionately dubbed "Poor Dumb Mechanics" by one of its former owners, it is known to make the most out of mediocre equipment... |
| 13 | 27 | 35 | United States Jeff Ward Jeff Ward (motocross) Jeff Ward is the first motocross rider in history to win every major AMA motocross national championship... |
219.086 | 10 | G | O | G | 194 | 0 | Running | ISM Racing ISM Racing ISM Racing is a former autoracing team owned by Bob Hancher. The team fielded entries in the Indy Racing League and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.-Indy Racing League:... |
| 14 | 14 | 16 |  Brazil Marco GrecoMarco Greco Marco Greco is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and race car driver who competed in the Indy Racing League from 1996 to 1999. His best finish in the season points was 4th in 1997. He made four starts in the Indianapolis 500 with a best finish of 14th in 1998... |
217.953 | 17 | G | O | F | 183 | 0 | Engine | Phoenix Racing Marco Greco Marco Greco is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and race car driver who competed in the Indy Racing League from 1996 to 1999. His best finish in the season points was 4th in 1997. He made four starts in the Indianapolis 500 with a best finish of 14th in 1998... |
| 15 | 32 | 10 | United States Mike Groff Mike Groff Mike Groff is a former race car driver in CART and the Indy Racing League and the 1989 Indy Lights champion. He made 54 starts in CART beginning in 1990 with a best finish of 6th, occurring at Phoenix International Raceway in 1994... |
216.704 | 27 | G | O | F | 183 | 0 | Running | Jonathan Byrd Jonathan Byrd Jonathan Byrd is an American singer-songwriter based in Carrboro, North Carolina. He is best known for his narrative tales of love, life, and death in America. In 2003, he was among the winners of the New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival... /Cunningham Racing |
| 16 | 7 | 8 | United States Scott Sharp Scott Sharp Scott Sharp is an American race car driver in the American Le Mans Series. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Scott Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League.... |
219.911 | 7 | D | O | G | 181 | 0 | Gearbox | Kelley Racing Kelley Racing Kelley Racing is a former Indy Racing League team founded by Fort Wayne, Indiana-based car dealer Tom Kelley that most notably fielded a Delphi sponsored car for Scott Sharp during its entire existence from 1998 to 2004... |
| 17 | 31 | 77 |  France Stéphane Grégoire |
217.036 | 25 | G | O | G | 172 | 0 | Running | Chastain Motorsports Chastain Motorsports Chastain Motorsports is a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Indianapolis businessman Tom Chastain. The team was founded in 1997 and raced until 1998 with driver Stephan Gregoire. Gregoire finished 11th in driver points in '97 and 12th in '98 with a best race finish of 2nd at Pikes Peak... |
| 18 | 2 | 97 | United States Greg Ray Greg Ray Greg Ray is a former IRL IndyCar Series driver.After winning the SCCA national Formula Atlantic championship in 1993, he moved up to the CART-sanctioned Toyota Atlantic series in 1994.... |
221.125 | 2 | D | O | F | 167 | 18 | Gearbox | Knapp Motorsports |
| 19 | 30 | 30 | Brazil Raul Boesel Raul Boesel Raul de Mesquita Boesel is a former racing driver who raced for the March and Ligier Formula One teams and later raced in Champ Car and the Indy Racing League.He won the 1987 World Sportscar Championship and the 1988 24 Hours of Daytona... |
217.303 | 23 | G | O | G | 164 | 0 | Running | McCormack Motorsports McCormack Motorsports McCormack Motorsports is a former Indy Racing League team owned by Dennis McCormack that operated from 1996 to 2001. Based in Avon, Indiana, the team debuted at the 1996 Indianapolis 500 with a car for Randy Tolsma, however, it failed to make the field. For the 1996-1997 season, the team used 3... |
| 20 | 28 | 5 |  Netherlands Arie LuyendykArie Luyendyk Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500.... (W) |
218.935 | 11 | G | O | F | 151 | 4 | Gearbox | Treadway Racing Treadway Racing Treadway Racing is a former auto racing team that competed in the early seasons of the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. The team was owned by Indianapolis business man Fred Treadway. Prior to the IRL's inaugural season in 1996, Treadway was able to sign former Indianapolis 500 Champion Arie... |
| 21 | 15 | 40 | United States Dr. Jack Miller Jack Miller (driver) Jack Miller , usually known as Dr. Jack Miller, raced in the Indy Racing League from 1997 to 2001 and the Indianapolis 500 from 1997 to 1999. Miller is a dentist and, thus, was known as "the racing dentist." His best IRL finish was a 9th in 1998 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. His best finish in the Indy... |
217.800 | 19 | D | I | F | 128 | 0 | Running | Sinden Racing Services |
| 22 | 9 | 21 |  Colombia Roberto GuerreroRoberto Guerrero Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982... |
218.900 | 12 | D | O | G | 125 | 0 | Running | Pagan Racing Pagan Racing -CART Indy 500 entries:The team was founded in 1993 when the team purchased the CART IndyCar equipment of Kenny Bernstein's King Racing. The team fielded a car for Jeff Andretti for the 1993 Indianapolis 500 who finished 29th after a crash. The following year they signed veteran Roberto Guerrero to... |
| 23 | 1 | 11 | United States Billy Boat Billy Boat William "Billy" Leonard Boat is a former American open wheel driver who raced in the Indy Racing League.... |
