The Indianapolis News from Indianapolis, Indiana • 1

BP 7 Food: INSIDE TODAY: Cheese and Strawberries City-County Valedictorians NEXT WEEK: 500 Wrapup mm RACING ALONG Partly cloudy with a chance for showers and thundershowers tonight and tomorrow. Low tonight in upper 40s. High tomorrow in low 70s. Page 28. 11 0th YEAR THE INDIANAPOLIS NEWS "Where the Spirit of the lord Is, There Is Liberty." Cor.

3-17 SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 26, 1979 Illvrd by Orrter. 71c Ptr WMk Otlivtrw bv Motor Rout. He Ptr Wook 1979, The Indianapolis News 20c HOME Edition Saturday- dec- Vukvich tm, i uuumI wwFN 7 Uow Astran job nmJ) 1 KNOW (i)uips 500 Mo J5. ft-Vf: "T8 yS'ii-) 1 tfm-pT -rrrtrri tJ Tire comes 271 Aboard Flight 191 'Didn't Stand A Chance' Fir By WAYNE FUSON, Sports Editor There will be 35 drivers starting in tomorrow's 63rd 500-Mile Race, the most since 42 got the green flag in 1933. Two drivers, Billy Vukovich and George Snider, qualified as the 34th and 35th starters today in extraordinary time trial session.

The extra qualifying period was granted by the United States Auto Club board of appeals, which ruled that 11 drivers bumped out of the original field did not have advantage of an exhaust pipe boost specification which was made midway during the regular qualifying session. Eleven cars were eligible, but only eight went to the line. Vukovich qualified at 187.042 mph and Snider at 185.319. The qualifying period was marred by a nasty crash in the south chute by rookie Bill Alsup. Alsup had averaged 4 more than 189 mph on his first two laps but then lost control in the southwest curve.

His car hit the wall four times. Two wheels were knocked off as the car spun crazily against the wall for more than 800 feet and finally came to a stop in the southeast curve. Alsup walked away from the crash but later was treated for minor lacerations on his feet in the infield hospital and was later released. Vukovich, whose late father won two 500s, said, "I saw two 187s on my pit board, and I didn't really need to push it on the fourth lap. I didn't really think this would happen.

I'm proud of USAC. They really went to bat for us." Snider, who qualified for his 15th Indianapolis race, said, "I was pretty sure it was all over. It looked like I would have to go home and pick some cotton." Snider brushed the wall on his fourth lap, and his speed dropped 5 mph. But it still was good enough. Al Loquasto, trying to make his third 500, didn't get around quick enough.

He had to equal or exceed 183.908, but could manage only 183.318 for the four lap run. Loquasto was one of the drivers who circulated the petition among the 33 qualified car entrants earlier in the week, trying to get them to agree to a special qualifying session. They fell short by two names, of course, but the extra qualification system finally was arranged after a USAC appeal board upheld the appeal by the 11 drivers bumped out of the race earlier. Jerry Karl, hoping to get into the lineup for his fifth race, missed it, too. He was too slow on the first three laps and as he crossed the startfinish line on the third circuit threw his hand into the air, indicating he was having engine problems.

He didn't complete the fourth lap, pulling his No. 38 car into the pits. Larry Cannon, the 42-year-old driver from Danville, 111., apparently had mechanical trouble just as he took the green flag for his qualifying run. His final warmup lap was about 182.9 mph, but something went wrong and he lost out in his chance for his fifth race. His car didn't even make it around the track once.

A wrecker had to tow it in. Forty-year-old John Martin, a veteran of five races, also had speed problems. He averaged only 182.463. Rookie Dana Carter, whose two brothers, Pancho Carter and Johnny Parsons Jr. qualified in the regular 33-car lineup, also failed to qualify.

He averaged 182.964. The track was not opened to the public but a group of waiting fans cent. Fuel oil prices, which jumped 3.8 percent last month, have gone up 18 percent in the last year. Food prices, which rose 0.9 percent in April, have been advancing at a 15 percent annual rate for the last three months. Housing costs rose 1.1 percent in April to sustain a 14 percent annual rate of increase for the last three months.

