The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 20

THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR AUTO RACING SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1991 Rumor of CART demise premature Andretti poised to take title CHAMPION 300 QUALIFIERS 1. Michael Andretti, Nazareth, Lola-Chevrolet, 110.555, track record; previous record 110.168, Rick Mears, 1989. 2. Rick Mears, Jupiter, Penske-Chevrolet, 110.239. 3.

Emerson Fittipaldi, Brazil, Penske-Chevrolet, 110.034. 4. Bobby Rahal, Dublin, Ohio, Lola-Chevrolet, 109.778. 5. Scott Pruett, Dublin, Ohio, True-sport-Judd, 109.430.

If George's plan flies, some people feel Penske shouldn't bef involved, while others aren't wijd about Binford or Mehl. The drlv ers want to be represented, whife the majority of owners want to elect their voice. "I'm sure we can find more qualified people than Leo Mehl to run things," said Patrick. "I'd like to see It go back to ttk old days where everybody could compete," said Arciero. "I hope we take the time to think about all the options, it sounds like a lot to digest in one' afternoon," said Coyne.

"We've-made some bad, hasty decisions'3 in the past." "I will never, ever vote for a board that resembles what we had three or four years ago," vowed Bettenhausen. "I want to work with the Speedway," said Patrick, "but I'm very hesitant for the owners1' to lose control of their destiny. We're taking the chances and spending the money." No more CART? I think not. But stick around, things may get' real Interesting next month. fG mm akiv ri IDDCMT IKIIMA ANY CURRENT INDIANAPOLIS By ROBIN MILLER STAR ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Monterey, Calif.

As seasons go in CART'S 13-year history, nobody's ever had a better one. He's won more races (seven), led more laps (881), scored more points (213) and set 13 records In qualifying and competition. Michael Andretti hasn't dominated the 1991 Indy-car season, he's made it a personal show- case Rut despite his awesome accomplishments, the second-generation star still hasn't clinched the CARTPPG championship. He deads Bobby Rahal by 13 points going into today's season finale (7 p.m., ESPN tape delay) here, at Laguna Seca and only needs to finish sixth to earn his first title. would be hard to imagine anyone else deserving No.

1 on his Sar, but it will not happen If Andretti drops out and Rahal runs Jhlrd or better in the Cham-piqg-300. "I'm not sure it's right that we're battling for a championship when I've won seven races and Bobby's only won once," said Andretti. "Basically, what this point system does is reward a person for finishing races. "Bobby's finished two more racas-than I have or It (champi-onsfffp) would have been over already. I think the system could probably award more points for a win." Of course, if Michael finishes close to where he's starting in his KmartHavoline LolaChevy, it won't matter what Rahal does.

For the seventh time in '91, Andretti from the pole position. "If the car feels pretty good don't need to take anything out of it to stay up front, therT I'm going to do that," he declared. "But I'm not going to take any more than what the car wants. just going to try to let the car talk to us and do what it wants. But it's very important to be up front on a track like this because it's tough to pass peoples-Passing people has never been a problem for the 29-year-old 'phenom.

Finishing ahead of them has. Three times Michael has wound up second in the WE WILL MATCH THE PRICE OF 4 TIRES AND YOU RECEIVE CASH REBATE par fir with purchaM of lets thon 4 mounting nil MONTEREY. CALIF. Today's Champion Spark Plug 300 is the final race of the 1991 Indy-car season. If Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony George has his way, it will also be Championship Auto Racing Teams' last hurrah.

George's proposal, which would eliminate CART's 13-year stranglehold on the management of Indy-car racing and turn it over to a smaller power source with a commissioner, isn't gospel Just yet. But it's certainly the nonstop topic of conversation among owners, drivers and mechanics. And, to hear many of them, CART's death may be a little premature. George's plan more or less calls for the absolution of CART's moniker, structure and 24-man governing body to be replaced by a five- or seven-man board of directors with an overall commissioner. Although nothing has been formally presented, George's self-appointed staff would reportedly consist of PPG's Kears Pollock, Roger Penske, Rick Galles, Tom Binford, Goodyear's Leo Mehl, another owner representing smaller teams and himself with Mehl serving as the czar.

