INDY 500: Galles Racing, Beck Motorsports file entries for Indy as deadline nears
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
April 11, 2001
INDIANAPOLIS - Galles Racing filed three entries, and Beck Motorsports filed one April 10 as the entry deadline for the 85th Indianapolis 500 approaches.
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr. and rookies Didier André and Casey Mears were named as the drivers for Galles, while 1998 Indy pole sitter Billy Boat was named to drive the Beck entry.
The 85th Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for May 27. Entries must be postmarked by April 11. All drivers will compete for one of the 33 starting spots in the world's most prestigious auto race.
Unser, from Albuquerque, N.M., will drive the No. 3 Galles Racing Starz SuperPak G Force/Oldsmobile/Firestone, with an identical backup entered. Donnie Miller is the chief mechanic.
Unser will attempt to make his 14th career Indianapolis 500 start. He won the race in 1992 and 1994, the 1992 win coming by just .043 of a second in the closest finish in race history. Unser will attempt to earn the 10th victory at the Brickyard for his family. His father, Al Unser, has won four times, and his uncle, Bobby, has won three times.
André, a French native living in Albuquerque, N.M., will drive the No. 32 Galles Racing G Force/Oldsmobile/Firestone. No backup was entered. Brian Heriza is the chief mechanic.
Mears, from Bakersfield, Calif., will drive the No. 31 Galles Racing SportsLine.com G Force/Oldsmobile/Firestone, with an identical backup entered. John King is the chief mechanic.
Mears is the son of Indianapolis 500 veteran Roger Mears and the nephew of four-time Indy winner Rick Mears.
Casey Mears completed the Rookie Orientation Program in April 2000 at Indianapolis but did not participate in the event in May. André must participate in the Rookie Orientation Program on April 13-14 at Indianapolis to be eligible to start practice on Opening Day, May 6.
Unser, André and Mears are full-time teammates in the Indy Racing Northern Light Series. Darren Russell is the chief mechanic for all three Galles Racing entries in the series and at Indianapolis.
Galles is the third team to file three entries this year for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, joining Kelley Racing and Hemelgarn Racing.
For the Beck entry this year, Boat will drive the No. 98 Curb Records Dallara/Oldsmobile/Firestone, with an identical backup car entered. Tom Bose is the chief mechanic, and team owner Greg Beck also is the team manager.
Boat, from Phoenix, will attempt to make his fifth consecutive Indianapolis start. His best finish is third in 1999. Boat was the final driver to make the starting field in 2000, starting his qualification attempt in an A.J. Foyt Racing entry just seconds before the end of qualifying on Bump Day.
Text provided by Paul Kelly
Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot photos and racing art, please visit The Racing Image Galleries and The Visions of Speed Art Gallery .