Chip Ganassi Racing Indy 500 Rumor Denied, Entry List Update for 2025
Before the start of the 2025 IndyCar season, speculation emerged that Chip Ganassi Racing might add a fourth car to their Indy 500 lineup. The rumored entry would have been a partnership involving NFL icon Tom Brady and seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, with four-time Champ Car titleholder Sebastien Bourdais behind the wheel.
Although Bourdais hasn’t raced in IndyCar since 2021 and never drove for Ganassi in the series, he remains involved in the team’s IndyCar operations and competes for Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing in the IMSA GTP class.
The potential deal made sense: Brady is a passionate racing fan, now working as a Fox NFL analyst — the same network airing the Indy 500 for the first time this year. He even appeared in a Fox commercial with Josef Newgarden. Johnson drove for Ganassi in the 2022 Indy 500 and has since stepped into a team ownership role in NASCAR.
A Ganassi ride could have offered Bourdais his best chance to win the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Despite being 46, the same age Helio Castroneves was when he earned his fourth Indy 500 victory in 2021, Bourdais remains a formidable talent. Interestingly, that year also saw Brady win his seventh Super Bowl and Johnson debut in IndyCar with Ganassi.
However, just before the 2025 season began, the rumor was officially debunked.
Meanwhile, Abel Motorsports have changed course, opting not to run their own Indy 500 entry for a second year. Instead, they’ll support a Dale Coyne Racing effort for Jacob Abel, son of team principal Bill Abel. The only other possible addition to the field at this point is a third Coyne entry for Katherine Legge, but that appears unlikely.
Current 2025 Indy 500 Entry List
Let’s begin with the 27 confirmed full-time entries:
A.J. Foyt Racing (Chevrolet)
- No. 4 – David Malukas
- No. 14 – Santino Ferrucci
