The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 24

I I 11 tl S12 I Kb IN ANAPOUS I Art WtUNESDAY. VM 23. 19S7 1 -3 A 4 -it a TA3B i 't: i xsrl Photos Bob Goshert ONE TOUGH ROOKIE: Jeff Ward waves to the run at the Indy 500. His pregnant wife, Candice (below), kept an eye on the action from Ward makes a thrilling run for the money in his Indy debut 4 u2 "'4 is 5 0 crowd after taking third place in his initial 1 v.f. 1 pit row.

COMMENTARY grow old and uncompetitive In that sport, he switched to four-wheeled machines in 1992. Ward moved in and out of Indy Lights, passed his driver's test here in 1995, and finally got a break in the Indy Racing League when Rick Galles had him sub for the Injured Davy Jones in the Indy 200 at Orlando, in January. With very little seat time, Ward qualified eighth and ran well until sidelined by gearbox failure. Cheever's crew chief, Mitch Davis, recommended him to the boss. The guy's good." Davis said.

On Tuesday, the world noticed. Ward's performance was the best Indy run by a former cycle rider since Joe Leonard finished third 25 years ago. Ward's race strategy was simple: Stay conservative and out of trouble early, then see where he was and what he had. By midway through the race, he was in the top five. What he had was one strong race car.

In the meantime, the team was getting him in and out of the pits with precision. On Lap 142, Ward not only took the lead but began expanding on It, threatening to make the swallows the second best-known thing from San Juan Capistrano, Calif. Ward, busy with 200-mph left turns, has a mind that was racing, too. "We were actually pulling away and it was setting in that we could actually win this thing," he said. "The last 30 laps I was trying not to think about victory lane.

I was trying to focus on what I had to do." Neither Ward nor Cheever second-guessed team engineer Ed Nathman's decision to bring the car in for fuel during a yellow light on Lap 192. They might have stayed out had they known that four of the last five laps would be under the yellow. "We did what we had to do," Ward said. "The last 50 laps we had 'em covered. It's just unfortunate the fuel didn't go In our favor." "I was convinced he was going to win," Cheever said.

"We got unlucky with the yellows, and that's just life. But it was one hell of a drive." By one hell of a driver. Four wheels, or two. Bill Benner With a little splash-and-go, Jeff Ward's chances to win the Indianapolis 500 on Tuesday got up and went. But there was no agony in this defeat, primarily because the rookie's scintillating drive to third place in the 81st 500 still represented one of the day's biggest triumphs and best surprises.

In only his second Indy-car start, the former motocross champion was a four-wheeled demon who nearly stole the show and a spot on the Borg-Warner Trophy before an estimated 100,000 fans at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 35-year-old, Scottish-born, California-raised Ward led 49 of the last 59 laps in the No. 52 FirstPlus G-ForceAurora. Unfortunately, none of those was the last lap. Car owner Eddie Cheever's teammate and pupil had to stop for fuel on Lap 192, gambling that Arte Luyendyk and Scott Goodyear would have to do the same.

They didn't, so Ward had to settle for third behind the Fred Treadway teammates, four seconds back at the finish. That did little to quell Team Cheever's jubilation, however. "Are you sure you're a rookie?" exclaimed Cheever, who finished 23rd, as he greeted Ward in the pits. Ward's determined. drive to the front made him a lock for the rookie of the year award.

Hopefully, it will land him a full-time ride in the Indy Racing League, or something in that other circuit. "I've never seen a rookie act as calm as he did the whole month, and we had a very difficult month," Cheever said. "Jeff can go home tonight extremely proud of himself. He led the 500 with vigor and he's going to be a hard guy to keep now." Although a first-timer in this race, Ward hardly is a rookie in racing. He began motocross racing at age 5, and turned professional when he was 16.

In 15 years on the bikes, Ward evolved into one of the American Motorcycle Association's most dominant performers. But rather than at! ir.W-1 1 mat.