The Indianapolis News from Indianapolis, Indiana • 54

E-14 THE INDIANAPOLIS NEWS Friday, May 24, 1991 Rookie J'" 7 I "f.f, f- $. special 'a class A i 1 AVJ i 1 ra. I a i Willy T. Ribbs Jeff Andretti lXE'S ROSIEST I-AIR CONDITIONING-! SERVICE SPECIAL I 95 Includes Service Call One Hour Labor Your Money Back If Not Satisfied AC SALE '1499 2 TON MODEL 38TG024 COMPLETELY INSTALLED MOST HOMES NO PAYMENT DUE FOR 90 DAYS Monthly Payments as low as $25.00 Mo. (with Approved Credit) Marion County Surrounding Counties.

You're Smarter' To Choose We'reThe Inside Guys. Heating Cooling 923-7236 tddvoice 31 East 32nd Street I 24 HR. SERVICE FREE ESTIMATES By ZACH DUNKIN 1 The Indianapolis Newt Not only is this year's rookie class the fastest in. the Indianapolis Motor Speedway record books, it is possibly the most historic. The quintet includes the 500-Mile Race's first black driver, Willy T.

Ribbs, its first Japanese driver, Hiro Matsushita, and a pair of second-generation drivers in Jeff Andretti and Buddy Lazi-er. Leading the five freshmen is the fastest rookie qualifier in race history, Mike Groff. 1 Groff's four-lap average of ,219.015 mph topped Eddie Cheever's 217.926 mph-mark set last year. The average qualifying speed for the five rookies is 218.278, more than 2 mph over last year's rookie average of 216.174 mph. And if the freshman class of 1991 doesn't pass Sunday's big 1 test at the speedway, it won't be because it wasn't well-prepared.

Led by Andretti, this year's group logged 3,612.5 miles around the speedway. Andretti traveled 572 laps around the 2 '2-mile oval in his primary and backup cars, i Groff actually spent more time in his qualified car than Andretti. He logged 380 laps In the No. 50 '91 Lola-Cosworth entered by Eurosports Racing. He turned 113 in his backup car.

"This place is amazing," said Groff, who was bumped from the qualifying lineup last year. "No matter how many times you go around it, you learn something on every lap. "You can't be overprepared for this race although we did tail off a couple of days after we qualified. We didn't want to overdo it." Andretti, 27, of Nazareth, was the first of the rookie class to make an entry to the 500 history book by qualifying on the first day with an average speed of 217.632 mph. He'll start from the middle of the fourth row in the No.

86 '91 Lola-Cosworth. Andretti joined father Mario, brother Michael and cousin John in making up the first family foursome to qualify at the speed- way. Last year, Andretti, a five-, year veteran of the open-wheel American Racing Series, quali-; fied for the field but was bumped 1 with 1 7 minutes left on the final day of qualifications. "Last year was my first time in Indy and I had no idea what to expect," said Andretti. 1912 Len Ormsby, 84.09, started 20th, finished 24th.

1913 Jules Goux, 86.03, started 7th, finished 1st. 1914 Georges Boillot, 99.86, started 29th, finished 14th. 1915 Dario Resta, 98.47, started 3rd, finished 2nd. 1916 Tom Rooney, 93.39, started 7th, finished 17th. 1919 Louis Wagner, 101.70, started 13th, finished 26th.

1920 Joe Thomas, 92.80, started 19th, finished 8th. 1921 Jutes Ellingboe, 95.40, started 5th, finished 19th. 1922 Harry Hartz, 99.97, started 2nd, finished 2nd. 1923 Christian Werner, 95.20, started 15th, finished 11th. 1924 Antoine Mourre, 99.490, started 9th, finished 9th.

1925 Ralph Hepburn, 108.489, started 6th, finished 16th. 1926 Bon McDougall, 105.180, started 9th, finished 26th. 1927 George Souders, 111.551, started 22nd, finished 1st. 1928 Lou Moore, 113.826, started 8th, finished 2nd. 1929 Ernie 114.789, started 20th, finished 26th.

1930 Shorty Cantlon, 109.810, started 3rd, finished 2nd. 1931 Paul Bost, 112.125, started 3rd, finished 31st. 1932 Bryan Saulspaugh, 114.369, started 3rd finished 32nd. 1933 Mauri Rose, 117.649, started 42nd, finished 35th. 1934 George Barringer, 113.859, start 12th, finished 14th.

1935 Floyd Roberts, 118.671, started 3rd, finished 4th. 1936 Ray Pixley, 116.703, started 25th, finished 6th. 1937 Bob Swanson, 121.920, started 21st, finished 28th. 1938 Joel Thorne, 119.155, started 13th, finished 9th. 1939 Mel Hansen, 121.683, started 14th, finished 19th.

1940 Sam Hanks, 123.064, started 14th, finished 13th. 1941 Everett Saylor, 119.860, started 12th, finished 17th. 1946 Jimmy Wilburn, 125.113, started 16th, finished 19th. 1947 Bill Holland, 128.755, started 8th, finished 2nd. 1948 Lee Wallard, 128.420, started 28th, finished 7th.

