Bob Jennings

We don't talk much anymore. Our friendship sort of fell victim to the Indy car split between CART and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. That's a strange reason for ending a friendship though we didn't really end the friendship. We ran out of things to talk about which is the way it usually happens. It's sad because he's a great guy and I miss him.

We worked together in Indianapolis from late 1985 until late 1991. My old pal Mike is intelligent, talented and knowledgeable about racing. There are thousands of people in or from Indianapolis who are knowledgeable about racing of course but Mike and I were interested in many of the same topics. We also talked a lot about politics. With both racing and politics we hardly ever agreed but we went on and on exploring each other's ideas.

I couldn't count all the hours Mike and I spent talking. One of my favorite memories came the day after the 1986 Grand Prix of Australia at Adelaide. This was the race where a tire exploded on Nigel Mansell's Williams - Honda in the closing laps costing Nigel the World Championship. I'd been touting Mansell as the World Champion throughout the 1986 season and I was disappointed about his last minute loss in what had seemed like a sure thing for several months. When I saw Mike at work the following day he greeted me with "my condolences." Isn't that priceless?

Another great memory came the Thursday night prior to the 1993 "Indianapolis 500." This was Carburetion day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and both of us were "pumped" about the "500." We sat in the Chatterbox on Massachusetts Avenue in downtown Indianapolis until dawn drinking and looking ahead to the race. I recall that I was doing my best to make a move on a nice looking and very young bartender. I must've looked like an old fool (because that's what I was being, although I was single at the time) but she was kind and let me babble on in an inebriated slur while Mike watched in amusement. Mike is something of a "cool customer" and I'm sometimes given to being offbeat and I think he enjoyed that. It was one of those great nights talking about Nigel, Emmo Fittipaldi, the Unsers Sr. and Jr., Mario, Arie Luyendyk, Scott Goodyear, Paul Tracy, Raul Boesel and the coming "500," women and old times even though I paid for it with a bad hangover.  

Mike was one of the people who got me interested in the Internet and he was one of the primary inspirations for this website. I'm sure he's regretted that 100 times over in the past three or four years. Like racing and politics we talked about the Internet, personal computers and all the new tools for expression and communication that were opening up. I think we were writing e-mails to each other four or five times a week on this and that. During that time he was in Southern California and I was in Chicago.

The last time I saw Mike was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving 1998. My wife and I had dinner with Mike at Daddy Jack's a far Northside Indianapolis restaurant. As we were leaving the restaurant I mentioned to Mike that my wife's favorite driver was Buddy Lazier. Mike responded with "Buddy Lazier's a hack." Mike also called Tony Stewart a "hack" during the same conversation. As intelligent and knowledgeable about racing as Mike is he probably thinks some of the pretenders in CART are legitimate racers. I have a lot of regard for Mike but that particular mentality is one of the main reasons why I wish the CART series would go away.

Buddy Lazier was one of those guys who never had a chance in CART. He was given nothing but junk to drive when he ran CART while a bunch of Formula One rejects and second-rate imports from here and there got the good stuff to race. Had it not been for the Indy Racing League Lazier would probably be doing something else now. That would've been unfortunate because Buddy Lazier is many times the racer most of those jokers in CART will ever be.

To be honest I never paid a lot of attention to Buddy Lazier prior to the 1996 "Indianapolis 500" either. He was a fringe player on the Indy car scene, one of those guys who are familiar but since they are stuck in second-rate or in Lazier's case third-rate equipment they don't get many opportunities to be noticed.

Buddy is the son of Bob Lazier who ran the 1981 "Indianapolis 500." I think the older Lazier was one of the better SCCA Formula Super Vee racers of that period. Like many competitors today Buddy began racing karts at a young age. I think he was about five when he started racing. Lazier raced motorcycles in 1985 and won a Colorado Supercross title. In 1988 Buddy won six races and was the series champion in Bill Tempero's American Indy Car Series, which operates in the Rocky Mountain region. I'm going to have to look into that series. Does it still operate? The following season Lazier won two more American Indy Car Series races. He also came to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1989 but was unable to qualify for the "500" after passing his rookie orientation.

