IndyCar won’t pay for backmarker ride buyers

Milka Duno (L) and team owner Dale Coyne

Since unification in 2008, teams competing in the full IZOD IndyCar series were awarded $1.3 million per car in TEAM (Team Enhancement & Allocation Fund Matrix) money.

For the past two seasons that has included the Top 24 in entrant points but, beginning in 2011, SPEED.com has learned only the Top 22 in the final 2010 standings will be allowed to partake in the TEAM funding.

And that leaves out one car each for Eric Bachelart’s Conquest Racing and Dale Coyne’s (Milka Duno) operation.

“Our fans want credibility and they ridicule a couple of our drivers (especially Milka Duno) for not being good enough so if those people are still going to try and compete, IndyCar is not going to pay for them," said Bernard, who singled out Milka Duno in the owner’s meeting last week as he informed his paddock of the TEAM change.

“We’ll put that money back into the series." SpeedTV.com