The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 2

"PACE 2S THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR MONDAY. MAY 27. 198S 350QE Mario still hunting 1st break and 2nd victory lv44 Over Over Lightly By BOB COLLINS )ANNY SULLIVAN took a joy ride around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday and Mario Andretti ent looking for that blasted witch Danny kissed his mother in Lane, while Mario retired to garage and checked himself for snake bites. The lad from Kentucky, the land of fast horses and beautiful women (or is it the other way around?) turned the old track -into a two way street on lap 120 and nearly took Mario out of the race. Then he took him easily in the late going.

They were running close on the track. But it really was no contest Roger Pens-ke's "Team Clean" had Sullivan's critter 'purring, while Andretti was battling to stay in the saddle. There really is no secret to why Pens-ke's cars run better. He hires outstanding drivers and surrounds them with an impeccable operation. Roger wont lose many in the pits.

In fact after Sullivan's spin Derrick He's started first And he's finished last One year he was 33rd and 28th in two different cars. He's been involved in freak accidents and once was knocked out of the race by his teammate. In 1981, they took down Bobby's number and awarded the race to Mario; Bobby got it back in court. This time he led 107 laps, but he was looking up the track at Sullivan on the only one that counted. It appeared that his car was handling like a pig in the late going, but as usual, he made no excuses.

"It never got any worse and it never got any better," said Mario. "I just couldnt pull it through. And I knew he (Sullivan) really had it hooked up when he passed me. Even before that he was able to stay right on my gear box." About that spin: a smile and, "He got away with it" And finally, "Man. I try and try and try and try.

but there's nothing I can do. I can't go faster than the car or jump out of my skin." Another shrug and, "Maybe next year." smoke and hoped he wasn't there." Sullivan's version: "Mario didnt give me much room, but I would have done the same thing: I had all four wheels off of the track." Sullivan did a complete spin, waved to the fans back home and rejoined the battle. Easy game, folks. The next time he set up the little man from Nazareth in much the manner porcupines kiss very carefully. Sullivan took the lead on the 140th lap and from that moment it was his race to win or lose.

It was a good race and reasonably clean. There was some fine competition all through the field. Rick Mears was flying in the early going, turning laps at 205 mph. Emerson Fittipaldi ran near the front leading 10 laps before his engine coughed and quit And Tom Sneva was playing his usual game of hot pursuit when he got caught in the garbage from Rich Vogler's accident It looked like his car locked up, but the Gas Man said he really didn't know what hap- pened. adding, "You don't see much when you close your eyes." Even so.

Tom got out lucky, a bouncing tire nearly conked him twice. Johnny Rutherford drove a splendid race, moving from 30th to fifth. A few mention his great comeback. But R. has never been away.

He's just had a few down years. And he proved Sunday that he's still as racy as anybody in the business. Turbulence, as expected, was a problem. At times it was a bit spooky because it wasnt the same behind every car. Rutherford's pit had him turning laps in the 45 second bracket when he was alone on the track and 47 and 48 when he hit that dirty air.

And Mario. What can you say? The man many believe is the best racer in the world won here in 1969. It was expected that it would be his first of three or four. He still is looking for number two! Mario has won just about every kind of race on several continents. But here he's been mostly out to lunch.

Walker made some changes and turned the car into a winner. It was the second straight Indianapolis "500" victory for Pcnske Rick Mears won last year and the fifth time one of his cars has taken the checkered flag. Penske also finished in front with Bobby Unser (1981), Mears (1979) and Mark Donohue (19721. Sullivan startled the multitude when he went low trying to pass Andretti in the first turn. The car got loose and for a heart-stopping moment they were staring each other dead in the eye.

