The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 45

MAK JC8 SUNDAY, MAY 30, 1999 THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR Purdue student Mazing own trail at IMP Ryan Newman, who hopes to follow in footsteps of Hoosier racing stars, wins 2nd Night Before 500. It extended Martin's record total of Grand National victories to 38, including six at Charlotte. He has won five of the past eight Grand National events at the track. Hakkinen wins another pole Mika Hakkinen captured his fifth consecutive pole position of the season by posting the fastest time in Saturday's qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. Hakkinen's time of 1 minute, 22.088 seconds in a McLaren-Mercedes on the 2.94-mile Circuit de Catalunya was good enough for his 15th career pole position.

Eddie Irvine, in a Ferrari, finished second with 1:22.219. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Steele, began his frustrating night with a crash in the second heat race. He managed to qualify for the feature with a semifinal victory and was running third when he was black-flagged after 23 laps. Steele finished 13th.

Martin wins Carquest 300 Mark Martin won his NASCAR Busch Grand National series-leading fourth race in eight starts this year, holding off Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the Carquest Auto Parts 300 on Saturday. Martin led 108 of the 200 laps, including the final 38 circuits around Lowe's Motor Speedway at Charlotte. He finished about six car lengths ahead of Earnhardt after the two staged a tight duel over the final 30 laps. change (finishes) pretty soon." Newman pocketed $5,000 of a $20,900 purse.

Newman is third in the series point standings with 80 and Hines is fourth at 62. Ricky Shelton, a distant third in this race, is second with 81, 18 off the pace of two-time Midgets series champion Jason Lef-fler. Leffler was one of two snake-bitten drivers for Steve Lewis Racing. Running a close second, he was nudged into the first-turn wall by Jay Drake on lap 27. The former teammates, who have a history of bitter confrontations, exchanged heated words and gestures after climbing out of their cars.

Leffler was 11th and Drake 12th. Leffler's teammate, defending Night Before The 500 champ Dave By Phillip B. Wilson STAFF WRITER i It's only natural for Ryan Newman to dream about following Jeff Gordon and Kenny Irwin on a fast track to stock-car racing. The Purdue senior-to-be has a few things in common with his Hoosier counterparts, the most ob-rvious his success at Indianapolis Raceway Park in Clermont, Ind. Newman edged Tracy Hines to win his second Night Before The 500 on Saturday in front of a crowd of about 6,500 at IRP.

Gordon also won this United States Auto Club Midget Series race twice, and look 'tired' of losing to HEARTLAND at what the NASCAR Winston Cup champion has done since. "Yeah, I compare myself to them," the interdisciplinary engineering major said of Gordon and Irwin. "But that's not because I want to be like them. I want to be myself." Newman, 21, of South Bend, is making quite a name for himself at IRP. He won this race in 1997 and, last Saturday, led the entire Coca-Cola 100 to capture a Silver Crown series race at the paved oval.

He didn't lead every lap in his sixth career Midgets triumph, but Newman was clearly in control after Visit Our Web Site! www.heartlandind.com 3S Ruby Jenkins Rosaville, IN 765-379-2543 Ed Hill Lebanon, IN 888-482-6831 Smith's A-1 Lawn Muncie, IN 765-284-7787 Young Outdoor Equipment Latayena, IN 765-474-0030 Madison Millwork Andetion, IN 765-649-7883 Barns Martinsville 765-349-0249 Mike's Auto 888 478 5263 Kokomo 765-457-5338 ml T1 WWR 4 Days Only May 28th to 31 st Only! Expires May 31st! On-site construction for do-it-yourself prices Durable, long lasting, low maintenance materials Protected siding, (APA tested and certified) to resist fungal decay and wood destroying insects No need to remove fencing or bushes Price includes ALL materials and labor I AUTHORIZED HEARTLAND DEALERS VJlnstonCup Coca-Cola CG0 (Top qualifiers) Driver Speed 1. Bobby Labonte 2. Jeff Burton 3. Kenny Wallace 4. Elliott Sadler 5.

Steve Park 6. Ken Schrader 7. Mark Martin 8. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 9.

Jeremy Mayfield 10. Jeff Gordon Broadcast: 5:05 p.m. 185.230 184.868 184.799 184.761 184634 184.483 184.458 184.407 184.388 184.162 today, TBS Coca-Cola 600, when Wallace was runner-up to Gordon. And don't forget the Coca-Cola 600 before that, when Gordon also got the best second-place Wallace. It all weighs on Wallace's mind as tries to unseat Gordon and his vice-like grip on this race under the lights at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Two years ago, we led the 600 right until the end and got beat by another team taking on only two tires while we got four," said Wallace, who starts the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford 19th today. Then last year, we the thing until the very end and beat by a team taking on four tires when we got two. The thing is that we lost 'em both to the same team and driver. It really gets frustrating to see the big wins like those just slip right through your fingers when you're close to winning them.

It's doub F. C. Uicker Company, Realtors Since 1918 Congratulates pegg kennedy, GRI on sales in excess of steering the No. 39 C.E. Lewis Rac-ingDrinan machine ahead of the 25-car field on the third of 50 laps.

