INDIANAPOLIS -- Raul Boesel came to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway looking for a ride. He found it at Team Menard, where the 44-year-old driver from Brazil will take over for the injured P.J. Jones.

Ironically, Jones replaced injured Indy Racing League driver Jaques Lazier, who suffered a broken lower back in a crash with Tomas Scheckter on April 21 at Nazareth, Pennsylvania.

Jones also suffered broken vertebra in his lower back when he crashed into the first turn wall late in Tuesday's practice session for the 86th Indianapolis 500.

"I was here on Monday and I didn't have many options," Boesel said. "I started to have some people interested and some teams said they were interested in me if they got their cars into the race this weekend. Mo Nunn was that team, but when this opportunity came up, they offered me the ride for the full season."

Jones was released from Methodist Hospital on Wednesday after suffering a fracture of the C-6 vertebrae. He is listed in good condition but will needs as much as six weeks to recover, according to IRL director of medical affairs Dr. Henry Bock.

"Obviously, the new walls really helped my impact and I probably wouldn't be in nearly as good of shape as I am right now without them," said the son of 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones. "The Speedway really did something positive putting that system in place. I have to thank them for doing that.

"For all I went through, I'm not in any pain and I don't actually feel hurt, but I have some cracks in vertebrae that are going to take a short time to heal up. It's such a shame for the team and for (team owner) John Menard to have to go through this again. I can't really believe it. It's my first Indy 500, and we were running well. To have this happen and sideline you for a month is definitely tough to take. I felt like we had a car to win the race."

Now that ride belongs to Boesel, who has signed on for the full 2002 IRL season with Team Menard.

Boesel has participated in 12 Indy 500s even though he qualified for 13. He made the field last year on the final day of qualifying for Treadway Racing but had to turn that car over to Felipe Giaffone.

Boesel finished third in the 1989 Indianapolis 500 and fourth in 1993.

With Team Menard, he has a car capable of starting up front and, more importantly, finishing up front.

"The good thing is they don't put any pressure on me and they make sure I'm comfortable," Boesel said. "I have not been driving an IRL car since last year. I know one of the reasons they hired me is my experience and they want to be up front on the grid as much, but we need to concentrate on the race. I feel pretty comfortable. I know the car is fast, I just have to get in the groove again.

"I don't see much of a problem. I like Team Menard's approach. I will make my best effort to put the car on the pole, but that's not my priority. I want to build speed quickly, and I can do that with the experience I have. The track has more grip and that is helping the speeds. It seems that everybody is going fast quite comfortably."

Boesel signed a contract with Menard late Wednesday.

"I think it's great to run the full season," Boesel said. "I've been close to winning races, so with this equipment, they are very good. At Indy, we have both come very close. I'm looking very positive at this combination. It's not short of perseverance to achieve the common goal, which is to win the Indianapolis 500. This is probably one of my best opportunities."