The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 17

Nation The Indianapolis Star SUNDAY, MAY 16, 1982 if sooQoaufiers Penske cars nearly FIRST HOW FIRST ROW RICK MEARS 1 Gould Charge PENSKE PC 10COSWORTH A.J.FOYT 14 Val voline-Gilmnre '8J MARCHCOSWORTH KEVIN COGAN 4 Norton Spirit PENSKE PC 10COSWORTH erfec marks fall :44.02 204.453 :44.62 201.703 :44.27 203.298 :44.15 203.851 :43.98 204.638 44.00 204.545 Totals :43.52 206.801 43.47 207.039 43.35 207.612 43.57 206.564 Totals :44.30 203.160 :44.11 204.035 Totals 2:57.05 203.332 2:56.40 204.082 2:53.91 207.004 SECOND ROW GORDON JOHNCOCK 20 STP Oil Treatment WILDCAT VIII BCOSWORTH BILL WHITTINGTON 94 Whittington Bros. '81 MARCHCOSWORTH MARIO ANDRETTI 40-STP Oil Treatment WILDCAT VIII BCOSWORTH :44.69 201.387 :44.62 201.703 204.035 202.247 202.748 203 666 rtv3 kPd I :44.39 I t'l :44.19 44.67 201.478 :44.53 202.111 :44.56 201.975 :44.63 201.658 :44.60 201.794 Totals 2:58.32 201.884 Totals 57.19 203.172 iiiiais :58.52 201.658 By DAVE OVERPECK For Team Penske, for which perfection is adequate for now, Saturday was good but not great. As expected Rick Mears put the Gould Charge PC-10 on the pole, taking the official one- and four-lap track records to 207.612 and 207.004, respectively. And teammate Kevin Cogan in the Norton Spirit PC-10 also was over Tom Sneva's old standards with laps at 204.638 and 204.082. But, doggone, it could have been better.

Cogan had to make his run in the team's backup car after burning a piston in the primary car during the morning practice session. And the engine in it just wasn't up to snuff. So the 26 year-old Speedway sophomore wasn't able to challenge his senior teammate for pole honors. "It was a disappointment." admitted Cogan. "But all things consid ered.

it speaks awfully well for the team that we can take a third string engine and go 204 miles an hour. "But the other engine was about four miles an hour faster. If I'd had that other engine, I wouldn't have any excuses. I hate excuses. "IF I WAS second in the race, I'd be happier than I am now." If Cogan was pining for what once was, Mears was very happy, thank you.

with what he had. Because his was the second qualifi- See PENSKE Page 3B THIRD ROW DON WHITTINGTON 91 Whittington Bros. '81 MARCHCOSWORTH DANNY ONGAIS 25 Interscope Racing 1NTERSCOPECOSWORTH TOM SNEVA 7 Texaco Star i 45.05 199.778 203.436 200.267 199.778 200.669 i 44.94 K-! :44.85 :44.73 201.207 44.37 202.840 :45.17 199.247 199.645 Totals 199.159 :42.25 198.895 45.28 198.763 Totals 3:00.77 199.148 Totals 2:59.08 201.027 2:59.35 200.725 i Powered by Penske FOURTH ROW CHIPGANASSI 12 1st Commercial Corp. WILDCAT VIIICOSWORTH JOHNNY RUTHERFORD 5 Pennzoil Chaparral CHAPAR RALCOSWORTH PANCHO CARTER 3 Alex Foods MARCHCOSWORTH Car owner Roger Penske meets with the Cogan, prior to their record qualifying runs, two fastest men in the Indianapolis 500-Mile (Star Photo) Race field, Rick Mears (left) and Kevin 199.247 198.807 199.071 198.675 :45.17 :45.27 45.21 45.30 :45.42 198.151 45.56 197.542 :45.55 197.585 45.56 197.542 Totals 45.61 197.325 :45.80 196.464 45.56 197.542 45.71 196.937 Totals 3:02.68 197.066 ft, Totals 3:00.95 198.950 13:02.09 197.704 i standing on the throttle FIFTH ROW HERM JOHNSON 28 Menard Cashway Lumber '81 EAGLECHEVY HECTOR REBAQL'E 52 Carta Blanca '82 MARCHCOSWORTH DANNY SULLIVAN 53 Forsythe-Brown MARCHCOSWORTH 45.91 196.036 45.87 196.207 45.86 196.249 :45.76 196.678 45.92 195.993 46.04 195.482 :46.25 194.595 Totals 3:03.97 195.684 45.81 196.507 45.85 196.292 45.89 196.121 45.86 196.249 Total 02.41 196.292 46.10 195.228 Totals 03.74 195.929 SIXTH ROW BOBBY RAHAL 19 Red Roof Inns '82 MARCHCOSWORTH ALUNSER 10 Iongliorn LONGHORN LR 3COSWORTH HOWDY HOLMES 30 Domino's Pizza MARCHCOSWORTH :46.31 194.342 :46.16 194 974 :45.43 198.107 :46.15 195.016 :46.19 194.847 hi '-1 :46.14 195. 59 :46.26 194.553 :46.16 194.974 :46.18 194.890 :46.52 193.465 Totals 3:05.12 194.468 fit :46.31 194.342 Th Wi :46.29 194.426 Totals 3:04.90 194.700 Totals 3:04.08 195.567 tr- By ROBIN MILLER Gordon Smiley lived by the throttle pedal and that is how he died Saturday Charging into the third turn, trying for his third straight start in the Indianapolis 500.

