The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 25

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31. 1988 I HE INDIANAPOLIS sl AK- -aerodynamic restyling Center Indy-car rides 'scarce for talented drivers I USED TO be an honor to finish in the top 10. or even the ton on in Robin Miller 10 DISCOUNT ON WINDOW TINT Spoiler AvaiijbiA Call 357-8572 MAS Irookvill Id. ever-growing club of talented drivers with no money. "I don't have a sponsor, basically all I can offer is my services." he reasoned.

Twenty years ago. that would have been more than enough to secure a good ride. Not today. "You've got to have money or somebody has to like you." surmised Bill Vu-kovich. an old-school racer who walked away from Indy cars when it became apparent that talent was no longer the top consideration for owners.

"If this had been the case, my dad would have never got a ride." Right now. Ron llemelgarn and the Machinists Union are the only full-time operations who haven't selected a driver, llemelgarn's "88 LolaJudd is the more appealing of the two because the Machinists aren't going to buy a new chassis. But. as Brabham so honestly points out. there's a large disparity between solid efforts like Hemelgarn's and a True-Sports or Kraco team.

"The trouble in Indy-car racing is that the elite arc so far ahead of the good teams," said Brabham, who wound up No. 8 in CART points in '87. "There's a big gap between the very good and the good teams and the good ones are still going to st niggle. "And the opportunities to get into the elite teams just isn't there." Unlike most of his competition, at least Brabham has 1MSA to fall back on. He's one of the Nissan factory drivers for '88 and has a clause in his contract that would allow him to run at Indianapolis.

"The Nissan option is appealing because I will be with a top team, but 1 still haven't given up on open-wheel racing." said Brabham. With Arie Luyendyk switching from llemelgarn to Dick Simon's team tor 1988. speculation Is that llemelgarn will hire either Sneva or Cogan or both. probably operate like last year." said llemelgarn. who ran two cars at several shows and tried to qualify four cars at Indianapolis.

"If I can run two teams, keep them separate and get them financed, I'll run two teams. "At Indy. I ll enter everything I've got with four wheels." Cogan. who thought he had a ride with CahillGarner Racing before it evaporated a couple of months ago, finds himself in a the Indy-car point standings. But it doesn't appear that will be much of an accomplishment this year because just about anyone with a ride is assured of a top 20 spot.

The problem, which has been escalating each season, is that there's a helluva lot more drivers than cars. There won't be more than 16-17 teams contesting the full CARTPPG Industries schedule in 1988 and that's whv eight of the top 20 drivers in the 1987 point standings are without work. Six veterans with steady rides last season Geoff Brabham. Tom Sneva. Kevin Cogan.

Johnny Rutherford. Pancho Carter and Josele Garza can't make that boast as it stands today. Al Unser. the No. 3 winner in Indy-car history who captured his fourth Indianapolis 500 a year ago as a substitute, hasn't had full-time employment since 1984 and doesn't again.

rhrow in Gary Bettenhausen. Johnny Parsons. Davy Jones. Rich Vogler. Steve Chassey.

Danny Ongais, Gbrdon John-cock. Scott Brayton and Ludwig Heimrath Jr. and you've got lots of candidates to drive Jim Chapman's PPG pace car. "The sport needs to do something because It's hard on all of us not to have enough cars and 1 6 or 1 7 is not enough." declared Cogan. who became the odd-man-out when Pat Patrick decided to cut back to a one-car effort in '88.

"I think this is a critical year to be in Indy cars because if you're out of sight, you're out of mind." "This has been coming a long time." exclaimed Brabham, another victim of COGAN IS suing the Cahill brothers. "When I signed with Larry Cahill. It was a guaranteed contract. I was told Holiday Inns were coming along and he was talking with first-class people." related Cogan. "Then he (Cahill) changed his mind and the deal was over.

"Well. 1 can't pretend It never happened because I was out of the market tor two months at a very critical time and I told two teams I had already signed." This was the latest in what has become some bad career moves. "I've had a real weird career," understated Cogan. who tried to drive the ill-fated Llgier a few years back. Smith Barney invites you to consider an Investment Career 111 Vdll h.UV till' tltVfss.lt) l.i Ik- Amiiinl 1 Are vmi .1 prison lh.it 'n(u'r utul spun vmi h.iw ici i ml of sin i fssful s.ii's xpi'i iciu f' iln hi know nf snmi'iMK' von wiiiilil r.iie In nvnniiiioiul to Smith li.iini'V ompl'iri li.tvf .1 icjiiit.it i fur hiLil! Send written resume ntliei iiiliiim.itiiin vmi uotilil cue to provide to: Woiloi Resident M.iuayer Smith ll.irm't, ll.irris ph.

nit o. Inc. IJtl Miiniiinenl ireh Indianapolis, l20 I i Nil telephone alls pli ast'i All i (jil.ll )t. 'flill'MS enill'irl economics who was waived when Rick Galles followed Patrick's hand. "For a long time, I thought Indy-car racing wasn't like Europe because an owner would go out and hire the best guy.

"But things have changed and you really can't blame some teams for taking the money." No. when you consider a rolling chassis with no spares runs about S400.000. it's hard to sec how anyone operates these days without lots of financial aid. "There's no reason the cars have to cost so much." stated Sneva. whose steady seat in the Skoal Bandit went up in smoke after a mid-season rift with owner Mike Curb.

