By alley - May 26, 2016, 12:30 PM ET

PRUETT: Whatever happened to the field of 60?

Twenty years ago, the Indy Racing League and CART held dueling 500-mile open-wheel races on the same day in May. Some of those drivers – 60 all totaled – have gone onto bigger and better things, while others have not. And some have all but disappeared. Whatever happened to the entire Indy 500 and US500 fields? Here's what we've learned ...

Finish	Start	Name	Race	Info
27	2	Adrián Fernández	US 500	The popular Mexican driver continued his career in CART and eventually formed his own team which migrated to the IRL by 2004. Fernandez turned his attention to sports cars as his team tackled Grand-Am before moving to the ALMS in 2007 as a factory Acura program. Shuttering the team after Acura downsized its efforts in 2009, Fernandez brought his sponsorship to Aston Martin where he joined the British marque's Le Mans and European sports car squad. In recent years, Fernandez has moved into management, looking after Mexican F1 driver Sergio Perez and other national racing interests.
8	5	Al Unser Jr.	US 500	The two-time Indy 500 winner found a new lease on life in 2000 after being dropped by Roger Penske in CART then landing in the IRL. He'd race through 2007, acknowledge ongoing battles with alcohol abuse, find work with the unified IndyCar Series as a driver coach and observer, lose his job after being arrested for a DUI, and after finding sobriety, eventually make his return to racing in 2013 at a 25-hour Pro-Am endurance event in Northern California, where he continues to compete every December.
4	7	Alessandro Zampedri	Indy 500	The Italian's ghastly injuries marred the run to the checkered flag in 1996, but he was still credited with fourth. He made a gutsy return to compete at the 500 in 1997, then made a shift to sports cars, where he spent more than a decade racing in the Porsche Super Cup series.
17	4	Alex Zanardi (R)	US 500	The Italian CART rookie took the series by storm in 1996, claiming two consecutive titles in 1997-98 before leaving for Formula 1. He returned to CART in 2001 and lost his legs in a horrific crash at the Lausitzring oval in Germany. He returned in 2003 to finish the last 13 laps missed in 2001, and eventually moved to racing sedans in the World Touring Car Championship using hand controls. Zanardi has become a global inspiration as a Paralympics athlete this decade, earning gold medals in cycling.
4	6	André Ribeiro	US 500	Part of CART's strong Brazilian wave in the mid-1990s, Ribeiro had a brief career where the road racer found his greatest success on ovals. Fourth at the US 500, he returned later in 1996 for the regular CART event at Michigan and won. Signed by Roger Penske in 1998, Andre retired at the end of the season. Odd Fact: With Penske's help, Ribeiro has become a successful auto dealership owner in Brazil.
16	20	Arie Luyendyk (W)	Indy 500	Another ex-CART driver whose reputation and talent was perfectly placed in the IRL. His 1996 Indy qualifying record still stands, and he'd add a second 500 win in 1997 under the IRL's first all-new formula. A crash and withdrawal from the 2003 Indy 500 served as the Dutchman's last, and he currently holds the position of IndyCar race steward as part of the series' race control operation.
19	15	Bobby Rahal	US 500	The 1986 Indy 500 winner retired after the 1998 CART season, briefly led CART after it parted way with CEO Andrew Craig and then briefly ran the Jaguar F1 team before returning home to look after his Champ Car and IRL/IndyCar Series programs. His son Graham currently leads the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda team and has matured into one of the series' top drivers.