George is scheduled to plead his case on Nov. 6 at the CART meetings in Houston. There, the CART owners will listen and, presumably, give their opinions before voting. Is today CART's curtain closer? "Hell no, absolutely not," declared Vince Granatelli. "I don't get the feeling that anything is going to change without us (owners) having a say-so in it.

"CART is a franchise, we all own stock in it and the only way Tony's plan can work is if CART dissolves. But you can't just cast us aside. I don't see that happening." "Heavens no," replied Pat Patrick, one of CART's founders and financiers in the early days, when asked if CART was history. "Look around, look at the races and the purses, look how far they've come. I think we've done quite well." Chip Ganassi, a former driver ')M4'tH sf.KJf.

tyt 'J III CARTPPG standings twice losing out to Rahal. He makes no attempt to disguise his desire. "I'm going to do everything I can not to let it slip away because it means a lot and I want It really bad," he said. "It means a lot to me and it's not the money that's motivating me there." In terms of money, it means a half a million dollars to the champion and Rahal, who starts fourth in the KracoSTP Lola-Chevy, intends to make his younger rival earn it. "All the pressure is on Mi-- chael, he's got everything to lose and I have everything to gain," said Rahal, who overcame a 44-point deficit in 1986 to edge Andretti.

"It's obviously a big reach, but I'm going to give It my best shot." Andretti admits the last two weeks have gone Incredibly slow, but he's received some sound advice from his famous father. "Dad told me to keep doing what got me here and that's what I intend to do," said the driver who has led 48 percent of the laps he's completed. Mario Andretti; a four-time Indy-car champion in his career, said driving cautiously Isn't always the safest strategy. "If you start changing your style, that's when you get in trouble," observed the 51-year-old veteran. "I tried to keep conservative in the last race in 1 984 and I was in trouble all day; I almost lost the title because 1 didn't drive aggressively.

"I don't think that will be a problem with Michael." KEVIN COG AN, badly broken up during last May's Indy 500, was making his way through the paddock area on crutches. "My right leg Is healing slower than it should but it's nice to be out and about," said Cogan Plans for a $100 million auto racing complex, complete with a 2.25-mile road course and 1.6-mile oval, weVe unveiled by Frank Arciero and his partners. The track, 65 miles from Los Angeles, is very close to the old Riverside Raceway. drastically exiting the final turn at Laguna Seca's scenic 2.2-mlle circuit. "It was definitely a fuel pickup problem," said Mears, who would have earned a $150,000 bonus on top of the $275,000 but instead had to settle for $170,000.

"The car never missed a beat all day but coming down the hill on the last lap you have a very hard right-hander. "It Just coughed coming off the corner and that's all it took." Andretti. who started on the pole but only led three circuits, stayed close to Mears the last 20 laps but was resigned to take second. "Rick obviously deserved to win, he did a great job and I have mixed feelings," said Andretti, who needs to finish sixth today to clinch his first Indy-car title. "I feel bad for him but you take what you can get." Emerson Fittipaldi earned $120,000 for finishing third, while Al Unser collected $80,000 for fourth and Mario Andrettl's payoff for fifth was $65,000.

OCTOBER 4 One former Indy 500 winner, who wished to remain anonymous, said many of the drivers were in favor of "anything to get the car owners out of power." Dale Coyne, another of CART's smaller owners, says a change won't change the main problem. "I don't think it would be any different if Bill France. USAC or CART ran it. Everyone talks about gloom and doom but I don't think it's that bad. The main problem is the cost and how are you going to control it? Nobody has that answer." Many owners feel CART's current chairman.