"And we've only got ourselves to blame for the high cost of racing." If the extreme cost wasn't enough to discourage new teams, then CART's closed-shop attitude on sharing the wealth certainly is. The CART franchise fund owners get $9,000 starting money each race. But a new Indy-car owner can't become eligible for that slice of the pie for two years. "I know of two teams that didn't come to the party because they couldn't partici-pale in all of the prize money for two years." said Cogan. "And that's a substantial amount of money." BILL RAMSEY, a fixture at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1949.

is retiring from Valvoline. Ramsey worked for Mobil until Joining Valvoline In 1967 and he's been pumping fuel and hot air ever since. I'll miss his stories and ugly face. Unser, Penske top USAC award recipients SPECIAL WINTER REPAIR SERVICE OFFER 5 00 ROTARY S1A00 fTRACTORS I OFF RIDERS iJ OFF M0WERS wThis Coupon wThij Coupon Complete tune-up including the following: 1. Clean reset points 2.

Check coil and condensor 3. Adjust carburetor 4. Check compression 5. Inspect governor and throttle linkage 6. Service air cleaner 7.

Change oil 8. lubricate completely 9. Sharpen balance blades 10. Steam clean complete Indianapolis Motor Speedway Superintendent of Grounds Charles E. Thompson was presented the coveted Eddie Eden-burn Award for his many contributions to the sport.

Jim Gilmore Enterprises presented their Diana Fell Gilmore Woman Behind the Scenes Award to Mary Lee Standridge of Springfield. In recognition of her lifetime contribution to auto racing. Briice Field of Lock port. 111., who recovered from serious head injuries to win his comeback, race at Winchester, was the recipient of the Caruthers Memorial Award in recognition of his spirit and determination. Hoosiers Don Kenyon of Lebanon and Ray G.

MrMahan of Anderson received distinguished service awards. USAC Gold Crown National Driving Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser of Albuquerque. N.M.. and the Penske Racing Team headlined Friday night's list of year-end award recipients at the 32nd USAC National Awards Dinner in Indianapolis. Unser.

chief mechanic Clive Howell and Penske Racing collected $83,960 in cash and awards. Included in the $549,535 grand total of year-end prizes were $21,500 from Valvoline; 820.350 from Canon Camera, USA. associate sponsor of all USAC racing series; plus $16,625 from STP Corporation. Jack Hewitt of Troy. Ohio, was honored for the second consecutive year as champion of the ValvolineUSAC Silver Crown Championship Series, while his car owner Bob Hampshire was honored again as the car entrant titlist.

trant tltlists in the Speedrome Midget Series), Sleepy Tripp of Costa Mesa, and Gary and George Zarounian of Vlsalia, (tltlists in the Western States Midget Series). Dave Culp and Don Nunley of Phoenix. (tltlists In the Arizona Midget Series) and Dennis and Donald Hart of Ventura. (titlists In the TQ Midget Series). USAC's Individual Special Recognition Award was presented to William M.

"Bill" Ramsey of Valvoline. while the USAC Corporate Special Recognition Award went to Jolly Rancher Candies of Colorado. CNA Insurance Company's newly-renamed Jack O'Neal Safety Award was presented to Jim Gilliam of Gilliam Enterprises frm Meeker. OK. Long-time USAC Official Russ Clendenen of Dayton.

Ohio, was surprised by Richard King, as recipient of the 1987 USAC President's Award. Steve Butler of Kokomo repeated as the Crestllner VansU-SAC National Sprint Car Champ, while his owner Phil Poor shared the spotlight as the entrant champion. Poor was also presented the James McElreath Memorial Award as Butler's chief mechanic. Billy Moyer and Larry Shaw of Batesville, again carted off the top driver and entrant awards respectively In the USAC Late Model Championship Series. Billy Vukovich of Fresno, received his 1987 USAC Supermodified Championship Series ring from his father and his car owner.

Vernon Reitz. earned the series car entrant championship. Jolly Rancher CandiesUSAC Regional Champions honored Included Mack McClellan of Van-dalia. Ohio, and Jonathan Byrd of Greenwood (driver and en Pick up Delivery available Mowers $1 2t trip Riders-Tractors 2 2rnd trip II you havo several piocus you pay only lof Ihe pick up ol lanies! unit Good thru March 1 3th, 1988 30 Day Guarantee (from first use) Complete Sales Service Parts HErJTHORN flower Engine 2220 LAFAYETTE RD. 634-5678 DHl I errs i CENTENNIAL GOODYEAR GENERAL BFG00DRICH BRIDGEST0NE MICHELIN ATM i.

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It is covered by an extensive three mile warranty and Jaguar's new Service-On-Site Roadside Assistance Plan. For details of this unique plan and Jaguar's limited warranty, applicable in the USA and Canada, visit your dealer, who invites you to see and drive the 1988 Jaguar XJ6 the evolution of a legendary species. tNJOY TOMORROW BUCKLE UP TODAY JAGUAR A BLENDING OF ART AND MACHINE. The new breed Jaguar XJ6 blends the timeless splendor of supple leather, polished walnut and unmistakable Jaguar style with the power of tomorrow's technology. Its taut form is more aerodynamic.

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