Indy 500: Fernando Alonso in a Honda? Kyle Busch in a Chevrolet?

By Asher Fair | Jan 19, 2020

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 27: A detail view of the Borg-Warner trophy prior to the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on May 27, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

Some interesting possible Indy 500 deals have been discussed in the last week or so, including those pertaining to two-time Formula 1 and NASCAR Cup Series champions Fernando Alonso and Kyle Busch.

It’s mid-January, and the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is still over four months away.

With that being said, the start of the 2020 IndyCar season is now under two months away, and just as the part-time and full-time field continue to come together as far as the driver lineup is concerned, so does the entry list for this 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval in Speedway, Indiana.

And over the last week or so, some interesting developments have taken place that could result in an Indy 500 lineup for the ages, one that includes two two-time champions — of other top-level racing series.

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Two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso competed in the race for the first time back in 2017 in an Andretti Autosport Honda that was fielded in partnership with McLaren, his Formula 1 team at the time. He returned to the race in 2019 with McLaren in a Chevrolet-powered car when McLaren formed a technical alliance with Carlin, but he failed to qualify.

Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, who had a deal to compete in the Indy 500 three years ago fall through but has stated multiple times that he would still like to compete in the race and attempt the Memorial Day Double, officially has approval to compete in it, based on his new contract with Joe Gibbs Racing in the Cup Series.

Could we see both in 2020?

Yes, and as strange as it may sound, we could see Alonso in a Honda and Busch in a Chevrolet.

Alonso and Honda’s relationship had been publicly perceived as marred by their three-year stint in Formula 1 together from 2015 to 2017, during which time Alonso’s frustration with the Japanese manufacturer resulted in several jabs by himself and the team, including his infamous “GP2 engine” remark in Honda’s home race in 2015.

But Alonso and Andretti Autosport are reportedly close to putting him behind the wheel of a Honda-powered machine for this year’s Indy 500, pointing to the idea that perhaps it was his ties to Toyota through Toyota Gazoo Racing in the World Endurance Championship that truly prevented him from competing with Honda last year and that Honda are more upset with McLaren than anybody else.

McLaren, after all, joined IndyCar full-time for the 2020 season by partnering with Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports to form Arrow McLaren SP, and that forced Arrow McLaren SP to end their contract with Honda one year early and switch to Chevrolet.

Meanwhile, the 38-year-old Spaniard did test a Honda-powered car for Andretti Autosport at Barber Motorsports Park back in September of 2018, which was nearly a full year after McLaren and Honda split in Formula 1. That car notably had no Honda logos on it, so the then-Toyota driver technically wasn’t representing the Honda brand.

As for Busch, he notably received approval from Toyota to compete in the Indy 500, but only with a Chevrolet team. Yet he competes against Chevrolet drivers and teams in the Cup Series. So why would Toyota want him representing a rival manufacturer at Indy?

For the same reason Toyota wouldn’t Alonso representing Honda as a full-time Toyota driver. Honda is the only other option in IndyCar aside of Chevrolet as far as engine manufacturer is concerned, and while Busch does compete against Chevrolet in the Cup Series, they are not a global rival to Toyota like Honda.

While Alonso has a likely Indy 500 ride already lined up for this year, Busch does not, and his options are already fairly limited. With that being said, there are a few potential landing spots that would still make sense for him if he does compete in the race in May.

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Could the 2020 Indianapolis 500 feature both a two-time Formula 1 champion and a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion with Fernando Alonso and Kyle Busch, with Alonso behind the wheel of a Honda, presumably with Andretti Autosport, and Busch behind the wheel of a Chevrolet? A few weeks ago, this may have sounded crazy. Now it looks realistic.