In other economic developments yesterday: The Agriculture Department's chief economist asked for a special inquiry into what caused food prices to rise so much last month. Economist Howard Hjort said the rise was more than double what his department had been expecting. The National Association of Realtors said mortgage payments for new homebuyers jumped 28 percent in the last year because of soaring house prices and interest rates that have hit 11 percent The Council on Wage and Price Stability said that, beginning next month, it will release the names of. companies and unions requesting exceptions to Carter's wage-price guidelines. Currently, the council keeps the names secret until after it rules on the Qualifiers Car 22 Bill Vukovich Watson Lap 1 188.166 Lap 2 Lap 3 187.188 Up 4 185.720 Avg.

187.042 Car 69 George Snider Lightning Ofly Lap 1 187.931 Lap 2 186.838 Lap 3 185.720 Lap 4 180.941 Avg. 185.319 reportedly crashed through a fence on the north side of the Speedway grounds and raced inside. Joe Cloutier, president of the Speedway, said the track was not opened to the public for today's special qualifications because "we were not set up for it. This came to a final point about 6 Continued on Page 3 500 FACTS AND FIGURES THE FIELD Thirty-five specially built cars, costing up to $135,000 each, driven by some of the best drivers in the world. The entry list totalled 100 cars, but the field was determined in qualifications.

THE RACE 500 miles (200 laps around the 2 12-mile asphalt oval track). A race is official after 101 laps. THE PURSE Expected to be more than $1 million, which will be awarded at a public Victory Dinner Monday night in the Convention Center. (Tickets are $17.50 per person. THE TRACK 2 12 miles.

The course varies in width from 50 feet on the straightaways to 60 feet on the curves. Each of the four turns is 1,320 feet long, the front and back stretches are 3,330 feet and the straightaways at the north and south ends are each 660 feet long. The corners are banked at 9 degrees and 12 minutes. TICKETS An unlimited number of $10 general admission tickets will be available tomorrow. Only a few tickets for the 243,000 permanent Speedway seats are available.

They are for tickets in the back stretch bleachers and are $12 each. ORDER OF THE DAY Gates will be opened to the public at 5 a.m. Traditional ceremonies featuring the Purdue University band and other marching units from throughout the United States will begin at 8 a.m. Television personality Peter Marshall will sing "Back Home Again in Indiana" about 10 45. Mary Hulman, chairman of the board of the Speedway, will give the "Start Your Engines" command about 10:55 and the pace lap will get underway at 11.

PARKING Most of the infield parking areas, with room for up to 25,000 cars, are free on a first-come, first-served basis. PACE CAR A specially designed Ford Mustang will be driven by Jackie Stewart, former world driving champion and now a commentator for ABC television. RADIO-TV ABC will televise the race on a delayed basis tomorrow night to all parts of the United States, Canada and Mexico and in 20 other countries throughout the world. (Indianapolis will be blacked out.) The Speedway Radio Network will be carried on 1,200 stations throughout the world, including most Indianapolis stations. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Indianapolis Metro buses and taxicabs will run from the downtown area to the Speedway throughout the morning.

THE FAVORITES Three-time winner and defending champion Al Un-ser and two time winner Johnny Rutherford were picked by Wayne Fu-son, sports editor of The News, as the 4-1 favorites. Four-time winner A.J. Foyt and pole winner Rick Mears are the second picks on the Form Chart at 4-1. THE FLAGS Green-go, yellow-caution, orange with blue stripe-faster car trying to pass, black-come into the pits for consultation, red-the race is stopped, white-one lap to go, checkered-the winner. otfy I off Bill Alsup's car after hitting (Related story, Page 2.) There were no survivors, officials said.