In 1990 Lazier qualified at Indianapolis but was bumped from the starting field by John Paul Jr. I don't recall whose car he was driving at the Speedway in either 1989 or 1990. Buddy started six CART events with a twelfth at Vancouver his best finish.

Buddy actually qualified 33^rd for the 1991 "Indianapolis 500," driving a Lola - Buick for Ron Hemelgarn. I'd forgotten that Lazier was driving for Hemelgarn in May 1991 although I seemed to recall that Buddy and Ron had an association prior to1996. Unfortunately Lazier's "500" debut only lasted into the south chute on the first lap when Buddy hit the wall in car 71. Lazier ran nine CART events in 1991 with his best finish a ninth in Denver.

In 1992 he ran another Lola - Buick in the "Indianapolis 500," this time for veteran car owner Ralph Wilke who was phasing out his operation. Buddy qualified a year-old car, which wasn't done much at the Speedway in those days. Lazier qualified in position 24 and finished in fourteenth place. I can visualize Buddy's hasty exit from his car, which he had parked at the end of the backstretch with a fire in the cockpit. Lazier had 14 starts in CART events with a sixth at Michigan his best finish.

After 1992 Lazier's Indy car career went into limbo almost before it had gotten underway. He failed to make the starting field at Indianapolis in either 1993 or 1994. He ran ten CART events in 1993 and six in 1994 without a notable finish. Buddy appeared to be falling out of Indy car racing.

Lazier showed up at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1995 and John Menard gave Buddy a ride in his third Lola - Buick. Buddy was out of the race after 45 laps however. He did six CART events later in the season.

Then came the Indy car split and the start of Indy Racing League competition at Walt Disney World Speedway in January 1996. With the IRL came opportunities for drivers like Buddy Lazier to shine.

Lazier was hired by Ron Hemelgarn to drive his 1995 Reynard - Ford in the new series. Off the top of my head I first recall Hemelgarn having an Indy car team in 1986. I believe Hemelgarn is a native of Toledo and he made his money in the health spa workout business. In the late 1980's Hemelgarn was one of the major Indy car players and was elected to the CART board. Among his drivers over the years were guys like Jacques Villeneuve (the former Indianapolis winner and World Champion's uncle), Scott Brayton, Arie Luyendyk, Rich Vogler, Tom Sneva and Stan Fox. Apparently CART became too expensive and though Hemelgarn continued to run in CART races from time to time he became primarily an Indianapolis only competitor.

Hemelgarn was one of only three car owners committed to the Indy Racing League when Tony George began to put together the specifics for his new series in early 1995. The others were A.J. Foyt and John Menard.

If you think about it perhaps you might find an appreciation like I have for what Tony George has been able to accomplish with the IRL in such a short time. Think about it. By late summer 1995 it was apparent that the CART owners weren't going to buy into George's new series. Tony was going to have to create an entirely new group of racing teams and competitors from scratch. The future of the "Indianapolis 500" hung in the balance.

This is so significant to me! With the 1996 "Indianapolis 500" less than nine months away the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was operating without most of its business partners, the competitors who had played the lead roles in the "500" over the previous 15 years. Not only that but George had persuaded the management of Phoenix International Raceway and New England International Speedway to leave CART and join the IRL. That George had the guts to put the power, history and tradition of the "Indianapolis 500" on the table so he could pursue an idea, which he believed in blows me away. Surely by this time no one doubts that Tony George believes in the Indy Racing League.

Prior to that time I hadn't given much thought to Tony George other than I loved what his grandfather Tony Hulman did to build the Speedway and the "500." Since the IRL however I've come to admire George. Robin Miller can go on vacation in May if he wants. This guy Tony George is tough as hell and he's willing to put his money where his mouth is. In fact that may be what I like best about Tony George. He doesn't say much but he lets his actions speak for him.

