With qualifying approaching, the details for the final vacant Indy 500 ride have been released.
Dale Coyne Racing announced today (May 14) on Twitter that Tristan Vautier will practice and qualify the team’s No. 19 Honda from Thursday through Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. James Davison will then return on Monday to practice the car next week and race in the 99th Indianapolis 500.
With @JDDavison007 in Canada for another racing commitment, the No. 19 car will be driven and qualified by @TristanVautier. #Indy500
— Dale Coyne Racing (@DaleCoyneRacing) May 14, 2015
Davison was forced to leave the track to participate in the Pirelli World Challenge series race outside Toronto at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park this weekend. Coyne was forced to find a replacement driver for Davison, and decided to go with Vautier, the 2013 Verizon IndyCar Series rookie of the year.
With the announcement, Vautier is now the eighth driver to pilot a Dale Coyne Racing machine in 2015. The Frenchman hasn’t competed in IndyCar since the 2013 season finale at Fontana.
Davison practiced in the No. 19 on Wednesday, reaching a top speed of over 228 mph for the fourth-fastest lap of the day.
Aaron Bearden is a Frontstretch alumnus who’s come back home as the site’s Short Track Editor. When he isn’t working with our grassroots writers, he can be found talking about racing on his Morning Warmup newsletter, pestering his wife/dog or convincing himself the Indiana Pacers can win an NBA title.