The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 19

'SUNDAY, MAY 16. 1982- T11E INDIANAPOLIS STAR -30 Mario? Johncpck "its I 4 A -9f sitting in Mow By KURT FREUDENTHAL Former winners Mario Andretti and Gordon Johncock took a backseat ments. "I'll guarantee, we have a good shot at winning this thing," he said, moments after returning to his garage in Gasoline Alley. There was no bitterness in his voice. There was determination.

Mario has bitter memories, alright, stemming from last year's bizarre and controversial finish that wasn't settled until last fall. He doesn't want to be reminded of the past, nor to talk about it. Andretti was elevated to first place the morning after last year's race and original winner Bobby Unser was relegated to runner up honors for passing cars under the yellow caution light. It was "settled" months later, with Unser being restored to first and fined a fat $40,000. "They are bitter memories, but they don't interfere with my work," said Andretti.

"I don't have an ax to grind I do it (racing) on my own." ANDRETTI'S FIRST LAP, 204 035. to the Penske boys, Rick Mears and Kevin Cogan, in Saturday's 500 Mile Race qualifications. They hope to get even on May 30. "They're the guys to beat (in the race)." said Johncock, the day's fourth qualifier at an average speed of 201.884 miles an hour in his STP Patrick Racing Team Wildcat Cos-worth. "But they'll know we're there." Andretti, who had to wait an extra three hours because of Gordon Smi-ley's fatal accident, qualified 11th in mid afternoon at 203.172 to nail down the inside spot in the second row in the other Patrick Wildcat.

At the time, the race course was tricky because of gusty winds. Johncock was fifth fastest and sits next to Andretti in the middle of the second row. ANDRETTI, WHO HAD hoped to be second quickest in the qualifying lineup, shared his teammate's senti 203 mph for his average. He qualified with a new engine. "We lost the qualifying engine in practice yesterday (Friday)." he said.

"No doubt, it would have been sharper. The crew did a fine job. "The wind is the biggest enemy when you want to go fast. It moves you around. The wind picked up a bit (as I qualified); it got just a little bit gusty.

But it was also overcast, so one cancels out the other. That's the luck of the draw Andretti. the Speedway champion in 1969. was puzzled by one thing. "I backed off on the fourth lap only and picked up a mile." Andretti, qualifying for his 17th Speedway chase, conceded Mears and Cogan in their Penske PC 10s have "a remarkable edge on everyone," but added, "In 500 miles we should give them a run for their money." JOHNCOCK, THE WINNER here in 1973, was shooting for a qualification average in the 202 to 203 ranged "It's not quite what we wanted, but I think we'll be in good shape on race day.

We ran about 800 miles in practice and the crew worked night and day preparing the car for me." Since his 1973 triumph here, Johncock has come close several timesi Last year he had second place seemingly clinched when, with six laps to go, his machine had fuel pump problems. He finished ninth. He feels he's ready to challenge again for racing's biggest purse. "We're close to our race day setup." he said. "I wish the race were tomorrow." i Teommates Mario Andretti (left) and Gordon -Johncock reflect on their qualifying times Saturday after putting Patrick Racing Teams' two Wildcat-Cosworths in the second row for the 500-Mile Race.

Andretti qualified his car at 203.172 miles an hour and Johncock hot-footed to a 201.884 four-lap average speed. Both are former winners of the race. (Star Photos by Vern Atkins) was his quickest. Thereafter, he slipped just slightly, but still surpassed Penske lose Sy camores "I DIDN'T HAVE much of a problem until the last lap." he said. "Then the tires heated up and the right rear probably expanded a little bit.

changing the stagger (cars run different air pressures in different tires for handling). "Then the rear end got a little loose. I really got it pretty sideways on the third turn. I kept wondering if it was going to get away from me, but somebody up there must have been looking out for us and kept it pointed right. "It also got away from me a little in the fourth turn.

Not so bad I had to get all the way out of it, but enough that I had to peddle some. "The fourth lap definitely was the worst. I wouldn't have wanted to do a fifth." Though they took turns setting the speed pace all week. Mears insisted there was no can-you-top this rivalry between him and Cogan. Still, he al lowed, there was a competitive element for him.

"If there wasn't. I charger boost "tends to dance around," according to Mears. So like most other drivers, he listens through a special tube to the popoff valve to hear when it opens up. When the valve opens, boost drops and, with it, horsepower drops also. There is a control in the cockpit that lets the driver play the boost to the optimum without opening the valve.

Mears was giving it a conservation ride at the start. "I found out at the end of the second lap, I could turn it up higher without blowing the valve (open)," he said. "That's why I was able to stay consistent the last two laps or 0 a little faster. "As the tires were warming up (and losing adhesion). I was gaining in horsepower.

I wish I had discovered it sooner." Though his third lap was his fastest. Mears felt his first two were "great, the third borderline and the fourth exciting. Continued From Page IB cation run of the day (Cogan went first), Mears wasn't certain he was on pole. But he was fairly confident and rather satisfied. "I didn't have any speed picked out to shoot for," he said.