223.503 | 1 | D | O | G | 111 | 12 | Drive Line | A.J. Foyt Enterprises |
| 24 | 10 | 4 | Canada Scott Goodyear Scott Goodyear Scott Goodyear is a former race car driver from Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. Goodyear ran the IRL and Champ Car series during his career from 1987, winning the Michigan 500 in 1992 and 1994... |
218.357 | 13 | G | O | G | 100 | 0 | Clutch | Panther Racing Panther Racing Panther Racing is an American open wheel auto racing team. It is one of the oldest continually operating teams in Indy Racing League LLC's IZOD IndyCar Series.... |
| 25 | 25 | 9 | United States Johnny Unser Johnny Unser Johnny Unser is a former race car driver. He is the son of open wheel driver Jerry Unser, cousin of Al Unser, Jr. and Robby Unser, nephew of Al Unser and Bobby Unser, and first cousin once removed of Alfred Unser. He made 5 starts in CART in 1993 and 1994 with a best result of 15th... |
216.316 | 33 | D | O | G | 98 | 0 | Engine | Hemelgarn Racing Hemelgarn Racing Hemelgarn Racing was a racing team in the Indy Racing League owned by Ron Hemelgarn. The team won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and 2000 Series Championship with driver Buddy Lazier. Along with A.J... |
| 26 | 6 | 99 | United States Sam Schmidt Sam Schmidt Sam Schmidt is a former Indy Racing League driver and current IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights Series team owner.... |
219.981 | 6 | D | O | F | 48 | 0 | Accident | LP Racing |
| 27 | 12 | 28 | United States Mark Dismore Mark Dismore Mark Dismore is a former driver in the Indy Racing League and the 1990 Toyota Pacific champion as well as the winner of the 1993 24 Hours of Daytona with Dan Gurney's All American Racers in a Toyota GTP car with co-drivers Rocky Moran and P. J. Jones... |
218.096 | 15 | D | O | G | 48 | 0 | Accident | Kelley Racing Kelley Racing Kelley Racing is a former Indy Racing League team founded by Fort Wayne, Indiana-based car dealer Tom Kelley that most notably fielded a Delphi sponsored car for Scott Sharp during its entire existence from 1998 to 2004... |
| 28 | 29 | 19 | United States Stan Wattles Stan Wattles Stan Wattles , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1996-2001 seasons with 19 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in 1998-2000. He placed 8th in two races, and led his 2 laps in his first, in 1996 at Walt Disney World Speedway, but never led in his other contests... (R) |
217.477 | 20 | R | O | G | 48 | 0 | Accident | Metro Racing |
| 29 | 20 | 53 | United States Jim Guthrie |
216.604 | 28 | G | O | G | 48 | 0 | Accident | ISM Racing ISM Racing ISM Racing is a former autoracing team owned by Bob Hancher. The team fielded entries in the Indy Racing League and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.-Indy Racing League:... |
| 30 | 33 | 33 | United States Billy Roe Billy Roe Billy Roe , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1997-1998 and 2000-2002 seasons with 16 career starts, including 2 at the Indianapolis 500. His best IRL finish was a 12th place at Nashville Speedway in 2001. In the 1997 Las Vegas Motor Speedway race, he fielded his own car... |
217.834 | 18 | D | O | G | 48 | 0 | Accident | Team Scandia Team Scandia Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andrew L. Evans that fielded a record 7 cars in the 1996 Indianapolis 500. Evans bought the team from Dick Simon during the 1996 season and Simon was listed as the owners of some of Scandia's cars in the 1996 "500"... |
| 31 | 5 | 3 | United States Robbie Buhl Robbie Buhl Robbie Buhl is a former Indy Racing League competitor and current team-owner, with the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team in the IRL's IndyCar Series... |
220.236 | 5 | D | O | F | 44 | 0 | Engine | Team Menard Team Menard Team Menard was an auto racing team in the Indianapolis 500 and Indy Racing League owned by John Menard. From 1991 to 1996 they modified their own Buick V6 engines for racing. This combination won pole for the 500 with Scott Brayton in 1995 and 1996; Tony Stewart used this combination for the first... |
| 32 | 24 | 98 | United States Donnie Beechler Donnie Beechler Donnie Beechler , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He was born in Springfield, Illinois.Beechler raced in the 1998-2001 seasons with 36 career starts, including 4 Indianapolis 500 showings... (R) |
216.357 | 32 | G | O | F | 34 | 0 | Engine | Cahill Racing Cahill Racing Cahill Racing was a Indy Racing League IndyCar Series team owned by Iowa businessman Larry Cahill. The team initially was active from 1998-2002. From 1999 to 2000 the team was sponsored by Big Daddy's BBQ Sauce, a company with a history of failing to complete the commitments of their auto racing... |
| 33 | 4 | 1 | United States Tony Stewart Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart... |
220.386 | 4 | D | O | F | 22 | 1 | Engine | Team Menard Team Menard Team Menard was an auto racing team in the Indianapolis 500 and Indy Racing League owned by John Menard. From 1991 to 1996 they modified their own Buick V6 engines for racing. This combination won pole for the 500 with Scott Brayton in 1995 and 1996; Tony Stewart used this combination for the first... |
(W) – former Indianapolis 500 winner; (R) – Denotes Rookie Candidate
*C Chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
: D=Dallara
Dallara
Dallara Automobili is an Italian chassis manufacturer for various motor racing series, being most notable for its near-monopoly in Formula 3 since 1993...
