The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 18

C2 STAR SUNDAY. MAY 11. rt 5 luyoyk Qualifying Report Bom; Sept 21, 1953. Resides: Scottsdale, Ariz. First kidy-car start 1984 (Elkhart Qualifying Report Lap time Speed :41.160 218.659 :41 264 218.108 :41 250 218.182 :41265 218263 Totals 2:44.939 218.263 1 Lake).

8 sospini Born: Oct 9, 1966. Resides: Monte Carlo First Indy-car start None. Past Indy 500s: 0. Career highlights: Served as test driver for Benetton Formula One team in 1996. Won Formula Ford Festival at Brand's Hatch in 1988.

Won four Esso Formula Ford races in '88. Qualifying Report Lap time Speed :41 287 217.986 :41.318 217.823 :41 263 218.113 :41254 218.161 Totals 2:45.122 218.021 Lap time Speed :41.525 216.737 :41.464 217.056 :41. 540 216.659 :41.506 216.836 Totals 2:46.035 216.822 2 TCriY STBVAflT Born: May 20, 1971. Resides: Columbus, Ind. First Indy-car start 1996 (Orlando).

Past Indy 500s: 1. Career highlights: Only driver to win USAC national, midget and Silver Crown titles in one year (1995). Led 473 laps in IRL competition, three times more than second place but has never won. 'mil Past Indy 500s: 12. Career highlights: Won 1990 Indy 500.

Sat on the pole in 1993 and finished second. Set track qualifying record of 236.986 last year on Day 2. Can G-ForceAuroraTirestone. Colors: Red, white, blue. Sponsor.

Car DallaraAurora'Goodyear. Colors: Red. Sponsor Scandia Royal Purple. Can G-ForceAuroraFirestone. Colors: Yellow, orange.

Sponsor GliddenMendard. i Qualifying Report Lap time Speed :41 .821 215203 :41.455 217.103 :41. 638 216.149 :41.899 214.802 Totals 2:46.813 215.811 Qualifying Report Lap time Speed :41. 984 214.367 :41. 772 215.455 :41.829 215.162 :41.696 215.848 Totals 2:47.281 215.207 Qualifying Report Lap time Speed :41.

745 215.595 :41.633 216.135 :41.616 216263 :41. 594 216.377 Totals 2:46.588 216.102 6 SCOn GOODYEAR Born: Dec. 20, 1959. Resides: Noblesville, Ind. First Indy-car start 1987 (Mead-owlands).

Past Indy 500s: 6. Career highlights: Lost closest Indianapolis 500 finish ever (.043 seconds) to Al Unser Jr. in 1992. Came back to win Marlboro 500 in July of '92. Also caotured Marlboro 500 again in 1994.

3 ROBBIE BUHL Born: Sept 2, 1961 Resides: Grosse Point, Mich. First Indy-car start 1993 (Long Beach). Past Indy 500s: 1. Career highlights: Indy Lights champion in 1992 and Barber Saab titlist in 1989. Finished third in IRL opener at Orlando in 1996.

Started 23rd and finished ninth in Indy 500 debut 27 JIM GUTHRIE Born: Sept 13, 1961. Resides: Albuquerque, N.M. First Indy-car start 1996 (Phoenix). Past Indy 500s: 1. Career highlights: Won at Phoenix this year, beating Tony Stewart by .854 of a second after starting on front row.

Victory was first with Dal-lara chassis. Finished sixth at Orlando. Started 19th, finished 18th in '96 Indianapolis 500. I iiiwiii a Car DallaraAuroraFirestone. Colors: Red, white, blue.

Sponsor JacuzziBlueprint Racing. Car G-ForceAuroraFirestone. Colors: White, blue. Sponsor NortelSprint PCSQuebe- cor. Car G-ForceAuroraFirestone.

