IndyCar driver's Indy 500 return no longer a sure thing

Before the 2024 IndyCar season began, R.C. Enerson announced his plans to return to the Indy 500 with Abel Motorsports after their underdog effort managed to not only get into last year's race but avoid all of the drama of the Last Row Shootout on Bump Day.

To this day, the No. 50 Chevrolet which Enerson drove in last year's running of the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" has not been confirmed on the entry list for this year's 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Speedway, Indiana oval.

That said, according to RACER.com, there is little to no doubt within Abel Motorsports that the No. 50 Chevrolet will indeed be the 35th entry for the 108th running.

This would set up the first Bump Day to knock out multiple drivers since 2021, when Enerson and his Top Gun Racing entry (pictured) were one of two left on the outside looking in.

Abel in, Enerson out?

There is optimism regarding the car's addition to the entry list despite the fact that the No. 50 Chevrolet is the only entry not present for this week's two-day open test at the "Racing Capital of the World".

Following Dale Coyne Racing's Tuesday announcement of Katherine Legge for their No. 51 Honda, the other 34 cars all have confirmed drivers for the Indy 500, which is just over a month and a half away.

But while the No. 50 Chevrolet is expected to be formally added in the near future, Enerson driving the car is not considered a sure thing; that all depends on sponsorship coming together for the 27-year-old New Port Richey, Florida native, as there are said to be a number of other funded drivers searching for an opportunity to compete on Memorial Day Weekend.

It would certainly make sense for Enerson to have first dibs on the ride after successfully qualifying the No. 50 Chevrolet in 2023, specifically in that he managed to do so even after the team also missed last year's April open test, but in the event that he cannot put together the funding, a third Indy 500 attempt since 2021 might elude him this May.

Indy 500 qualifying is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19, and the race itself is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 26, with live coverage set for NBC beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET.