The Indianapolis News from Indianapolis, Indiana • 17

Monday, May 26, 1975 HwaaaMhv.aww mum xs -'t THE INDIANAPOLIS NEWS Page 17 Victory Lane Wet, Wild time winner, as a matter of course, was Gurney himself whose words were lost in the surrounding bedlam, but the smile said everything anyway. Second in line with the first kiss was Marsha Sale, a special friend of Unser's. Then came the festival queen. Hulman arrived at that point with a congratulatory handshake, and then quickly got out of the surging crowd. Victory lane provided only the beginning of a celebration that mey still be going on.

B.P. car, also Dan Bobby Unser tives, who sponsored the Goodyear people, who sponsored the car, and Gurney and the crew. First to reach the new Bobby Unser, soaked to the skin but neither knowing nor caring, arrived in Victory Lane shortly after 2 p.m. yesterday, and he was already late for the party. While Unser was making rooster tails on the soggy race track, the huge band of well wishers, including Tony Hulman, owner of the Speedway, took refuge under Tower Terrace.

Newsmen and photographers were left on the ramp and platform to take the brunt of the storm which lashed the track for about 5 minutes. Festival princesses and their escorts likewise were soaked and at the height of the rainstorm, three princesses were fighting with an in verted umbrella. As Unser drove his No. 48 Eagle to the top of the ramp, what discomfort had been felt moments before was forgotten two- ''fM20 GORDON JOHNCOCK BOBBY UNSER fp'fcz 'If Jit V'VrfH GOLFERS LIMITED OFFER 1 95 117 GRIPS INSTALLED 3W00DS 48 IRONS GOLF PRIDE GRIPS 1. It's Gordon Johncoclc (40) Bobby Unser (48) and A.

J. Foyt 14) at the start. VALU IUUAIS Ik 48 HOUR SERVICE" Custom Club Repair Shop 255-7655 or 255-5827 Lap-By-Lap Race Story AM to in the wild celebration among Jorgenson Steel representa' Hiss Andretti Karl DEALERS Roll Back Prices to 1974 All 1975 models available at 74 prices (Offer expires May 31, 1975) wrong wheel and he returned for more new tires, Dallenbach retained his lead during all the pitting. When the race was given the green flag again (on the 141st lap), Bobby Unser was 20.8 seconds behind. In third was Rutherford, 26.8 seconds back.

It continued to be a four-driver race (Dallenbach, Unser, Ruh'erford and Foyt, although A.J. was starting to slip back, more than a lap behind the leader) as cars began dropping out. Only 19 cars were running with two in the pits at the 155-lap point in the race. The next round of pit stops came at the 160-lap mark. Dallenbach's stop (his eighth of the day) gave the lead to Rutherford.

Then misfortune struck Dallenbach. His car sputtered as it went down the main-stretch on the 161st lap and he pulled in the next time around. When Rutherford pitted (his eighth stop) on Lap 164, Bobby Unser returned to the front. The difference between Dallenbach and Unser prior to the switches had been 20.4 seconds. With Dallenbach out, Bobby enjoyed an 18.4-second margin over Rutherford.

On the 182nd lap, Bobby ran a 178-mph and Rutherford a 182. The margin had been cut to 16 seconds. Foyt was on the same lap, but well back. On the 170th lap, Gary Bettenhausen broke the universal-joint on his No. 45 car as he roared down the mainstraight.

He hit the outside wall but kept the car straight despite the fact both right wheels had been knocked off. It was a standout job of driving. Bettenhausen guided the car into the infield grass in Turn One. By LYLE MANNWEILER Assistant Sports Editor -i- Actor James Garner, driving the Buick Century pace car, made the start of the 59th 500-Mile Race a picture-perfect performance for the 300,000 assembled race fans. So did front-row sitters A.J.

Foyt and Bobby Unser. It was Gordon Johncock, who started in the middle, who spoiled the -show. Johncock beat pole-sitter Foyt to the starting line for Pat Vidan's green flag by more than 50 feet. Unser was second to the line, about 10 feet back. So it was Johncock who took the lead of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway classic as the 33-car field headed into the first turn.

He was followed by Foyt, a three-time 500 winner, and Unser, the winner of the 1968 race. Johncock's speed on the first 2Ms-mile circuit was 180.796 miles per hour. It was all Johncock for the next eight laps. It was going into the first turn on the ninth lap that Foyt, who was in a class by hihiself in qualifying, caught the winner of the rain-shortened 1973 race. Following Foyt and Johncock over the line were Unser, defending champion Johnny Rutherford, Wally Dallenbach (who started in the 21st starting position), Bill Vukov-ich, Johnny Parsons Jr.

and Al Unser. Those same eight were the pace-setters at the 25-mile mark with Tom Sneva (who had started in the No. 4 spot) and Gary Bettenhausen (19th) rounding out the top 10. Race attrition was already noticed. Eighty two-degree temperatures had forced three cars those of drivers Salt Walther, Lloyd Ruby and Bob Harkey in for early pit stops.