Colors: Green, yellow. Sponsor Quaker State. r-'N Qualifying Repor' Lap time Speed :41. 904 214.777 :41 .912 214.736 :42.013 214219 .42.144 213.554 Totals 2:47.973 214.320 Qualifying Report Lap time Speed :41 .738 215.631 :41. 897 214.813 :42.060 213.980 :42.124 213.655 Totals 2:47.819 214.517 Qualifying Report Lap time Speed :41 .620 216.242 :41.

818 215210 :42257 212.982 :42.150 213.523 Totals 2:47.845 214.484 52 JEFF WARD Born: June 22, 1961. Resides: San Juan Capistrano, Calif. First Indy-car start 1997 (Orlando). Past Indy 500s: 1. Career highlights: Won 54 Moto-cross events and 20 in Supercross.

Started eighth, finished 16th in only IRL start Run in seven Indy Lights races with best finish a third at Nazareth in 1994. 14 DAVEY HAL.ITO'I Born: June 13, 1962. Resides: Boise, Idaho First Indy-car start: 1996 (Orlando). Past Indy 500s: 1. Career highlights: Finished third at Phoenix for best IRL performance.

Driven USAC Silver Crown midgets since 1990. Suffered broken right ankle in 1995 Indy crash. Finished 12th in 1996 Indianapolis 500. 7 EUSEO SALAZAR Born: Nov. 18, 1955.

Resides: Santiago, Chile First Indy-car start 1995 (Australia). Past Indy 500s: 2. Career highlights: Finished fourth as a rookie in 1995 "500" after starting 24th. Started outside front row in 1996, finished sixth following Turn 4 accident on final lap. Hit Turn 1 wall at Orlando this year, suffered vertebrae fractures.

Car DallaraAuroraGoodyear. Colors: Green, white, yellow. Sponsor CopecCristalScandia. Car G-ForceAuroraGoodyear. Colors: Red, white, blue.

Sponsor. FirstPlus Team Cheever. Car G-ForceAuroraGoodyear. Colors: Orange, white. Sponsor Foyt Power Team.

4 Qualifying Report Lap time Speed :41. 792 215.352 :41 .894 214.828 :41 .955 214.516 :42.359 212.470 Totals 2:48.000 214.286 Qualifying Report Lap time Speed :42.140 213.574 :42210 213.220 :42.211 213215 :42.286 212.836 Totals 2:48.847 213.211 Qualifying Report Lap time Speed :41 .966 214.459 :41.896 214.818 :42.102 213.767 :42203 213.255 Totals 2:48.167 214.073 91 BUDDY LAZIER Born: Oct 31, 1967. Resides: Vail, Colo. First Indy-car start 1990 (Portland). Past Indy 500s: 4.

Career highlights: Won 1996 Indy 500, beating Davy Jones by .695 of a second, despite driving with 16 fractures of his vertebrae and pelvis. Youngest driver in 1991 "500." Finished 33rd, 14th and 17th in other Indy 500 starts. 51 EDDIE CHEEVER Born: Jan. 10, 1958. Resides: Tampa, Fla.

First Indy-car start 1986 (Miami). Past Indy 500s: 7. Career highlights: After 16 years, scored first major open-wheeled victory in IRL race at Orlando last January. Made F-1 debut at age 21 in 1978 and ran nine seasons with 131 starts. Rookie of the year at Indy in 1990.

42 R0B3Y GORDON Born: Jan. 2, 1969. Resides: Cornelius, N.C. First Indy-car start: 1992 (Detroit). Past Indy 500s: 3.

Career highlights: Won Phoenix CART race in 1995. Finished fifth in 1994, '95 Indianapolis 500s. Won three consecutive 24 Hours of Day-tona in IMSA GTO Class. Led four times for 60 laps in IRL debut at Las Vegas, finished 14th. Car DallaraAuroraFirestone.

Colors: Purple. Sponsor Delta Car G-ForceAuroraGoodyear. Colors: Silver, blue. Sponsor: Coors Light. Car G-ForceAuroraGoodyear.

