"500" forecast; looking ahead on opening day

bob jennings' WORLD O' RACING 05/05/2002

"500" forecast; looking ahead on opening day

"Indianapolis 500" winner Helio Castroneves during practice on May 10, 2001

Indy Racing League champion Sam Hornish qualifies for the 85th "Indianapolis 500" on May 12, 2001 at 223.333 mph

It starts up again today. Practice for the 86th "Indianapolis 500" gets underway at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It's hard to believe it's "500" time again. The best part of the year is upon us. Despite all the turmoil, worry and frustration I have to deal with each day, life is good.

It was a beautiful day in Indianapolis yesterday. The sun was shining brightly and the contrast of clear blue skies and the springtime's green carpet presented nature at its best. It was unusually cool for much of last week, but the current forecast calls for temperatures to be in the mid 70's with sunny skies today and the sun shines bright as I write these words. It ought to be a good day to be at the Speedway. I have to go to work for a few hours but I plan to be at the Speedway by at least 2:30 PM. My original plans called for leaving work each day this coming week at mid-day to go the Speedway. However I fear a project I'm trying to complete will keep me away from the track again until this Wednesday.

Today's "Indianapolis 500" opening day ought to be as busy as any in history. There's only six days to prepare for the opening of qualifying next Saturday. Being fast and ready to qualify next weekend takes on even more significance this May because of the almost unprecedented depth among entries for this year's running of the "greatest spectacle in racing."

With the exception of the Newman/Haas team and lead driver Cristiano da Matta, everyone who's anyone in CART will be at the Speedway this year. Congratulations Tony George. You have nearly every one of the CART "biggies" either involved in your series full time (Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi, Mo Nunn, Derrick Walker) or having to spend huge amounts of money and time so they can come to IMS in May (Bobby Rahal, Barry Green) to race in the "Indianapolis 500." You also have the CART CEO and hoped for savior Chris Pook sulking in the media because you ignore him. CART fans continue to piss and moan, howling in desperation about the Indy Racing League but they all know you won and the likelihood is the IRL will be the only "Indy car game in town" within two years.

My primary focus for the 2002 "Indianapolis 500" was on Tony Stewart. But that was lost Easter weekend when the word came from the Joe Gibbs team and then from Stewart himself. This year Stewart is going to concentrate on NASCAR and the "Indianapolis 500" will have to wait. This would've been the perfect year for Tony Stewart to win the "500." Tony had his choice of rides with Chip Ganassi or Roger Penske. The best tools were available. I'm still not over that one yet! Little Al I hope you're ready!

However even without Tony Stewart, this year's chase for the Borg Warner trophy (how'd you like that little flourish?) looks like one of the most competitive in years. In yesterday's The Indianapolis Star, Curt Cavin wrote there were 21 different Indy car race winners entered for the 86th "500." Cavin analyzed the depth of the field at the Speedway as follows:

"Eddie Cheever Jr. ought to have his emotions under control after participating in the Indianapolis 500 for 12 years. But the 1998 winner knows May differs dramatically from all other months.

This 500, which officially begins with practice Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, has Cheever as excited as ever.

"It's going to be a great Indy and I'm giddy knowing I'm going to be right in the middle of things," he said. "Indy always has something to follow, but I think this year there's going to be more than ever. There are so many plots and subplots."

The 86th annual event will have the deepest, most talent-laden driver list since the Indy Racing League began in 1996. There are nine former series champions entered -- five from the IRL, four from the Championship Auto Racing Teams series -- and six former Indy 500 winners.

The names represent the best in open-wheel racing: Al Unser Jr., Michael Andretti, Arie Luyendyk, Kenny Brack, Jimmy Vasser, Gil de Ferran, Helio Castroneves, Greg Ray, Buddy Lazier, Scott Sharp and Sam Hornish Jr. and Cheever.

