Hornish Leads 13 SCCA Grads in Indy 500 Time Trials

 

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (May 21, 2006) - Former SCCA Pro Racing standout Sam
Hornish Jr. took one step closer to winning the 90th Indianapolis 500,
winning the pole position on Saturday and leading 13 of the 32
qualifiers who have SCCA racing on their resumes.

 

Hornish, who, at age 16, began a three-year stint in the SCCA Pro Racing
U.S. F2000 National Championship, earned his first-career Indy 500 pole.
It is the 13th for team owner and SCCA graduate Roger Penske.

 

Starting on the outside of the front row, third on the grid, is
defending series and Indy 500 Champion Dan Wheldon, who won the 1999
U.S. F2000 National Championship in his first-ever foray into the North
American motorsports scene.

 

Other drivers with SCCA resumes include: Eighth-starting Scott Sharp
(Multi-time SCCA Club Racing and Trans-Am Champion), 13th-starting
Michael Andretti (SCCA Club Racing and Pro Racing experience in
Atlantics), 14th-starting former Indy 500 Champion Buddy Rice (SCCA Club
Racing and Pro Racing experience in U.S. F2000), 18th-starting Max Papis
(SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT driver in 2005), 22nd-starting Jeff
Bucknum (SCCA Pro Racing Barber Dodge), 23rd-starting Larry Foyt (SCCA
Club Racing and Pro Racing experience in U.S. F2000), 24th-starting
Jacques Lazier (SCCA Club Racing National Champion), 25th-starting Buddy
Lazier (SCCA Club Racing and Pro Racing), 26th-starting Jeff Simmons
(SCCA Club Racing and Pro Racing in U.S. F2000), 27th-starting Al Unser
Jr. (SCCA Pro Racing series champion in Can-Am and Super Vee) and
31st-starting Arie Luyendyk Jr. (SCCA Club Racing and Pro Racing in U.S.
F2000).

 

The 90th Indianapolis 500 IRL IndyCar(r) race is scheduled for Sunday,
May 28 at 1 p.m. (EDT).

 


Attached: Image of Sam Hornish Jr., Roger Penske and Indianapolis Motor
Speedway President and COO Joie Chitwood during the Visa Card Pole Award
presentation on Saturday. Image may only be used for news release
purposes (c) 2006 Indy Racing League.