Colors: Red, white, blue. Sponsor. FirstPlus. Qualifying Report Kt 'TV I Qualifying Report Lap time Speed :41 .696 215.848 :42.300 212.766 :42.514 211.695 :42.525 211.640 Totals 2:49.035 212.974 Qualifying Report Lap time Speed :41 .963 214.475 :42.146 213.543 :42.330 212.615 :42.475 211.889 Totals 2:48.914 213.126 Lap time Speed :42.552 211.506 :42.375 212.389 :42.456 211.984 :43.055 209.035 Totals 2:50.438 211.221 77 STEPHAN GREGOSRE Born: May 14, 1969. Resides: Vittel, France First Indy-car start 1993 (Indianapolis).

Past Indy 500s: 2. Career highlights: Led one lap in first "500" before finishing 19th. Did not race again in Indy car until qualifying for '96 "500." Finished fifth at Phoenix this year. Won two French Formula 3 A category races in 1992. 4 KENNY BRACK Bom: March 21, 1966.

Resides: Karlstad, Sweden. First Indy-car start 1997 (Phoenix). Past Indy 500s: 0. Career highlights: Led 24 laps at Phoenix before hitting Turn 4 wall. Replaced injured Davey Jones for Galles Racing.

Second last year in International Formula 3000 championship series with three wins, two seconds, two thirds. 17 Born: April 6, 1968. Resides: San Paulo, Brazil First Indy-car start 1996 (Las Vegas). Past Indy 500s: 0. Career highlights: Highest finishing rookie (10th) at Las Vegas last summer.

Led 13 laps in '97 Phoenix race. Finished third in '95 Indy Lights series, named rookie of the year. Had four seconds in 12 Indy Lights races. fx Car: G-ForceAuroraGoodyear. Colors: Red, white.

Sponsor. Monsoon Galles Racing. Car: DallaraAuroraGoodyear. Colors: Yellow, blue, red, white. Sponsor General Motors Car G-ForceAuroraGoodyear.

Colors: Blue, white, orange. Sponsor: Chastain Motorsports. Qualifying Report Qualifying Report Lap time Speed :42.858 209.996 :42.877 209.903 :42.804 210.261 :42.771 210.423 Totals 2:51.310 210.145 Qualifying Report Lap time Speed :42.890 209.839 :42.918 209.702 :43.012 209.244 :42.965 209.473 Totals 2:51.785 209.564 40 JACK MILLER Born: June 14, 1961. Resides: Carmel, Ind. First Indy-car start: 1997 (Orlando).

Past Indy 500s: 0. Career highlights: Started 18th with no qualifying time at Orlando, finished 15th. Qualified 18th at Phoenix, finished 20th. Ran Indy Lights past three years. Is a practicing Lap time Speed :43.109 208.773 209.302 :42.974 209.429 :42.960 209.497 Totals 2:52.043 209.250 90 LYN ST.

JAKES Bom: March 13, 1947. Resides: Daytona Beach, Fla. First Indy-car start 1992 (Indianapolis). Past Indy 500s: 5. Career highlights: Second woman and oldest woman to qualify for "500." First qualifier in 1996.

Best start sixth in 1994, best finish 11th in 1992. First woman to exceed 200 mph in Ford Mustang in 1985 at Talladega 12 BUZZ CALKINS Born: May 2, 1971. Resides: Denver, Colo. First Indy-car start 1996 (Orlando). Past Indy 500s: 1.

Career highlights: Made Indy-car debut with a victory in IRL's inaugural race at Orlando in 1996. Was '96 IRL co-champion with Scott Sharp. Started ninth at Indianapolis, but finished 17th after engine failure. r-r. i i rrftnrnrffliTirrti mmum r.

'I Car DallaralnfinitiFirestone. Colors: Blue, white. Sponsor LrfetimeCinergy. Car DallaralnfinitiFirestone. Colors: Red, white, blue.