Also impressive is the list of drivers participating in the race who have won open-wheel races but never Indy or a championship. That group includes Paul Tracy, Dario Franchitti, Tony Kanaan, Max Papis, Bruno Junqueira, Robby Gordon, Robbie Buhl, Billy Boat and Mark Dismore.

Add the two lists together and it grows to 21 drivers who have taken checkered flags.

Consider also how strong Jeff Ward, Alex Barron, Felipe Giaffone, Airton Dare and rookies Tomas Scheckter and Laurent Redon have been at various times over the past 18 months. Then factor in former Formula One standout Johnny Herbert, who will be taking his first shot at the Indy 500, and PJ Jones, who has won sports car and stock car races over the years.

And keep in mind that veterans such as Sarah Fisher, Roberto Moreno, Donnie Beechler, Scott Dixon, Bryan Herta, Memo Gidley and Richie Hearn, among others, have been seeking rides without success.

Only recent injuries to Eliseo Salazar (torn artery) and Jaques Lazier (broken back) keep the contenders list from exploding well into the 30s."

The story line that keeps popping into my head is how difficult it's going to be to qualify for the "500." Perhaps the best analogy to what lies ahead this May is the depth of the field for the 1967 "Indianapolis 500." In May 1967 all but a few of the top Formula One drivers came to the Speedway along with NASCAR "biggies" Cale Yarborough and Lee Roy Yarbrough to fight it out with the Indy car regulars for spots in the 33 car "500" field. By the third day of qualifying, in 1967, there was wholesale bumping. Even Jackie Stewart had to re-qualify after being bumped from the 1967 "500" lineup.

There have been some physical changes at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since last May. Rather than repaving the track, the surface, which was last redone in late 1995, was shaved. As a result the track surface is smoother and offers more grip. Faster lap speeds are expected and some are predicting that 230 mph may be attainable this month. The Speedway completed the installation last week for revolutionary "soft wall" barriers in each of the four turns. Let's hope the new safety measures aren't needed but work successfully if they are.

So we have the prospect of faster speeds and nearly unprecedented competition for the 86th "Indianapolis 500." Will the prospects for competition among a wide range of stellar performers define this year's Indy story or will the stories be about ferocious fighting and surprising accomplishment the way it should be? We'll begin finding out today.

Going down the list of combatants for this year's big prize, I can see four drivers who deserve being considered as potential "Indianapolis 500" winners without many conditions attached to their prospects. That means the ingredients for success appear to be available and none of the four drivers have question marks when I analyze their ability to win. Those four are Sam Hornish, Gil de Ferran, Helio Castroneves and Scott Sharp. That doesn't mean someone like Eddie Cheever might not kick ass if his Infiniti engine stays together or that Michael Andretti or some other CART guy won't clean house the way Juan Montoya did two years ago. It just means that Hornish, de Ferran, Castroneves and Sharp appear to have just about everything they need to do the job while others have the word if attached to their prospects.

Let me jump into this head first and give my impression of how things look for some of the primary car and driver combinations.

I'm glad John Menard is giving P.J. Jones his big chance at the "Indianapolis 500." I have long felt that Parnelli's son belonged in the Indy Racing League and now the younger Jones has one of the best cars entered. I hate it that Jaques Lazier is going to miss the "500" and the 2002 IRL season because Buddy's kid brother looked like a "comer." I already conceded pole position at the Speedway to Lazier. But P.J. Jones is promising and he's an appropriate replacement. However P.J. is an Indianapolis rookie and he's been out of Indy cars for a few seasons. Jones could be sensational or he might turn out to be a disappointment. I'll take a wait and see with P.J..

Recent stories suggest Helio wants to go to Formula One, but not before he becomes the first back to back winner of the "Indianapolis 500" since my man "Big Al" Unser won the "500" in 1970 and 1971. Add to this the fact that Roger Penske might still be pissed off about having his offer to be an Indy Racing League chassis manufacturer turned down and you have a potent combination; Penske retribution and a handsome young Brazilian with lots of talent and testosterone. Helio could climb the fences again on May and I wouldn't be the least surprised.

