The Indianapolis News from Indianapolis, Indiana • 1

THE HOME INDIANAPOLIS NEWS IT QUAUFIB Cloudy with chance of -showers tonight; low 5 near 40. Partly cloudy and cooler tomorrow; high 60. Page 37. 104th YEAR "Where ihe'Spirii of ihe Lord h.here Is Liberty." II Cor. 3-17 SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 12, 1973 nr" JS2SS I 1 The Mimum hhhwi'P race car driven by Art Pollard flies apart after crashing the southwest turn at the Speedway.

avage Art Pollard Dies In Fiery Crash Records Veteran race driver Art Pollard, 46, of Medford, was fatally injured today during practice for qualifications at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Pollard died at Methodist Hospital at 10:40 a.m., an hour after he lost control of his car in the southwest turn, hit the outside wall, became airborne, flipped twice and crashed in flames. Speedway medical officials said Pollard was unconscious when he was transferred from the track hospital to Methodist Hospital by ambulance. Dr. Tom Hanna, Speedway medical chief, said Pollard suffered burns on his face and hands, and his right arm was fractured.

He also had massive head injuries. 1 was the 35th driver to be fatally, injured at the Speedway. It was the second year in a row a driver was killed in practice for qualifications. Jim Malloy crashed May 14 last year in the northeast turn and died four days later at Methodist Hospital. Pollard lost control of his No.

64 Eagle-Offy coming out of the southwest -turn and the car suddenly lurched to the right and rammed almost head-on 'into the outside wall. First-turn witnesses said that after the car slammed into the wall at an estimated 190 mph, it became airborne and clipped off a track light standard in the south chute that was about 10 feet above the track. One witness said Pollard's car was 50 feet in the air at one time. When the car landed, the rear wheels were EDITION I a. HehrM Carntr Otto AP Photo Qualifiers Bill Vukovich Salt Walther Average No.

Driver's Name 40-SWEDE SAVAGE 197.152 196.464 196.335 196.378-196.582 5 GARY BETTENHAUSEN 195.950 195.695 195.185 195.567-195.599 24 STEVE KRISILOFF 195.228 194.721 195.143 194.637-194.932 4 AL UNSER 194.553 194.637 195.143 195.189 15 PETER REVSON 192.145 192.720 192.802 192.761-192.606 20-GORDON JOHNCOCK 192.802 192.513 192.185 192.720-192.555 2 BILL VUKOVICH 191.489 190.275 191.734 190.921-191.103 77-SALT WALTHER 189.434 190.638 190.557 192.349 48 JERRY GRANT 190.880 191.530 189.474 189.076- 19-MEL KENYON 190.718 189.833 190.114 190.235- 98-MIKE MOSLEY 191.530 189.833 188.798 189.753- 34 SAM POSEY 187.970 188.442 188.088 187.188- 190.235 187.921 Traffic officials said after the early morning rush, traffic went from "light to moderate to heavy" before qualifications began. Today's opening-day qualification crowd was "completely opposite" of last year's turnout, which was light because of rain, according to Strattan. Indianapolis Police Deputy Chief Raymond Strattan said traffic officials were geared for today's expected record crowd because of high attendance at this week's practice sessions. The turn areas of the 2Vi-mile oval were filled first, and police said the new tunnel between the first and second turns off 16th Street allowed four lanes of traffic to flow smoothly off the crowded street. The 40-acre field north of the track was not filled overnight as expected, with police reporting only about 500 vehicles in that parking area this morning when the gates opened.

The 40-acre parking area was opened at 6 p.m. yesterday for early-arrivals. Only minor traffic accidents were reported during the rush to get choice parking spots on the infield. Police re- ported overnight crowds as being "quiet" and said motorists waited patiently during the night for the gates to open. UPI Photo Always A Contender Veteran 500 race driver Art Pollard, who died today of injuries suffered Lwhen his No.

64 Eagle crashed in the -southwest corner of the Speedway, celebrated his 46th birthday last Saturday. Pollard yesterday posted the best practice lap for the day a 193.923 and always has been a contender at the track since he first qualified for the race in 1966. The racing grandfather's best 500 finish was in 1967 when he qualified a turbocharger Offy at 163.897, and placed eighth. Last year Pollard qualified with a 181.626 four-lap average but suffered a broken leg during practice a few days later and was replaced by Wally Dal-lenbach. Pollard lived in Medford, and was the father of two children.