Sponsor AMSCrest Racing. Car: G-ForceAuroraGoodyear. Colors: Red. Sponsor: Bradley Food. 34 ALESSAflDRO ZAMPEDRI I Qualifying Report I 21 ROBERTO GUERRERO Born: Nov.

16, 1958. Resides: San Juan Capistrano, Calif. First Indy-car start: 1984 (Long Beach). Past Indy 500s: 12. Career highlights: Set Indianapolis track record and sat on pole in '92 by qualifvina at 232.482 then Qualifying Report Lap time Speed :42.592 211.307 :42.979 209.405 :43.106 208.788 :43.494 206.925 Totals Qualifying Report Lap time Speed :43255 208.068 :43.120 208.720 :43.182 208.420 :43.074 208.943 Totals 2:52.631 208.537 Bom: Oct 3, 1969.

Resides: Monte Carlo. First Indy-car start 1994 (Australia). Past Indy 500s: 2. Career highlights: Suffered serious foot injury in Turn 4 accident on final lap of 1996 Indianapolis 500. Led for 20 laps late in race.

Won Lap time Speed :43.175 208.454 :43.211 208.280 :43.383 207.455 :43.833 205.325 Totals 10 MiXE GROFF Born: Nov. 16, 1962. Resides: Los Angeles First Indy-car start: 1990. Past Indy 500s: 3. Career highlights: IRL points leader for 1996-97 season.

Finished second at Orlando and sixth at Phoenix this year. Fastest rookie qualifier in "500" to date when averaged 219.015 in 1990. Best Indy finish 20th last season. 2:52.171 209.094 2:53.602 207.371 Car DallaraAuroraGoodyear. Car: DallaralnfinitiGoodyear.

Italian Formula Alfa Boxer Champi onship in 1989 with five victories. Car Colors: Red, white. Sponsor: ByrdVisionaireBryant. spun on backstretch'and hit wall during parade lap. Finished second at Indy in 1984 and in 1987.

Colors: Red, yellow. Sponsor: MkJackScandiaRoyal Purple. uoiors: Yellow. Sponsor: PennzoilPagan. MILLER Continued from Page 1 3 4 i jr.

SPEEDWAY TIME CHART Sec MPH Sec MP! :45.7 196.94 :43.0 209.3 :45.6 197.37 :42.9 209 7 :45.5 197.80 :42.8 210.2 :45.4 198.24 :42.7 210.7 :45.3 198.68 :42.6 211.2 :45.2 199.12 :42.5 211.7 :45.1 199.56 :42.4 212.: :45.0 200.00 :42.3 212.7 :44.9 200.44 :42.2 213.2 :44.8 200.89 :42.1 213.7 :44.7 201.34 :42.0 :44.6 201.79 :41.9 214.7 :44.5 202.24 :41.8 215.: :44.4 202.70 :41.7 215.E :44.3 203.16 :41.6 216.3 :44.2 203.62 :41.5 216.8 :44.1 204.08 :41.4 217.3 :44.0 204.54 :41.3 217.S :43.9 205.01 :41.2 218.4 :43.8 205.47 :41.1 218.9 :43.7 205.95 :41.0 219.5 :43.6 206.42 :40.9 220.0 :43.5 206.89 :40.8 220.5 :43.4 207.37 :40.7 221.1 :43.3 207.85 :40.6 221.6 :43.2 207.33 :40.5 222.2 :43.1 208.81 :40.4 222.7 mi id i i I -Ajr--- If nnl. LUYEfJDYK Continued from Page 1 with a top lap of 220 mph. And while he didn't approach his 1996 IMS records of 237.498 mph for one lap and 236.986 average, Luyendyk worked just as hard to run four in a row over 218 mph. "These cars don't have as much downforce and don't feel as planted In the turns, and they're a little harder to set up," he said. "The wind moved me around quite a bit and it was my call coming off Turn 4 whether to take It.

