AJ Allmendinger News

When the green flag flies on Sunday afternoon for the 97th Running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, no fewer than five former winners of the prestigious Team USA Scholarship will be among the starting field of 33 - and two more will be seeking victory as team owners.

Winning the race means etching your name on the Borg-Warner trophy and receiving a fairly handsome paycheck .

Not your average rookie: Allmendinger will compete in his first oval as a Team Penske driver after competing in two of the four temporary street/road course races of 2013.

It's the moment every racecar driver dreams of -- drinking milk after winning the Indianapolis 500.

Helio Castroneves and Dario Franchitti will be trying to become four-time Indianapolis 500 champions, four women will roll off the starting grid, a local boy is on the pole and a group of dynamic rookies that includes A.J. Allmendinger is there to add intrigue.

With the countdown to the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500 underway, the 33 drivers and their crews can't wait for the world's biggest race to start.

Katherine Legge didn't know she'd have a shot at the Indianapolis 500 until it was time to qualify, when Schmidt Peterson Motorsports decided to put her in its second car at the last second.

AJ Allmendinger's eyes light up when he talks about The Call, the moment his former employer Roger Penske reached out to him and gave the 31-year-old Los Gatos, Calif., native the second chance he so desperately wanted but wasn't sure if he deserved.

Television executives are hoping a robust bunch of story lines accompanying this year's Indianapolis 500 will help build interest in IndyCar beyond the signature race.

AJ Allmendinger's parents attended their first Indianapolis 500 in 1979, when they camped in a grassy lot and watched Rick Mears win his first 400.

Team Penske was able to record some fast laps - including its quickest of the week - during the abbreviated Fast Friday, the final full day of practice before Saturday's pole qualifying for the 97th Indianapolis 500.

After spending most of the week frustrated as he tried to find speed, Roger Penske's team finally came up with the answers the Australian needed to move into position for his first Indianapolis 500 pole.

Qualifying was set to begin at 11 a.m., but the track conditions must improve before Scott Dixon can make the first four-lap run.

The beautiful Campus Martius Park and Cadillac Square area in vibrant downtown Detroit will come alive with the sights and sounds of the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix on Wednesday, May 29 to start the regions race week engines.

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway Event: Sprint Showdown and All-Star Race Date: Saturday, May 18 Time: 7:30 PM ET TV/Radio: FOX Sports SPEED / MRN Radio All-Star: Last year, Bobby Labonte transferred into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star race by the way of the Sprint Fan Vote.

The second day of practice for the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500 started with a chill and ended with some thrill.

A little more than 24 hours after passing his rookie test, the Colombian narrowly averted a collision with teammate Marco Andretti in the first turn and posted the fastest lap in two practice sessions by going 223.023 mph on a cold, windy day.

Curt Cavin assesses each of the 33 Indy 500 drivers Chevrolet 1. Ryan Hunter-Reay, Andretti Autosport: Reigning series champion doesn’t have a lot to show for past Indys, but he’s rolling in ’13. 2. A.J. Allmendinger, Team Penske: Former Champ Car driver has waited an awfully long time to race at track where his namesake excelled.

Team Penske today announced A.J. Allmendinger will continue to enhance his IZOD IndyCar Series experience as he competes for the team at the upcoming Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans, May 31-June 2. Allmendinger will drive the No.

Four-time Indianapolis 500 Mile Race champion Rick Mears, a Team Penske consultant, has some simple, yet proven, advice for A.J. Allmendinger as he participates in the Rookie Orientation Program at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.