Sam Hornish Jr. was a bad boy in the IRL race at Nazareth Speedway and he pulled a stupid move on Buddy Lazier, but before that he looked like the second coming of Rick Mears, winning two and dominating three of the season's first four IRL races in 2002. Does anyone want to bet that Sam Hornish Jr. will be driving for Roger Penske before long? When I think of "Indianapolis 500" excellence and dominance, I think of Bill Vukovich. Young Hornish reminds me of the "Mad Russian" as much as anyone since Tony Stewart made his rookie run in the 1996 "500." The 23 year old Ohioan has the yellow Pennzoil cars from Panther Racing with power from Rick Long and Speedway Engines and he has Pancho Carter up in the spotter's position helping him through each race. Hornish constantly reminds the media that he still shudders at the way he threw away victory in the 2001 "Indianapolis 500 when he spun on cold tires during an early race restart and lost laps in the pits. Sam also says he wants to become the first five time winner of the "Indianapolis 500." It makes me wonder if we're not looking at the next Indy car racing legend when we refer to Sam Hornish Jr.

I have no doubt Arie Luyendyk has it in him to win another "Indianapolis 500." Look in the record books and you'll find the Dutchman has been one of the most stellar performers in the history of the "Indianapolis 500" and his two victories only tell part of the story. Now past his middle forties and only doing one race each year, Arie reminds me a lot of Al Unser. But unlike Big Al, who had the Penske team to support him, Arie races for Fred Treadway, with whom the economic realities have caught up. The Treadway team is a tight knit group and there are some star players other than Luyendyk in this group, like Tim Wardrop and Skip Faul. However I'm not sure Wardrop, Faul and company can compete with the Penske team, Chip Ganassi, CART invaders Barry Green and Bobby Rahal, or some of the other "old line" IRL teams like Panther, Kelley, Menard, Hemelgarn and Foyt.

I recently told an associate at work that if Gil de Ferran wins this year's "Indianapolis 500," I'm going to have to eat a lot of crow. I have written a lot of words criticizing the Brazilian by way of Paris over the past few years. Some of that can be found on this website without looking too hard. In last year's "500" de Ferran appeared somewhat timid and he lost the race to his younger, more aggressive Penske teammate Castroneves. But I noticed a change in style beginning with the CART race in England, when Gil went after Kenny Brack and passed the Swede in the final corner for victory. de Ferran had the Indy Racing League event at Nazareth won two weeks ago until he ran out of fuel within sight of the checkered flag. Now I see a different Gil de Ferran. He has the characteristics of a modern day Rodger Ward, a cool, experienced steely eyed competitor who lets the tiger come out when the situation warrants.

Judging from the strategic manner in which Unser Jr. was able to lead 39 laps and 54 laps in this season's Indy Racing League events at Phoenix and Nazareth respectively, it's obvious Little Al still has lots of race craft. However the big question for me is whether he's still fast enough. Being able to read a race is an important ingredient in the formula for winning. But there also has to be a combination of raw aggression and sheer bravado in the mix. There were signs of both qualities in the performances by Junior in 2000 IRL races at Texas Motor Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway. The win last August at Gateway was vintage Al Unser Jr. If Al brings the same package to the Speedway this month that he had in the 2000 Texas and Atlanta races and in 2001 at Gateway International Raceway, he can be a force this month at his beloved Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Unser's case wasn't helped by the fact that crew chief Tom Knapp left the Kelley team recently to go with Greg Ray to race for A.J. Foyt. Little Al has to overcome that setback quickly because time is running out on his career and he has to produce this season in his chance with Tom Kelley's team. But if everything comes together and Unser Jr. makes his third appearance in Victory lane at the Speedway, it will be one of the best racing moments I have experienced in all my years.

