Abel Motorsports Withdraws from Indy 500 Due to Funding Challenges

Abel Motorsports, the team that finished 32nd out of 33 cars in last year’s Indy 500, will not be participating in this year’s race. The team was unable to secure the necessary funding to support their participation. Last year marked the team’s debut in the Indy 500 and in the IndyCar series as a whole. Despite not having a primary sponsor, RC Enerson drove car #50, starting in 28th position and completing 75 laps before experiencing mechanical issues that forced him to retire early. Enerson was scheduled to be the driver for Abel’s second attempt this year, but the team struggled to find a sponsor to fund their efforts and decided it was too late to continue pursuing the race, which is just over three weeks away. Abel’s withdrawal means there will likely be 34 entries in this year’s race, with one car being excluded from the original field of 33 cars during qualifying.The team manager, John Brunner, confirmed the news, stating: “We are giving up. We are absolutely finished. I extended Chevrolet more than they wanted. They have been incredibly supportive throughout this whole process, from the end of last year until this morning. But it’s over as of this morning. I notified Chevrolet at nine o’clock.” The team was seeking funding to use the same Dallara chassis they used last year, which is owned by the Enerson family. However, due to complications this week and the fact that the team’s new Dallara chassis is not ready yet, the decision was made to abandon the attempt this year. The team plans to continue acquiring the necessary parts to establish a consistent presence in the IndyCar series and is also considering participating in a full season in the future, depending on the availability of parts and engine contracts. In addition to their efforts in IndyCar, Abel Motorsports operates a successful program in IndyNXT, which recently celebrated its first victory with Jacob Abel behind the wheel at Barber Motorsports Park.