Smiley lost control and his-life in what may have born the most devastating crash in Indianapolis Motor Speedway history Nearly identical to Danny Ongais' accident during the 1981 race. Smiley's Intermedics March got loose entering the No. 3 corner. H'hen the rear end came around, the 33 yearold Grapevine (Texasi native cranked the steering wheel right in an effort to get back in the groove. But.

like the Ongais mishap, the ground effects built into the chassis didn't allow the car to turn left. Instead, it hooked up to the pavement and hurtled Smiley into the unforgiving Speedway wall head on. The impact killed Smiley instantly and the sturdy, English-built car literally exploded into pieces. A former aircraft engineer estimated the force to be in excess of 200 Gs. The 4l2-foot cockpit section was compressed to a 9-inch piece of rubble.

"THANKFULLY, he never knew what hit him," said an observer in the third turn. It was apparent to all in the first turn Saturday morning that the personable road racing veteran was having handling problems, even while turning laps at 196 mph. He was having to run both inside tires inside the white line and jump out of the throttle as he neared the short chute fence to keep from hitting it. "He (Smiley) was pumped up all week," said Derek Mower, chief mechanic on owner Bob Fletcher's car. "He wanted to run good for his sponsors.

"I tried to calm him down this morning and told him just to run the car as fast as it was comfortable because we had a backup March if things didn't work out with this one. "BUT HE SAID we didn't need a backup because he was gonna run 200 miles an hour with this one. He was super aggressive and super competitive and he felt he was better than some of the guys going faster than he was." Other than in his initial Indy drive in 1980, Smiley probably was "overaggressive" behind the wheel. He ran up front at Michigan, Mexico City and here last May, but wound up in the fence. "Gordon didn't know anything but fast." said Mower, who worked for another driver of that nature in Formula One, the late Jochen Rindt.

"He was a very talented driver, but couldn't temper his aggressiveness. Al Unser is a good example of what I mean. He's as capable as anyone, but his car wasn't working today and instead of trying to go 200. he just put it in the race." Smiley, who earned a journalism degree from the University of Nebraska, got his start in Formula Fords and immediately excelled in the little single-seaters. A four-time SCCA champion, he went to Europe and ran well in the Aurora Series for older Grand Prix cars.

His exuberant style behind the wheel also was reflected off the track He was popular with the media, always going out of his way to give interviews, and even working for a local television station during May. Despite his success, Smiley always seemed to be trying to make up for lost time. "He stood on the gas. at all costs," reflected Mower. "And a man like that controls his own destiny." SEVENTH ROW CHIP MEAD 49 Arizona International '81 EAGLECOSWORTH ROGER MEARS Machinists Union NSKE PC4 BCOSWORTH :46.33 194.259 :46.09 195.270 :46.16 194.974 :46.44 193.798 46.49 193.590 :46.65 192.926 Totals More Speedway stories.

Pages 2, 3, 4, 7 Full page of pictures, Page 5 Qualifying scorecard, timing chart, Page 6 193 050 I Tnfalc I 3:05.42 194.154 1 3:05.74 193.819 SPORTS INDEX Gordon Smiley Memorial service The Championship Drivers Association announced late Saturday that a memorial service for Gordon Smiley will be at 7:30 p.m. today at the Chapel Hill United Methodist Church, 10th Street and Girls School Road. Smiley's widow, Barbara, expressed wishes the service be conducted locally. Memorial contributions may be made to the Championship Driver's Benevolent Fund, 9202 North Meridian, Indianapolis, 46240. In addition to the widow, Smiley is survived by his mother, Elaine, and a sister, Sally.