Foyt's pace quickened as, on the 11th lap, he began to lap the tailend cars. Rutherford also made a move as he pas- sed Bobby Unser for second. But John-cock's early pace had been too much his red No. 20 coasted into the pits and was pushed to the garage area. Walther, who had two 33rd finishes to his credit in the i past three 500s, pulled his No.

77 in to gain first-out honors. But Walther kept racing when he replaced Harkey, a teammate on the Walther-owned team. But it was pit stop time for everyone. Foyt came in for fuel after 22, giving the lead to Rutherford. He led for only two laps, however, as it came time for his stop.

That, along with stops by Dallenbach and Bobby Unser, gave the lead to Bobby Allison in No. 16. Allison, a NASCAR Tegular making only his second 500 appearance, thus became the 111th driver in the 500's history to lead the pack. ifls-H ft ff rcf L4f ik3s Lfei AVAILABLE AT ALL PARTICIPATING DEALERS Sneva Krisiloff Warren MADISON The Tree House, Inc. Ap- MARTINSVILLE Davee Radio pliance MONON Buells Auto Parts MULBERRY Rex Service NAPOLEON Behlmer Hdwe.

Inc. NEW CASTLE of Johncock, Walther and Hiss, sidelined were those of Vukovich and rookie Larry McCoy. The tightness didn't end with Dallenbach in front. On Lap 61, only 3 seconds separated the first four cars. And all four were running in the 179-180 bracket.

Fifth was Sneva, 22.4 seconds back. Andretti, who had been having troubles throughout the race, brought out the race's second yellow on Lap 68 when his No. 21 spun into the backstretch infield. Andretti was not injured. The break brought another rash of pit stops by the leaders.

And because Dallen-bach's stop was before Foyt's, he relinquished the lead to the popular Texas on Lap 71. That was a memorable time for Foyt to take the lead because when he'd completed 177.5 miles of racing, it broke Cliff Bergere's all-time mileage record. When Foyt pitted the next time around, Dallenbach took over the race's seventh leadership change. The 70-lap mark also produced the first record of the race. Dallenbach's average speed at the 175-mile mark was 164.143 mph, erasing the 162.842 set by Rutherford last year.

Racing resumed on Lap 71. The yellow had been on 4 minutes, 50 seconds for Andretti's mishap, bringing the total yellow light time to 10 minutes, 32 seconds. The 80-lap mark also produced a new mark: Dallenbach averaging 162.640, 1.468 mph better than Bettenhausen's '72 record. The next rash of pit stops put Foyt back in front. He led Laps 94 and 95 before pitting to put Dallenbach in the top spot once again.

The third yellow was the result of Al Unser bringing his No. 4 car to a halt in the infield grass in the North short chute on Lap 97. Jerry Karl's No. 30 car stalled on the backstretch moments later. Both cars were moved out of the way.

Al's crew, however, ran that's right, ran to retreive the stalled car and pushed it back to the pits. It was refueled and restarted, but Al lost a lot of time. He rejoined the pack on Dallenbach's 104th lap. Mike Mosley joined the "wait-and-watchers club" when his car rolled out of the way in the backstretch grass. The leaders at the 100-lap, or halfway point of a 500-mile race, were Dallenbach, Rutherford, Foyt, Bobby Unser, Sneva, Parsons, George Snider, Sam Sessions, Allison and Bill Puterbaugh, the fastest qualifier among the race's four rookies.

Dallenbach's 250-mile average was a non-rec-, ord 160.156 mph. Allison's hopes were dampened on the 120th lap when his car stalled at the entrance to the pit area. It was another out-of-fuel racer. It was also pit stop time again for the leaders. When Dallenbach stopped first, Foyt regained the lead for another short period.

When he pitted, Bobby Unser was No. 1 for the first time of the day. When he pitted, it was back to Dallenbach (on Lap 125) in a musical chairs approach to auto racing. It was the 11th lead change of the race. Three laps later, Sneva was timed at 190 mph by his crew.

Just a lap later Sneva's car tangled with rookie Eldon Rasmussen's as the two entered the second turn. Following right behind the two was Bobby Unser, who just missed being involved. Sneva's car hit the outside wall and did one' complete flip in the air, coming to rest rightside up. But the engine and the wheels continued on down the track. What was left was only Sneva and a bare frame around him, with him battling flames with his hands.

