Indianapolis 500: Indy Racing League News and Notes - May 15, 2006

IRL Press Release

Today’s IRL headlines

1. Team Leader adds “500″ entry for Jones
2. Bräck back at Indianapolis

1. Team Leader adds “500″ entry for Jones: Earlier this month, veteran car owners Greg Beck and Kent Baker combined their resources to field an Indianapolis 500 entry for Stephan Gregoire. Now that single-car entry has grown into a two-car team.

Team Leader Motorsports announced May 15 that it has entered a second car for the 90th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race for second-generation driver PJ Jones.

“We’ve heard some buzz in the garage area calling this the ‘David vs. Goliath story,’” Team Leader Motorsports co-owner Kent Baker said. “In the beginning we found some humor in that comparison, but we’re starting to believe in it now. Now we’ve added a second rock for our slingshot.”

Jones, the son of 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones, will attempt to qualify his second Indianapolis 500 in the No. 98 Curb Records Special Panoz/Honda/Firestone.

This will be Jones’ second one-off 500 attempt with car owner Greg Beck’s Curb-Agajanian Beck effort. He finished 28th in his first Indianapolis 500 in 2004 backed by the same entry.

2. Bräck back at Indianapolis: Kenny Bräck’s new career brought him back to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 15.

The 1999 Indianpolis 500 winner, whose has embarked on a music career with new band called Bräck, shot scenes for an upcoming music video at the site of his biggest win.

“Right now we’re writing a few songs,” Bräck said. “We thought it would be neat to come to the Speedway and get some footage, since this is my world, so to speak. It’s good to make that association with the music as well.”

Bräck filmed scenes around the Rahal Letterman Racing garage area in gasoline alley and on pit lane of the historic 2.5-mile oval.

“We’ve borrowed some equipment from Team Rahal and that’s a good fit, too, because I’ve been with them so long,” Bräck said. “I’m just glad I could include them in the music video.”