I doubt if there are many people who love the "Indianapolis 500" more than I do. For me it's the greatest thing in this world and my feelings for the "500" haven't wavered in 45 years. For those people who think the "Indianapolis 500" was ruined by the loss of CART participation that's fine. For them the "Indianapolis 500" is an arena where CART used to play. For me the "500" transcends the players. The CART era at the "Indianapolis 500" was just that, an era, one of several I've witnessed. It was an interesting era to be sure but not necessarily the best era I've seen at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Given that the "Indianapolis 500" is so important to me doesn't it seem logical that I wouldn't want anything to jeopardize the future of the event for less than the best of reasons? Tony George's decision to start the Indy Racing League in my opinion was for the best of reasons. Five years down the road looking at what has taken place since the split and how things have developed I'm many times more convinced that George's decision was the correct one.

Think what you want but I wouldn't be happy if the "Indianapolis 500" became just another CART race. The "500" is a story and I prefer the story that's being played at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway now a hell of a lot better that anything I've seen in the CART races at Miami, Long Beach, Rio de Janeiro and Twin Ring Motegi.

I can recall that Saturday morning in late January 1996 when the Indy Racing League kicked off. It was a very different day to say the least. I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I turned on the ABC telecast of the 200-mile race at Walt Disney World Speedway with my back against the couch in my little Chicago apartment. It was weird but at the same time I knew that what I saw would have the same personality as the upcoming "Indianapolis 500."

I had a quick conversation with my buddy John Dailey in Phoenix just before the race at Disney World came on. He was as excited as I was. This reminded me a little bit of a Sunday evening in February 1964 gathered with a bunch of pals waiting for the Beatles' first appearance on the Ed Sullivan television program. I didn't know what to expect!

Buddy Lazier was on pole for that first IRL race at Disney World. He led the first 28 laps before being passed (I'm doing this entirely from memory) by Tony Stewart. Buddy's purple Hemelgarn Reynard - Ford number 91 lost brakes and was out after 61 laps while Stewart and eventual winner Buzz Calkins battled for the lead.

Since the Disney World race Lazier has started all but one of the 37 Indy Racing League events. His terrible practice crash at Phoenix International Raceway in March 1996 kept him from starting the next IRL event.

The Phoenix crash was a bad one. If I recall Lazier hit the wall coming out of turn two beyond where Nigel Mansell had his 1993 practice crash which I saw in person. I believe Buddy became involved with the car driven by Lyn St. James. This was on the Friday before the race I think. Some facts aren't as accessible as others. I don't know in how many places Lazier's back was broken.

I've been going to the "Indianapolis 500" every year since 1956. Lazier's win was one of the most courageous and exciting drives I've seen. That Buddy was back in a racing car at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway about eight weeks after his Phoenix crash is remarkable.

Arie Luyendyk, Tony Stewart and Scott Brayton were the pace setters in practice and qualifications for the 1996 "Indianapolis 500." Lazier qualified at 231.468 and started the "500" fifth. Of course everyone moved up one position on the 1996 "500" grid after Brayton was killed the Friday following his second consecutive Indianapolis pole position run.

May 1996 was a very difficult month for a lot of "Indianapolis 500" fans including myself. This was the first "500" after the CART split with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was probably the most uncertain time in the history of the "500" since the resumption of racing at the Speedway in 1946 after World War II. I recall the speculation that there wouldn't be 33 cars to start the race, which is one of the problems the Speedway had to deal with fifty years earlier in 1946. I wish I could find the Robin Miller article, which appeared in The Indianapolis Motor Speedway in early spring 1996 in which Robin predicted there would be no more than 27 cars at the Speedway for the "500."  Robin's a great writer but he usually seems to be in "left field" with his predictions.