I admit that I've never been a big fan of Scott Sharp. He's always been fast, but there's this sort of giggly "aw shucks" thing with Sharp that drives me crazy. Scott's spin from pole at the start of the 2001 "Indianapolis 500" was one of the most stupid things I've seen this side of Roberto Guerrero in 1992. However that isn't the entire story. I've also seen Sharp go into a corner at Texas at 220 mph within inches of Greg Ray and Eddie Cheever on either side and not back off. Scott knows how to win IRL races and has seven victories in the series to prove it. He has a good Kelley team behind him and they've been together since 1998. I can visualize Scott Sharp as an "Indianapolis 500" winner in the Delphi car.

If ever a driver deserved to be an Indy Racing League winner, it's Jeff Ward. Throughout his six seasons in the IRL Ward has shown himself capable of winning time and time again without actually taking the checkered flag. He's led 17 IRL races for a total of 518 leading laps, which is eighth best all time. But Ward hasn't been able to find a home. He's gone from Team Cheever to the old ISM team to the Pagan brothers team to A.J. Foyt to Heritage Racing. Now Ward and his longtime buddy Mitch Davis are racing with Chip Ganassi and Target in a deal that came together just before the start of this season. Ward's best race was the season opener in Miami where he finished fourth after leading 29 laps. Ward is racing this month with Ganassi's CART drivers Kenny Brack and Bruno Junqueira and it will be interesting to see how Jeff stacks up against his new teammates.

It seems like the only drivers who really made A.J. Foyt happy since he quit driving to concentrate on running his racing team were Scott Sharp and Kenny Brack. Foyt seemed tickled with Sharp who he called "Doodle-bug." Brack, who's memo like assessments of each race amused Super Tex, was Foyt's favorite. There have been times when Robby Gordon, Billy Boat, Eliseo Salazar and Donnie Beechler seemed like Foyt's boys but not to the extent that Sharp and Brack were. Now fellow Texans Greg Ray and A.J. Foyt have come together in what is reported as a multi-season agreement. It will be interesting to see how these two strong personalities and the volatile new Foyt employee Tom Knapp blend together. Ray has been blindingly fast during his Indy Racing League career. His career total of 1149 leading laps in the IRL is second only to Tony Stewart. Greg's 15 poles are a series record. But for whatever reason, Greg Ray has pissed away excellent opportunities in each of the past three runnings of the "Indianapolis 500." In the 1999 "500" Ray inherited the lead when Arie Luyendyk crashed on lap 117. But three laps later he ran into Mark Dismore in the pits and threw away a perfect opportunity to race Kenny Brack for victory. I'm not sure Greg Ray really had anything for Juan Montoya in the 2000 "500," but Ray's two crashes were ridiculous. Last year, Ray was leading the "500" at the halfway mark when he was pressured by Michael Andretti and bumped the wall coming out of turn four with Mikey hot on his butt. If Ray pulls any of those bloopers he might find a mean old Foyt threatening to rip his skinny little frame apart piece by piece. But if Greg Ray drives for Foyt the way he drove for John Menard on the way to the 1999 IRL championship or the way he ran away from the field in the 2000 and 2001 races in Atlanta, we could have a lightning fast partnership.

Now that I think about it, I don't believe I've seen Tony Kanaan race in person. I haven't been to a CART race since Milwaukee in 1997. So I can't say too much about Kanaan other than up to now I considered him not much more than another CART hack. However when I watched the Brazilian race in the CART race at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan, Kanaan looked fast and I was somewhat impressed. Like P.J. Jones, this is another guy I'm going to watch to see what develops before I draw too many conclusions.

