The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 46

Sports THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR WWW.INDYSTAR.COM C10 SUNDAY. MAY 18, 2003 I I Rain stops messy Freedom 100 CONSUMER CREDIT COUNSELING EMAIL'QUESTIONS OR CALL. 266-8888 24-HOURS A DAY Attorney reply witrim 2 business ttays sit no cost to you! helpdeskmikenorrislaw.com PLAY ALL DAY On the Legendary Hill Course at French Lick Springs Resort Spa car slid into the grass, then across the track, the front slamming into the SAFER barrier. Simmons pushed the issue at the start, but nobody blamed him for being too aggressive, perhaps because he showed restraint, too. When he neared the first turn, his car lost acceleration while he shifted gears.

He couldn't hold the position and relented. Carpenter, the stepson of Speedway president Tony George, took the lead in the AJ. Foyt entry. Taylor, driving for Panther Racing, took second. "I wasn't far enough along to stay in there," said Simmons, a Boston College graduate who was out of racing the past two years after a season in Indy Lights.

"I hate running that many laps under yellow. It would have been a lot nicer to get a few more laps in." 1 Now the leaders have another day to wait and wonder. "You wonder, 'Where do I want to be on that last and 'Where do I want to make my said Simmons, who drives for Duesen-berg Racing. "That's something we'll learn a little more about when we get some more laps." Call Star reporter Phillip B. Wilson at 1-317-444-6642.

His car was destroyed and Medeiros was caught up in the accident. Both impacted the SAFER barrier. Neither driver was seriously hurt, but Beardsley's shoestring budget took a painful hit. The Colorado native had hoped to return home for the Pikes Peak 100 in June, but now he has no car. "Somehow, the Speedway never cares about those plans," he said of the historic track, after being treated and released from the infield medical center.

The initial incident concluded a disastrous week for Medeiros, who suffered the Pro Series' only crash in practice on Friday when he brushed the- wall in turn four and eventually spun out in turn one. That was after he had qualified eighth. His Saturday ended with a trip to Methodist for X-rays on his left knee. "Beardsley got loose on his own and Thiago couldn't avoid him," said Luyendyk, who was trailing them "(Thiago) went high, but that's where Matt went. "Everyone wants to do really good in this race.

I think they all got on it a little too soon." After the debris was cleaned up, a reduced 15-car field managed one lap under green before Dollansky spun in turn one. His Enjoy Unlimited Play on the Historic Donald Ross Designed Hill Course "Official Qualifying Site for the 2003 U.S. Senior Open" $49 WEEKDAY UNLIMITED PLAY Sunday thru Thursday With Cart Us! Tee Ort 5 00 PM Experience a Cenui nf Grand Gulf and Accomnunlation Call tWiM6K5577 for lee-times. Ask about our overnight Stay PUv Golf Pai and Spa Packages nm $59 WEEKEND SV UNLIMITED PLAY Infiniti Pro Series event to be concluded today, after crashes end race for 3 drivers. By Phillip B.

Wilson phillip.vvilson(3indystar.com When Jeff Simmons nudged inside of pole sitter Ed Carpenter and Infiniti Pro Series points leader Mark Taylor to make it three abreast at the start, the inaugural Freedom 100 looked promising. That, unfortunately, turned out to be the highlight in a disappointing and damp Saturday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Rain postponed the race after just 12 laps to 1035 a.m. today. Maybe that was a positive after so many negatives in such a short time span.

Two crashes sidelined three drivers, including points runner-up Thiago Medeiros. World of Outlaws sprint car standout Craig Dollansky was admitted to Methodist Hospital with a fracture in his lower spine. "The front row was behaving themselves," Taylor said. "I don't think anyone else was." Pro Series executive director Roger Bailey was miffed. "We said patience, patience, pa- Drivers Though unlikely, Fisher could be bumped from race.

From C1 "But it's something you've got to get used to, and now I can have fun with it." Back at the Speedway, however, things weren't so fun. Fisher qualified for the race last Sunday. But her speed was the slowest among the 24 cars so far in the field, and she is vulnerable to getting bumped out of the lineup when qualifying resumes today. Though it appears there are not enough additional cars available for that to happen, no one can be sure of that until the cars line up in the pits today. All week there were plenty of unmanned cars in Gasoline Alley and plenty of unemployed race drivers hanging around eager to drive them.