Burial will be at Omaha, where final arrangements still are pend ing. Checkers toast CHL Adams Cup title Page 2 Tribe romps past Denver Page 7 A. I. Baseball .10 Baseball Averages 18 Big Fish 17 Bob Collins 2 Golf Scene 16 lines Shots 17 N.L. Baseball 7 Picture Page 5 Scoreboard 18 AloiMB Cowboy win Preakness once rode mules at state fairs.

Kaenel won the first time he and Shoemaker rode in the same ice, beating his senior in the Selima Stakes at Pimlico last year. "I am 1-for-l against Shoemaker," Kaenel said before Saturday's racing card began. "And tomorrow, I'll be 2 for 2." Kaenel is only 2 for-3 agaist Shoemaker, having finished behind him in the City of Baltimore Handicap before the Preakness Saturday. It is a 2 for 3 he should be able to live with, however. AFTER FULFILLING HIS proph ecy with Aloma's Ruler's one-half length victory, Kaenel said, "It's an honor to beat him twice.

He's still Mr. Shoemaker to me." The victory set up a possible showdown with Gato Del Sol in the l'i-mile Baltimore (AP) Kentucky Derby winner Gato Del Sol was missing but the Preakness at Pimlico Saturday turned out to be a storybook race when 16 year-old Jack (Cowboy) Kaenel rode lightly raced Aloma's Ruler to a front-running victory. Aloma's Ruler, trained by 35-year-old Butch Lenzini and ridden by a teen ager, beat favored Linkage, rid den by 50 year-old Bill Shoemaker and trained by 77 year-old Henry Clark. "I'm just very happy to have accomplished such a thing at such a young age," said Kaenel, the youngest jockey to ride in a Triple Crown race in modern times. He will be 17 on July 27.

Kaenel picked up the nickname "Cowboy" because he used to ride on the bootleg circuit in the Midwest and After Kaenel guided Aloma's Ruler in the one mile Withers last week at Aqueduct. Scherr said in the winner's circle: "Next week, we will win the Preakness." Before the race, Lenzini said, "I honestly feel that if he didn't get hurt. I'd have the top 3 year-old right now. I still believe he's the best, but now we have to go out and get it (the division championship)." ALOMA'S RULER, SON of Iron Ruler, earned $209,900 from a purse of $279,900, both Preakness records. It paid $15.80, $4.60 and $3.60.

Linkage, owned by Jane DuPont 1 Lunger, returned $2.60 and $2 60. Cut AWay. owned by Herbert Allen, was $6 to show. Completing the order of finish were See PREAKNESS, Page 8B horse field, making only his eighth career start. Kaenel had him on the lead shortly after the break from the post.

The dark, bay colt was still there at the end of the 1 316 miles, reached in 1:55.2., far off the record of 1:54 set by Canonero II in 1971. "I slowed the pace down as much as I could," said Kaenel, who sent the winner through the first half mile in 48 seconds, three quarters in 1:12 and a mile in 1:36.2. "Speed held up on this track. They just couldn't catch us." Briefly, it looked as if Linkage, who moved into contention on the final turn, might catch Aloma's Ruler. "Kaenel had a real fresh horse," said Shoemaker, who has won this race twice, the last time with Damascus in 1967 when Kaenel was not yet two years old.

"He had to have it to beat me. I thought I could take him anytime, but we ran out of ground." LINKAGE FINISHED 6V4 lengths ahead of Cut Away, the longest shot in the field. Cut Away was two lengths ahead of Bold Style. It was a disappointing defeat for Clark, who skipped the Derby after Linkage had beaten Gato Del Sol in the Blue Grass Stakes April 22. After Clark decided to skip the Derby, Gato Del Sol became the first Derby winner not to start in the Preakness since Tomy Lee in 1959.

Now, the Belmont looms as a showdown between Gato Del, Sol and Aloma's Ruler, who missed theDerby; because of an injury. Aloma's fluler was entered in the Preakness after his first place finish in the Withers Stakes. Belmont Stakes June 5. Gato Del Sol is at Belmont Park, where he worked out Saturday in preparation for the final race of the Triple Crown. He was held out of the Preakness because trainer Ed Gregson said the race didn't fit his plans.

That was the reason given by Clark for holding Linkage out of the Derby. In the winner's circle after the race, Nathan Scherr, a Baltimore building contractor who owns Aloma's Ruler, shouted: "This is for Baltimore and Maryland." He said a start in the Belmont is a "definite maybe." Lenzini said, "If he comes out of this well, we'll definitely think about in the Belmont." ALOMA'S RULER WAS the most lightly raced member of the seven-.