Vasser has become a veteran "open wheeler" and there are times when he still looks like the guy who won the 1996 CART championship with Chip Ganassi. Vasser had a good run for his new boss Bobby Rahal in the recent CART race at Long Beach. Vasser and the Rahal team practiced for the "Indianapolis 500" by finishing ninth in the IRL race at California Speedway. His runs in the two most recent runnings of the "500" in Ganassi's Target cars have yielded seventh and fourth place finishes. Prior to the Indy car split in 1996, Vasser had four Indy starts with a fourth place in the 1994 "500" being his best result. Jimmy was leading the 1995 "500" when he crashed with 30 laps to go. So the experience is there. But I'm not sure whether Vasser is on a par with some of his fellow CART drivers who will be in Indianapolis this month, nor do I think he's necessarily as good as guys like Buddy Lazier and Eddie Cheever. The same goes for Bobby Rahal's team. While Kenny Brack nearly won the 2001 CART title for Rahal, I don't believe the Columbus, Ohio group has the same level of power that the Penske and Ganassi organizations had when they won the two most recent "500" events. So my expectations are that Vasser and the Miller Lite car will be pretty to watch and a solid contender for a top five finish but the prospect for winning seems remote to me.

Poor Mark Dismore has gone through hell so far in 2002. He finally got a deal for Indianapolis last weekend with Sam Schmidt, but I don't know how far it goes after this month. Looking back on the 85th "Indianapolis 500" last May, I remember thinking Dismore was on his way to victory during the second third of the race before gearbox problems put him in the pits and laps behind. But like Sam Hornish, who was in the same situation, Dismore had one of the two fastest cars on the track at the end of the race. Mark hasn't raced yet in 2002 and has to be rusty and the Schmidt team is at nowhere near the level of the bigger IRL teams or the the visitors from CART.

Giaffone is coming off a good second place finish at Nazareth and he looked good in enough races during the 2001 Indy Racing League season to be named series rookie of the year. It will be interesting to see who runs better at the Speedway this month, Giaffone or his counterpart from the CART side of the Mo Nunn racing shops, Tony Kanaan.

Welcome home 1999 "Indianapolis 500" winner and 1998 Indy Racing League champion Kenny Brack. It's good to have you back at the scene of your greatest success again. Just like Tony Stewart, the same thing applies to Brack, once a son of the IRL, always a member of the family. Last year Brack had a great season with the Rahal team winning a CART season high four wins, six poles and 621 leading laps. He finished second to Gil de Ferran in the CART championship. His best run this season with his new Target team yielded a fourth place at Long Beach and little else. So I'm sure Chip Ganassi will be reminding Kenny how much money he's being paid this month if Brack slacks off. If Kenny can put together the same kind of effort in the 2002 "500" that he did three years ago when he won the "500," he could have a good shot at a second Indianapolis win.

Robbie Buhl Team Purex/Aventis/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing G Force - Infiniti number 24

Robbie Buhl was the final line of Indy Racing League defense against the Penske team in the closing moments of the 85th "Indianapolis 500." In the IRL season finale at Texas Motor Speedway, Buhl was part of that three car photo finish with Sam Hornish and Scott Sharp. Buhl is a good driver who was getting better. I have no doubt the Infiniti V8 powering Robbie's orange and blue Purex car 24 is fast. Durability has to be a concern however. Another concern has to be that Buhl is coming back from injuries at Phoenix in March and that creates a "wait and see" situation.

While he was one of the strongest CART runners, during the early 1990's, Paul Tracy had terrible luck in his four "Indianapolis 500" appearances from 1992 through 1995 finishing 20th, 30th, 23rd and 24th respectively. But Tracy is a still one of the real veterans of big time open wheel racing with a career total of 18 CART victories and 13 CART poles. He's gone from being a spoiled, overweight Toronto rich kid, shadowed by a doting father, to a much leaner, hopefully more mature competitor. But through it all Paul Tracy has always been a talented race driver, even if he often hampered his abilities with erratic behavior. I watched Tracy put on a great performance last week in the CART race at Twin Ring Motegi. Tracy led 38 laps in Japan before retiring with mechanical problems after 84 laps. This is impressive especially when you consider Tracy and his Team Green teammates had to make a last minute change to Lolas in Japan after Adrian Reynard went bankrupt. Despite the fact that Team Green is preparing Indy Racing League cars for the first time, I think all three entries will be formidable. Of all the drivers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this month, the one I least want to see win is Paul Tracy, but unfortunately I think it could happen.

