Indianapolis 500 driver profiles
Profiles of the 33 drivers in Sunday's Indianapolis 500, in starting order with car number in parentheses, age, hometown, chassis-engine, four-lap qualification average and biographical information (w-former winner; r-rookie):
Row 1
1. (11) Tony Kanaan, 30, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Dallara-Honda, 227.566 mph. Defending IRL series champion and second to Andretti Green teammate Dan Wheldon after four races this season. Best finish second at St. Petersburg, Fla. Won three races last year and set IRL records by leading 889 laps and completing every lap of every race. Was 2003 Indy 500 runner-up to Buddy Rice. Won 1997 Indy Lights championship, made CART debut in 1998 with 10 top-10 finishes and series rookie of the year. Only CART victory came in 1999 at Michigan.
2. (6) Sam Hornish Jr., 25, Defiance, Ohio, Dallara-Toyota, 227.273. Two-time IRL series champion, moved from Panther Racing to Team Penske in place of retired 2003 Indy winner Gil de Ferran last year. Only victory was in season opener at Homestead, Fla., and finished seventh in IRL points. Best finish 14th in five starts at Indianapolis. Third in series points this year with one win, at Phoenix. Holds IRL record with 13 career wins.
3. (8) Scott Sharp, 37, Norwalk, Conn., Panoz-Honda, 227.126. Holds IRL record with 102 career starts, was series co-champion in 1996. Sixth in points this season, with best finish second at Japan. Started from pole at Indianapolis in 2001 but finished 33rd after first-lap crash. Best finishes in 10 starts at Indy were 10th in 1996 and 2000. Victory at Japan last year made him only driver to win at least one race in each of the IRL's first eight years.
Row 2
4. (16) r-Danica Patrick, 23, Roscoe, Ill., Panoz-Honda, 227.004. Highest start among four women who have qualified at Indy. Began racing go-karts at age 10. Drove in developmental Toyota Atlantic series for Rahal Letterman Racing in 2003-04, moved to IndyCar series this year. Started second, led 32 laps and finished fourth at Japan. Currently 12th in series points.
5. (3) w-Helio Castroneves, 30, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Dallara-Toyota, 226.927. Won Indianapolis 500 as rookie in 2001 and again in 2002, the first to repeat since Al Unser in 1970-71. Finished second to former Penske teammate Gil de Ferran in 2003 and ninth in 2004. Best finish this season second at Phoenix, but crashed in the past two races before Indy. Competed in Indy Lights 1996-97 and made CART debut in 1998 with Bettenhausen Motorsports. Joined Penske in 2000. Won then-record $1.6 million from Indy victory in 2002.
6. (27) Dario Franchitti, 32, Edinburgh, Scotland, Dallara-Honda, 226.873. Came to IRL with Andretti Green Racing from CART, where he was series runner-up to Juan Montoya in 1999. Made CART debut in 1997 and had seven victories with Team Green in 1998-01. Was 19th as Indy rookie in 2002, missed race in 2003 after breaking his back in motorcycle accident and 14th in 2004. Best finish this year third at St. Petersburg, Fla. Married to actress Ashley Judd.
Row 3
7. (17) Vitor Meira, 28, Brasilia, Brazil, Panoz-Honda, 226.848. Driving for Rahal Letterman, finished sixth in his second start at Indy last year. No wins in 32 career IndyCar starts. Best finish this season fourth in the opener at Homestead. Joined IRL in 2002 after two seasons in European F3000 series. Won the South American F3 championship with eight wins in 2000.
8. (55) Kosuke Matsuura, 25, Aichi, Japan, Panoz-Honda, 226.397. Fastest Indy rookie qualifier last year and rookie of the year after 11th-place finish. Also 14th in points and IRL series rookie of the year. Best finish this season ninth at Japan. Was German F3 runner-up in 2002 and third in Formula Renault V6 Eurocup series with three wins in 2003. Eleventh in IRL debut at Homestead last year.
9. (91) w-Buddy Lazier, 37, Vail, Colo., Dallara-Chevrolet, 226.353. Indy 500 winner in 1996 and IRL series champion in 2000, when he was runner-up at Indy for the second time. Also runner-up in 1998. Making 13th start at Indy and highest qualifying spot since he started fifth and won the race in 1996. Father, Bob Lazier, was 19th in only start at Indy in 1981.