"I had my mind made up if I averaged over 218, we'd take It." Stewart, fastest during his. extensive offseason testing program, went out an hour after Luyendyk at 4:30 p.m. and nearly made it three In a row for Team Menard. "The car actually stuck too good and It cost us the pole," said the 25-year-old Rushville. native and future NASCAR regular.

"We wanted to make one more adjustment, but we ran out of time when everybody ran for the qualifying line. "You have to work hard to get a great lap, and I wish we were on the pole. But this isn't a bad place to start." Sospiri, a 30-year-old Italian whose Lola Formula One team folded after one race last March, came through with a 216.822 mph average in Scandia's Royal Purple DallaraAuroraGoodyear. "Dick Simon sets the car so well, it was easy to drive." Sospiri said. "It feels like a bullet in a gun because you go so close to the wall and you go so fast like a bullet.

"Andy Evans gajfe me my ride, split, Indy's pole-day crowds were in decline, despite supersonic speeds that pushed 240 mph. An average first-day gathering In the '90s, before the split, was around 70,000. Last May drew around 55,000 because the speeds were higher than ever and Arle Luyendyk established records of 237.498 mph and a 236.986 average that aren't likely to be challenged for a while, if ever. The logic that people can't tell the difference between 216 and 236 may be sound, and It looked like Luyendyk, Eddie Cheever and a few others ran harder Saturday to go 20 mph slower than they did a year ago. A cold morning left things real sparse, but It was sunny and downright pleasant by 11 a.m.

(60 degrees), so don't tell me about the weather being a factor. If you truly don't believe the absence of CART has killed the practice and qualifying crowds, then take off your IRL glasses and read on. There were always two races here one to make the show and the other being "The Show." Many times qualifying was much more dramatic than the race, especially the final hour. Team Penske missing the show in 1995 was a bigger story than Jacques Vllleneuve winning It. For little soldiers like Phil Krue-ger, Steve Chassey and Ted Prap-pas, just fighting their way Into the starting lineup was a major but Dick is the key." Buhl, hooked on his initial rui after three laps at 215 before al most hitting the wall on his sec ond (and aborted) run, responded Staff Photo Mike Fender UNQUALIFIED FUN: Pole-day crowds have been growing sparser, but that didn't stop Ashley (left) and Erin Warning, 11 and 8, respectively, from watching and listening to the action.

The sisters from Noblesville have been coming to the Speedway every year since they were born. nicely on his third and final at tempt in the Quaker State G-For ceAuroraFirestone. The former Indy Lights champi on averaged 216.102 mph to clain the Inside of Row. 2. Scott Good year, without much practice earned the fifth slot with a run ol 215.811 mph in the Nortel G-For ceAuroraFirestone, and Phoeni mean something to make this race." Before this war, the only guarantee a driver had was four laps of qualifying.

And having a minimum required speed goes against everything Indianapolis is about. Being "locked in" to this race Is just as bad as being "locked out." I'm not saying Saturday's qualifiers didn't hang It out. They did. Roberto Guerrero drove Just as hard to go 207js Luyendyk did to go 218, but knovVing It took only 203 mph kind of ruins the moment. IMS president Tony George may blow up that 25-8 rule (25 spots are currently conditionally guaranteed for IRL regulars) in an expected IRL announcement this week.

That would be a good start toward trying to restore the real Indy 500. Say what you want, but the people spoke Saturday. And It wasn't very loudi winner Jim Guthrie was sixtl Today's Indy 500 qualifying order 1. Robbie Groff, No. 30, G-ForceAurora 2.

No driver listed, No. 10T, G-Forcelnfiniti 3. No driver listed, No. 3T, G-ForceAurora 4. No driver listed, No.

2T, G-ForceAurora best at 215.207 In the Jacuzzi DallaraAuroraFirestone. Aurora's engine secured tha first five rows, while II of the zli qualifiers are in G-Force chassi Or, as one IRL veteran stated, "It really used to and 10. in Dallaras. Rrestond claimed five of the top sifts..