23	26	Brad Murphey (R)	Indy 500	"Bronco" Brad Murphey continues to draw the ire of Australians who question why the Arizona product is credited as a driver from Down Under. Decidedly decent in the early days of Indy Lights, Murphey was less than spectacular in an Indy car but joined the throngs of rookies who got a chance to race at the 500 with CART out of the picture. We aren't sure what he's up to these days, but he is alive, based on an interview that appeared online a few months ago. (http://www.oldracingcars.com/drivers/interview/Brad-Murphey/)
15	3	Bryan Herta	US 500	"High Speed" Herta eased from CART to the IRL in 2003 with Andretti Green Racing, moved to AGR's Acura ALMS program in 2007, was fired midway through the 2008 season, formed his own team in 2009 in the Indy Lights series, made his first Indy 500 start as an owner in 2010, won the 2011 Indy 500 with Dan Wheldon, and merged his team with former boss Michael Andretti in 2016 to continue after a sponsor defaulted on a sizeable payment. His son Colton is winning races and impressing on Europe's open-wheel ladder. Odd Fact: Father and son Herta celebrate by eating "victory tacos" after Colton's wins.
1	5	Buddy Lazier	Indy 500	The first winner of the mockingly-named "IRL 500" is still racing today in the Lazier-Burns Chevy Dallara DW12 and will make his 19th Indy start on Sunday from 24 attempts. Odd Fact: Lazier's Wikipedia page contains almost 9,000 words about his career.
17	9	Buzz Calkins (R)	Indy 500	This son of a Colorado grocery story magnate went from obscurity in Indy Lights to a winner of the first IRL race and the series' first co-champion with Scott Sharp in 1996. Often cited as the definition of the IRL's talent deficit, Calkins won IRL Race 1, then went winless in the next 52 and quit at the end of 2001 as his family-run team closed down. Other than an unexpected appearance in the news last year when his family-owned Bradley Petroleum company (of which Calkins is the CEO) was accused of mistreating employees, he has been silent on the racing front.
12	12	Christian Fittipaldi	US 500	One of the few active drivers who took part in either 1996 race, Fittipaldi moved from CART to Grand-Am in 2003, where he races today (under the IMSA banner) and serves as the two-time defending Prototype champion with Portugal's Joao Barbosa.
7	33	Danny Ongais	Indy 500	The "Flyin Hawaiian" impressed under tough circumstances as he replaced polesitter Scott Brayton, who was killed in practice. He started from 33rd and drove to seventh, then made a final and unsuccessful attempt to make the show in 1998, and has since retired to a quiet life on his native island.
12	10	Davey Hamilton (R)	Indy 500	After failing to qualify three times, Hamilton finally made the 500 with A.J. Foyt in 1996 and started a streak that made him the IRL's all-time leader in starts until his terrible accident at Texas in 2001. The Idahoan competed at Indy through 2011 and became a team co-owner; he now runs a super modified series and lends commentary to IMS Radio.
2	2	Davy Jones	Indy 500	Jones took his fantastic second at Indy in May and turned it into a win a few weeks later at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A testing crash in 1997 all but ended Jones' days as a top driver; a failed attempt to qualify for the 500 in 2000 closed a long and distinguished open-wheel career. Today he keeps busy working with Jaguar at private driving events.
11	4	Eddie Cheever	Indy 500	Forming his own team in 1997, the 1998 Indy 500 winner competed in the IRL through 2006, took on sports cars in Grand-Am's Daytona Prototype ranks, and has graced the sport with his commentary as an analyst without interruption ever since ...
6	18	Eddie Lawson (R)	US 500	The four-time Motorcycle Grand Prix champion earned his best finish at the US 500 in his lone season of CART competition. He continued driving after 1996 in karting events, and has become a regular presence at vintage events driving sports prototypes and historic F1 cars.
6	3	Eliseo Salazar	Indy 500	Salazar spent many years in motor racing's wilderness before returning to drive sports cars in 1994, and then secured sponsorship from his native Chile to embark on a full-season CART campaign in 1995. The IRL presented Salazar with a perfect home to ply his trade at a more economical rate, and, to his surprise, a kind of racing that fit the Formula 1 veteran's style. He'd take his sixth-place finish in 1996 and bounce from team to team until he landed with the most unlikely owner in the IRL: A.J. Foyt. After three years with the Texan, Salazar moved on from the IRL and tried a variety of racing disciplines. His most recent endeavors include bringing new racing series to Chile and, on occasion, running in IMSA's endurance races in the GT Daytona class.
