With #06-Sam Hornish (36th), #42-Juan Pablo Montoya (14th) and Jacques Villeneuve (27th) making the field of the Checker Auto Parts 500(k) at Phoenix, it’s the first time three Indianapolis 500 winners will start a NASCAR race.(Indianapolis Star and many sources reported this fact) UPDATE: there have been at least two other NASCAR Cup races where 3 or 4 former Indy 500 winners made the same race: On October 10, 1976, three Indy 500 winners started the National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway [now Lowe’s Motor Speedway] Johnny Rutherford (Indy 500 winner in 1974 and 1976) finished 31st. A.J. Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967) finished 38th. Gordon Johncock (1973) finished 39th. And on January 19, 1964, in the Motor Trend 500 at Riverside [road course], there were four Indy 500 winners in the field: Troy Ruttman (1952) finished 10th. A.J. Foyt (1961) finished 21st. Parnelli Jones (1963) finished 32nd. Rodger Ward (1962) finished 38th. (researched at racing-reference.info).(11-10-2007)
