Juan Pablo Montoya To Chase IndyCar Double This May

Story By: INDYCAR – INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Add Juan Pablo Montoya to the list of drivers trying to make history by achieving the first “May double” at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Montoya will aim for his third Indianapolis 500 victory on May 28 in a Team Penske entry, and team owner Roger Penske recently confirmed Montoya also will compete in the fourth annual INDYCAR Grand Prix on May 12-13 on the IMS road course.

“It’s always great to race in Indy,” Montoya said. “There’s a lot of focus on the 500 and that’s understandable, but the Grand Prix has come a long way in a short time. The course is fast but still challenging. The fan support continues to grow. More people need to discover it because all of the races have been very competitive with passing and lead changes.

“For me, I’ll be excited to get in an Indy car again for the month of May.”

No driver has swept both Verizon IndyCar Series races in May at IMS since the INDYCAR Grand Prix debuted in 2014.

Montoya earned his second Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil victory in 2015 after finishing third earlier that month in the INDYCAR Grand Prix. That is his best finish in three career starts in the INDYCAR Grand Prix.

Team Penske has dominated the INDYCAR Grand Prix, with victories by Will Power in 2015 and Simon Pagenaud in 2016. Pagenaud also won the inaugural event in 2014 when driving for Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports.

Past Verizon IndyCar Series champions Ryan Hunter-Reay and Power have come closest to achieving the “May double” at IMS.

Hunter-Reay finished second behind Pagenaud in the inaugural INDYCAR Grand Prix in 2014 before winning “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” later that month for Andretti Autosport. Power won the INDYCAR Grand Prix and finished second to Team Penske teammate Montoya in the Indianapolis 500 in 2015.

Franchitti, McLaren elected to Auto Racing Hall of Fame
Two of the most well-known names in motorsports history are the newest inductees into the Auto Racing Hall of Fame at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.

Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti and legendary driver and constructor Bruce McLaren have been voted into the prestigious pantheon by an esteemed panel of auto racing journalists, participants and historians. The 2017 inductees were announced on “Founders Day,” the 108th anniversary of the day the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Company was officially formed.

The two inductees were chosen from a star-studded ballot of 16 nominees, 7 of which received at least 50 percent of the vote. A nominee needed to be named on 75 percent of the ballots, or finish first in his or her voting category to be inducted.

Franchitti won 31 races in his illustrious IndyCar series career, taking the Indianapolis 500 in 2007, 2010 and 2012. The Scottish-born driver won four series championships (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011) and lost a fifth on a tie-breaker in 1999. Franchitti also was part of a winning effort at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2008.

“Dario Franchitti’s winning performances at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are some of the most memorable in IMS history,” said J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president. “His three wins in a five-race space, coupled with four front row starts and six top seven finishes in just 10 starts prove Dario understood how to compete at IMS. In addition, Dario was a fan favorite because of the combination of his mastery in the car coupled with his understanding and appreciation of the history of the Indianapolis 500. He, more than most, will understand the honor of becoming a member of the Auto Racing Hall of Fame.”

McLaren was a highly successful driver, designer, constructor and engineer, whose name lives on in the eponymous Formula 1 team that has captured eight constructor’s championships and 12 driver’s titles. As a driver McLaren won four Formula 1 races, two Can-Am Series championships, and co-drove to a win in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966 with fellow Kiwi Chris Amon.

“Even decades after his passing, the name Bruce McLaren instantly conjures up vivid memories for racing enthusiasts around the world, whether they be for his Formula One driving days; for his analytical approach to racing; his decision to start up his own marque, when he could well have continued to drive for other people; his utter dominance, along with fellow New Zealander Denis Hulme of the Can-Am series in the late 1960s; or for the legendary organizations he left behind which compiled multiple Formula One constructor championships and Indianapolis 500 wins” said Indianapolis Motor Speedway historian Donald Davidson.