IRL: Indy 500 Team Pelfrey files entry; Billy Boat to drive

INDIANAPOLIS, Sunday, April 9, 2000 - Team Pelfrey filed an entry April 7 for the 84th Indianapolis 500, with 1998 Indy pole sitter Billy Boat listed as the driver. Boat, from Phoenix, will drive the #81 Team Pelfrey Dallara/Oldsmobile/Firestone, and the team also has entered a backup car. Tim Whiting is the chief mechanic, with Gilbert Lage as team manager. Boat will attempt to make his fourth start at Indianapolis. He finished a career-best third last year in an A.J. Foyt Racing entry. Boat won the PPG Pole in a Foyt entry in 1998 but finished 23rd that year. Former USAC standout Boat is seventh in the Indy Racing Northern Light Series point standings after finishing ninth and sixth, respectively, in the first two races of the season for Team Pelfrey.

Team Pelfrey has produced an impressive record at Indianapolis the last two years. John Paul Jr. finished seventh for the team in 1998, leading 39 laps. Robby Unser finished eighth last year in the Team Pelfrey entry. Practice starts May 13 for the Indianapolis 500, with Pole Day May 20 and Race Day May 28.

The entry deadline is midnight April 12. All entrants will compete for one of the 33 starting spots in the world’s most prestigious auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The posted purse for last year’s event was $9,047,150, an all-time motorsports record.

-IRLNS/IMS-