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IRL: Robby Gordon Enters 83rd Indy 500

17 March 1999

By Paul Kelly
indy500.com

INDIANAPOLIS - Robby Gordon, a participant in the CART series, filed an entry March 16 as a driver and owner for the 83rd Indianapolis 500.

Team Gordon became the fifth team entered in the world's most prestigious race, May 30 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The entry deadline is April 9. Gordon entered a primary and backup #23 G Force/Aurora/Firestone for the fourth event in the 1999 Pep Boys Indy Racing League season, with sponsorship from Johns Manville, Menards and Duracell. John Menard, who fields a full-time team for driver Greg Ray in the Pep Boys Indy Racing League, is a part owner of Gordon's team.

Veteran Indy Racing League mechanic Tim Whiting will serve as chief mechanic. Former Team Scandia manager Luke Wethington will manage Gordon's Indianapolis 500 effort.

Gordon plans to race at both Indianapolis and the CART event May 29 at Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis. He is the first full-time CART driver entered at Indianapolis since 1995.

Team Gordon also is the third team to enter a car in both the Indianapolis 500 and CART events in the same year since 1995. Galles Racing and Walker Racing both entered cars in the CART series and the Indianapolis 500 in 1996, with Davy Jones driving for Galles at Indy and Mike Groff for Walker. Gordon, 30, from Orange, Calif., has driven in four Indianapolis 500's, with a best finish of fifth in 1994 and 1995 for Walker Racing. He last drove in the Indianapolis 500 in 1997 for Team Sabco.

1999 INDIANAPOLIS 500 ENTRIES (as of March 16)

Driver Entrant Car C/E/T Entry Date 

Stephan Gregoire Dick Simon Racing #7, #7T Mexmil-Tokheim G/A/F Feb. 19
Billy Boat A.J. Foyt Enterprises #11, #11T A.J. Foyt Racing D/A March 1
Kenny Brack A.J. Foyt Enterprises #14, #14T A.J. Foyt-Power Team 
Racing D/A March 1
Scott Sharp Kelley Racing #8, #8T Delphi Automotive Systems D/A/G March 1
Mark Dismore Kelley Racing #28, #28T MCI WorldCom D/A/G March 1
Buzz Calkins Bradley Motorsports #12, #12T Bradley Food 
Marts-Sav-O-Mat D/A/F March 1
Robby Gordon Team Gordon #23, #23T Johns 
Manville-Menards-Duracell G/A/F March 16

C/E/T - Chassis/Engine/Tire.

Chassis key: G - G Force; D-Dallara. Engine key: A-Aurora. Tire key: F - Firestone; G - Goodyear.