Monday, June 3, 2024

INDY 500: Rookies Galore! Another Ganassi Fast Fact

Although Cheep’ only had three Rookies in the Field…

 

What better way to celebrate, or should it be commiserate the Post Indianapolis 500 Blues, Eh? With some more riveting No Fenders banter…

 

It’s Funny what sends you down another nefarious Wabbit’ Hole, Eh? As this time I’ll blame my Numero Uno IndyCar Radio Pit reporter Ryan Marin! Especially since I thought I heard Him say what was the wrong year?

 

As Ryan was talking to Ganassi’s No. 2 Man Mike Hull, who also doubles as Scott Dixon’s Strategist. With another prescient answer to Ryan’s comment noting how if All three of Ganassi’s rookies qualified for this year’s race. Ganassi would have the most rookies in the field since Scandia Racing in 1997. (Or that’s the year I thought I heard Ryan say?) To which Hull in typical understatement said “We’re Not here to make records!”

 

Having previously chronicled one of my Home-teams Scandia Racing in the following No Fenders tome…

 

http://www.nofenders.net/2016/05/r100-pacific-northwest-racing-teams_26.html

 

Ironically, contrary to popular belief. This is not the first time that Cheeps’ had five cars entered at Mother Speedway. Since I’d forgotten about 2015, when Ganassi ran Sage Karam, Scott Dixon, tony Kanaan, Sebastian Saavedra and Charlie Kimball.

 

Having been reminded when revisiting my ‘Ol No Fenders yarn about Who’s had the most Indy 500 entries?

 

http://www.nofenders.net/2015/05/indy-500-whos-really-had-most-entries.html

 

As Team scandia set the record Wayback’ in 1996, when ‘lil TG’ was desperate for anybody to race in His Sandbox after instituting that Dastardly, Nefarious 25/8 Rule!

 

Obviously the most “Decorated” driver in the Andy Evans/Dick Simon stable was Formula 1 and future 24 Heurs du Mans winner Michele Alboreto. Followed by Eliseo Salazar, the only driver to ever win an IndyCar race for this organization!

 

Yet Bad Arse Sports Car Ace Fermin velez might wish to argue about “Greasy ‘Ol saladbar’s” placement upon the Team Scandia hierarchy. After all, the Spaniard did win two 12 Hours of Sebring races alongside team boss Andy Evans. Not to mention the World Sportscar Championship’s Group C2 Prototypes “Lights” title twice!

 

While Alesandro Zampedri’s claim to fame is surviving a very scary accident during the 1996 Indianapolis 500, for which part of His foot and three toes had to be amputated! Ironically getting caught-up in an accident involving teammate Salazar and Roberto Guerrero.

 

Alboreto and Felez, who were both making their debutante starts at Mother speedway were joined by the team’s other three rookies. A teenager from Mexico named Miguel Jourdain Jr. And two Yanks’, one nameless and another with a cool first name. As move over Sting Ray Robb, you’ve got nothing on Racin Gardner! Whilst most people will be saying Joe who? In regards to rookie Joe Gosek…

 

Meanwhile, Cheeps’ still got nothin’ upon Mikey a’, whose had the second most entries at Indianapolis not once, but twice! As Andretti Autosport has entered six cars in 2017 -18.

 

Whilst I won’t even bother recapping how many times Michael Andretti’s run five cars at the Speedway. Meaning this year’s “slimmed down” quartet ‘O entries must seem like easy pickings for Mikey.

 

Although you’d have thought they could have easily afforded to have a better Backup chassis for Marcus Ericsson, Eh?