The Indianapolis News from Indianapolis, Indiana • 26

I D-4 THE INDIANAPOLIS NEWS INI) 3 TP J. LANAPOLIS I if I 4 I 1 III I Rookies: St. James pleased Continued from D-1 -tAVX4 13 4k lf itj: St ftfvv vXa 5j --r- nj SQ Rescue workers free rookie Phillipe Gache after his crash after his accident in Turn 1. one running at the end after starting from the 27th position. Her No.

11 finish was two places from tying Janet Guthrie's ninth in 1978. "In my opinion, if they don't make Lyn the rookie of the year, there's something crazy," said Simon. While 15 of the 33 drivers were out of the race just after the midway point, St. James kept her car alive by maneuvering around mishaps and driving somewhat conservatively. That was the game plan designed by Simon and agreed to by the driver.

"I could have easily gotten in over my head, and I was not going to allow myself to do that," said St. James. "The end result Is, we achieved our goal. We finished the race, and I got a graduate lesson in running Indianapolis." St. James arrived at the track at 6 Sunday morning, ate breakfast and then holed up in her garage.

When the time came, she climbed into her car, tightened her helmet and tried to block out the hoopla and thus avoid a case of rookie jitters. St. James indicated she heard Mary Hulman give the race's starting command: "Lady and gentlemen, start your engines." "It's the most gratifying thing," St. James said about her successful finish, which she tried to visualize all week. "It's the proudest I've ever been of a team and of an effort.

It makes me Just hungrier to come back and do it again." Among the other rookies, Brian Bonner, Jimmy Vasser and Philippe Gache were involved in accidents, Paul Tracy's engine gave out. Eric Bachelart's motor blew and Ted Prappas had gearbox problems. Prappas, in 16th place, had the best finish behind St. James. Nearly all of the rookies said they approached the race with caution.

"I Just wanted to be careful getting off at the start. Just to let everybody get strung out so we could start racing," said Tracy, at 23 the field's youngest driver. '1 learned you have to be careful here." Bachelart prepared Saturday night by watching a replay of the 1991 race. Last year's surge of 33 cars into the first turn at the start, he said, "looked crazy." But he found the first lap this year to be easier than he expected. However, his racing ended after only 12 circuits.

"The dream came true for me today if only for a short me," said the native of Bel-glum. Vasser slammed the outside wall in Turn 1 on his 95th lap, suffering a fractured right thigh. He had surgery Sunday afternoons and was listed in satisfactory condition today. 1 Ted Prappas (left) was the next-to-la: be outshined by Lvn St. James (abov Mike FenderThe Indianapolis News Paul Tracy waves to fans after leaving the Race with a blown engine.

Mike FenderThe Indianapolis News finishing the Race. She started 27th a Reserved seating 5-: X-MM IU ft 1 I mm Patty EspichThe Indianapolis News Fans unable to purchase more expensive seats for the Race had to settle for "box seats" on the infield (above). Prime seating in the Disney stretch limousine (right) was reserved for the Disney characters as they A toured th track before the Race. Wa.