John Barnes getting back in?

John Barnes has been at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this week, and AutoRacing1 is hearing the former owner of Panther Racing wants back in to the Verizon IndyCar Series.

Panther, of course, began competing in the Indy Racing League in 1998. It's best years were from 2001-2003 which saw Sam Hornish Jr. win 11 races and capture the series championship in 2001 and 2002. In total, Panther Racing captured 15 IndyCar Series wins.

The team was also known for fielding top cars in the Indianapolis 500, finishing second four consecutive years from 2008-2011.

However, after a dismal 2013 season, the team lost longtime sponsor the National Guard to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Unable to find the requisite sponsorship needed to continue, Barnes sold the assets of Panther Racing at auction prior to the 2014 season, and removed Panther from IndyCar.

We don't know how serious Barnes is about returning, what his level of funding is and/or where it may be coming from. Nor do we know how realistic Barnes' ability to return is. However, word is he is quite eager to get back into IndyCar. We'll continue to follow this story.

Brian Carroccio reporting for AutoRacing1