About time for another French '500' winner, oui?

One hundred years ago, an international flair permeated the infant Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.

Quite possibly the $50,000 purse in 1912, with $35,000 to winner Joe Dawson, was the biggest inducement to European participation from the Peugeot, Sunbeam and Isotta Fraschini teams along with Mercedes. The competition and manufacturer marketing surely were factors, too.

The French quickly made their mark with Jules Goux (center in photo at left) winning the 1913 race in a Peugeot (with a four-cylinder dual overhead camshaft engine) by 13 minutes, reportedly sipping champagne during pit stops. French drivers swept the top four places in 1914, with Rene Thomas earning the victory. Barney Oldfield was the top American in a Stutz.

It's time for a repeat, according to Frenchmen Sebastien Bourdais, Simon Pagenaud and Tristan Vautier. Pagenaud will attempt to qualify for his second Indy 500 in the No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton HP car, while Vautier is seeking to crack the 33-car field in his first attempt in the No. 55 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports car. Bourdais, of Le Mans, France, and a St. Petersburg, Fla., resident, will drive the No. 7 Dragon Racing car in an attempt to qualify for his third Indy 500.

"We'll take it any year," said Pagenaud, a native of Montmorillon, France, and an Indianapolis resident.

Thomas won the 1914 race in a Delage, and Ralph DePalma followed in a Mercedes. Peugeot won in 1916 (Dario Resta driving) before World War I intervened and put the race on hold until 1919 (Howdy Wilcox winning in a Peugeot). Gaston Chevrolet, born in Beaune, France, won the 1920 race and Gil de Ferran, born in Paris, won in 2003.

"I think it would be huge, huge for the (IZOD IndyCar) series as well," said Pagenaud, who finished 16th last May. "The awareness in Europe would definitely grow. It would definitely help to be recognized as much as Formula One can be over there. I think for IndyCar, obviously we want to grow here in the U.S., but it's also important for us as foreign drivers be able to develop the series over there, as well."

Added Vautier, 23, from Corenc, France, who lives in St. Petersburg, Fla.: "(Winning) would be amazing, for sure. If we have to win it in two years, it would be 102, we'll take it."