The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 59

-THURSDAY, MAY 12, 1977 THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR PAGE 58 AXIlllETTM. FOYT 1111EAK 200-MVU llAUMFit Mario Makes Mont Of May Merrier Speedway Top 10 SPEED POS. DRIVER CAR 1. Mirio Andrttll. CAM-3 Motor Oil McLMtn-CosworHl No.

2. A. J. Fori, Giimort Covolo- Fort No. 14 3.

Johnny Rutherford. Flnt Nalionll City McLirtn-Coiworth No. 2 a CHlrit Mi-I an. JW.JI! 200.177 199.400 Coswoflti No. I 197.4M 197.109 5.

Al unser, Amoriun Ktunp rin'ir coiwonn No. ji i. Cordon Johncotk, STP Wildcat- DGS No. 20 City McLaron-CoiWortti No. IT (15) I.

Danny Onoait, Inlorltopo Parnelll- Coiwortti No. 25 ,1. Pancho Carter, Jorienotn Eoolo-Drlke. 1M.H 10. Wally Dallenbach STP Wildcat uimii nri no aa son, who announced his retirement as a racing driver yesterday, said to the Swiss driver shortly after the accident, "I'm going to send you out again in my car.

I want you to drive about 188 for about 10 Japs and then park it. "We'll come back again tomorrow (today). And if you hit anything again, stop. Don't drive around on three" wheels." SIMPSON, WHO has a number of successful businesses in California, said he made up his mind going down the backstretch to quit driving because his mind was on business. "I almost lost it," he said.

There were IS different cars and 15 different drivers over the 190 mark, with Johncock holding up the honors for the four-cylinder engines with a speed of 197.109 mph in the Bignotti Wildcat which is powered by a Drake-Goossen-Sparks engine. He lies sixth on the speed list behind Andretti, Foyt, Rutherford, Tom Sneva at 198.194, and Al Unser at 197.628. All are driving V-8s. There was a plethora of action yesterday, what with 37 drivers being on the track, and the garage area gradually is filling up. There are 59 cars berthed on the grounds, and 43 of them have passed their initial i -x1 "Those people up in Detroit call every day and say to just run a little and they'll send down the money to buy dinner." Alexander was referring to the daily prize of four dinners at a local restaurant to the holder of the fastest speed of the day.

Also overshadowed by the speed was the crash of Swiss driver Clay Regazzoni in Teddy Yipp's Theodore Racing McLaren Drake. Regazzoni lost control coming out of the No. 4 turn, spun once and hit the outside wall tearing off the right rear wheel. Unlike American drivers who stop and climb out of their car, Regazzoni drove on into the pits on three wheels. Regazzoni's teammate, Bill Simp- 'IV 1 4 4 curred yesterday afternoon.

He knocked the wing loose and lost the right rear wheel, but still made it into the pits. (Star Photo by Bob Davis) CONTACT Rookie Clay Regazonni hits the wall at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a practice run. Regazonni was in the fourth turn when the accident oc By GEORGE MOORE The gladiators dueled in that pit of speed known as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway yesterday. It wasn't exactly David against Goliath, but when the battle was over it was the little Italian gentleman from Nazareth, Mario Andretti, who had taken the measure of the big Texan from Houston, A.J.Foyt, Mario Andretti set a milestone at the track by being the first driver to hit 200 miles an hour on the electric eye. Andretti set the clocks spinning with a lap of 200.311 mph while Foyt fiddled with his car in the pits.

"It just had to happen," Mario said. "The time was right and everything was right with the chassis. "It was an honest attempt. There are other cars here capable of running 200 if they want to crank up the boost. But they are just kidding themselves.

We ran an honest boost of 80 inches." FOYT HIT 200.177 just moments before the track closed. Was Foyt running the 80 inches of manifold pressure which is permitted by United States Auto Club rules? "We'll find out Saturday (qualification day)," Foyt said. During the run, flame spurted out the exhaust pipe of his Foyt V-8 when he lifted to go into the first turn. Mechanics stated this was an indication he had raised the pressure of his turbocharger. Patrick Racing Team driver Gordon Johncock hit 200 mph on the stop watches during tire tests earlier in the year, and stated he drove his car flat out all the way around.

Andretti didn't. "I have to lift going into 1 and 3," Mario said. "I didn't squeeze it as hard as I would have if I was qualifying. But that's about the limit right for now," Andretti obviously is a candidate for the pole position with his McLaren Cosworth V-8 and took to heart Foyt's earlier admonition to "Stand on that S.O.B." Mario is on a hot streak, having won the U.S. Grand Prix West at Long Beach, in April and the Grand Prix of Spain last Sunday.

