Bruno Junqueira, John Andretti will look to make “500” field
After making way for Alex Tagliani to run in last year’s Indianapolis 500, former Champ Car star Bruno Junqueira has been paid back by the Canadian driver.
Junqueira will drive a second FAZZT Race Team entry (the No. 33 car), for this year’s Greatest Spectacle in Racing, joining the team that Tagliani co-owns along with Andre Azzi, Jason Priestley, and Jim Freudenberg. Last year, Junqueira and Tagliani attempted to qualify for the “500” with Conquest Racing, but only Junqueira was able to make the show at the end of Bump Day. However, the team decided to put Tagliani into the entry that Junqueira had qualified.
But now the Brazilian will get another chance to battle the Brickyard in the world’s greatest race. Junqueira has come close to sipping the milk in his Indy career, with two top-five finishes in 2001 and 2004. He also won the 2002 Indy pole.
“The team will give me the resources and support to compete in a car that has the capabilities of winning at the Indianapolis 500,” he said in a team press release. “To win at Indianapolis has always been a dream of mine. I’ve had some very competitive opportunities at Indianapolis, and in each year, I’ve led laps and scored two top-five finishes at the Speedway. I hope that in 2010, I am able to complete my dream of a win at Indianapolis since I have been so close in the past.”
Tagliani dubbed it “a nice way to say ‘Thank you'” to Junqueira for stepping out of the Conquest entry last year.
“Because we have enough sponsorship to run a second car at Indianapolis, we felt it important to give that chance to Bruno,” he said.
Another IZOD IndyCar Series squad will also grow by one car for the “500” — and for its lead-in race as well. John Andretti will drive a fifth Andretti Autosport machine at the Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 in Kansas City, Kan. on May 1 before attempting to grab his 11th career Indy 500 start. John will drive the No. 43 “Petty blue and day-glo red” Window World entry in a partnership between the team and seven-time NASCAR champ Richard Petty.
“It would be difficult to script a scenario any better than the one we have here,” said John in a team release. “The relationship I have with Richard, the respect I have for [team owner] Michael [Andretti] and his team, the partnership I enjoy with Window World, and all of it focused on the Indianapolis 500 — it’s really a perfect situation. I can’t wait to get in the car and get to work. May can’t get here soon enough.”
Last year, Andretti drove the Window World/Petty special to a 19th place finish for Dreyer and Reinbold Racing.
