Indy 500: Should there be bumping or should all cars start the race?

The 2018 Indy 500 now has a confirmed 34 entries. Should the race feature bumping or should all cars get to start the race?

Last week, Jay Howard was confirmed as the 34th entry for the 2018 Indy 500. Since then, a small debate has gone on as to whether or not qualifying should feature bumping or if they should just let everyone start the race.

Marshall Pruett discussed this in a recent Racer.com editorial. In this piece, Pruett believes in the traditional starting field of 33. He also mentioned, though, that esteemed racing writer Robin Miller thinks otherwise.

Social media seems split on this as well. Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Doug Boles weighed in on it as well.

Here is a tweet regarding Pruett’s article.

#IndyCar could potentially have more than the traditional 33 cars on the grid at this year's #Indy500. But that doesn't mean it should, argues @marshallpruett https://t.co/OI84tGmzSd pic.twitter.com/aP33pRY0OX
— RACER (@RACERmag) March 29, 2018

There’s a case to be made for each side, so let’s examine both and come to a final verdict.

The case for Indy 500 bumping

Tradition, for one.

There is something to be said for all of the traditions of the Indy 500, and 11 rows of three is one of the biggest ones. While special circumstances has led to fields larger than that in the past, I can’t see of a single reason to have a larger field this year.

When teams pay their entry fee, they know what they are getting into. There is the possibility that after qualifying you load up the truck and go home. Sure, that doesn’t happen on the other stops of the IndyCar schedule, but everyone knows the rules.

It’s the Indy 500; it should be hard — all of it. It’s the biggest race in the world and everyone should have to earn their way into the show.

The case for no Indy 500 bumping

A series that is looking to grow shouldn’t turn anyone away.

The investment needed to get a car on the grid is pretty substantial. It takes well into six figures to even get a car to pit road. That kind of investment either comes through deep pockets or sponsorship — usually both.

So if a series is intent on growing, why turn away potential drivers, teams and, most importantly, sponsors? How can a series that wants to bring new sponsors to the sport tell them that there is a chance that their brand won’t be seen on race day?

And besides, does starting more than 33 cars really hurt anything? The 1979 and 1997 races both had 35 starters, and the 1933 race had a whopping 42 cars in the field.

Times change, and tradition has been bent before. It can be argued that a growing series could extend a little goodwill towards those parties who are looking to make an investment by allowing their entries into the field.

That’s just good business.

The verdict

All sports are businesses. But with any sport, the business end of it stops when the competition begins.