Abel Motorsports announced April 20 its entry into the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, with NTT INDYCAR SERIES veteran Jacob Abel attempting to make his first start in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
Abel, from Louisville, Kentucky, will drive a Chevrolet-powered entry for his family-owned team. The Abel team will compete in the Indianapolis 500 for the first time since 2023, when it fielded an entry that rookie RC Enerson qualified for the race.
“I am excited and grateful to be able to return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to have a shot at the Indianapolis 500,” Abel said. “It’s been a lifelong dream to compete in that race, and to have the opportunity to do it with Abel Motorsports and Chevrolet makes it even more special.”
Abel finished second in the INDY NXT by Firestone standings in 2024 with Abel Motorsports, earning three victories and three poles. That helped propel driver Abel to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES last season. Abel fell just short of making the starting field last May as a rookie in a Honda-powered entry from Dale Coyne Racing.
“The Indianapolis 500 is the greatest race in the world, and the teams that compete reflect that,” Abel said. “Having won races and competed for championships with Abel Motorsports over my whole career, I am very confident in the program that they put together.
“It is going to be amazing to share this experience with not only my actual family, but the team that has become my family over the years. The preparations have been ongoing for some time, and I’m eager to finally get on track.”
Entering the world’s most prestigious race with his son behind the wheel was a fervent goal of team owner Bill Abel.
“We’re all beyond excited to have Jacob back with us at Abel Motorsports and ecstatic to be returning to ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,’” Bill Abel said. “It takes a lot of special people to make this happen, and I can’t thank Chevrolet and INDYCAR enough for their help and belief in bringing this to life.”
“We have a tremendous group at Abel Motorsports, with a lot of NTT INDYCAR SERIES experience, and we really feel like we are in a great spot to give Jacob everything he needs. To have the opportunity to compete in the Indianapolis 500 in 2023 with RC Enerson was so cool and I’ll never forget the moment immediately after we qualified and put RC in the show. It was really emotional and special to me. Now, to have the opportunity to come back here with Jacob as our driver, it doesn’t get any better than that.”
Practice for the Indianapolis 500 starts Tuesday, May 12. The race is set for Sunday, May 24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
