The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 54

oo OOO THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR SUNDAY MAY 17, 1998 C31 ait over Hay settles Imtto irst row 4 'A Low-budget team finds speed, ends day on qualifying high note. By Terry Hutchens STAFF WRITER Greg Ray couldn't keep his eyes off his watch. As members of the media peppered him with questions in the trackside conference room at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Saturday, Ray's mind was wandering. Eleven minutes remained in qualifying and the big hand wasn't moving quickly enough for the 31 -year-old driver. Moments earlier he had put himself in the middle of the first row for the 82nd Indianapolis 500 with a four-lap speed of 221.125 miles per hour.

As Ray waited for the clock to strike 6 p.m., he said it was as if time was standing still. At 5:58 p.m., Ray whispered to someone a few feet away, "Has Tony gone out yet?" He was referring to Tony Stewart, who would not go out, and no one would come close to Ray's speed. One year after starting the race in the No. 30 slot, Ray found himself front and center. "I may look pretty calm up here right now but I'm pretty damn excited," Ray said, breaking into a big grin.

"This Is really unbelievable. I'm going to stay composed while I'm in here, but you can bet a little later on I'm going to have quite the celebration." Ray has plenty to celebrate. In the last week alone, he lost his i' ETC tv -v 1 i ilii Hi" said. "But as the week went on we just went faster and faster. And as we went faster, a few sponsors came on board.

"The little stars In our solar system enabled us to compete today." i On Thursday, Gloves a. cosmetics company based in Beech Grove, became an associate sponsor. Saturday, Summit Construction Inc. of Indianapolis, also came on board. Ray's fastest lap in the TKMGenoa Racing machine Thursday when he ran a lap at After that, he admitted the car never quite got back tq1 that point.

Still, his first lap Saturday was-his best of the month 222.728.1: "When we ran the 222.7 Jpri Thursday, I knew we had a great race car and I was Just dying to get back on the track that evening because I thought we could even faster," Ray said. "We never quite found the car again. Today' was close. I never knew just hoi? fast I was going, and I was just trying to get in and get out be-', cause it was quite loose." I- With a small team and a limited; budget, Ray said he expects to-take things easy today. "We won't run very said.

"We have one car and we don't have much money. The, car is close. We'll work on running with full fuel and scrub some more tires. The main thing!" is to make sure the car can go 50Q miles." P20S75R1S P23575R15 P21V75R1S P18V70R14 P22V75R15 P19V70R14 38,000 MU WARRANTY No uirry uuu .41.99 P20575R14 42.99 P20575R15 44.99 P20570R15 47.99 P21570R15 .48 99 P23575R15 49.99 0,000 MU WARRANTY ANY SIZE USTEOI Ray congratulate their son, Greg, 111 Photo Kristin Enzor. in the middle of the first row.

restraint. "We were upside down financially and I wasn't really sure what we were going to do," Ray P18580H13 P19575R14 P18V75R14 P20575R14 38 ,000 MUt WARRANTY No Carry Out! P18580R13 24.99 P18575R14 29.99 P20575R14 29.99 P20575R15 29.99 P21575R15 29.99 P23575R15 29.99 4S.OOO MU WARRANTY P18560R14 36.99 P19560R14 38.99 P19560R15 38.99 P20560R15 38.99 P22570R15 49.99 P22560R16 50,000 MU WARRANTY "Im irV P18575R14 ATTA BOY: Benny and Ginger primary sponsor APTEX out of Roanoke, Va. and spent the first two days of practice this week out of his car. He was wondering if '1 benefit from more people like him. He's the best I've ever worked with.

We haven't had any bad moments yet." Saturday was definitely a good moment. Foyt teammate Billy Boat captured the pole with a 223.503 mph run on the first day of qualifications at the Indianapolis 500. Brack landed on the outside of the front row with a qualifying run of 220.982 mph In his Power Team DallaraAuroraGoodyear. He reeled off laps of 221.937 and 221.326 in his attempt before trailing off. His final laps were 220.864 and 219.812.

