Cavin: Will car count grow for 100th Indy 500?

Question: With the 100th running of the 500 only 12 months away, do you think there is any chance there are close to 40 car-and-driver combinations entered? Is there any way Honda and Chevy would supply enough engines for 20 cars each? My feeling, with it being the 100th running, is there will be more entries than normal. Your thoughts? (Rod, Kokomo, Ind.)

Answer: I wouldn't get my hopes up for more entries, although there might be a few more than this year's 34. Having said that, I do expect some conversations from some different drivers, and I could see Kasey Kahne, Kyle Larson, A.J. Allmendinger and maybe other NASCAR drivers giving it a stronger look. As for Honda and Chevrolet, I expect they'll be better positioned to accommodate additional cars since the aero kit program will be in its second year, but teams must provide more notice than they have in recent years.

Question: Does ABC show more commercials during 500 than other major sports events it telecasts? Or is it just my imagination? (Paul, Sacramento, Calif.)

Answer: It wouldn't surprise me if they did, but it's probably your imagination. More likely it's a case of most sports having natural breaks in the action. I think anyone attending NFL games will confirm that it feels like an eternity during commercial breaks, which really slow down the in-game experience. In racing, breaks take the viewer away from the action.

Question: Where is Sarah Fisher? I was shocked when they never showed her on TV after Josef Newgarden's win at Barber. After watching all May, I don't believe she was shown once the entire month. For someone who has been such a star in the series and always a great ambassador for the sport, it seems odd she would disappear right when her team seems to be taking off? (Andrew, Carmel, Ind.)

Answer: She's been there and been around the team a lot, but the dynamics have changed with the merger with Ed Carpenter's team. The Carpenter side has a stronger presence than the Fisher side, so Sarah stays more in the background. But she's there. If you didn't hear, she will be putting a lot of effort into a new karting facility on Main Street in Speedway. That should be a great addition to the neighborhood.

Question: Were the cars used in the 500 the same ones used in the grand prix race only with different aero kits? (Bob, New Ross, Ind.)

Answer: Some teams used the same cars, partly out of necessity, but the top teams had a special car for the 500.