IRL: Stewart, Ward Lead List of Recent Entries for Indy 500
9 April 1999
By Paul Kellyindy500.com
INDIANAPOLIS - 1996 Indianapolis 500 Bank One Rookie of the Year Tony Stewart and 1997 Rookie of the Year Jeff Ward were among five entries for the 83rd Indianapolis 500 received April 7-8. Other entries were received for Raul Boesel, Dr. Jack Miller and rookie Dave Steele. Entries must be postmarked by midnight April 9. The Indianapolis 500 takes place May 30.
Stewart will attempt to qualify for his fourth Indianapolis 500, but for the first time as an owner-driver. He will drive the #22 The Home Depot Dallara/Aurora/Goodyear fielded by Tri Star Motorsports, co-owned by Stewart, team manager Larry Curry and Indianapolis businessman Andy Card. Stewart, from Indianapolis, started on the PPG Pole as a rookie in 1996 when teammate and polesitter Scott Brayton suffered fatal injuries in a practice crash. Stewart's best finish at Indianapolis is fifth in 1997, the same year in which he won the Pep Boys Indy Racing League championship. Ward will attempt to start in his third Indianapolis 500. He was named Bank One Rookie of the Year after finishing third in 1997.
Ward, from San Juan Capistrano, Calif., will drive the #21 Pagan Racing-Dallara-Oldsmobile Dallara/Aurora/Goodyear, with Mitch Davis as chief mechanic and Jack Pegues as team manager.
Veteran Boesel has the best Indianapolis 500 finish of the recent entrants, third in 1989. He also was fourth in 1993.
Boesel, from Curitiba, Brazil, will attempt to make his 11th Indianapolis 500 start in the #30 TransWorld Racing-McCormack Motorsports G Force/Aurora/Firestone fielded by McCormack Motorsports. Brad McCanless is the team manager.
Pep Boys Indy Racing League veteran Miller will make his 1999 debut at Indianapolis as a teammate to Stewart with Tri Star Motorsports. Miller will drive the #17 Dallara/Aurora/Goodyear with sponsorship from Dean's Milk Chug, a brand of Dean's Food Company, the nation's largest dairy processor and distributor.
Miller's other sponsors include Marsh Supermarkets, Century 21, United Concordia Companies, Ultradent Products, Inc., American Dairy Association, Dairy & Nutrition Council, EMS - Electro Medical Systems, Sonicare-Optiva Corporation, Nextel Communications, Crystal Food Services and Church Brothers-Collision Team of America.
Miller, a practicing dentist from Carmel, Ind., has competed twice in the Indianapolis 500, with a best finish of 20th as a rookie in 1997. Steele, from Tampa, Fla., was entered as a Panther Racing teammate to two-time Indianapolis 500 runner-up Scott Goodyear. He will drive the #43 Pennzoil Panther G Force G Force/Aurora/Goodyear with John Barnes as team manager.
Steele, who competed in three Pep Boys Indy Racing League events in 1998, passed all four phases of the Rookie Orientation Program on April 8 at the Speedway. He is the first rookie to officially be entered in this year's race.
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