1949 Johnnie Parsons, 132.900, started 12th, finished 2nd. 1950 Walt Faulkner, 134.343, started 1st, finished 7th. 1951 Carl Scarborough, 135.614, started 15th, finished 18th. 1952 Bob Sweikert, 134.938, started 32nd, finished 26th. 1953 Don Freeland, 136.867, started 15th, finished 27th.

1954 Larry Crockett, 139.557, started 25th, finished 9th. 1955 Eddie Russo, 140.116, started 13th, finished 22nd. 1956 Bob Veith, 142.535, started 23rd, finished 7th. 1957 Eddie Sachs, 143.872, started 2nd, finished 23rd. 1958 Jud Larson, 143.512, started 19th, finished 8th.

1959 Bobby Grim, 144.225, started 5th, finished 26th. 1960 Jim Hurtubise, 149.056, started 23rd, finished 18th. 1961 Parnelli Jones, 146.080, started 5th, finished 12th. 1962 Jim McElreath, 149.025, started 7th, finished 6th. 1963 Jim Clark, 149.750, started 5th, finished 2nd.

1964 Walt Hansgen, 152.581, started 10th, finished 13th. 1965 Mario Andretti, 158.849, started 4th, finished 3rd. 1966 Jackie Stewart, 159.972, started 11th, finished 6th. 1967 Art Pollard, 163.897, started 13th, finished 8th. 1968 Jim Malloy, 165.032, started 14th, finished 22nd.

1969 Mark Donohue, 168.903, started 4th, finished 7th. 1970 Greg Weld, 166.121, started 28th, finished 32nd. 1971 Steve Krisiloft, 169.835, started 27th, finished 31st. 1972 Sam Posey, 184.379, started 7th, finished 5th. 1973 Bobby Allison, 192.308, started 12th, finished 32nd.

1974 Tom Sneva, 185.147, started 8th, finished 20th. 1975 Bill Puterbaugh, 183.833, started 15th, finished 7th. 1976 Billy Scott, 183.383, started 21st, finished 23rd. 1977 Danny Ongais, 193.040, started 7th, finished 20th. 1978 Rick Mears, 200.078, started 3rd, finished 23rd.

1979 Howdy Holmes, 185.864, started 13th, finished 7th. 1980 Tim Richmond, 188.334, started 19th, finished 9th. 1981 Josele Garza, 195.101, started 6th, finished 23rd. 1982 Chip Ganassi, 197.704, started 11th, finished 15th. 1983 Teo Fabi, 207.395, started 1st, finished 26th.

1984 Michael Andretti, 207.805, started 4th, finished 5th. 1985 Raul Boesel, 206.498, started 23rd, finished 18th. 1986 Randy Lanier, 209.964, started 13th, finished 10th. 1987 Davy Jones, 208.117, started 28th, finished 28th. 1988 Dominic Dobson, 210.096, started 21st, finished 18th.

1989 John Jones, 214.028, started 25th, finished 11th. 1990 Eddie Cheever, 217.926, started 14th, finished 8th 1991 Mike Groff, 219.015, will start 18th. Mike Groff "This year I knew what to expect, and 1 used that to my advantage." Groff, who also qualified and was bumped last year, made his mark In 500 history on the second day of qualifications with a record run. "We had a rough month here last year," said Groff, who will start in the middle of the sixth row. "This was quite a contrast this year.

I was more comfortable. I'm satisfied with the car. "I think 1 avenged myself personally." Lazier qualified on the third day with the day's top speed average of 218.692 mph. Lazier, 23, qualified the No. 71 '90 Lola-Buick entry of Hemelgarn-Byrd in the middle of the eighth row.

He is one of eight second-generation 500 drivers in the race. His father, Bob, finished 19th in the 1981 race. Like Groff and Andretti, Lazier was bumped from last year's race on the final day. "Last year, I left after qualifying," said Lazier, the field's youngest driver. "I had a difficult summer trying to cope.

I just focused on coming back. "I feel I'm getting better and better as a race driver." Matsushita, 30, qualified next to Lazier on the outside of the eighth row with a. four-lap average of 218.141 mph In the No, 7 '91 Born in Kobe. Japan, but now a resident of San Clemente, Matsushita passed his USAC rookie orientation at the speedway last year but opted to learn more about racing before trying to qualify this year. He is one of 11 foreign-born drivers in the race.

"I know I make a part of Japanese history, which I'm very proud," said Matsushita in broken English. "But when I'm driving a car, I never think I'm Japanese or something else." Ribbs waited until the final hour of qualifications to write his name in the 500 history books. Using a borrowed Buick engine and a quickly repaired' turbocharger, the 35-year-old from San Jose, qualified the No. 17 '90 Lola-Buick in the middle of the 10th row with an average speed of 217.358 mph. "I'm glad to make history because it'll be done only once," said Ribbs, in his second year on the Indy car circuit.

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