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The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 38

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Indianapolis, Indiana
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Page:
38
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

C6 SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2001 THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR WWW.INDYSTAR.COM ZD Intriguing cast of drivers to run in Coca-Cola 600 iV.Ji i 1 1 "SSt -QUEST fj 0 9 9 ,1 QUEST OUEST 3UST QUEST ft fa WinstonCup SuvX. That was a close one: Jeff Green stands on top of his car in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Busch Series event at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Green, the reigning series champion, moved back into first place in the points standings with the victory. Green holds off Kenseth for win Drivers exchange bumps and the lead during final laps and finally finish 0.055 seconds apart. Jarrett starts with injury, Stewart after 500 and little-known Newman from the pole.

By Mike Hembree THE GREENVILLE (S.C.) NEWS CONCORD, N.C. The Coca-Cola 600, the longest race of the NASCAR Winston Cup season, will have a strange cast of characters. Series point leader Dale Jarrett will start today's late afternoon race with an injury, one that was not discovered until he ran practice laps Saturday morning. Tony Stewart will start the day with a double dale appointments at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Lowe's Motor Speedway in a personal festival of speed that could lead to 1,100 very fast asphalt miles and a win. Maybe two.

Ryan Newman will start the race from a most unexpected position first. Racing for only the third time in Winston Cup, he stunned the garage area Thursday night by winning the pole position for one of the season's biggest races. The unique environment will find the race beginning under sun-baked conditions and ending under night skies weather permitting, of course. Weather could be a significant factor in Stewart's elaborately scripted plan to run the Indy 500 and the Coke 600. His travel time between races is very limited, so a delayed start at Indianapolis could throw water on the double-header.

And the weather in Indianapolis includes a 30 percent chance of rain. Stewart, who exhausted himself by running both races on the same day in 1999, left Charlotte on Saturday afternoon after Happy Hour practice. Mike McLaughlin, who drives Busch Grand National cars for Joe Gibbs, Stewart's Winston Cup car owner, ran practice laps in his Pontiac here Saturday in case he is needed. "We've got great cars at both places right now," Stewart said. That makes you more excited than anything.

It's just a matter of going out and doing the job right now. We're at the point where we've talked about it long enough, and now it's time to go out and do it." Green then opened a small cushion over the next seven laps, only to have to hold off Kenseth once more. Kenseth came on strong with about a half-lap to go, catching Green and pulling even with him coming out of turn four. But Green went high on the track to create some room between the two cars and pulled inches ahead to beat Kenseth to the finish line by 0.055 seconds. "My hat's off to Matt, he did all he could do to win without spinning me out," Green said.

"That's what racing is about." It was the 12th career Busch Series victory for Green, but his first at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The win also pushed him back into the lead in the points standings, giving him a 19-point advantage of Kevin Harvick. Kenseth, who has struggled all season in his Winston Cup car, said he was thrilled to have been competitive at the end. "I hope he had fun because I did and 1 haven't had tons of fun this year," said Kenseth, who will try to defend his Coca-Cola 600 title today. "I thought I had him a few times, but he got right up on me when he passed me and I almost spun out.

Then we were bumping a little when I got in there at the end, but unless 1 punted him out of the way, 1 wasn't going to get by him." Jason Keller, Green's teammate, finished third but was never able to challenge for the lead. Todd Bodine was fourth, and was followed by Mike Skinner, Greg Biffle and Jeff Burton. Rain cancels local racing The weekend rain has played havoc with local racing action. The Night Before the 500 USAC midget car race, scheduled for Sat 1 i edges Schumacher for F-l pole Coca-Cola 600 (Top qualifiers) Driver Speed 1. Ryan Newman 185.217 2.

Jeff Gordon 184.900 3. Todd Bodine 184.628 4. Bill Elliott 184.414 5. Jimmy Spencer 184.244 6. Kevin Harvick 184.225 7.

Mike Skinner 184.074 8. Johnny Benson 183.842 9. Ward Burton 183.711 10. Mark Martin 183.536 Broadcast: 4 p.m. today, WXIN-59 Jarrett is scheduled to start 37th in the 600 after crashing during qualifying.

He developed a pain in his right side during Saturday practice and, after an examination, was told that he had a cracked rib. The injury probably occurred in his Thursday wreck. He said he expects to run the full 600 miles. Newman, 23, is racing a "preview" season for Penske Racing South. He is running Winston Cup, Busch Grand National and Automobile Racing Club of America events, building toward a full Winston Cup schedule next year.

For a team and driver running a program designed primarily to set up next season, all of a sudden their current prospects look golden. Newman doesn't expect to win, but it's clear that his car is one of the best on the starting grid. "I think we've got a car that's capable of winning," he said Saturday. The question is what do I have to do mentally and physically to stay on top for 600 miles. It's going to be a learning experience." Newman led Saturday's final practice session with a speed of 176.829 mph.

Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Sterling Marlin and Casey Atwood also were in the top five. Gordon, the favorite, will start second. Todd Bodine, Bill Elliott and Jimmy Spencer round out the starting top five. ThefiEWTrack: Panorama Huge Selection Of Stadium City Panoramas In Stock! Of Great Golf Photos Race Day at $8 and handling). State.

ZIP. Mall payment to: Race Day co The Star Library PO Box 145 Indianapolis, IN 46206-01 nr r. i i i .1.. i n-Mntf Race S2HL Tilt tMMotPmJi vm I UcllJ HOSIER BUYS SPEE Race Day Star Associated Press Erik Perel urday night at Indianapolis Raceway Park, was postponed until tonight. Spectator gales will open at 4 p.m., with qualifying at 6 and racing at 7.