The only time I saw Dario Franchitti race in person was at Milwaukee in 1997. He came to the CART series at the start of the season with Mercedes Benz as his patron, driving a silver and dark blue low budget entry for Carl Hogan. I particularly recall watching Franchitti lead for much of the 1997 CART event with Guy Nadeau in a Skokie, Illinois motel room. Eventually Franchitti gave way to Mark Blundell in the battle for the Toronto win, but an impression had been made. Nearly six years later, Franchitti is a seven time CART winner and the husband of the beautiful Hollywood star Ashley Judd. Franchitti is only 29 and has a future. I don't believe any of his CART wins have come on ovals but I still consider Dario a possible Indy winner given a correct set of circumstances.

Something tells me Robby Gordon is John Menard's favorite driver. Who can forget that it was Gordon who brought Menard within one lap of winning the "Indianapolis 500" in 1999? That beats anything some of the other Menard drivers like Gary Bettenhausen, Al Unser, Eddie Cheever, Scott Brayton, Arie Luyendyk, Tony Stewart or Greg Ray could do for the Wisconsin home improvement store billionaire. Like Paul Tracy, Robby is another erratic personality. My early guess is that Gordon will get most of Team Menard's focus when it comes to preparing for the 86th "Indianapolis 500." With Robby Gordon's previous "500" experience, it makes me think this is another potential Indy winner given the coreect circumstances.

Johnny Herbert (rookie) Western Union/Duesenberg Brothers Racing Dallara - Chevrolet number 32

Since about 1988, when he was the sensation of the International Formula 3000 series before a terrible crash at the Brands Hatch circuit, Johnny Herbert has been one of those drivers I keep track of. He had three career Formula One victories but he never made it into the very select group of F1 principals, which I'm certain would've occurred had it not been for the crash at Brands Hatch. I think the Indy Racing League could be the proper venue for Herbert to fulfill the promise of 1988. I'm happy Johnny is entered for the 86th "Indianapolis 500," but I question the competitive quality of Greg Beck's small operation. Right now my hope is that Herbert qualifies for the "500" and then perhaps he'll get the opportunity to showcase his IRL potential.

Junqueira was the 2000 Formula 3000 champion. When Chip Ganassi announced Bruno would replace Juan Montoya on the Target team for 2001, a lot of people questioned the decision. When Ganassi replaced Junqueira and fellow F3000 standout Nicolas Minassian with Tony Stewart and Jimmy Vasser for his return last May to the "Indianapolis 500," Bruno's future appeared in doubt. Then after both Stewart and Vasser successfully qualified on pole day, Ganassi brought Junqueira and Minassian to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and both qualified effortlessly the following day. Junqueira did a nice job by finishing fifth and followed that with his first CART win at Road America last August. Thus far in 2002, Junqueira seems to have the better of Target Ganassi teammate Kenny Brack. Bruno's win at Twin Ring Motegi last weekend from pole was a terrific performance as the Brazilian outlasted his main competition Paul Tracy and Tony Kanaan and then held off challenges from Alex Tagliani and Dario Franchitti near the end of the race. I'd put Junqueira into one of those sleeper groups and (again) given the proper circumstances Bruno could bring Chip Ganassi and Target back to Victory Lane on May 26.

Mikey Andretti got another CART win at Long Beach last month, the scene of his first Indy car win 16 years earlier. However unlike so many Andretti victories, this win came at the expense of others and was scored by strategy and race craft rather than the old Andretti way of winning on sheer speed and power. Like his lifelong pal Al Unser Jr., Mikey has slowed down a notch or two as he approaches 40. In his return to the "Indianapolis 500" last May, Andretti drove a fine race to third. There was a period immediately after the halfway point of the race when I began to visualize an Andretti win. The unknown here is how well the Team Green personal can handle the stress of hastily preparing for the "Indianapolis 500" while having to make the conversion from Reynard to Lola in their CART program. Barry Green has said in recent days that had he known Reynard would fail this season, he probably wouldn't have brought Paul Tracy and Dario Franchitti to Indianapolis. For me this is the primary unknown when it comes to analyzing Michael Andretti's potential for finally getting that elusive win in the "Indianapolis 500."