Nevertheless things were pretty bleak that May. I purposely stayed away from Indianapolis until the Saturday night before the "500." I was scared to death for the future of the "Indianapolis 500." So I relied on the Internet and the extensive TV coverage of events at the Speedway on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, which was pretty good and stayed in Chicago.

The weather in May 1996 was wet and there was more downtime for rain than usual. That was a blessing because there weren't that many teams at the Speedway that could afford to run much anyway. Thanks to a combination of having Ford Motor Company provide Cosworth XB engines, seven cars from Andy Evans (whatever happened to that guy), four cars from John Menard, three cars from A.J. Foyt, single car entries from the Derrick Walker and Rick Galles CART teams and a bunch of new Indy car entrants, the Speedway had a full field of 33 cars. It was a "rag tag" field for the 1996 "500" however. There were 17 rookies in the "500" field, among them some unlikely names such as Paul Durant, Racin' Gardner, Joe Gosek and Brad Murphey, guys I'd never heard of before. There were also several "old" racing cars. Even Tony George has admitted that putting on the 1996 "500" was the biggest challenge he's faced since taking charge of the Speedway in 1990 from the late Joe Cloutier.  

Usually I settle down early the night before the "Indianapolis 500" in preparation for the next day. In 1996 however I was out late the night before in an effort to avoid my anxieties. Indianapolis talk radio was alive with stories of the "diluted" makeup of the "500" and the competing CART "US 500" to be run at Michigan the next day. My old pal Mike went to the Michigan race, which was billed as having the "real stars in the real cars."  The entire atmosphere was very electric, much like it's been the past week around here while Indianapolis, Indiana and the sporting world awaited the fate of Indiana University basketball coach Bobby Knight.   

It was raining in Indianapolis when I awoke at my mom's house on "500" morning 1996 and I couldn't seem to get in gear. Then all of the sudden rain moved out of the area and the track drying process at the Speedway began. Apparently the new pavement allowed for quicker drying than had been the case and all of the sudden I found myself driving frantically across town to get to the Speedway in time for the start of the "500."

I'll never forget how I felt as I ran from where I'd parked my car to the track. Being in this situation at the start of the "Indianapolis 500" was something I would've never dreamed would occur. I was in the north chute tunnel as the field passed overhead for the start of the "500." It's the first time in all my years that I've missed the start of the race. When I got situated inside turn four with my cameras and video gear and looked up at the nearly full grandstands I realized that this was still the "Indianapolis 500," with or without the so called "real stars and real cars." That moment has to rank among my most important at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, for I realized how truly important and magic the "500" really is. It was then I became a fan of the Indy Racing League and a non-fan of CART. That was it!

My immediate focus was on Tony Stewart. It was riveting to watch the young Indiana driver fly away from the field with the bright colors on his Glidden Menards Lola - Buick V6 glowing under the low hanging clouds. That remains my number one Stewart memory to this day, the first part of the 1996 "Indianapolis 500" with Tony out there trying to kick the ass of the world.

Of course I wanted Tony Stewart to win the 1996 "Indianapolis 500." One of my hopes is that some day Tony will come back to win the "500" although that day seems a long way off now, a few laps here and there in Jeret Schroeder's Kroger number 6 yesterday notwithstanding. My big regret about the 1996 race however is that Stewart dropped out on lap 82 after leading 44 laps without having the chance to battle Buddy Lazier for the win. If Tony had remained in the race at full strength and the win had come down to a Tony Stewart - Buddy Lazier contest it could've been a true classic.

After Stewart's retirement Roberto Guerrero held the lead for much of the middle third of the race, with Lazier, Davy Jones and Alessandro Zampedri also running near the front. One of the things I kept noticing during caution periods was that Lazier would flex his hands and arms from the cockpit of car 91, a reminder Buddy was in constant excruciating pain throughout the race.