10	8	Emerson Fittipaldi	US 500	1996 marked the Brazilian legend's final season as a driver. A bad crash at CART's return to Michigan later in the year proved to be his curtain call, and since then, he's held a variety of business interests at home. Recent news of unpaid bills and property seizure have added a sad chapter to the life of a man credited with opening the door to Indy car for his countrymen.
21	28	Fermín Velez (R)	Indy 500	A renowned sports car ace prior to his IRL debut, the plucky Spaniard made one more Indy 500 start in 1997 and continued in sports cars afterward. He died after a prolonged fight with cancer in 2003.
25	23	Fredrik Ekblom (R)	US 500	The Swede showed great promise in limited Indy Lights outings and didn't have much to work with in limited CART apprarances. His brief run at the US 500 was his last in IndyCar. Now 45, Ekblom has spent the intervening years in sports cars, where he made three starts at Le Mans and spent more than a decade in the Swedish Touring Car Championship. He presently races in the World Touring Car Championship.
21	27	Gary Bettenhausen	US 500	Bettenhausen made a one-off return to drive in the US 500 for the family-owned team. He coached and mentored young drivers after his final outing and died at age 72 in 2014.
9	13	Gil de Ferran	US 500	The France-born, Brazil-bred star reached his peak as Team Penske's team leader from 2000-03, where he won two CART championships, set the closed-course lap record at 241mph, won the 2003 Indy 500, and then dropped the mic. His addictive personality led to a return in 2008 as a team owner in the ALMS, where he saved an unemployed Simon Pagenaud from the Champ Car/IndyCar unification sideline. With the demise of his ALMS program, de Ferran turned to IndyCar, partnered with team owners, withdrew as finances went awry, and made a final return to the cockpit as a guest driver in 2011 in the V8 Supercars series' Gold Coast 600 event. De Ferran currently holds a senior position with Honda Performance Development.
13	17	Greg Moore (R)	US 500	The Canadian rookie entered CART the year of the split and raced in his first 500-miler at Michigan. As his record would show, Moore's aptitude on superspeedways suggested he would have been a ringer at Indianapolis. Moore died on Halloween 1999 at Fontana before he could try his hand at the Indy 500.
8	30	Hideshi Matsuda	Indy 500	The Japanese journalist-turned-racecar driver was a fun addition to the Indy 500 in the mid-1990s and scored his best finish in 1996. He'd make one more start in 1999, fail to qualify in 2000, then turn his full attention to sports cars at home in the JGTC series, retiring at the end of the 2012 season.
14	25	Hiro Matsushita	US 500	The heir to Matsushita Electric called time on his CART career at the end of 1998 and made one start at Le Mans the following year. He has spent the years since then living in southern California, where he looks after Swift Engineering – the famed racecar manufacturer and aerospace firm.
18	24	Jeff Krosnoff (R)	US 500	A CART rookie in 1996, the Californian was part of Toyota's first foray into the series and persevered through its rough development phase. Krosnoff was killed less than two months after the US 500 in a multi-car crash on the streets of Toronto on July 14. Corner worker Gary Avrin was also killed in the crash that claimed Krosnoff. 2016 marks the 20th anniversary since his death.
18	19	Jim Guthrie (R)	Indy 500	The IRL's rags-to-rags poster boy will always have his 1997 win at Phoenix to remember, and why shouldn't he? It was done on pennies and stands as one of the greatest upsets in modern open-wheel history. Guthrie flirted with a quality ride in 1998 with ISM, failed to qualify for his last two Indy 500s, started an Indy Lights team for his son and ran a mix of drivers through the late 2000s. He returned to driving – make that drifting – earlier this decade, runs an automotive business in New Mexico and has apparently taken up triathlons.
1	1	Jimmy Vasser	US 500	The winner of the first – and only – US 500 at Michigan continued racing through 2008 and was smart enough to form his own team in the latter stages of his career. Through multiple iterations and multiple business partners, Vasser's KVSH Racing team serves as one of Chevy's four Verizon IndyCar Series programs today. JV Fact: Away from the track, Vasser has a successful vineyard and, after taking business advice from his former Atlantic team owner Angelo Ferro, he also has car dealerships in the northern Bay Area near Sonoma Raceway.