It looked like they weren't more than a foot apart Said Mario. "I just went through the rm t- uzz fcgft Sly Pancho dealt closing downer by fickle IMS Pancho Carter's Indianapolis 500 lasted just a bit longer than his qualifying run of two weeks ago. Which means Carter went from first to 33rd in about four minutes Sunday afternoon. engine, adding the oil pump was the problem. "I can't go into details until the engine is stripped down." The problem for Carter Co.

was there from the beginning of the race, causing Pancho to drop rapidly out of contention for the lead after bringing the field to the green flag "I had trouble right off the bat with high oil temperature and we didn't have horsepower from the start" he said. "It quit pumping oil and the next thing I knew we had oil coming out of everywhere." So after four laps, Carter was in the pits where he waited and waited and waited in the cockpit while his crew worked to try and fix the problem. As the rest of the field completed the 14th lap, the Buick was fired up, lending credence Carter might make it back in the race. However, Pancho knew better, i "I knew the day was over," he said. "They were just trying to find out exactly what it was." But it was six more laps before his team finally put the cowl back on the car and Carter climbed out of the car for the day.

"It was over, I wasn't going to get to work anymore. I can't describe the feeling." So, the euphoria of winning the pole two weeks ago along with the accompanying recognition for Carter, his crew and the Buick was drowned in disappointment Sunday. Although the motor proved its worth in time trials, it also left questions, something Carter was very aware of when he revealed his pre race goal. "I just wanted to run 500 miles up front," he said. By DAVID BENNER SIAR STAFF WRITER It certainly doesn't take the Indianapolis Motor Speedway long to remind someone that past success is only as good as your next trip around the oval.

Carter, the pole-sitter for Sunday's race, found that out. After setting a four lap qualifying record of 212.583 in his Valvoline Buick Hawk just over two weeks ago. Carter took the quick ride on Jhe Speedway elevator Sunday afternoon when he finished 33rd. And for someone who had come so far the innovative, yet questionable, Buick engine, it was a difficult thing to deal with. Said Carter succinctly, "I'm disappointed, what else can I say?" Under the circumstances, not inuch.

Adding to the situation was that before the race, many disbelievers imost driving Cosworths) of the Buick 6 said the pole day run of Pancho's and fellow Buick driver Scott Brayton weren't proof of what the engine could do. Wait 'til race when 500 miles and not just 10 are the requirement. And now at least until the next race or the next 500 miler they can say I told you-so. Early indications after Carter's departure was that the Buick powerplant was blameless. Instead M-it was a slim-iron Cosworth oil pump.

"I think it would be ironic if it "Was an oil problem," said Carter. However, there was no irony, only further questions on the Buicks since Carter was first out after four laps and Brayton missing following 19 circuits. "It's blown up," said crew chief Mike Delves after examining the AW -fr nTPMi J. STAR PHOTOKENNY LEWIS 35 MAi il'-X -rT. vZ 0 i i sz Ji; Zf 'ZW'' 1''' Air hose deflates Al bubble STAFF PHOTOD.

TODD MOOREv Angry A.J. 'fires' -car Veteran driver A.J. Foyt, disgruntled with attempts to correct a problem with his fuel line he climbs over the wall as pit workers tend tithe performance of his car in his 28th "500," (top). When a subsequent fire erupts (bottom), the blaze. Foyt's burning desire bursts into flames "I don't know if I could have handled Danny (Sullivan, the winner) or Mario (Andretti, who finished second)." According to the unofficial finish, only those two and third place Roberto Guerrero went the distance.

"I could have passed Mario at one time but backed off. I didn't want to get between them (Andretti and Sullivan, Unser's teammate)." Unser said his car handled fairly well at the start, but "We had our problems all day. "I made an extra pit stop during the yellow. We thought there was paper on the radiator." Then Unser, who two years ago became the first father to compete against his son at the Speedway, waxed philosophical. "You're always disappointed (when you don't win), but I can't be unhappy because I finished." Still, he said, it "takes a lot out of you when you're told you are a lap down.

