Bell, who drove for Schmidt in the Indy 500 the last two seasons will attempt to qualify the No. 99 Schmidt Pelfrey Motorsports. Schmidt had filed a second entry for the May 27 race, but did not announce a driver at the time.

"Sam was the only person who offered me a job this year, which I am grateful for because it' not easy to find a job right now. There's a lot of guys out there who want to run Indy and can't get a job,'' Bell told The Associated Press. "But, it's a great fit because Sam is totally committed to winning the race.''

"Townsend is one of those drivers that gets it done at Indy,'' Schmidt said. "To say we have unfinished business together at Indy may be a cliche, but it is true. We've started our first two races together with legitimate shots at winning. This year should be no different.''