"It was pushing in (turn) one and loose in the other, so it equals out," he said of his run. Brack started 15th last year as a 500 rookie for Galles Racing but was sidelined along with other TS. "J7 CoT 5 'f 'rj after his qualifying run placed him second thoughts about their decision, Ray Just smiled. "No comment," he said politely. It was a great show of self- P155R12 P16S80R13 P15580R13 P175B0R13 38,000 MU WARRANTY 'No Cirry Outl P15580R13 P17570R13 Vliit our wb ait it www.dltcounrtlrt.com Layaway Walcoma lW I I -IVt P20575R14 RWL I t---- mfi I TIBE IS SHOW tO IllUS'HAriOtl PURPOSES ONLT I 'A Si I P18570R14 54.99 Wf I P19570R14 57.99 P20570R14 59.99 70,000 MILE 1 I a I HOURS MON-FRI 800-6 I -J aik Si.

P18575R14 54.99 P20570R14 57.99 P20570R15 63.99 64.99 P20565R15 56.99 70.99 SOXMO MU WARRANTY P18S70R-14 Photo Kerry Keating QUICK STUDY: Kenny Brack, signing autographs in Gasoline Alley, captured a spot on the outside of row one Saturday. He credited team owner A.J. Foyt for helping prepare him for qualifications. Brack reaps benefit of Foyt's experience his team could even run this week from a financial standpoint. Asked by a reporter if he thought APTEX was now having A fifth-row starters, Affonse Giaf-fone and Stephan Gregoire, in a pace lap accident.

He said he learned a lot last year how Important mental preparation Is. "It's easy to get caught up in all the activities around this place," he said. "Being with A.J. makes it easier because he knows everything tnere is to know. He knows how the weather changes the track and those things.

So I Just drive the car." Brack, who began his career In Formula Fords in Sweden, had fifth-place finishes in Indy Racing League races at Charlotte and Loudon, N.H., last year. He finished 13th at Orlando In his debut for Foyt in January. He was 14th at Phoenix after colliding with Mike Groff on Lap 185. The Lender (Minimum of $500 Caen Or Trade Equity) fit; iV The Swedish driver landed a spot on the outside of the first row with 220.982 mph run. By Mark Ambrogi STAFF WRITER Kenny Brack was well aware of the legend of A.J.

Foyt, but he didn't know what to expect in his initial meeting with the four-time Indy winner. "You hear all the stories. I had of lot of respect before I met him because he's known to have a temper and a good swing as well," Brack said. The 22-year-old Swedish driver hasn't had to duck yet in his first year driving for Foyt's team. "A.J.

is very honest and very straightforward and tells you what he thinks," Brack said. "Maybe It's not always what you want to hear, but you know where you are with him. I think racing would STAR and NEWS CLASSIFIEDS CALL 633-1212 24W75R16 68.99 Sjtni JeVVF LT235ffl5R16 68.99 4mJ wwi ail wawwwrt AT FANTASTIC PHICE3I fv0W Radial TF Itl Mmmirf I JJ 1, TCTLd.l.!B;..H..GiJ our 65,000 ittttfi Wmi PLEASE CALL FOR MILE WARRANTY It LOW LOW PRICES! Hllfetmi pinDSrSii iiipMKt P20570R15 68.99 ffM P19560R14 62.99 P19550R15 66.99 P21570R15 72.99 P20560R15 71.99 P20565R15 66.99 P21565R15 72.99 P23555R16 97.99 WARRANTY BOXHX) MILE WARRANTY 1 1 lxifmS a r. I -AioT indipimoint tirk co. raaNCMO avaajuiui U5 If A EL We Will Help You Re-Establlsh Your Credit! Slow Ray, Repo's, Bankruptcy, Collections, Charge Offa, Or No Credit PEROE3B.EEIV1 NO OBLIGATION! NO APPLICATIONS REFUSED! Now Presenting VI Llnnerie Lingerie Demonstrations 1 tor Less In VH Lingerie) I fff WE HAVE FINANCING IF YOU: 1) Earn At Least $8.50 An Hour 2) Work At A Full-Time Job (Minimum of 40 Hr.Week) 3) Have A Valid Driver' License 4) Have A Phone In Your Resilience Dot Not Have To In Your Name) aiout our 'frf fltplacmmmf certificati APPROACNtNO 400 ITORIt NATIONWIDIt 2 Mlnutt Application 8) Meet The Down fayment Requirement Of EAST 10610 E.

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