The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 8

PAGE 8 i JJL ill 1 1 1. -J THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR- TUESDAY, MAY 27, 1986 '500' I Ujiy iijin intiii off the track 10 days not a healthy situation for the fastest field in the history of motor-sports. Four-time Indy 500 winner A.J. Foyt was asked If the Speedway should permit a practice period prior to Saturday morning. "I think It's a good Idea," he replied.

"I don't think we should run flat out, but the yellow could be on and we could keep It around 150 (miles per hour). "This would give guys a chance to check for oil leaks or see if a seal had gotten hard or whatever. "But It would also give everybody a chance to get back in the seat, get comfortable and Just feel the car again." Cloutier was asked If the Speedway was planning any type of practice session. "We can't do that until we're further into the week," he answered. "But we wouldn't run at speeds and we would not be open to the public." Continued From Page 1 they've Just been wonderful to me," he replied.

Prior to the announcement. CART's director of operations. Kirk Russell, was asked If he was concerned a Saturday decision would be influenced by the rivalry between CART and the United States Auto Club, which runs the "500." "Absolutely" not. I don't see how any of this concerns sanctioning bodies: it concerns weather," answered Russell. "Nobody wins In a situation like this." While the new date was tough on the Indy-car teams and CART, It gave new life to the American Broadcasting Company.

Washed out In Its first two attempts. ABC will again attempt to bring "The Greatest Spectacle In Racing" to American television on a live basis. With the decision to go Saturday, the drivers will have been gffli ft 4 cP STAR STAFF PHOTOFRANK ESPICH About 5,800 fans braved Monday's morass of mud at the Speedway, hoping the race would go on. It didn't. Waiting for the race that wasn't er What's better with flowers? ASSOCIATED PRESS Lincoln.

Neb. Some men give their women friends flowers. Jacob Friedli gave his woman friend the flower shop. Friedli presented Diane Reynolds, of Glendale. with the flower and gift shop when she visited Lincoln to accompany him to his high school class's 40th reunion.

Lady Diane's Flowers and Gift Shop was dedicated on Saturday, her birthday. The two, who met two years ago, were neighbors in California before Friedli moved back to Lin For the press print and electronic there wasn't much to write or talk about. That be seen In some of the shots television cameramen sought. One cameraman pulled a toy race car behind him on a string while taping the toy's movements. Others recorded the nesting of a bird on the side of a restroom building.

regular routine resumes today, only about 1 70 were expected to staff today's try at running the "500." The day remained fairly quiet. In the trailer that authorities were using as a command post, there was chuckling over a report: a man seen "fishing" with a chicken attached to his line. "I think that's typical of today," Mercer said. HERE'S LOU! aged In a storm Just before the "500." But he still went to the race. "I love it." McCoy said.

"They've got to run it some time." At the infield hospital, medical personnel prepared as though it were sunny. Everyone showed up early despite the deluge. "If it would clear," Nick Kestner said with a hint of optimism In his voice, "you couldn't get the (medical) staff out here because there'd be such a gigantic traffic Jam." Kestner acts as a "traffic manager" at the hospital, escorting family members to a waiting area while a patient is treated. What's the appeal for the volunteer medical staff? "It's a little different from the average," Kestner said. "It gives you a little variety." The Indiana State Police, around mid-morning, still had a full contingent stationed around the grounds.

Normally for the race. 230 troopers and officers work over a 24-hour period. As the day wore on. however, the totals went down. "We're going to cut back shortly." said Lt.

Clark Mercer. Even before the race was postponed in the afternoon. 100 troopers and officers had resumed other duties. And. as the radio stations have proved wrong.

On Saturday, the leftist Bel-rut newspaper as-Saflr said eight French hostages would be released within nine days. The pro-Libyan magazine al-Shlraa said three French and three American hostages would be freed soon. But an Informed source, who spoke on the condition that his name and location not be disclosed, said Sunday the reports were not true. Islamic Holy War has claimed lt kidnapped four Frenchmen and five Americans. The group said later lt killed one French hostage and one American, but these deaths were never confirmed.

Another group calling Itself the Revolutionary Justice Organization said it kidnapped four members of a French television crew. No group claimed responsI- blllty for the abduction of a retired French car dealer. In all, 21 By BILL KOENIG STAR STAFF WRITER A morass of water, mud and frustration awaited anyone who went to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday. It was a mixture that left the Indianapolis 500 in doubt all day. Speedway crowds or the lack of them reflected that.

Authorities estimated that 5.800 showed up. The race normally draws about 300,000. Yet. some came to the racing complex, rain and all. Many of these were people who had no choice they were in for the duration.

i Ron R. McCoy, 40, is part of the track's temporary help. He "Works crowd control near the south side of the pits. He lives In Clinton and works as a security guard. To accom-.

modate his Speedway work, he takes vacation. On Monday, he made the rounds, but there was little to do. Still, he planned to see the race through. "I'll Just have to take another day's vacation." He acknowledged the hours would be long, even without a i race. On Sunday, the first day the race was postponed, he was at his post from "6 in the morn- Ing until two hours after every-vpne leaves." I'i Being a race fan helps.