The only condition I apply to Eddie Cheever's opportunity to win the 86th "Indianapolis 500" has to do with the mechanical reliability of the newest Nissan Infiniti Indy V8 engine. Everything else is in place as best as I can tell. Cheever becomes a better racer with each season. Eddie is as tough a competitor as you can find these days in the Indy Racing League. He'll fight with anyone for every inch of the track. He has a tight operation which has been together for six seasons with Owen Snyder heading up the crew. The Red Bull sponsorship is the most money the Team Cheever has ever brought to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Infiniti is expected to have an edge in horsepower over the new Chevy V8 package. If everything holds together this could be Eddie Cheever's May.

Young Scheckter will sit out the first three days of practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as punishment for his actions that caused the crash at Nazareth which put Jaques Lazier on the sidelines for the rest of 2002. This kid is wild. But he's also fast. Tomas reminds me of his father Jody when the older Scheckter came to Formula One almost 30 years ago. I want Scheckter to clean up his act but I'm glad he's at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I think he's going to generate some excitement. I don't think Scheckter will win the "500" this year but I can see him qualifying near the front and leading the race.

When I read that Eddie Cheever picked Max Papis to drive his third Red Bull Dallara - Infiniti in the "Indianapolis 500" I was pissed off. For me Papis is just another CART guy hanging around. I would've preferred having someone like Jason Leffler get a chance. For that matter, why didn't Cheever pick up Johnny Herbert for the third car? Why do we need Max Papis in the "500" anyway?

Buddy Lazier Coors Light/Life Fitness/Tae-Bo/Delta Faucet Dallara - Chevrolet number 91

Buddy Lazier's prospects are similar to those for Eddie Cheever. If Buddy has a good car on race day, he'll make his presence known. Although Sam Hornish looks better all the time, I still believe Buddy Lazier is the best driver in the Indy Racing League right now. Buddy is all time IRL race winner with eight victories. Last summer he became the first driver to score four wins in a single IRL season with wins at Pikes Peak, Richmond, Nashville and Kentucky. But Lazier's start to the 2002 season must be a disappointment with seventh place finishes at Phoenix and California Speedway being Buddy's best results. However my advice is to not count Buddy Lazier out of any race and if he's having a good day, he can definitely get another Indy victory on May 26.

It makes me sad to realize that Billy Boat and P.J. Jones are the only USAC drivers with a realistic shot at making the 86th "Indianapolis 500." When the Indy Racing League began operations in 1996, I visualized an Indianapolis starting field crowded with grass roots open wheel racers. Unfortunately it hasn't turned out that way. I'm not sure how well Boat will do in the "500." Last season Boat drove a car prepared by Greg Beck and ended up fourth in the final IRL point standings. With help from Mike Curb and Cary Agajanian Boat has started his own team with Darrell Soppe heading the technical effort. Billy Boat is a good racing driver. He should have more than a single Indy Racing League (Texas 1998) victory. But he hasn't had too many breaks either. I admire Billy Boat. At one time Boat was the prime candidate to replace Scott Goodyear on the Pennzoil Panther team. Things didn't turn out that way and Boat took destiny into his own hands an created an opportunity. A couple years ago, Boat's little group might've been one of the principal competitors in the IRL. But things have changed and now it takes more to win in Tony George's series. As good as Billy Boat is I think it would take extraordinary circumstances for his little team to beat the big teams on race day but something in the top ten is a distinct possibility.

Now after you have read all of the above, keep in mind that my analysis is only a projection about what might happen as we begin "Indianapolis 500" practice. In two weeks after the field is set for the 86th "500" I might have entirely different ideas about what might take place in the upcoming race.