Eyes Crowd among the first. Yunick had fully recovered from an ailment that sent him to an Indianapolis hospital earlier in the week. Police and Speedway patrolmen flocked to the infield restaurants in a hurry to beat the crowd. But by 7 a.m., the lines in both restaurants and at many concession stands were long. Dr.

Tom Hanna, chief medical officer at the Speedway, said business was light at his infield hospital. The first two problems were a stomach ache and a splinter. By 7 a.m. the top decks of the grandstands along the mainstretch were virtually filled. Obviously the $2 qualifying fans were eager to watch the action from the seats that will cost $40 on race day.

Mechanics began to move equipment to the track shortly after 7:30, but cars were not to be on the pit apron before 8. Wayne Leary, chief mechanic for Bobby Unser's Gurney Eagle, said, "We are going for the pole." He wouldn't give any estimate of speed. Roger Penske, boss of the three-driver team of Mark Donohue, last year's winner; Gary Bettenhausen and Bobby Allison, said, vWe just want to get three cars in the race." Asked what the wave-off speed would be, he said, "About 187 or 188. We think we can do better, but the pole position doesn't pay enough to risk the car and driver." In accord with Penske was Tyler Alexander, engineering chief for McLaren's two-car team. He said, "I think 187 will make the race.

To be comfortable though, you need something above 190. We'd like to have 193, which should get you in the first three rows at least." Art Pollard-1927-1973 Speedway Swede Savage Gary Bettenhausen Steve Krisiloff Al Unser Pete Revson Gordon Johncock 'RACE DAY SIZE' knocked off and the car flipped, landing upright and darting toward the inside grassy area. Engulfed In Flames The car then spun in the grass and returned to the track where it flipped again and "disintegrated." Witnesses said Pollard was engulfed in flames after the car's initial contact with the outside wall. Parts of Pollard's car were scattered for 1,200 feet along the track. The veteran race driver, unconscious when the car finally stopped, was trapped in the crushed cockpit.

It took about 90 seconds for Speedway emergency personnel to cut away the cockpit and remove Pollard. He was given immediate first- aid on the track and a tube was inserted in his mouth to keep him breathing, witnesses said. Veteran Speedway observers who witnessed the crash called it among the worst they had ever seen at the track. Pollard was taken to Methodist Hospital by ambulance because Speedway hospital personnel said they needed more room for emergency equipment than a helicopter could supply. Pollard's wife, Pat, was with the injured driver when he was transferred to Methodist Hospital.

The track was closed for 41 minutes while track crews cleaned debris from the wreck scene. most of the fans into their cars. But once the fans got inside the track and the sun came up, the fun started. Thousands of spectators trudged to their favorite vantage points lugging heavy coolers filled with fried chicken, beer and what have you. Among the earliest of the early birds were the concession people.

Long before dawn they were set up and ready to go, ready to sell every kind of racing gimmick you can imagine. Lt. David Levendowski of the state police, who has worked Gate 4 on 16th Street for 18 years, said the new four-lane 1 off 16th is working even better than was expected. "We had some fears that it might not be able to handle all four turning lanes; but we've had no trouble." All was quiet during the early morning hours in the garage area. Mechanics trudged in one by one.

Smokey Yunick, the famed stock car expert from Daytona Beach, who never has really conquered Indianapolis, was info the wall coming out of Swede Savage, driving the No. 40 Offy-powered Eagle, set new one-lap and four-lap records today in his 10-mile qualifying run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His first lap was the fastest in the track's history at 197.152, and his four-lap average was 196.582. The previous marks were 196.678 for one lap, and 195.940 for four laps, set by Bobby Unser last year. By WAYNE FUSON, Sports Editor Gary Bettenhausen led early qualifiers today for, the 57th 500-Mile Race when lie cranked a four-lap average of 195.599, a fraction of a second below the track record set last year by Bobby Unser.

