Newz Forum: AUTO: Four qualify for Indy field, bringing total to 26

The Indianapolis 500 is still struggling to make up their field for this years Indy 500. Currently there are 26 cars in the field of a possible 33. The thin field is partially due to the new rules on engine sizes. Owners and rides are unable to come up with the necessary funds to build the new restricted engines. Horsepower was cut down to help lowering the speeds on the track, but the changes also cost a lot of money. This has resulted in a lower number of cars trying to qualify for the 500.

Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS -- Bryan Herta, Alex Barron and Felipe Giaffone bounced back from crashes 24 hours earlier and topped second-round qualifying Sunday for the Indianapolis 500.

Barron, who started twice at Indy, turned in a four-lap, 10-mile qualifying average of 218.836 mph, while Herta earned his third start at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 219.871.

Giaffone, a three-time Indy starter and the third-place finisher in 2002, put together a solid 216.259 run as time ran out.

Comments:
I hope the IRL and Indy realize that some of the changes that were made were a little too extreme and cost too much money. Changing the aerodynamics packages would have been a good start, or using some sort of restrictor plate like at the superspeedways in Nascar. Hope they get enough to field 33, its a lot more exciting.

[Edited on 5/16/2004 by crayon]