"I was just going to run four consistent laps. I knew I had a shot at the pole, but I wasn't going to extend myself to get it." He was satisfied with what he got, though he feels that under optimum conditions, there is quite a bit left in the PC-10. "On a good day, with things just right, you could run 210 with these pars," he said. "On a cool evening, with the right engine one of our strong ones that was just right. 210 wouldn't be a problem." In fact, he might have gone a little faster Saturday if a discovery he made midway through his run had come sooner.

THE GAUGE FOR the turbo wouldn't be here." he said. BUT SATURDAY HE knew he wouldn't have to worry about his teammate and toughest competition. "The engine in his car wasn't as strong and I knew he wouldn't be able to go as fast (as he had been, more than 207 on Friday)." Mears was running with a new Cosworth in his PC-10 Saturday. After Friday's practice, the Penske brain-trust decided the engine he had just wasn't as strong down the straightaways as the one in Cogan's car. That is, the original engine in Kevin's original car.

Though there are something like five dozen drivers on the lot who would give their right arms to have it, Cogan's original mount will not make a qualification run here. Not even if Bobby Unser becomes available. "I've said right along that we would only run two cars," said Penske. "To run three cars you've got to have four or five ready to go in case something happens. You saw that today (when Cogan's machine quit)." WHAT NOW becomes the extra car will be leaving the Speedway this week for Elkhart Lake, and Milwaukee to become a test car.

That probably stands as a little disappointment to Cogan. Before Penske and Mears joined the press conference, he had been allowing that if the original car didn't come up in the qualifying line Saturday, the team might make an engine change overnight, practice this morning and possibly withdraw the already qualified car to take a shot with the original. But Penske pretty well squelched that thought. Still, you couldn't blame Cogan for dreaming. "My car was set up really good." he said.

"It had a real strong engine." Had that car been functional, he thought, the pole run "would have been real close." And Team Penske's day would have been great. STAR STATE REPORT Terre Haute, Pitcher Bryan: Oelkers struck out 15. a Missouri Val-; ley Conference, as third ranked Wichita State beat Indiana State, 131, in. the second round of the MVC tourna ment Saturday. Indiana State will play Southern Illinois at 11 a.m.

today in the double elimination tournament. The winner will meet Wichita State today at 3 p.m Southern Illinois advanced from the loser's bracket with a 7 6 victory over Creighton in Saturday's other game. Rick sees Roger coming in the rear view 6Mears' LEVI'S ACTION SLACKS '22." As has been the case during the past few years. Rick Mears overshadowed brother Roger Saturday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But not really.

While the public address man was interviewing Rick following his record 207.004 run. Roger was but effectively qualifying for his first sure Indianapolis 500. The older member of the "Mears Gang" didn't Roger Penske's latest model (the PC 10) like the polesitter. but he got a solid 194.154 mile an hour average out of the Machinist Union PC-9. "I've been wanting to do this for five years," y.

exclaimed Roger, back in Gasoline Alley. "It's by far the happiest moment of my racing career." i wheels on the Championship Auto Racing Teams' circuit. Until last fall. That's when the Machinists Union decided to turn Larry Dickson loose and hire Roger. They owned a PC-7, had a PC9 on order and had enough backing to campaign all season.

"I feel very fortunate to be a hired driver and be with this team," he continued. "This is really a good group to work with and that certainly helps a guy at this place." There are quite a few PC9s entered this month, but Roger's is far and away the quickest at the moment. Rick Mears says it's because his brother has such a good feel for the car, while Roger points to something else. "I was having a lot of trouble at Atlanta earlier this month because it was really rough," he explained. "I had used gas filled shocks in off road racing and had a pair of them with me and decided to try them.

"WELL, IT SMOOTHED everything out and I gained six mile an hour." Mears brought his Fox gas shocks along to Indy and uses them here, too. "Fox would have done anything to get involved in Indy cars a year ago and now everybody wants them," laughed Roger. R.M. i' HOWEVER, THERE HAVE been some pretty depressing days for the 35 year old Bakersfield (Calif.) native. Especially considering his kid broth-' er's incredible success story.

"There have been some times when I really thought about giving up Indy cars," reflected Roger, who had only made six starts in the last four years prior to 1982 in champ cars. "I have a great deal in off-road racing and I just kept feeling I was knocking my head against a wall." A dominant figure in off road racing since 1971, the elder Mears was also considered to be as good if not better than Rick in sprints and midgets, as well as the desert. 1 But despite a couple of promising outings in '79 and '80, Roger wasn't able to land a steady set of "WHY PAY BIG CTTY PRICES? 1 rmmmtmmmmmmaP fnj QOINQ TO INDY GO WITH THE SHIRT THAT ASKS THE BIG QUESTION I STEEL BADIALS Price I "1 The mell THE MELL WON LAST YEAR Sand $5 95 per sfiirt to: Showtime Tees P.O. Bo 2140 No. St.

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