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Friday, May 3
The Indiana Daily Student

sports

Foyt's drivers looking for speed on Sunday

Former Indy champion hoping to qualify all three of his drivers

INDIANAPOLIS -- A.J. Foyt will have three drivers for Sunday's final Indianapolis 500 qualifications.\nDonnie Beechler, who drove for Foyt last year, rejoined his former boss on Tuesday as a teammate of Airton Dare and Greg Ray. All three will try to qualify on Sunday.\n"I'm pulling out all the stops," Foyt said. "Donnie drove a great race here last year, and I'm happy to have him driving for me again at the Speedway."\nBeechler planned to practice in the No. 14T Dallara-Chevrolet for the first time on Wednesday. The track was closed Monday and Tuesday following the first two days of qualifications.\nOn Sunday, the final nine spots in the 33-car lineup for the May 26 race will be determined.\n"I want to drive at Indy, and it's good to be back with a team that I have confidence in," Beechler said. "We had a good car here last year, and I've been looking forward to coming back to Indy. I think this is going to be one of the tightest fields ever."\nThe first 24 qualifiers, led by pole-winner Bruno Junqueira, averaged more than 229 mph.\nLast year, Beecher also took over a Foyt backup car on the second week of qualifications and posted the fifth-quickest speed overall. He started 27th and climbed to seventh before a broken oil line fitting knocked him out after 160 laps for 25th place.\nHis best finish in three previous starts was 12th in 2000.\nBeechler continued to drive for Foyt after Indianapolis last season and had six top-10 finishes in nine starts, including a career-best third at the inaugural race at Kansas Speedway. He finished 15th in the Indy Racing League points.\nOther drivers who have not yet qualified include former winner Arie Luyendyk, Dario Franchitti, Paul Tracy, Jon Herb, Alex Barron, Johnny Herbert, Robby McGehee and Mark Dismore.\nMcGehee, who crashed on the first day of practice May 5, received medical clearance to drive Monday; Dismore, who crashed on May 9, will be evaluated later this week.

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