Veteran driver Paul Tracy enters Indianapolis 500

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Paul Tracy, who nearly won a controversial Indianapolis 500 in 2002, said Saturday he would enter the race again this year in a car prepared by the team of KV Racing Technology.

The 41-year-old Canadian, who doesn’t have a full-time ride in the Izod IndyCar Series this season, has competed in six Indy 500s, including last year when he ran as high as fourth before finishing ninth.

‘I feel this year that I’m better prepared,’ Tracy said at a news conference in Long Beach, site of Sunday’s Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. He added: ‘I feel like I’ve got unfinished business at Indianapolis.’

Indeed, Tracy and many others believe he actually won the Indy 500 in 2002. In the final laps, he passed Helio Castroneves for the lead just as an accident occurred elsewhere. Race officials ruled that the crash triggered the caution lights -- which froze the field as the race ended -- before Tracy’s pass, giving Castroneves the victory. Despite arguing otherwise, Tracy finished second.

Tracy also was the 2003 champion in the Champ Car World Series, a formerly separate open-wheel racing series that last year was absorbed by the IndyCar series.

--Jim Peltz