"They didn't stand a chance," Chicago Fire Commissioner Richard Al-brecht said after viewing the carnage. "Some are still buried, under the wreckage and we didn't want to disturb the wreckage," said Douglas Dreifus, an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board. "You can bet your bottom dollar we'll home in on the dropped engine," said Elwood Driver, a member of the NTSB. Investigators recovered two flight recorders from the wreckage. One is a recording of voices in the cockpit, the other is a computerized digest of what the plane did.

Driver said the plane never got 500 feet high. The plane smashed into an abandoned private airfield, in Elk Grove Township, just yards from the Oasis mobile home park, at 3:03 p.m. I Deputy Chicago Police Chief Charles Pepp organized the transfer of bodies to a temporary morgue at an American hangar at O'Hare. The disaster was the worst in U.S. aviation.

Last Sept. 25, 144 persons died after a Pacific Southwest Airlines jetliner collided with a small private Cessna over San Diego. The way things have gone at the Speedway this month, you'd think James Schlesinger was in charge. The movie "Alien" is not about a person connected with the 500-Mile Race who had an original thought. There is no truth to a report starter Pat Vidan has added a surrender flag to those he'll use at the Speedway tomorrow.

If you see some dazed people around town this weekend they won't be visitors. They'll be home folks who are still puzzled by everything that's gone on this week. All those subpenas did serve a useful purpose. The drivers have found they make good seat cushions for their race cars. After this week a lot of race fans are in contempt of sport.

Wendell Trogdon Over 300 In Pre-Race Rowdiness More than 300 race fans, who police described as "drunk and rowdy," blocked traffic and attempted to turn over cars and motorcycles in the 1800 and 1900 blocks of Georgetown Road shortly after midnight, police said. Speedway police arrested seven persons and State Police, Marion County Sheriff's Department and the Indianapolis Police Department rushed available officers to the scene, including canine officers and their dogs. Police said those arrested were all from out of state. Speedway police reported that after the arrests the situation "returned to order." Most of those involved in the disturbance arrived during the mid-evening hours and were camping or staying in the vicinity of the Speedway, police said. Many were either in motor homes or other camping facilities.

The Speedway area last night had a carnival-like atmosphere with hundreds of pedestrians along 16th Street, Crawfordsville Road and Georgetown Road. Most of those observed in the area last night openly consumed hard liquor, wine and beer. Vendors, concessionaires and local restaurants were doing a booming business. Business parking lots in the vicinity were manned by persons accepting weekend parkers for last night, tonight and tomorrow. Local businesses hired private security officers to insure that permanent parkers did not take up space allocated for customers.

The cool damp spring weather was described by one law enforcement official as a blessing and he expressed fears that if a warming trend should occur in the Indianapolis area, the problems could be more severe tonight Metro Indy PROFILE Derek Wallace, a Young Life worker at Tech High School, and his wife Ann are coping with triplets. Page 6. ENERGY The No. 1 energy fact today Is that "we are consuming more oil and producing less," John McGuire of the Chevron USA Co. said here yesterday.

Page 13. PROJECTS Six Indianapolis humanities projects will receive portions of the $171,376 recently awarded to 19 projects throughout the state. Page 13. IN THE NEWS Pages Pg" Business 12 Living News Today Comics 11 IS Editorial Sports 10-11 Health Want Kit 16-2 Herman Weather 28 The NEWS Phone Numbers Main Office Circulation 1 mrkA- ZJ turn Photo by Steve Sooddy wall today. Among those reported aboard the doomed American jet were several people in the publishing trade, en route to an American Booksellers Association convention.

Four were affiliated with Playboy magazine, including managing editor Sheldon Wax and his wife, humorist Judith Wax, who had just published her autobiography. American Airlines said the dead included 258 passengers and 13 crew members: A pilot, a copilot, a flight engineer and 10 flight attendants, said spokesman Art Jackson. One of the passengers was an off-duty flight officer. The pilot was Walter Lux of Tempe, 53, a former Air Force pilot who had been flying for American since 1950. Several people on the ground were injured.

Two were hospitalized. One was listed in critical condition, one in fair condition. Early Delivery Your copy of The News should be delivered earlier than usual Monday, due to the Memorial Day holiday. Should you fail to receive your News by 4:30 p.m., please call your carrier. If you cannot reach your carrier, call The News circulation department, 632-9211, by 5 p.m.

