Thirteen SCCA grads on Indy 500 grid

Hornish Leads 13 SCCA Grads in Indy 500 Time Trials

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (May 21, 2006) -- Former SCCA Pro Racing standout Sam Hornish Jr. took one step closer to winning the 90th Indianapolis 500, winning the pole position on Saturday and leading 13 of the 32 qualifiers who have SCCA racing on their resumes.

Hornish, who, at age 16, began a three-year stint in the SCCA Pro Racing U.S. F2000 National Championship, earned his first-career Indy 500 pole. It is the 13th for team owner and SCCA graduate Roger Penske.

Starting on the outside of the front row, third on the grid, is defending series and Indy 500 Champion Dan Wheldon, who won the 1999 U.S. F2000 National Championship in his first-ever foray into the North American motorsports scene.

Other drivers with SCCA resumes include: Eighth-starting Scott Sharp (Multi-time SCCA Club Racing and Trans-Am Champion), 13th-starting Michael Andretti (SCCA Club Racing and Pro Racing experience in Atlantics), 14th-starting former Indy 500 Champion Buddy Rice (SCCA Club Racing and Pro Racing experience in U.S. F2000), 18th-starting Max Papis (SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT driver in 2005), 22nd-starting Jeff Bucknum (SCCA Pro Racing Barber Dodge), 23rd-starting Larry Foyt (SCCA Club Racing and Pro Racing experience in U.S. F2000), 24th-starting Jacques Lazier (SCCA Club Racing National Champion), 25th-starting Buddy Lazier (SCCA Club Racing and Pro Racing), 26th-starting Jeff Simmons (SCCA Club Racing and Pro Racing in U.S. F2000), 27th-starting Al Unser Jr. (SCCA Pro Racing series champion in Can-Am and Super Vee) and 31st-starting Arie Luyendyk Jr. (SCCA Club Racing and Pro Racing in U.S. F2000).

The 90th Indianapolis 500 IRL IndyCar® race is scheduled for Sunday, May 28 at 1 p.m. (EDT).

-scca-