Bill Stokkan, has been unjustly passed by. Stokkan has supposedly been offered a marketing position under George's realignment. "Stokkan deserves a lot of credit for getting us this far," said Home. "A lot of us want him to be our czar." "We needed to trust Stokkan, but we didn't give him the opportunity to run things," offered Ferrari. i i'VsjSsMm DDIKin IKI BRING IN MICHCLIMj GOOOftAH Invicta GL W.S.W.

Arrive W.S.W. GT4 Eagle ST4 Gator Back VR XH4Whitewalls XH Whitewalls XA4 Whitewalls XZ4 Whitewalls MXV-MXL EPX Tiempo W.S.W. IS I Nome Addreis City Phor (H Payment Card No. Card Holder's Card Holder's form. Indianapolis, IN 46204 SSI Mi Irod.

Required IJB Required 1 1 III -mmeaasfm ran mMd I i or ys TIRE AD AND ON A SET $20 or $5.00 Rebate raTTfrn WILpiip iiiillil iliil OI99I hdKxaPaaa Robin Miller who now runs Eddie Cheever, says he's all in favor of a better system but, "I'm not sure the problems I perceive CART has will be solved by a new organization. I've been led to believe everyone is going to vote themselves out of office and turn It over to certain people whose intentions are not pure. "I find that hard to believe. We have money invested, this is a business, I don't think anyone has taken that Into consideration." "Why should we just tip over?" asked Tony Bettenhau-sen, who owns and operates his Amax team. "Most of us don't even know what's befng proposed for sure and we've all got big financial interests." Steve Home, co-owner of the Truesports effort, has no problem with the overall concept but doesn't like how it's come down.

"I don't like a preconceived idea that was leaked to the press It put everyone's defenses up," said Home. "We have embraced the concept of sitting down and talking that's all." Not everybody is opposed to deposing CART. "I don't like the situation we have now with CART." said longtime owner Frank Arciero, who's been campaigning an uncompetitive Buick the past two years. "I can't get a Chevrolet or new Cos-worth engine. Three months ago, I had a sponsor for $2.5 million but they wanted a Chevy.

"I couldn't get an answer, let alone a Chevrolet." Antonio Ferrari, another of the small-buck operations in CART, said, "We need to restart again, it's no good. It's not CART. Everyone is good people In CART, but the problem with this series is money. We have no sponsors and the other problem is cost. The fault is with all of us'because we don't make strong decisions." WX 1st- 3TS51KJWm at (31 7) 239-51 51 or use this convenient mail-in order Market Square Arena Box Office, 300 E.

Market Street, fhA Mears' sputter hands Challenge to Michael itiuuuesTuiie "402" All Season "375" Radial "475" All Season HP-41 All Season HP-22 All Season Turanza Tiger Paw XTM Tiger Paw Plus Rally H.P. Steeler Laredo Truck Slat Zip. (W MC Oviw Check Exp. Dale Name Signature :M.H:W-H:1 i t.lh Tf By ROBIN MILLER STAR ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Monterey, Calif. Rick Mears suffered the most costly cough of his racing life here Saturday afternoon.

Charging toward a $425,000 payday, the four-time Indy 500 winner was robbed of certain victory in the Marlboro Challenge when his car sputtered a few hundred yards from the finish line. Mears' misfortune gave Michael Andretti the $275,000 first prize and a great start to a weekend hopes sees him crowned 19 9 1 CARTPPG champion. Starting Mears second, Mears dominated the 100-mile sprint, leading 42 of the 45 laps in his Marlboro PenskeChevy. He had Andretti covered before his car slowed AUTO PAINTING tern VSMXkAjil'! -Jt ci SPECIAL SAVE $4500 THE PACERS 1991-1992 REGULAR SEASON CAMPAIGN TIPS-OFF NOVEMBER 1 AND TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE FOR ALL 41 HOME GAMES. CHECK OFF THE GAMES YOU WANT AND FILL IN THE FORM OR CALL 263-2100.

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