The situation meant mm 500 I ntbb BEST LOCATIONS! BEST INVENTORY! LARGE GROUPS WELCOME! DELIVERY AVAILABLE! (Ask About: "THE SARAH FISHER ALSO AVAILABLE: Colts Buffet Aerosmith 5 Kiss Phish Matthews A. Jackson Brooks Dunn Bon Jovi Chapman US Open Golf ALL NASCAR RACES 400 Race F1 Race GREAT SEATS CO. last week she had, among other things, a YWCA Women of Achievement luncheon, a hobnob with sponsors in their suite at the track, an autograph signing at a car dealership. Next week there's much more. The closer to the race, the more sought-after the! race driver.

Finally, there is going home to her Northeastside condo and "giving my brain a break," she says. She does laundry one load a night (though folding is another matter). She had been reading a light novel, "The Devil Wears Prada," but put that down because it was too taxing. She replaced it with what she calls "nonsense TV." The other night she rented "Ghost Ship," a scary film with 1940s-era men in tuxedos machine-gunning people and arranging ghastly "accidents" on a luxurious ocean liner. She found it silly and went to bed.

Call Star reporter Will Higgins at 1-317-444-6043. into. Mag Note Tickets purchased from May 16, 2003 THE 2003 500 Get all details at tmsmiiipmsL Kristin Enzor For The Star He can smile: Race leader Ed Carpenter is towed back to the garage during the red flag. tience," Bailey said, "then vroom! "I'm very unhappy. We've put too much effort into this for it to happen like that." Arie Luyendyk Jr.

and Billy Roe were also unhappy. They had to park because of mechanical failures. Dollansky hit the wall in turn two on lap 11. One lap under yellow later, the rain came. "It is very frustrating," Carpenter said.

Another frustrated driver was Matt Beardsley, whose turn-three spin brought out the first cautioa nothing to the drivers and owners of the hot cars. Team Penske, whose drivers are among the field's fastest, was so un-threatened, it leased one of its extra ForceToyota cars to another team For Fisher, the unleashing of such a car is scary because it would surely go faster than her Chevrolet-powered car. She is in a spot that "doesn't smell like roses," she says. For Fisher to get bumped, 10 cars would have to qualify faster than her. By late in the week, she and her crew were counting cars like a congressional floor whip counts votes.

Fisher has no back-up car, but if she does get bumped, team co-owner Dennis Reinbold says the back-up car of Fisher's teammate, Robbie Buhl, would be available to her. But Buhl qualified only slightly faster than Fisher. He is third slowest, his position in the field safer than Fisher's, but not by much. Fieldhouse Box Office Oj Indianapolis Star Indiana High Fridays and Saturdays With Cart Last Tee OH 5 00PM RACE ma May 24, 2003 are FREE. If Sarah Fisher wins the above phone Numbers.

Call Today for The call Mfthodst "Medicine Center ti I --sriy i ffc or And get this: The driver of the second slowest car, A.J. Foyt IV, has said there is a chance his car will be withdrawn from the field so he can attempt to qualify his back-up car, which has proven to be far faster than either Fisher's or Buhl's car. So, if Fisher is bumped and Foyt switches cars, Buhl would be on the bubble, the next in line to be bumped. Is it possible Fisher would be given Buhl's back-up car so that she can go out and try to bump Buhl? "That is not something I am even going to think about," said Fisher. What Fisher has been thinking about is preparing her race car, practicing and giving advice to the engineer and crew members as to how to make the car run well in traffic and with a full tank of fuel.

"I'm really happy with the consistency of the car from cold to hot weather," she says. Then there are the snowballing public appearances to think about School 21 Katie NCAA Hall Champions It's the Journey i I if Miss MJ fc. 'Ilk 1 mm 1 1 'I iWW.Li M' i 'r I A 1 I 1 1 I -m SATURDAY, JUNE 7 1 i i at Conseco Fieldhouse 317.239.5151 for tickets 1 l1r Doolnholl L' Mr. Basketball visit the Conseco i vi i uaorxciuan Basketba ij v- Justin Cage The Indianapolis Star INDIANA rilOil SCIIQQ1 Gearlds 4.