22	31	Joe Gosek (R)	Indy 500	New York's "Double O" Joe Gosek is still racing Modifieds in his native Oswego. Hailed as one of the true short trackers who got their break in the first "IRL 500," he was also lampooned by CART's elite as an unknown who quickly came and went from Indy car racing.
31	17	John Paul Jr.	Indy 500	Blessed with immense natural talent, Paul's career benefitted from the advent of the IRL, where he rekindled the open-wheel career that was lost after his stay in prison for drug charges stemming from his father's marijuana operation. His last Indy 500 in 1998 was his best – a finish of seventh – and after two failures to qualify, his other aptitude, sports car racing, provided income through 2001. Since retiring from the cockpit, Paul Jr has focused his energies on living with Huntington's disease, a degenerative muscle disorder.
29	29	Johnny O'Connell (R)	Indy 500	Overlooked by CART teams after a distinguished rise up the 1980s open-wheel ladder, O'Connell burned up IMSA's sports car scene until he got a chance in the IRL. One of a few to be knocked out cold after a backward hit with the IRL's 1997 Indy car package, the New Yorker returned to sports cars, where he earned multiple class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He's the defending SCCA World Challenge GT series champion, having won four consecutive titles from 2012-15 ... the latest coming at the age of 53.
28	27	Johnny Parsons	Indy 500	The relentless Californian attempted to make his first Indy 500 in 1969, race at Indy in the 1970s and '80s, then failed to make the show from 1987-95, but didn't give up and added the 1996 event to his résumé. An avid short track racer, Parsons finally retired and keeps busy as a school teacher and bus driver. He's a regular figure at the Speedway every May.
33	16	Johnny Unser (R)	Indy 500	The IRL stalwart gained some traction after sporadic CART outings. Rarely blessed with top-flight equipment, Unser made his last 500 start in 2000, moved to officiating a few years later on the open-wheel ladder, and of late, has been a member of IndyCar's race control team.
22	26	Juan Manuel Fangio II	US 500	A frustrating debut season in CART with the new and unreliable Toyota engine and somewhat dated AAR chassis accelerated the IMSA champion's timeline for retirement. Calling it quits after the 1997 season, Fangio returned to his native Argentina. Other than a brief return to race at Sebring in 1999, Fangio was rather quiet on the driving front until he returned to race everything from semis to Fiat 500s as recently as 2014. Bicycle racing, marriage and a new daughter have been the most recent highlights reported from JMF II.
14	18	Lyn St. James	Indy 500	The standard bearer for women at the Indy 500 in the 1990s made seven starts – her last in 2000 – before dedicating her time to supporting women in motor racing through a foundation that provides annual grants to finalists selected by a panel of industry insiders.
26	22	Marco Greco	Indy 500	For a series founder who professed his interest in promoting more American talent – unlike the Euro-loving CART people – Greco, Brazil's rent-a-ride all-star, let the air out of Tony George's little balloon. Driving for Super Tex of all people, Greco resuscitated a flagging CART career into a few years of decent IRL finishes before a one-off drive in 1999 signaled the end. Other than obsessively posting images from his racing career almost every day on Facebook, Greco's life – beyond being a husband and father – has remained private.
5	19	Mark Blundell (R)	US 500	A TV commentator and driver manager today, the Brit raced in CART through 2000, joined two Le Mans programs with MG and Bentley through 2003 and made occasional starts in recent years with United Autosports, including at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in a Daytona Prototype.
19	14	Mark Dismore (R)	Indy 500	The karting champ kicked ass in Atlantics and IMSA, but was relegated to poor rides in CART before John Menard gave Dismore a shot in 1996. He'd lead Tom Kelley's new team and become an IRL staple through 2001, complete a partial schedule in 2002 and then focus on the family's karting business. The new kart track he's built outside Indy also hosts the annual Dan Wheldon memorial event.
