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Last updated on Tuesday, September 13, 2011
(UNDATED) - Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon will be the only contestant for a five-million-dollar bonus at the Izod IndyCar Series’ finale at Las Vegas, according to an internet report.
The Indianapolis Star reported on its website Monday that no other driver outside of open-wheel racing has stepped forward to compete for the bonus.
IndyCar has scheduled a news conference for today.
Wheldon has not raced competitively since winning the 500 in May.
He has spent his summer serving as the test driver for the IndyCar Series' new 2012 car.
IndyCar announced before the season that it would pay the bonus to any driver who is not a regular in the series who competed in and won the season-ending race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The IndyCar Series teams compete in Japan this weekend as the series makes its final appearance at Twin-Ring Motegi.
Damage to the oval caused by the earthquake in March has forced a shift of the race to Motegi's road course. A pair of driver assignments were revealed on Monday.
Dreyer and Reinbold racing announced that Giorgio Pantano will once again fill in for injured driver Justin Wilson.
Pantano raced in place of Wilson at Sonoma and Baltimore.
Conquest Racing will field a car for Brazilian Joao Paulo de Oliveira, the reigning Formula Nippon Champion.
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