This will allow us time to have a representative deliver your copy. effectiveness of the President's program. "The April consumer price index proves that the program is a flop," declared the 84-year-old Meany. The Carter administration, which now says it will take more than six months for Carter's program to moderate inflation, blamed the latest consumer price rise on soaring energy, food and housing costs. Alfred Kahn, Carter's chief inflation fighter, said yesterday there is "not a hell of a lot" the government can do to ease sharp increases for those three necessities because many of the reasons for the price rises are beyond the control of government policies.

Instead, he urged consumers to take the initiative. "Buy pork, not beef," he said, noting that pork prices declined in April while beef prices rose. "Use less gasoline," he suggested. "Put off buying a house if you can possibly afford it." The latest Labor Department report showed gasoline prices jumped 6 percent in April, the largest monthly increase since March 1974, when the Mideast oil embargo was nearing its end. During the 12 months ending in April, gasoline prices have risen 23.4 per- CHICAGO (AP) The crash of a DC-10 jetliner that lost an engine just after takeoff, turned nearly belly-up and then exploded like "an atomic bomb" was "apparently not due to pilot error," a Federal transportation official said today.

All 271 persons aboard the jet yesterday were killed, making it the worst air disaster in U.S. history. Elwood T. Driver, vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, emphasized that the investigation is in a preliminary stage and was being delayed because 13 bodies were still missing in the rubble. A rescue worker said the crash site "looked like a fire swept through a clothing store and burned all the mannequins, only they weren't mannequins." The wide-body jet lost Its left engine, one of three, shortly after takeoff from O'Hare International Airport.

It rolled to its left and crashed hitting nose first, then the left wing tip before going up in a roaring explosion. "There was a ball of flame about 500 feet high and a heat wave," said Rich Dusek, who saw the crash from his service station. Prizes Given Parade Floats Grand prizes for floats in the "500" Festival Parade today went to Mayflower Corporation and Detroit Diesel Allison. Mayflower's "The Open Road Is the Good Life" won the Sweepstakes Trophy. Allison's won the President's Award for its "The Good Life in America: The Opportunity to Succeed." In the noncommercial category, the Governor's Trophy for best theme went to Stokely-Van Camp.

The Queen's Trophy for most beautiful float was awarded to the American Legion. American Fletcher National Bank captured the Directors Trophy for originality. Among commercial floats, Steak 'N' Shake won the Mayor's Trophy for theme. Elizabeth Arden received the Princess Trophy for beauty. The Associates Trophy for originality went to Railroadmen's Fedlral Savings Loan Association.

The Judges Award went to Indiana State University. Want Ad Service In observance of the Memorial Day holiday, The News Want Ad service will be closed all day tomorrow and until 7:30 p.m. Monday. Want Ads may be placed by phone Monday from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. only by calling 633-1212.

The Public Service Counter will be closed all day tomorrow and Monday. Union Calls Carter Plan 'A Flop' By OWEN ULLMANN WASHINGTON (AP) The AFL-CIO says a new government report showing inflation running at 14 percent annual rate proves President Carter's anti-inflation program "is a flop." AFL-CIO President George Meany renewed his assault on Carter's program as the Labor Department reported yesterday large increases in gasoline, food and housing costs boosted consumer prices 1.1 percent overall in April. Together with March and February price Tises, the April figure translates into a 14 percent annual inflation rate for the last three months, the steepest climb since 1974. Last year, inflation was at a 9.2 percent clip. The government also reported yesterday that an average worker's real weekly earnings fell a record 26 percent from March and a record 4 5 percent from April 1978, because of inflation and a l(Way trucking strike involving 235,000 Teamsters.

Real earnings refers to money that can be spent on goods, services and taxes after taking inflation into account. Meany recalled that the administration asked in October, when Carter unveiled his voluntary wage-price guidelines, for six months to prove the (. I.