Hines, 27, of New Castle, was the only driver to challenge the winner as the fastest qualifier pulled next to the Brayton-powered Newman in the first turn of the final lap. But Hines' No. 71 KecoStealth car was tight entering the turns and he had to break too much to catch the leader. "If he's a little faster than me, I want to give him a chance," Newman said of moving over in the middle groove. "I was in control when I was out front, but I wasn't in control when he kept trying me." Hines also finished second last Saturday.

"He knew I was there," Hines said. "We're going to have to ex Wallace is The past two years he's finished second in this race after final-pit tire choices went bad. By Tim Buckley ST. PETERSBURG TIMES CONCORD, N.C On a recent off day, a bunch of the Winston Cup boys took part in a little fishing contest. Bobby Labonte, who has the pole for today's Coca-Cola 600, was there.

Donnie Allison and Dave Marcis, too. Even team owner Jack Roush showed, and he nearly won the event hosted by bass fisherman Woo Daves. But the one who wound up with the top prize at the eighth Burrows-ville fishing tournament on the James River near Hopewell, was Dave Danenhower, a member of Rusty Wallace's Penske South team. That was a change of fortune. Because if any team knows a little about the big one that got away, it is Wallace's.

There was that Daytona debacle a few months back, when Wallace let Jeff Gordon slide beneath him to win the 500. There was last year's i JUNE 30, 1999 Canon Cash Back $150 $150 50 50 50 50 30 30 30 $1 00 $1 00 $1 00 20 20 of he led got so FOCUS ON SAVINGS ly frustrating when it seems like it's the same guys always taking away your big paycheck." Gordon beat Wallace by 0.468 seconds in 1997, doing it on two new tires after the other leaders took on four during their final pit stop. Wallace led as late as lap 316 of the race shortened to 333 laps because of rain. Last year, Gordon finished with four fresh tires while the rest went with two after Gary Bradberry's late-race wreck. "You get 'two-tired' and beaten one season and you're left scratching your head and frustrated from the decision you made in the pits," said Wallace's crew chief, Robin Pemberton.

Then you get 'four-tired' and beaten in the same big race the very next season, and you're left wondering, 'How the heck can this I guess I could be a little facetious and say, 'Heck, they'll probably 'no-tire' us this race and take But the way things happen in this sport, I'd be afraid that's exactly what would occur." Seriously, Pemberton believes the best way for Wallace to break his bridesmaid's curse is to overcome the constantly changing track conditions during a long race that starts early in the evening. "A 600-mile race at Charlotte can be a chassis man's nightmare," he said. I think that's the key reason that we've been able to stay in the thick of things in this race the last few years. Rusty's a great driver and one of the best as far as chassis knowledge goes. Between Rusty, (chassis expert) Jeff Thousand, (chassis engineer) Garth Finley and we'll come up with a setup that's adjustable to work on all race long.

That's the key word there: adjustable. You have to stay there in the Inc. Expedition 4x4 Per Month $1,000 down, 1ft payment, plw tax. Heartland East Franklin Garden Center Manapolii 317-895-1070 Franklin, IN. 317-7384600 Heartland West Buster's Market Indianapolis 31 7-244-4644 Greenwood, in 317-888-8236 Heartland Factory Outlet Tom Massengill Nobletvllli 317-770-0053 888-551-2276 Northslde Trailer r.armil, IN 317-846-5839 Call Toll Free 1 Product Purchased asm Gordon 10, stay out of trouble, have the good pit stops that keep you a contender and show some strength at the end." Wallace, who won the 1990 600, knows it takes more than the right rubber to make it back to victory lane.

The tire deal is that you're darned if you do and you're darned if you don't. Heck, the way Gordon ran everybody down like that (last year), I don't know if I'd had anything for him even if we had taken on four tires. I guess we'll never know the answer to that." Stewart's practice fast Tony Stewart was the happiest driver at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Saturday night. Tonight, he'll be the groggiest. Stewart's Home Depot Pontiac was the fastest in the "Happy Hour" practice on the 1.5-mile oval.

Stewart flew to Indianapolis immediately after practice. Stewart will attempt to become the second driver to complete the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in the same day. John Andretti accomplished the feat in 1994. Stewart starts 24th in the Indy 500. After the race, he will take the private Jet of car owner Joe Gibbs to Charlotte and helicopter into the infield of Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Stewart is not expected to make the mandatory drivers' meeting, so he likely will start the Coca-Cola 600 in the 43rd and final starting spot. SpeedNet has more Go online after the Coca-Cola 600 for an exclusive online notebook from Charlotte. SpeedNet, Indiana's Game, Colt-sCentral and CircleCrty.com are on StarNews.com at httprfwww.stamews.com Checkered flag at the finish line predated automobiles One of the most frequently asked questions and one for which there may never be a definitive answer is, "What is the origin of the flag and why is it used to signal the end Donald Davidson's lildV 500 811 automobile race?" Not only can it be traced to the very beginning of motorsports, it apparently came into use in bicycle racing in France sometime in the 1860s, some 20 years before there was any such thing as an automobile. One version suggests that officials would station themselves at critical points along the route held through the country, wearing checkered vests in order to stand out from the crowd and help mark the course. Another was that either a flamboyant or a thoughtful official wore a black-and-white-checkered suit near the finish line for the benefit of weary contestants who might be riding into town through crowded streets and trying to find the finish.

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