Responding quickly, the Speedway's fire crew was on the scene and quickly extinguished the fire. The car, which tore up outside retaining fences, was resting right in front of the VIP Suites on the outside of the second turn. Rasmussen also stopped his cripled car and went back to assist. Sneva was helped from the scene, but he was walking. After a quick check at the infield hospital, he was flown to Methodist Hospital where he was reported in serious condition.

As the long yellow period-the fifth of the race gave the leaders opportunity to pit. Foyt was first for fuel and right-side tires, followed by Unser, who reported to his pits that a wheel was out of balance. A replacement proved the Kennedy Service Center 15 I 3t INDIANAPOLIS Ace Hardware Stores Ace Hdw. Nora Plaza 1300 E. 86th SL Ace Hardware Southern Plaza 4200 S.

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25-North The yellow gave Bobby Unser, Rutherford and others pit opportunities. Since they'd just pitted, they were banking on this quick stop to just top off their tanks. Maybe it'd be the difference in the end. Bobby's stop was for 15 seconds and Rutherford's for 10. But under the yellow slow down, Unser was in front by 53.4 seconds.

While crews were cleaning up the debris from Bettenhausen's accident, alight rain, which wasn't supposed to hit until late in the afternoon but had been threatening for some time, hit. It started as a light drizzle in the fourth turn but soon turned to a downpour over the entire area. Thunder and lighting came with it and starter Pat Vidan, already waving the yellow flag, reached for the red. But first Steve Krisiloff (running in ninth) found the wet conditions too much. Probably not traveling more than 30 miles per hour, Krisiloff's car acted like it was on a sheet of ice.

It ever so slowly spun down the main straight. The car made contact with the outside wall before coming to rest in the middle. Krisiloff, who suffered a broken left ankle in an early practice mishap and was wearing a cast, was frantically waving so other drivers could see his dilemma. The rain had reached the sheet stage and visibility was very, very limited. Three other cars on the track didn't even reach Krisiloff.

First Puterbauch spun just at the start of the mainstretch, hitting the outside wall. Then Bentley Warren hit Puterbaugh's crippled car. Jimmy Caruthers came upon the two and hit both. Bobby Unser and Foyt, running side by side, missed the Puterbaugh-Warren-Ca-ruthers pileup and split to bypass Krisiloff. Now Vidan pulled out the red and the checkered flag.

Bobby Unser, making probably the slowest last lap in history, took the winner's flag after 174 laps. It was raining so hard by now that few were around to see it. Unser's victory was the fourth for the family. Brother Al won In 1970 and '71. It also marked the biggest triumph in the relationship of driver-turncd-car-builder Dan Gurney and Bobby.

Until last year when Unser won the United States Auto Club's national driving title while winning four events (including the Ontario 500), the pair had produced lots and lots of track records around the country, but also lots and lots of Did Not Finishes. For Gurney (who finished second twice here), it was a big No. 1. But for Bobby, it was an even bigger No. 2 Plummer Power Mower Seymour Small Engines Union Hardware SHELBYVILLE Limpus Sales Servica But Allison's pit turn came and soon (on Lap 26) it was Foyt back in front.

Duane Carter whose car was completed just 3 hours before the race start because of a serious accident in Thursday's final test period that forced complete rebuilding, was running 16th. Mario Andretti, the 1969 winner, was having his problems, though. After an early stop, his car was pushed back out. The car stalled. It was brought back and restarted.

One more time, the same thing. Finally, on the third time, his No. 21 re- joined the chase. Foyt continued his dominence and at the 30-lap mark was averaging 174.374 mph. He was 2.1 seconds In front of Rutherford and 8 3 in front of Bobby Unser.

Fourth was Dallenbach, fifth Al Unser, sixth Allison, seventh Mike Mosley, eighth Parsons, ninth Vukovich and 10th Jimmy Caruthers. The first yellow caution light of the race came on the 45th lap when Mike Hiss spun his No. 94 and hit the wall in the third turn. He was not injured. But the slow-down brought the action -back to the pits.

The first four cars were in at the same time (Lap 46), but Foyt's crew got him out first and he held to his lead. When the racing finally resumed, Dallenbach slipped by Bobby Unser to take third. Only 2.4 seconds separated the first four cars. And Al Unser, In fifth, was 9 seconds back. On the 54th lap, Foyt, Rutherford and Dallenbach were 0:00.9 apart.

Dallenbach reached second on the 57th lap Foyt holding a 2-second lead. Lap SO belonged to Dallenbach, however, after he caught Foyt. There were 27 cars running the time. Besides the cars SPEEDWAY Speedway Lawn Gda 5242 Crawfordsville Rd. Shop 3712 N.

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