One career is starting and another one is going to continue next month but the Lazier family is all in when it comes to open-wheel racing.

A few minutes after watching his son Flinn finish 12th in the USF2000 race at Barber Motorsports Park, proud papa Buddy confirmed he’ll be competing in the 101st Indianapolis with the little team owned by his father, Bob, and himself.

“I love Indy, that’s the curse, but we want to keep this thing going until Flinn is ready,” said the 1996 Indianapolis 500 winner who will likely be the 33rd entry for the second straight year. “It’s late coming together, but of course that’s our MO, isn’t it?

“But it’s come a long way in the last 10 days and the bottom line is that it’s looking good for next month.”

Young Lazier (pictured at left, with Buddy), who just turned 18, has been a winner in Formula Vee and took his first step in the Mazda Road to Indy this weekend driving for Newman/Wachs Racing.

“It was a mixture of learning the car, the tires and feeling things out but I got more confident with every lap,” he said. “I think I drive pretty smooth but I learned a lot in two days.

“We only had a deal for this weekend but I think it’s open to come back if I can find a little money and it would be great to continue in this series and get more and more competitive.”

A 19-time starter at Indianapolis, Buddy Lazier turns 50 in October and he hopes to continue a career that began in 1990 through the eyes of his son.

“It’s pretty cool when a father and a son love the same thing,” he exclaimed. “And I’m really proud of him – he’s good and he’s a good kid.

“He’d never been to this track or in one of these cars until Friday and he came from 22nd to 12th today. Obviously, my dad started all this back in the ’70s when he raced and got to Indy, then I got going and now we’re into our third generation. It’s pretty cool and we love it.”