Indy 500 Field Expanded to 35; Johnny Unser, St. James Back In

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis 500 lineup was expanded to 35 drivers Sunday, giving starting spots to all qualifiers regardless of exemptions by the Indy Racing League.

The move on the final day of time trials for Sunday’s race restored veterans Johnny Unser and Lyn St. James, who did not have guaranteed spots and apparently had been bumped, to the field.

Seven others who qualified slower than Unser and St. James had exemptions and already were in the lineup.

“In my opinion, this is the fair thing to do, to start the fastest 33 cars. To do that, we’ll end up starting 35,” IRL executive director Leo Mehl said.

Scott Harrington was the final driver to make an attempt but crashed after his first lap at 214.061 mph, which would have been more than enough to make the field.

The IRL rule, which will be discarded starting next year, promised up to 25 of the usual 33 spots to the season point leaders as a way of encouraging participation in the full series. But the IRL said Friday there already were enough entrants and that it would abolish the guarantee, which was one of the reasons the rival CART teams and many of the top drivers have boycotted Indy.

CART, which still would have to buy new IRL cars to return to Indianapolis next year, is staging its own race near St. Louis on Saturday, the day before the 500.

The 35 starters will comprise the largest lineup since 1979, when there were protests that some teams had cheated by using illegally altered pressure relief valves. Eleven drivers who were bumped were given a chance to get back into the lineup, but only Bill Vukovich Jr. and George Snider qualified.

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Indianapolis 500 Lineup

The lineup for Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, listing the driver, hometown or country, car number, chassis-engine and four-lap qualification average speed in mph. All cars 1995 models unless noted otherwise.

ROW 1

1. Arie Luyendyk, Netherlands, No. 5, G Force-Aurora, 218.263.

2. Tony Stewart, Indianapolis, No. 2, G Force-Aurora, 218.021.

3. r-Vincenzo Sospiri, Italy, No. 8, Dallara-Aurora, 216.822.

ROW 2

4. Robbie Buhl, Grosse Pointe, Mich., No. 3, G Force-Aurora, 216.102.

5. Scott Goodyear, Canada, No. 6, G Force-Aurora, 215.811.

6. Jim Guthrie, Albuquerque, N.M., No. 27, Dallara-Aurora, 215.207.

ROW 3

7. r-Jeff Ward, San Juan Capistrano, No. 52, G Force-Aurora, 214.517.

8. Davey Hamilton, Boise, Idaho, No. 14, G Force-Aurora, 214.484.

9. Eliseo Salazar, Chile, No. 7, Dallara-Aurora, 214.320.

ROW 4

10. Buddy Lazier, Vail, Colo., No. 91, Dallara-Aurora, 214.286.

11. Eddie Cheever, Tampa, Fla., No. 51, G Force-Aurora, 214.073

12. Robby Gordon, Cornelius, N.C., No. 42, G Force-Aurora, 213.211.

ROW 5

13. Stephan Gregoire, France, No. 77, G Force-Aurora, 213.126.

14. r-Affonso Giaffone, Brazil, No. 17, Dallara-Aurora, 212.974.

15. r-Kenny Brack, Sweden, No. 4, G Force-Aurora, 211.221.

ROW 6

16. Buzz Calkins, Denver, No. 12, G Force-Aurora, 209.564.

17. r-Jack Miller, Carmel, Ind., No. 40, Dallara-Infiniti, 209.250.

18. Mike Groff, Pasadena, No. 10, G Force-Infiniti, 208.537.

ROW 7

19. Roberto Guerrero, San Juan Capistrano, No. 21, Dallara-Infiniti, 207.371.

20. r-Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Ind., No. 44, Dallara-Aurora, 210.793.

21. r-Robbie Groff, Atlanta, No. 30, G Force-Aurora, 207.792.

ROW 8

22. r-Billy Boat, Phoenix, No. 11, Dallara-Aurora, 215.544.

23. r-Sam Schmidt, Las Vegas, No. 16, Dallara-Aurora, 215.141.

24. r-Billy Roe, Gilbert, Ariz., No. 50, Dallara-Aurora, 212.752.

ROW 9

25. Mark Dismore, Greenfield, Ind., No. 28, Dallara-Aurora, 212.423.

26. r-Tyce Carlson, Indianapolis, No. 18, Dallara-Aurora, 210.852.

27. Marco Greco, Brazil, No. 22, Dallara-Aurora, 210.322.

ROW 10

28. Dennis Vitolo, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., No. 54, Dallara-Infiniti 207.626.

29. Fermin Velez, Spain, No. 33, Dallara-Aurora, 206.512.

30. r-Greg Ray, Plano, Texas, No. 97, Dallara-Aurora, 213.760.

ROW 11

31. Alessandro Zampedri, Italy, No. 34, Dallara-Aurora, 209.094.

32. r-Claude Bourbonnais, Canada, No. 72, Dallara-Aurora, 210.523.

33. Paul Durant, Manteca, Calif., No. 1, G Force-Aurora, 209.194.

ROW 12

34. Lyn St. James, Daytona Beach, Fla., No. 90, Dallara-Infiniti, 210.145.

35. Johnny Unser, Sun Valley, Idaho, No. 9, Dallara-Infiniti, 209.344.

*

Field average--212.286 mph. Record 22-car average--227.807 mph (1996).

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