Zachary Claman de Melo to stand in for Pietro Fittipaldi at Indy 500
Zachary Claman de Melo will replace the injured Pietro Fittipaldi for the 2018 Indianapolis 500 in the #19 Dale Coyne Racing-run IndyCar entry

Fittipaldi was ruled out of the Indy 500 as a consequence of his World Endurance Championship crash at Spa earlier this month and is not expected to return to IndyCar competition until July's Mid-Ohio race.
With Fittipaldi having been slated to ride-share the #19 car with Indy Lights graduate de Melo, team boss Dale Coyne had been reluctant to allow the inexperienced de Melo to drive at Indy or the Texas oval.
Coyne spoke to drivers with backing over standing in for Fittipaldi, but no deal materialised other than de Melo - whose sponsors pushed for him to get the seat.
De Melo will now undertake his rookie orientation programme at Indianapolis later today.
"I'm very much looking forward to turning my first laps aboard the #19 Paysafe Indycar on the oval at Indianapolis," said Claman De Melo.
"It's an iconic venue and I'm extremely fortunate to be able to have the opportunity to drive here.
"Again, it's unfortunate that it's under these circumstances with Pietro's injuries so I realise how lucky I am to have this chance.
"I want to thank Dale [Coyne] and [sponsor] Paysafe for giving me this opportunity. I can't wait to get on track to complete my rookie orientation program."
Drivers including Katherine Legge and Sebastien Saavedra had previously been linked to the drive.
2018 Indy 500 entry list
1 | Josef Newgarden | Penske | Dallara-Chevrolet |
3 | Helio Castroneves | Penske | Dallara-Chevrolet |
4 | Matheus Leist | AJ Foyt Racing | Dallara-Chevrolet |
5 | James Hinchcliffe | Schmidt Peterson Motorsports | Dallara-Honda |
6 | Robert Wickens | Schmidt Peterson Motorsports | Dallara-Honda |
7 | Jay Howard | Schmidt Peterson Motorsports | Dallara-Honda |
9 | Scott Dixon | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dallara-Honda |
10 | Ed Jones | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dallara-Honda |
12 | Will Power | Penske | Dallara-Chevrolet |
13 | Danica Patrick | Ed Carpenter Racing | Dallara-Chevrolet |
14 | Tony Kanaan | AJ Foyt Racing | Dallara-Chevrolet |
15 | Graham Rahal | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | Dallara-Honda |
17 | Conor Daly | Dale Coyne Racing | Dallara-Honda |
18 | Sebastien Bourdais | Dale Coyne Racing | Dallara-Honda |
19 | Zachary Claman de Melo | Dale Coyne Racing | Dallara-Honda |
20 | Ed Carpenter | Ed Carpenter Racing | Dallara-Chevrolet |
21 | Spencer Pigot | Ed Carpenter Racing | Dallara-Chevrolet |
22 | Simon Pagenaud | Penske | Dallara-Chevrolet |
23 | Charlie Kimball | Carlin | Dallara-Chevrolet |
24 | Sage Karam | Dreyer & Reinbold Racing | Dallara-Chevrolet |
25 | Stefan Wilson | Andretti Autosport | Dallara-Honda |
26 | Zach Veach | Andretti Autosport | Dallara-Honda |
27 | Alexander Rossi | Andretti Autosport | Dallara-Honda |
28 | Ryan Hunter-Reay | Andretti Autosport | Dallara-Honda |
29 | Carlos Munoz | Andretti Autosport | Dallara-Honda |
30 | Takuma Sato | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | Dallara-Honda |
32 | Kyle Kaiser | Juncos Racing | Dallara-Chevrolet |
33 | James Davison | AJ Foyt Racing | Dallara-Chevrolet |
59 | Max Chilton | Carlin | Dallara-Chevrolet |
60 | Jack Harvey | Schmidt/Michael Shank Racing | Dallara-Honda |
63 | Pippa Mann | Dale Coyne Racing | Dallara-Honda |
64 | Oriol Servia | Rahal/Scuderia Corsa | Dallara-Honda |
66 | JR Hildebrand | Dreyer & Reinbold Racing | Dallara-Chevrolet |
88 | Gabby Chaves | Harding Racing | Dallara-Chevrolet |
98 | Marco Andretti | Andretti Autosport | Dallara-Honda |

Scott Dixon explains Ganassi's struggles in 2018 IndyCar season
McLaren refuses to 'confirm or deny' 2019 IndyCar plans

Latest news
How Ericsson achieved Indy immortality as Ganassi's main man stumbled
Chip Ganassi Racing team was strong again in the Indianapolis 500, with poleman Scott Dixon and reigning champion Alex Palou leading almost three quarters of the race between them. But when dominator Dixon was penalised for pitlane speeding, ex-Formula 1 driver Marcus Ericsson stepped up to score the biggest win of his career and seize the IndyCar points lead
Ranking the top 10 IndyCar drivers of 2021
In an enthralling 2021 IndyCar campaign, the series bounced back from its COVID-19 truncated year prior and Alex Palou defeated both the established order and his fellow young guns to clinch a maiden title. It capped a remarkable season with plenty of standout performers
How F1's other IndyCar exile finally unlocked his potential
Romain Grosjean's swashbuckling rookie year in IndyCar captured the imagination of many in 2021. But another ex-Formula 1 driver whose potential was masked by five years of toil in, at best, middling machinery also enjoyed a breakout year in 2021 - winning twice and finishing sixth in points. Here's how Marcus Ericsson finally delivered on his promise
How Ganassi's relentless new champion outfoxed IndyCar's best
IndyCar sophomore Alex Palou stunned by overcoming team-mate Scott Dixon and the rest of a white-hot field in 2021. He was consistently fast and crucially showed a level head, rebounding well from setbacks to put himself in a near unassailable position entering the final round
Have Harvey and RLL formed IndyCar’s next winning match-up?
Despite appearing to have an IndyCar job for life with Meyer Shank Racing, Jack Harvey’s departure and move to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing sparked plenty of debate. However, Harvey's and RLL's combined strengths could prove to be a winning combination - if they get the balance right
Remembering Dan Wheldon and his last and most amazing IndyCar win
Saturday 16 October marks the 10th anniversary of Dan Wheldon’s death. David Malsher-Lopez pays tribute, then asks Wheldon’s race engineer from 2011, Todd Malloy, to recall that magical second victory at the Indianapolis 500
Why Kyle Kirkwood is America's new IndyCar ace-in-waiting
Kyle Kirkwood, the record-setting junior formula driver, sealed the Indy Lights championship last weekend. But despite an absurdly strong junior career and scholarship money, his next move is far from clear
Why IndyCar title glory is just the start for Ganassi's new star
Newly-crowned IndyCar champion Alex Palou has been lauded as a complete driver and veteran-like in only his second season. The 24-year-old is still in the early days of his career, but the parallels are there for all to see with his six-time champion Chip Ganassi Racing team-mate who has been CGR's team leader since 2014