Sever-''al years ago, before he got his Speedway job, McCoy lived in Greenwood. His house was darn Plan- Continued From Page 1 table, but said contacts had be-gun through diplomatic channels ln France, West Germany, Italy, Lebanon and Syria. "We're not Involved In any such initiative," Hans-Guenter Gnodtke, a West German For-eign Ministry spokesman, told The Associated Press. "Someone I has got something mixed up." Joaquin Navarro, a man for the Vatican, said there ''was no such plan, but each of the countries was doing Its best to help bring peace to Lebanon. An anonymous caller on Monday told the Christian Voice Lebanon radio station that "Islamic Holy War, an extremist i'Shllte Moslem organization said 'to have ties to Iran, would re-lease two French hostages by the end of the day.

The caller did not name the hostages. By nightfall, no word emerged r'f hostages being released. All previous claims made on behalf of Islamic Holy War to Christian Prison I -'''''miwniiaiiim-i iiiiiimiiii'i immr nn 1 3 i than saying it The whole shop coln to be with his 88-year-old mother. Friedli came up with the idea of the surprise because he wanted to show Ms. Reynolds his appreciation for her friendship.

He drove her to the store painted lavender, her favorite color on Friday, but lt took her a while to realize the whole shop was hers. "I was surprised," Ms. Reynolds said. "But then, life is full of surprises." She is considering a permanent move to Lincoln. 3 LIFE" TM Other law enforcement agencies began cutting back.

The Marlon County Sheriffs Department started Monday with 80 men assigned to the "500." By noon. It was down to 35. The sheriffs and Indianapolis police departments said no extra men would be assigned today for traffic patrol. Almost all of the souvenir tents were abandoned Monday. But the stand behind the grandstands on the main straightaway remained open.

"Some of the tents opened up this morning, but then they went home early," said Les Hoff, who was running what he called one of the best locations" be hind the grandstands. Hoff said there was still some business on Sunday, despite the rain, because racing fans still thought the "500" might come off. The situation on Monday, however, was more bleak. "TO' day It's Just stragglers." foreigners are missing in Leba non. In east Beirut, the Lebanese Forces Christian militia of Prest dent Amin Gemayel blamed Syr ia for the 22-pound bomb hidden in a leather bag that exploded in an apartment building, killing Leila Allam, 37, and her 6-year- old son, Khalll, and wounding seven people.

Police said the bomb, placed at the doorstep of her second' floor apartment, shattered the front of the three-story building In the Dora district. It was the third bombing in east Beirut since Friday, when a car bomb killed nine people and wounded 85. An explosion Sat urday In an apartment building wounded three civilians. The Christian Phalanglst Party has accused Syria of masterminding the attacks because Ge- scuttled a Syrian-brokered peace pact signed last year by Moslem and Christian warlords. Roumet said police told him the identity was false.

He said the woman had a valid helicopter pilot's license and had been checked out on a dual-control craft when she first asked to rent the Alouette 2 used in the escape. He said she rented the Alouette 2 Monday morning for a one-hour local flight with a passenger to whom Roumet did not pay particular attention. apart from noticing that he was carrying a sports bag. The bag apparently concealed the submachine gun. vauion last escape was from the courthouse in the eastern town of Chalons-sur-Marne In 1979, when he took an investigating magistrate as a temporary hostage.

He was not caught for two years. He escaped from the prison at Chalons-sur-Marne In 1975 and from another in Macon In southeastern France In 1973 by scaling walls. LOU SHERMAN IS RIGHT ON And he's on like never before. Playing the Music of Your Life (the great songs from the 1930s onward). And he is surrounded by the ace morning team of Charles Maer with local news updates, Mike Russo's Accu-Traffic, Charles Osgood with CBS news on-the-hour, and hourly Satellite Fed business news from the Wall Street Journal.

Lou Sherman is the fastest growing AM morning personality in town. Tune in and find out why. RUSSO CHARLES OSGOOD BUSINESS NEWS r. i -v-1 A "if, 1 III' Continued From Page 1 In a soccer field not far from the prison and disappeared the two men. Police used trained dogs to check out the -aircraft, fearing lt might be boobytrapped with explosives.

Two men escaped from an-I other Jail in the Paris area in a similar manner five years ago. plucked from the sports field in- -side the walls by gunmen who forced the pilot of a chartered helicopter to do their bidding. 1 Vaujour was convicted March 8. 1985, of a 1981 bank robbery. to which he admitted, and at-tempted murder of a policeman 1 who was shot In the leg In 1980 while Vaujour was last on the run, which he denied.

Hernandez, who decided to stay behind, is awaiting trial for armed robbery. Claude Roumet, 47-year-old owner of the rental company, said the woman was about 30, called herself Lena Rlgon and had taken out the same hellcop- CHARLES MAER MIKE NOW: MORE WW 1310 A ASSOCIATED PRESS Michel Vaujour escapes from prison for 4th time. ter several times over the past five or six months. He described her as a "pretty little woman, the sportswoman type." 7 POWER.