Paretta Autosport is set to compete in up to three IndyCar races later this season, but will not make an attempt at this year’s Indianapolis 500 in May.
The information comes from a report by RACER.com, which expects official announcement of the new arrangement to come as early as next week.
Paretta Autosport was formed last season as a women-led team that has ambitions to grow and compete within the series. Initially supported by Team Penske, team founder Beth Paretta’s original idea was to run the Indy 500 each year and grow the program from there.
The upcoming news will see the team shift focus away from the Indy 500 for the time being, and rather concentrate on running a few road courses as a build-up to a part-time entry in future seasons.
Simona De Silvestro is expected to once again be piloting the car for the fledgling team, and will continue her off and on relationship with the series that has lasted over a decade.
It is also expected to be revealed that one of the other existing teams on the grid will partner with Paretta Autosport in order to help the team put together enough resources to compete for a few races this season.
The anticipated announcement comes as fans of the series are beginning to have doubts that there will be a full field of 33 cars competing in the Indy 500 this year.
If no more entries are announced for May’s 106th running of the famous race, it will be held with the 32 cars that have already confirmed their intentions for the Month of May.
If that is the case, it will not be the first time in the race’s illustrious history that it will held without a full field, but the drama of Bump Day where drivers race to earn a spot on the grid is often part of the spectacle of the famous race.