, G=G-Force
G-Force Technologies
G-Force Technologies was a racing car manufacturer based in England and formed by Chip Ganassi and Ken Anderson in 1991. Ganassi would leave the company early on and the company was renamed G Force Precision Engineering. The company built successful cars in the Indy Racing League and 24 Hours of...
, R=Riley & Scott
Riley & Scott
Riley & Scott Cars Inc. was a racing constructor and racing team that primarily provided chassis for various forms of motorsport, but worked primarily in sports car racing. It was founded in 1990 by Bob Riley and Mark Scott.-Sports car racing:...
*E Engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
: I=Infiniti
Infiniti
is the luxury division of automaker Nissan. Infiniti officially started selling vehicles on November 8, 1989 in North America. Marketing operations have since grown to include the Middle East, South Korea, Russia, Taiwan, China, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. Infiniti began sales in additional...
, O=Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory...
*T Tire
Tire
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...
: F=Firestone
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company is an American tire company founded by Harvey Firestone in 1900 to supply pneumatic tires for wagons, buggies, and other forms of wheeled transportation common in the era. Firestone soon saw the huge potential for marketing tires for automobiles. The company...
, G=Goodyear
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. Goodyear manufactures tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, SUVs, race cars, airplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-mover machinery....
Failed to qualify:
#15
Chile Eliseo SalazarEliseo Salazar
Eliseo Salazar Valenzuela is a Chilean racing driver, and the only one of his countrymen to compete in Formula One. He participated in 37 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix scoring a total of three championship points...
#27
Canada Claude BourbonnaisClaude Bourbonnais
Claude Bourbonnais , is a former driver in the Toyota Atlantic, Indy Lights, and CART Championship Car series. He raced in the 1994 CART series with 5 starts...
#29
United States Joe GosekJoe Gosek
Joe Gosek , is a super-modified racecar driver. He also raced in the 1996 Indianapolis 500, finishing 22nd.Was nicknamed "Double-O" Joe Gosek for his traditional use of car number '00.'...
#54
Japan Hideshi MatsudaHideshi Matsuda
Hideshi Matsuda , is a racecar driver and Japanese TV reporter. He has raced in several 24-hour races, including Daytona and LeMans. He also raced 4 times in the Indianapolis 500, in 1994-1996 and 1999, usually for Beck Motorsports. He also drove in one CART Championship Car race at Twin Ring...
#66
United States Scott HarringtonScott Harrington
Scott Harrington is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. Starting out on two wheels, Harrington won a number of championships and achieved much success in the world of AMA Motocross and Supercross. In 1986 Sports Car Magazine picked Harrington as one of the three most promising drivers in...
#24
United States Dan DrinanDan Drinan
Dan Drinan is an American sprint car driver from Indianapolis who failed on three separate attempts to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. His first attempt came in 1996, the first year that the Indy Racing League sanctioned the race...
#23
United States Paul DurantPaul Durant
Paul Durant , is a former driver American racecar driver from San Diego, California.He first excelled in modified stock car racing, winning a number of regional championships. He then competed in the USAC Silver Crown Series in 1994...
#90
United States Lyn St. JamesLyn St. James
Lyn St. James is a retired professional IndyCar driver with 8 CART and 5 Indy Racing League starts to her name. She is just one of seven women who successfully qualified for the Indianapolis 500, and became the first woman to win the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award...