IndyCar Series

Buddy Lazier, 49, attempting 20th start at the Indy 500

Published May. 16, 2017 12:10 p.m. ET

Samuel Reiman

Buddy Lazier will attempt to make his 20th Indianapolis 500 start this year at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

At the age of 49, Lazier is the oldest driver entered for this year’s 101st running of the historic event. The oldest driver to ever win the Indianapolis 500 was Al Unser Sr. who took his fourth Indianapolis 500 win at the age of 47 in 1987.

Lazier first attempted to make the Indy 500 in 1989, but it wasn’t until 1991 that he successfully qualified for the event.

While the Colorado native had a rocky first few years at the Indianapolis 500, things turned around for him in 1996 when he took his first career IRL win by just 0.695 seconds over Davy Jones in his No. 91 Hemelgarn Racing machine.

Lazier scored two runner-up finishes at the event in 1998 and 2000, but his last top five at the Indy 500 hasn’t been since he finished fifth racing for Panther Racing in 2005.

This year, Lazier will be behind the wheel of his own No. 44 Lazier Racing Partners Chevrolet.

"It's hard to believe another year has passed and May is upon us again," said Lazier. "We are coming off one of our most successful ski seasons at my family's Tivoli Lodge in Vail (CO) and it's exciting to once again turn my attention to the Brickyard. My fitness and training regimen remains a big priority daily and I'm thrilled at the opportunity to again race at Indy with Chevrolet."

Lazier ranked 30th at last year’s Indianapolis 500 and, since then, has been helping out the racing career of his son Flinn. Flinn just turned 18 and has been a winner in Formula Vee en route to a ride in USF2000.

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