Bettenhausen, driving the No. 5 Mc-Laren-Offy, turned his first lap at 195.950 his fastest and followed with consecutive lap speeds of 195.695, 195.185 and 195.567. The 32-year-old driver from Tinley Park, III, said after his run that he had hoped to run 194 and "would have been happy at that speed." His qualifying average speed was .341 of a second below Unser's record-setting average of 195.940. After Bettenhausen's run, three-time 500 winner A. J.

Foyt, Larry McCoy and Sam Sessions declined attempts to qualify. Foyt experienced mechanical problems during practice and his car was towed to the garage area. Rain sprinkles then delayed qualifying for two minutes before Jerry Grant qualified his No. 48 Eagle-Offy at 190.235. His fastest lap was his second trip around the 2y2-mile oval when he was clocked at 191.530.

Peter Revson, pole winner in 1971, was first to qualify and turned in a four-lap average of 192.606.' His third lap was his fastest, a 192.802 clocking. Steve Krisiloff recorded his fastest laps of the month during his 10-mile run, averaging 194.932. Among other qualifiers were Gordon Johncock, 192.555; Mel Kenyon, 190.225, Mike Mosley, 189.753, and Salt Walther, 190.739. The track was closed for 41 minutes shortly before the end of practice when Art Pollard crashed his number 64 racer against the outside wall coming out of the first turn. With 11 minutes left before the end of practice, Chief Steward Harlan Fengler reopened the track for practice with the first five laps to be run under the yellow light at 80 mph to wipe away the chemicals spread following Pollard's wreck.

Eleven vehicles took advantage of the last minutes of practice before the track closed at 10:30 a.m. for opening festivities. Fengler made a final inspection lap of the track eight minutes before the opening of qualifications. When the track was opened for practice at 9 a.m. by Fengler, Jerry Karl, in car No.

30, was first out of the crowded pit area. Karl was followed out of the pits by drivers Larry McCoy, Jim McElreath and last year's 500-Mile Race winner Mark Donohue. Karl was black-flagged at 9:07 because of a smoking engine. Within the first 15 minutes of practice, drivers were recording warm-up laps in the upper 180 mph bracket, and some of the drivers were cranking practice laps 13 mph faster than the 1971 record qualifying speed of 178.696 set by Revson. The first yellow light of the 90-minute practice period blinked on at 9:31 when Foyt silenced his orange Coyote in the first turn.

Swede Sets State Police Keep Peeled On Infield Infield Jam-Packed; Many Walk To Trials Plain-clothes state police were playing "I Spy" at the Speedway today. After numerous fights during practice and following the throwing of a beer bottle onto the track yesterday, police stationed "spies" with binoculars in the penthouse areas in the southwest curve. They were watching the thousands of fun-loving, beer-drinking young people in the infield area inside the southwest curve called the "snake pit." When they spotted trouble they radioed police on foot in the infield area. Traffic was blocked from the Speedway back to White River two lanes deep at 5:30 a.m. a half hour before the gates were opened to the public.

At 3 a.m., police permitted early fans to start parking on the streets in the Speedway area and at the same hour opened the "north 40" parking area on West 30th Street. The early crowd appeared orderly, al situation that probably was helped by the cool temperatures that forced Every available parking space within the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was filled before qualifications began today, as state police termed the crowds as "race day size." Tunnel Gate 2, off of 16th Street, was the last vehicle route open, and it too was closed shortly before 11 a.m. Police said the infield was filled to capacity about 9:30 a.m. Police said the pedestrian traffic was much larger than usual. Traffic around the speedway was backed up almost constantly, four westbound 16th Street lanes extended back more than two miles just before qualifications began.

Geared for a crowd expected to reach nearly 300,000, police rerouted traffic from 16th Street to 30th Street in an attempt to keep a steady flow of vehicles into the infield. State police said the first traffic snarl was reported on Interstate 465 south of the Ind. 136 exit that leads to the Speedway. Traffic was rerouted from the exit to 38th Street, and south on Moller Road to 30th Street. Motorists traveling west on 30th Street were blocked for about 15 minutes by a Penn Central Railroad freight train in the 3800 block of West 30th.

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