Throughout this month Open Paddock will be highlighting the teams that are currently entered in into this years Indy 500. We will sum up the teams history at the track in a few short paragraphs as well as their projected car lineup as it stands at the time of publishing. We will start the feature and the month of May with Vision Racing.
Vision Racing is currently a two car team that is owned by Tony George with his wife Laura and Hollywood actor Patrick Dempsey. The team purchased assets from the failed Kelly Racing Team andalso maintains a Grand Am Sports Car team as well. The mission statement at Vision Racing is to “provide a vision unlike any other in racing” (how original). The team was created in February of 2005 and currently fields two drivers. Ed Carpenter and Ryan Hunter-Reay currently pilot the two machines and are both entered into this years Indy 500.
2005 was the first year that Vision entered the Indy 500 and it was a dismal performance to say the least. Ed Carpenter finished the race in 11th place.
In 2006 the team expanded to two cars and hired veteran driver Tomas Scheckter to fill the second seat with Carpenter. However, the team was three cars strong for the Indy 500 an added Townsend Bell to the fold. Another disappointing finish for the team followed after both Scheckter and Bell retired from the race early and Ed Carpenter posted another 11th place finish.
The 2007 Indy 500 had Vision Racing at a total of four cars. Scheckter and Carpenter would return and the addition of A.J. Foyt IV and Davey Hamilton would help boost the team to its largest entry list for the race. Tomas Scheckter would finish 7th place ad Davey Hamilton would have a great run finishing in 9th, eleven positions ahead of where he started. Foyt would finish 14th and Carpenter 17th.
For the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500, Vision was back down to three cars with Foyt, Carpenter, and Hamilton once again piloting the Honda Dallaras. This year would see Vision ‘ best ever finish of 5th place thanks to a solid performance by Ed Carpenter. Davey Hamilton would finish 14th and Foyt would finish 21st.
Vision Racing has had a history of fielding more cars than what it runs during the season, however at this moment have not made plans to run a third car. Ryan Hunter-Reay and Ed Carpenter will challenge for this years 500 and with steady progress being noted over the last few years, have a chance to once again finish inside the top 10.
Front page thumbnail donated courtesy of Doug Patterson and Patterson Prints