2	14	Maurício Gugelmin	US 500	"Big Mo" retired at the end of the 2001 CART season and returned to his native Brazil to concentrate on business and family; he currently resides in Miami. Odd Fact: Gugelmin is an avid fisherman.
23	11	Michael Andretti	US 500	Andretti went from driver to team co-owner to outright team owner in the IRL, winning multiple Indy 500s and championships in his new career through the 2014 season. His Andretti Autosport team has five entries in the 100th Indy 500, including one for his son, Marco.
13	8	Michel Jourdain Jr. (R)	Indy 500	The young Mexican got his start in the IRL in 1996 which sparked a sufficiently long CART and Champ Car career that concluded in 2004. Jourdain dabbled in the WRC, WTCC, NASCAR and other series after Champ Car, but he got the Indy bug again in 2012 and partnered with former boss Bobby Rahal. Jourdain failed to qualify for the 500 in 2013, and has taken to racing semis in South America as a follow-up.
30	12	Michele Alboreto (R)	Indy 500	The Formula 1 veteran found a new and unexpected challenge in the IRL. As a member of Andy Evans' powerhouse team Scandia Racing, the Italian shined at Indy on his first attempt. He'd remain in the series with Scandia before shifting to sports cars. A win at Le Mans in 1997 was a crowning achievement for Alboreto, which made his death in a testing accident with Audi in 2001 particularly sad.
20	11	Mike Groff	Indy 500	Dripping in California cool, Groff revived his CART career after Honda's dismal introduction to the series in 1994 by relocating to the budding IRL. Smooth and measured, Groff's driving style was perfect for the all-oval series, where he featured in 1996 and 1997. After failing to make the 500 in 1999, Groff left the sport behind to focus on business. He now has a son in college who seems bound for a Major League Baseball career.
11	16	Parker Johnstone	US 500	Honda's sports car champion-turned-Indy car racer is often forgotten as the first Team Kool Green driver who spent one year with the program in 1997 before Dario Franchitti and Paul Tracy were hired. 1997 was Johnstone's last in open-wheel, and he soon appeared as a broadcaster for CART events and in the NHRA. His ties to Honda led to starting a dealership in Oregon, and he recently piloted the Comptech Acura GTP Lights car that propelled him into Indy car at the Monterey Motorsports Reunion after it underwent a full restoration.
32	24	Paul Durant (R)	Indy 500	Yet another short track driver who was welcomed during the first couple of IRL seasons. Durant, from California, lives in Colodaro and owns Junk King Denver, where, he says, "In a nutshell, we remove unwanted items from homes and businesses with a recycling model that attempts to recycle up to 60% of what is picked up."
7	7	Paul Tracy	US 500	The punchy Canadian never left Indy car racing. Today, he's a commentator for NBCSN on its IndyCar broadcasts. He made his last start at the 2011 Indy 500, and to some, the 2003 Champ Car title winner is also the rightful winner of the 2002 Indy 500.
25	25	Racin Gardner (R)	Indy 500	An actual person, Slick Racin Gardner became an instant punchline when his name was seen on the Indy 500 entry list. The stock car driver made one start, disappeared from Indy car, then reappeared in 2004 when the Los Angeles Times wrote he was charged for "felony charges of animal cruelty and grand theft" in "probably the largest seizure of neglected horses ever in the United States."
24	10	Raul Boesel	US 500	Boesel was a veteran by the time The Split arrived, and with his CART career winding down, he eventually migrated to the IRL, where he drove for a half-dozen teams through 2002. Odd Fact: Boesel now makes a living as a fairly popular EDM (electronic dance music) DJ who travels the globe spinning wheels of steel.
3	15	Richie Hearn (R)	Indy 500	The Californian was one of a few drivers who openly moved between CART and the IRL in its early days, and earned his best 500 finish as rookie in 1996. An undistinguished run in the 2007 500 was his last, and he currently works as a driving instructor at a road course in Nevada and runs a karting team.