THE ANDRETTI-FOYT duel somewhat overshadowed Johnny Rutherford's earlier lap of 199.4 mph. Rutherford declined in mid-afternoon to return his McLaren Cosworth the track and try to attempt the magic, at that point, 200 mark. "We'll save that for Saturday," Rutherford said. "What's the purse," asked Rutherford's team manager, Tyler Alexander. PIT STOP COJfTKST SKT Janet Guthrie Enters Charlotte World 600 Wrenchmen Vie For 2 5 Gs PIT PASS 11 Btf -fipeecta'Oi fifaff Saturday, and was a pioneer black driver who won the first 100-miler ever held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds back in the 1930s.

He has been active in racing since 1929, and Patrick's crew members have bestowed on him the honorary title of "Chief Sanitation Engineer." YETEHAN ALTO FACING promoter Al Sweeney noted yesterday that there are more second generation drivers at the track this year than at any time in its history. There are seven "youngsters" whose fathers were drivers, and five of them had dads who drove at the Speedway. They are Bill Vtikovich, Pancho Carter, Johnny Parsons, Jim McElreath and Gary Bettenhausen. Peter DePaolo, move over. Pete, who celebrated his 50th anniversary at the 500 in 1975, has a rival, almost, in the form of guard Roy Grugel who will sec his 50th 500-Mile Race this year Roy has been a guard on the garage area's back gate for 10 years.

But the car owner said the entry did not indicate a lack of confidence in Miss Guthrie's ability to qualify at Indianapolis. Miss Guthrie," trying for the second year in a row to become the first woman in (lie Indianapolis race, entered the World 600 last year after failing to qualify for Indianapolis. She surprised her detractors by running the entire race and finishing lath. SINCE THEN THE 39-year-cM phy-" sicist from New York has run in several events and is trying for NAS-CAR's 1 rookic-of-the-year award this year. She still is classified as a rookie because she did not run in more than five NASCAR events last year.

"We decided to submit an entry (for the World 6CO) because we're running for rookie-of-the year and we want the points," the car owner said. Miss Guthrie hit the wall at Indianapolis Tuesday during a practice run" of more than 190 miles aa hour, but she was not injured. Charlotte, N.C. (AP) Janet Guthrie, who broke the male bastion of stock car racing at last year's World 600 here, has filed for entry in this year's race even though she currently is trying to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. Both races are scheduled May 29.

Officials at Charlotte Motor Speedway said they received Miss Guthrie's entry form yesterday. Although the deadline for entries in the NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National series event was May 9, her entry was dated May 4 and is valid, according to Joe Whitlock, public relations director ot the speedway. LYNDA FERRER a Charlotte bank executive who owns the Chevrolet which Miss Guthrie drives on the NASCAR circuit, said Miss Guthrie filed for entry in the $300,000 World 600 as a backup in case she fails to qualify for the $1 million Indianapolis race. A fast man with a wrench gets his chance to share in the money at the Speedway next week when an Indy Pit Stop Championship worth a total of $25,000 plus posted manufacturers awards is staged. Sponsored, by Miller High Life, the contest will be held in four stages elimination finals, quarterfinals, semifinals and the championship with first prize in the champ go being worth 52.000 and second being worth $1,000.

IT WILL BE head to head competition, with the action taking place at the starting line. A wooden wall simulating a pit wall will be placed in the pits for one of the teams. The ether will use the regular cement all. Two cars will roll into their respective pits simultaneously, breaking an electric eye beam to start the elapsed time, and four men will cross the wall, breaking a beam, to change two right hand side wheels and tires. The first eliminations will be held Monday or Tuesday, with the champi- onship event on May 26 after carbure-.

tion tests. RACE CAR BL1LDEK Grant King's local shop has come to the rescue of Kolla Vollstedt in the repair of Janet Guthrie's busted racer. The shop made new suspension components which were bent when Guthrie tagged the wall Tuesday. The factory on the West Coast had no spare parts and no time to build any as it still has cars under construction. Chief mechanic Phil Casey says he'll have the lady back on the Speedway today.

If they should have a contest for the oldest crewman in the garage area, the winner most likely would be Red Oliver who is a member of the Patrick Racing Team. Red, who will be 74 years young 7 C0TMI ffMDffMS- IN OUR AUTOMOTIVE DEPARTMENT DEEP FIVE RIB TREAD FOR LONG WEAR SMOOTH RIDING 4 PLY P0LVESTER CORD BODY STRONG. TOUGH CONSTRUCTION AT AN ECONOMICAL PRICE 5 mm BLACKWALL SIZE 678-13 1 OPEN A CENTRAL CHARGE ACCOUNT V'i, tiiw LWASSY TIRE F.E.". OLD TIRE Speedway practice weather. A short time later Foyt turned his magic 200-mph lap in his No.

