Clock ticking on Abel Motorsports’ Indy 500 plans
We’re days away from knowing whether it will be 35 cars trying to qualify for 33 starting spots at the Indianapolis 500, or 34 where one unlucky driver will watch the May 26 race from the sidelines.
Abel Motorsports, which cracked the field of 33 last year as a first-time IndyCar entrant, is working hard to get its brand-new Dallara DW12 chassis ready to accept Chevrolet’s 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 engine ahead of opening practice on May 14, but vehicle readiness for what would be the 35th entry isn’t the issue.
It’s a question of funding at this stage and whether RC Enerson, Abel’s Indy 500 driver from 2023, can lock in the sponsors required to move forward.
“It’s down to RC; he’s got a really good deal he’s been working on and hopefully It’ll come together in the next week to 10 days,” Abel told RACER. “Last time we talked I said that we considered throwing in the towel but didn’t want to, but we probably are considering it at this point.”
Abel says the go/no-go window on bringing Indy its 35th entry is about to close.
“If can’t get something done in the next week or week-and-a-half, the project’s going to get stopped,” he said. “That’s why we’re being patient and really hoping RC gets the deal he’s working on put together.”