9	23	Robbie Buhl (R)	Indy 500	Buhl was one of a few IRL drivers who came up through CART's informal open-wheel ladder, gained experience with a small outfit, and found better opportunities in Tony George's series. Forming his own team in 2000 with Dennis Reinbold, Buhl raced through the early part of 2004 before hanging up his helmet. He continued to own and run the team and was a co-host of IndyCar broadcasts during the early days of the new OLN/Versus TV package; he recently split with Reinbold and now operates his own Global Rallycross program.
20	21	Robby Gordon	US 500	The untamed Gordon found his strength as a team owner a few years into the CART/IRL split, and went onto form his own team, which ran in NASCAR, made sporadic Indy 500 appearances, and has found great success recently in the Super Stadium Trucks series which runs as a support race for IndyCar, V8 Supercars and other forms of racing.
5	6	Roberto Guerrero	Indy 500	The CART veteran extended his career in the IRL, and after finishing second at the 1987 500, placed fifth in 1996 before returning five more times to Indy and failing to qualify on the final two attempts. A brief and unsuccessful foray into NASCAR cemented Guerrero's decision to retire in 2003. Since then, he's done racing commentary and helped guide some of the young Colombians in the Mazda Road To Indy ladder and IndyCar.
3	20	Roberto Moreno	US 500	The ever-present Brazilian is never far from IndyCar. He raced in Champ Car through 2007, added some sports car racing and even Brazilian touring cars as recently as 2014. The "Super sub" is also a regular coach and adviser to young drivers.
15	32	Scott Harrington (R)	Indy 500	Star-crossed Harrington would come to epitomize the talented open-wheel cast-offs who got their break in the IRL. His self-destructive ways also squandered those chances, as alcohol and run-ins with the law ensured his only options would be found with small teams. 1996 was a watershed moment for Harrington, who'd try to make the show five more times and fail on each attempt. Outside the car, Scott has built a successful driver coaching business and has appeared on occasion behind the wheel of vintage cars.
26	9	Scott Pruett	US 500	In the twilight of his open-wheel career by 1996, Pruett would continue to race through 1999 before sampling NASCAR and its new sports car series, Grand-Am. "Scooter" would extend his career with Chip Ganassi in stock cars and sports cars through the 2015 season, adding multiple Rolex 24 at Daytona wins, before moving to the new Lexus GT program in 2016. At 56, Pruett shows no signs of slowing.
10	21	Scott Sharp	Indy 500	Sharp's steady approach would help him become the IRL's first co-champion, along with Buzz Calkins, and to become one of its earlier and most enduring stars. He'd race full-time through the 2007 season before migrating to the ALMS with Tequila Patron and Acura. A champion in 2009 with the Highcroft Acura program, Sharp and Patron CEO Ed Brown formed their own team in 2010 and continue to race in IMSA, the WEC, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
16	22	Stefan Johansson	US 500	The versatile ex-Formula 1 driver moved on from Indy car racing at the end of 1996 to focus on sports cars in 1997, where he won his first 24 Hours of Le Mans. He soon took to team ownership in Indy Lights, CART, and the ALMS. He also continued racing at Le Mans, in the ALMS and in IMSA, making his last start in 2014 at Monterey for Scuderia Corsa, where he holds the post of sporting director. Johansson has also served as four-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon's manager since the Kiwi won the 2000 Lights title in one of Stefan's cars.
27	13	Stéphan Grégoire	Indy 500	The Frenchman latched onto an open-wheel career in America with the IRL after limited success at the 500 in CART. The converted road racer had a decent spell in the IRL – he even had the financial backing from Mari Hulman George at one point – and drove for a number of small operations before failing to qualify in 2007 and switching to sports cars, where Le Mans and Grand-Am starts followed. He's found a new calling as a driving instructor in Indiana.
24	1	Tony Stewart (R)	Indy 500	Stewart's fate after the 1996 Indy 500 remains one of the sport's great unsolved mysteries. Kidding aside, Smoke's set to retire from a long IRL and NASCAR career at the end of the season.