14 Gilmoie car. Star Photo by Frank H. Fisse) FOYT ALL SMILES George Bignotti, A.J. Foyt and Gordon Johncock (left to right) break out their best Pcpsodent smiles yesterday in ideal I BLACKWALL I WHITEWALL SALE PRICE SALE PRICE B78-13 $20.00 S23.00 560-15 20.00 23.00 E78-14 23.00 26.00 F78-14 24.00 27.00 G78-14 26.00 29.00 H78-14 28.00 31.00 G78-15 27.00 30.00 H78-15 29.00 32.00 L78-15 34.00 $1.82 1.81 2.23 2.39 2.55 2.75 2.58 2.80 3.09 4 i 76ers Deal For Erving Made With Blessing From Big Mac SALE PRICES, THIS WEEK ONLY poirn 36 1 jit my 6 ALL SIZES. ORE PRICE 41 MBkS cTuoT if li QUART LIMIT 8 LmKsf EXCHAN EXCHANGE FfijimiiJ QUAKER STATE 0 Sports Over Lightly GROUPS: 22F.

24, 24F.42. 1, 19L HEAVY DUTY CONSTRUCTION PENNZ0IL 10W30 OR NAV0LINE 10W40 DELIVERS UP TO 281 COLD CRANKING AMPS BATTERY MST PR0TEOTORS Wo U. Bob Collins, Sports Editon 0UO 0 TffMillPWS YOUR CHOICE OF ANY MAJOR OIL BRAND IN STOCK COMPLETE CHASSIS LUBE (FITTINGS EXTRA) BRAKE FLUID GEAR LUBE IF NEEDED ADDITIONAL SERVICES EXTRA a. flraO(ULl( REG. 57 Eg maw wry fjyy wry tati SHOCKS fll PHILADELPHIA WON ITS division with room to spare and is heaiipd for a National Basketball Association showdown.

But the 76ers didn't short-circuit a scoreboard, shut out anybody or set any records. All they did was win, which, the last time I looked, is an accomplishment that still rates more than a few notches above losing. But 1976-77 76er team is a different breed of cat. Coach Gene Shue is operating with enough Superstars to stock a division. And the mere presence of all that high-priced talent on the rosters has turned most sportswriters and basketball experts into counselors and psychoanalyists.

CONVENTIONAL wisdom says that ego goes into ego exactly no times. Thus, they seemed to believe that the biggest problem was to find the problem. They began by interviewing lesser members of the cast. This research revealed a startling fact they all thought they should be playing more. I don't know about you, but I breathed a sigh of relief.

It kept the record intact Like, I never heard of a basketball performer who thought he should be playing less. Then the shrewd investigators would ask George McGinnis and Julius Erving the same questions at different times. The idea was to run the nuances through the intellect shredder and see how much baloney would come out. But George and Dr. J.

weren't having any of it. The questions were: Can George play with Erving? Can Erving play with George? Can George and Erving tolerate three other humans on the floor? Will the 76ers need two, three or four basketballs? And there was the biggie, always blowing around in the rhetoric breeze: When will the explosion come? IN A RECENT New York Times interview, Mc-5?" mWlt ft wm CAR TOP LUGGAGE I EXPANDABLE BAR 4 8 0R 8 CYL RACK TYPE CARRIER INCLUDES GM UNI-SET "4 YOU CNOCf reg. ffitffUnfl MCMMTiMi Msn EACH Jgoo MOST U. S. CARS ill i .1 Li i MOST U.

S. CARS INSTALLATION AVAILABLE Ginnis finally spoke up and gave last rites to the rumors. First off, he revealed that Philadelphia purchased Dr. J. from the New York Nets only after clearing the deal with the former Pacers star.

According to McGinnis, Philadelphia GM Pat Williams mentioned that Erving was available and added, "We'd like to have him, George. But if it is going to cause any problems, any problems at all, we won't make the deal." McGinnis had a fast answer: "Get him." Says George about the deal and the season, "Look at it sensibly. In the ABA we were both all-pro and we both were named Most Valuable Player. So what the hell does either of us have to prove individually? "The only thing left is winning a championship. Doc can help me win one, maybe many of them.

I welcome the help." AND THERE CAN be no doubt that Erving's presence in the lineup took considerable pressure off the big lad from Indianapolis. George played 200 fewer minutes, but upped his total field goals, shooting percentage and rebounding. He passed better and more often and played better defense. And he was voted MVP for the 1976-77 season. EACH SMOOTH RIDING UNDER ALL R0A0 CONDITIONS TEFLON COATED PISTON TO REDUCE FRICTION LONGER LIFE HEAVY DUTY DOUBLE WRAPPED ZINC COATED MAXIMUM PROTECTION AGAINST RUST OUT IN-DASH 8 TRACK WITH IN DASH CASSETTE WITH AMFM STEREO RADIO AMFM STEREO RADIO ID400 EXPERT INSTALLATION AVAILABLE ID60 HOSE.

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