The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 25

A. MONDAY, MARCH 8, 1976 goes coop at piiohivix THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR PAGE 21 Practice Counted, Mrs. Hiss Couldn 't Miss 1 ii- .1 mm AN IXTBA 1 A 1 r. 'xr' -t---v 'it 1 i I .7 i 1 'SS-1" i i'4 1 By ROBIN MILLER If early returns are any indication it looks as if Arlene Hiss will be in Sunday's USAC cham- pionship trail opener at Phoenix. Mrs.

Hiss, the school teacher trying to become USAC's first female driver, practiced over the weekend on the tricky one i 1 Phoenix FasTrack where she'll be making her profession- debut. -AND, TO PUT IT mildly, she left many veteran racing people rubbing their eyes and throwing their stop watches on the ground. Her fastest lap was 26.80. Is that good, you ask? Johnny Parsons and Tom were also hot lapping and their -lowest clockings were :26.30. Pancho Carter had the best time of :26.10.

"People were a little flabbergasted," said her mechanical mind Mike Devin. "She really looked good and I've got to admit, her times really surprised me too! "SATURDAY, SHE RAN consistent :27.40s and :27.50s but today we put on a new set of tires and she got right down to :26.80 and :26.90 with no trouble." There are 31 or 32 entries for the race and 24 cars start. Of those entered, six or seven machines are stock block Chevys and :26.80 is much faster than they can go. Based on last year, that time would put her in the -middle of the field. So how is It that this 35-year old woman who never drove anything but TR-6s and an occasional formula Ford can be doing so well in the most powerful race cars in the world? Read on.

(1) SHE IS DRIVING a Dan Gurney Eagle that one Lloyd Ruby had last season. Devin and his helper Danny Jones are two of the best chassis men in the business. (2) Since she began her crash course in January at the Ontario Motor Speedway, Arlene has accumulated over 1,000 miles of practice. (3) At each of hrr practices (Ontario and Phoenix twice), ex-hubby Mike, a USAC regular since 1972, has been by her side, occasionally shaking the car (in the past) told some midget and sprint drivers to "get more experience" even though they may have been running for two or three years? Obviously, publicity is the main reason. The first woman at Indy will.

bring more weight with her than Andy Grana-telli. And obviously Devin, who has run his own operation and understands the financial backing it takes to campaign an Indy car, knows the story. "WITH ARI.ENE, we can look into a whole new field of sponsors and advertising," concurs Devin. "At the moment, we don't have a sponsor firmed up but we're negotiating with some people." Puhlic opinion, like a jury, is still out until they've seen Arlene run in traffic. But if you were a Billy Englehart, Larry Rice, Dana Carter or Tommy Astone, you'd' have to be a little bitter losing out because you don't wear eye shadow, DONNIE RAY EVERT, a likeable Texan that puts together some mean motors for various USAC divisions, suffered a massive heart attack last week.

He was in grave condition for awhile but is making progress slowly but surely. He's at Methodist Hospital in ICU-1 and would probably appreciate getting a card from you racing fans. Hoeger's Captures Travel Crown Hoeger Landscaping won The Indianapolis Star Traveling League championship yesterday as the bowlers concluded their season at Speedway Lanes. Emory Flint had the high individual average (198.79), Charlie Chinn the best won-lost average (47'i-2414) and Kim Fuell was rookie of the year. The final standings: Heeoer Landscapin.

4.7 141 Crtence Bros. Marbl. 30 Mttchel. Scott 343 215 Engineering 330' 317' Indiana Equipment 3JVj Virginia Srill 35 314 Bimm rn NTlhWtll 3)1 333 Nora Bowl 31P 334'4 Greenfield Lanes 309Mi 33S'i MCL Cj'Htni! in 351 Bob Earl's P'O Shop 363' Forest Minor Decorators 403Vs ARLENE HISS Getting Down To Speed At Phoenix down and going out to test it after each chasis change. Basically, it boils down to this Arlene has been given one of the best rides available, unlimited practice time and some fine help all because her piiysique differs drastically from other drivers.

BUT, AT THIS point in time, she is "getting it handled" to paraphrase a Devin-ism. "She's very cool and very smooth," relates Devin, the Arizona State graduate who's wrenched some top flight teams for Johnny Rutherford and Ruby. "Of course she's had the best of everything and it's been like a training school but she's plenty serious. "She's doing this because she wants to be a race driver." WHETHER SHE can fit that billing remains to be seen. Driving on a track all by yourself is quite a bit easier than having 20 or 30 other cars out there with you especially when they're driven by the class of the speed world.

Bud Poorman, the former Goodyear public relations man who's running Arlpne's affairs, was quoted last week as saying that "Arlene was being treated like any other rookie." C'mon Bud. For one thing, she was granted a USAC champ license although her open-wheeled experience is minimal to say the least. SECONDLY, SHE has been told that if she competes at Phoenix and Trenton, USAC will let her come to Indianapolis for a rookie test. Those two examples may not seem too out of order but why has USAC GENUINE TIRE 1 UNIROYAL I I fmJf 4 Wfi. YrV.

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