Bump Day: Who's In and Who's Out

Bump day is back once again this year, and there remains a wide variety of possibilities for teams that could possibly not make this year's race.   This will serve as a rundown of those possibilities and what to look forward as we approach qualifying this weekend.

Carlin

I don't think it's any secret that Carlin may be one of the full-time teams in trouble this May.  They enter a part-time veteran, Charlie Kimball, Max Chilton, and rookie Pato O'Ward.  I don't think any of us have any doubts about Pato's driving abilities, but this will be his first oval in the big cars and he will be especially reliant on Kimball and Chilton for testing data.  While they shouldn't be in trouble this weekend, something as simple as a wreck could possibly damage their chances of being up to speed by Saturday.  I'm not expecting them to be running for the final three spots on Sunday, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were.

DragonSpeed

DragonSpeed enters their first Indy 500 with a single car for rookie Ben Hanley.  Hanley excelled in lower formulas, but he has never raced on an oval.  Everything about this is new to the team and Hanley.  With that being said, it is easy to name this team to the possible bump list.  Supposedly they had a promising test at Texas Motor Speedway, so they may have a chance at making the field.

Juncos Racing

While Juncos didn't struggle last year, and they're back with the same driver, the big blow to them comes with the loss of not one, but two primary sponsors last week.  Without sponsors, it is very possible that their running could be limited this week, which very well could affect their chances come Sunday.

McLaren

Some might think this is a weird pick, but it really isn't.  McLaren is running the 500 by themselves for the first time, with only a technical alliance with Carlin.  For the most part, they are really in a similar boat as DragonSpeed or some others.  Do not be surprised if they are struggling to make the field this weekend.

Coyne-Byrd-Belardi

Some of you might remember that two of the cars in the Bump Day ordeal last year were the part-time Coyne cars (Mann and Daly).  This is the third car for the Coyne team this year, so one could assume that the struggle may transfer over to this team this year. 

Rahal-Letterman: Jordan King

Similar to the additional Coyne car struggles, the additional Rahal cars have had problems in recent years as well.  Servia was another one of those drivers in the danger zone last year in the combined Scuderia Corsa/RLL entry, and that car is basically what King is in this year.  The team seems bullish about their chances this month, but I still think this is a real possibility.

Clauson Marshall Racing

Yet another new team will be at the 500 this year in the form of the Clauson Marshall team.  While they have an alliance with the Foyt team, it has been rumored that it is very limited in its support.  With that being said, a new team with little technical support is always a threat to struggle, and its no secret that Pippa has traditionally been on the lower end of the qualifying order throughout her career at Indy.