Also, the Hulman Hundred, which had been rescheduled for noon Saturday at the Fairgrounds, was called off for the second time in two days. The race was rescheduled for Sept. 28. Force tops NHRA qualifying John Force led the quickest Funny Car field in NHRA history Saturday in qualifying for the Advance Auto Parts Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka Force had a quarter-mile run of 4.809 seconds at a top speed of 316.82 mph in his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang to take his 102nd No. 1 qualifying position.

Mike Dunn (Top Fuel), Warren Johnson (Pro Stock) and Bob Panella (Pro Stock Truck) also led their divisions. beat Coulthard, but he brushed the barrier in his final attempt. "I just took it too tight," he said. Hakkinen stayed third and Rubens Barrichello, in the second Ferrari, was fourth. Ralf Schumacher, Michael's younger brother, was fifth and Eddie Irvine, in a Jaguar, was sixth.

Juan Pablo Montoya, a former CART and Indy 500 champion, was seventh in his Williams. The Colombian is trying to become the first driver to win at Monaco in his rookie F-l season. "It wasn't such a bad qualifying after all, as I thought it was going to be a lot worse," he said. "But we changed the car a lot for qualifying and it really improved." With superior course conditions and fl'Ort An i i i ou.uu wiin can weeKenas, Wf if FORMULA ONE fending Formula One champion, leads Coulthard by four points in the standings going into today's race, the seventh of 17 this season. Second place would be enough for the German to protect his lead.

Coulthard has two victories this season but momentum is on his side. The Briton won in Austria two weeks ago and is the only driver to collect points every race so far. Schumacher has won three races this season. He is also a four-time winner in Monaco, the most challenging and prestigious Formula One circuit, and the last driver to win this race two consecutive times (1994-95). Coulthard's fastest lap over the 2.1 -mile course was 1 minute, 17.430 seconds.

This was the best ever recorded in Monaco, although the course has changed over the Realty Group I From Staff and Wire Reports Jeff Green survived several bumps from Matt Kenseth over the final nine laps Saturday and held off one last challenge at the finish line to nip Kenseth and win the Carquest 300 in Concord, N.C. ROUNDUP Green, the reigning Busch Series champion, briefly lost the lead with nine laps to go when Kenseth tapped the rear bumper of his Ford Taurus to push him out of the way. But Green returned the favor seconds later, bumping Kenseth out of his way to retake the lead. Both cars nearly lost control on the exchanges, with both drivers having to fight the steering wheel to keep from crashing. Coulthard By Nesha Starcevic ASSOCIATED PRESS MONTE CARLO, Monaco David Coulthard is in excellent position to achieve his two objectives win his second consecutive Monaco Grand Prix and catch Michael Schumacher in the Formula One standings.

Coulthard won the pole position for today's race (Speedvision, 7 a.m.) by edging Schumacher in the final seconds of Saturday's qualifying. "At Monaco it's essential because it's so difficult to overtake," Coulthard said. The 78-lap race is held on the narrow, twisting streets of the Mediterranean principality. "I would rather be on pole than in second position, but David did a better job than I did today," Schumacher said. Schumacher, the three-time de- xr ltf Adjustable Basketball Goals Redwood i j.

ii nun ji i in in ViM 1L jcQ2fj sYstems Associated Press Michel Lipchitz He's on it: David Coulthard steers his McLaren-Mercedes through a turn on the circuit in Monte Carlo during qualifying. ii rf mm years. The previous mark was 1:18.216, by Heinz-Harald Frentzen In 1997. Coulthard and McLaren-Mercedes teammate Mika Hakkinen, who had been the fastest in practice, swapped leads about halfway into the trial. But with less than 20 minutes left, Schumacher had a clear track and he took advantage, finishing in 1:17.631 in his Ferrari.

Hakkinen returned to the track with just more than 10 minutes left in the hour session and came within 0.118 seconds of Schumacher. Schumacher's time stood, until Coulthard gained his second pole of the season and 12th of his career. Schumacher had a chance to "Worth the Drive" The Indianapolis Shir 4101 Congratulates DICK RICHWINE on sales in excess of Contact Dick at 558-6800 or www.dickrichwine.com V.CDICC""-- I1ICTAI I AT I mil i on any purchased playset or basketball L-0bJ. ii MmMmJMmmrm 1 WWl M-8D0-838-H00P I "Even if the price of gasoline triples, the cost and entertainment value of a round at Killbucfc is worth the yardage put on the car." I The Indianapolis Slur Hl 700 r-v Jtthe design of the holes challenges all skill round of golf at Killbucfc is very The Herald Bulletin 62100 Come see what they're talking about. The Indianapolis Star has recreated 20 historic front pages in Race Day.

Booklets are available by mail for $8 each using the order form below. Or, stop by The Star Public Service Counter and pick yours up for only $6 each. Available while supplies lasl. The Indianapolis Star INDYSTAR.COM Yes! Send me copy(ies) each (includes tax, shipping Name Address City Phone Enclosed is my check or money order of i i 'A 577-5966 weekdays, you'll agree it's the best kept secret in Indiana golf! I KILLBUCK I Golf Club for payable to Jhe Indianapolis I-'- 'i-VAtiiFOiX Castleton i l1 6457 E. 82nd St.

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