Then all you can do is protect yourself. "I would have liked to have my car working better, but that's the way it goes." Unser, who was fifth in the Indy-car season opener, the Long Beach road race last month, plans to run only the two 500-milers left on the CART schedule, at Michigan and Pocono. "It gives me some time to enjoy life a little bit," he said. But the veteran driver who will be 46 next Wednesday has no thoughts of hanging it up. "I enjoy racing," he said.

"I don't want to stop." By KURT FREUDENTHAt STAR STAFF WRITER But for a freakish bit of fate, Al Unser might have been in the chase for the pot o' gold in Sunday's "69th Indianapolis 500. The three time Speedway champion was penalized one lap early in the chase by USAC officials for funning over an air hose while exiting his pit. He was credited with 199 laps fcnd fourth place in the unofficial linish. The fourth place he can tolerate, he indicated after the race. The penalty ticked him off.

i Unser was the winner here in J970-71-78. He was runner-up to Tom Sneva by the slim margin of 11.1 seconds two years ago. He was third last year and fifth in 1982. That's a very consistent record lor a race as long as the 500. Could he have won without being assessed the painful penalty? I would have been on the same lap las the leaders)," he replied.

Competing at the Speedway for the 20th time it would have been 21 in a row but he missed the 1969 lace when he broke a leg in a motorcycle accident at the track ilnser was running third early in his Hertz Special MarchCosworth of he victorious Roger Penske team when he was penalized. "All I know is what they told me Z- I ran over our air hose. They said I just clipped it with the left rear. I was ticked." As a result, he dropped out of Top 10 leaders. But at the halfway mark of the 200 lap grind he Ivas running sixth and he remained among the leaders to the finish.

Well, he was asked again, could he have won the race? grinning "I can't say that" in re-I sponse to a question about feelings regarding his early departure from the race. There would be no repeat of his "the car ran like a-: tub of remark made over thev Speedway public address system on the first Saturday of qualifications. Foyt was also ready to take look at his past and his future at the" Speedway. "We've been here long:" enough to know it's not a bed oK roses," he said, reflecting on the day's misfortunes. But despite the Speedway's sometimes thorny disposition, was already thinking about nexK year.

"God willing, we'll be If not as a driver, at least fireman. Foyt, apparently not content with his dual driver-mechanic role, decided to add the title of chief fireman to his resume, grabbing a bucket of water and dousing the flames. Despite all of Foyt's personal machinations, the Copenhagen-Gil-more racer couldn't get back in the running. "I knew after about 10 laps that something was wrong. I just didn't know what," said Foyt, who has not had an Indy car win since 1981 and has had only three top-10 finishes since 1979.

'I was using all the track I could just to keep from hitting the wall." By the time Foyt had entered the garage area (escorted by two state troopers), the 50-year-old Texan had calmed down and was even willing to joke a bit. He gave a By JERRY GARAU STAR STAFF WRITER The competitive fire still burns in A.J. Foyt. On Sunday, though, Foyt's competitive fire was overshadowed by a fuel fire in his pit. Such appears to be the lot of a legend on his way out.

Foyt, who announced earlier in the month that he would retire following his 30th "500," finished 28th Sunday in his 28th race, dropping out after 62 laps. And, in typical Foyt fashion, he didn't drop out quietly. "The right front wing was broken and there was just no way to control the car," Foyt said. "It just kept on pushin', pushin, And Foyt, not wanting to be outdone by his car, did his share of pushin' when he brought the March-Cosworth into the pits for a final stop that resembled a grade-school fire drill. Foyt roared in gesturing frantically, while crew members scrambled to put on new tires.

A.J. quickly vetoed that move, motioning his crew toward the right front of the car. Foyt's patience didn't last long once the crew finally made it to the offending right front wing. He fumed in the car for a little more than a minute before deciding to take matters into his own hands, climbing out of the car and stalking toward the tool box. In getting out of the car, Foyt brought more chaos to an already chaotic scene.

"A.J. got out of the car mad, pushed the fuel man out of the way, fuel went everywhere and it exploded." said a USAC pit official..