Okay here I go again from memory. I could go back and check a video of the 1996 "500" but that would detract from the spontaneity of my feelings and what I remember. I believe Zampedri was leading in one of Andy Evans Team Scandia Reynard - Fords with 20 laps to go. Davy Jones was running second in the Rick Galles Delco electronics Lola, the lone car at Indianapolis in 1996 with Ilmor Mercedes V8 power. Lazier was a distant third although right now I don't remember why Buddy had fallen back.

This was the good part! Recall that May 1996 was a record setting month at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Speedway track surface had been repaved after the 1995 "Brickyard 400." Despite year old racing cars, CART's absence and a lot of newcomers at the "500," they were flying around the 2.5-mile oval. Arie Luyendyk's 236.986 mph qualifying average record speed set in 1996 will probably stand for many years if not longer. With all the pain and discomfort he was dealing with Buddy Lazier decided he was going to win the "Indianapolis 500." He cranked up the purple Hemelgarn Delta Faucet Reynard - Ford number 91 and went for it.

Jones caught Zampedri for the lead with nine or ten laps remaining with Lazier running in excess of 230 mph in pursuit of both. He caught Zampedri and with something like seven laps to go Lazier went low on the main straightaway to go by Jones and into the lead.

Scott Sharp crashed and brought out the yellow with a few laps to go but the green came out for a restart with one lap to race. I think this was the first time in "Indianapolis 500" history that there was a restart on the final lap of the race. Lazier wasn't to be denied and he led Jones across the finish line just as Zampedri, Roberto Guerrero and Eliseo Salazar had a terrifying crash at the north end of the main straight. Although my memory is somewhat clouded about the exact details of the final laps of the 1996 "500," I recall that I left the Speedway exhilarated and more in love with the "500" than ever.

The ABC TV cameras caught Lazier's painful wince as he stood up in his car after pulling into Victory Lane at the Speedway. At the time it seemed like Buddy Lazier was an unlikely improbable "Indianapolis 500" winner but if he were to score a second win on May 28 it would feel pretty natural. It's also a likely prospect.

In the nearly four years since his "500" win Lazier has remained with the Hemelgarn team although the purple on his racing cars has given way to a white and purple color scheme with a lot of sponsor decals all over it. Ron Hemelgarn must be a pretty good businessman because his cars don't seem to lack for sponsors while many of his Indy Racing League contemporaries go begging for support.

Vivid recollections of Buddy Lazier include his wheel-to-wheel duel with Tony Stewart in August 1996 at New Hampshire International Speedway in the first IRL race following his Indianapolis win. Stewart and Lazier were battling for the lead and Buddy ended up in the wall mad as hell with his "expletive deleteds" being broadcast to the world over ABC. Lazier and Stewart had another fierce battle for the lead in June 1997 at Texas Motor Speedway. Buddy and Tony must've gone side by side for five or six laps before Stewart moved by. Lazier won his second IRL race in July 1997 at Charlotte Motor Speedway after a fierce fight with Billy Boat in which Buddy went into the dirt inside the kink on the main straight to take the lead.

Lazier qualified tenth for the 1997 "Indianapolis 500" in one of Hemelgarn's Dallaras powered by an Oldsmobile Aurora V8. The team started the 1997 season using a Nissan Infiniti V8 engine but switched to an Oldsmobile two days before qualifying. In the "500" Lazier ran near the front and led seven laps finishing fourth despite losing a cylinder near the end of the race.

Just to show what a bunch of creeps a lot of the CART owners are Lazier was invited by Carl Haas to run in substitution for Christian Fittipaldi in the race at Gateway in 1997. Fittipaldi had been nearly wiped out earlier in the season by Gil de Ferran at Surfers Paradise. By coincidence the CART race at Gateway took place the day before the "Indianapolis 500." Lazier thanked Haas but politely declined. Good for you Buddy! Where was Carl Haas earlier in your career? In a way however I wish Lazier had driven for Newman - Haas at Gateway so I could've seen how he stacked up against the elite of CART.  

Lazier qualified eleventh for the 1998 "Indianapolis 500." The 1998 "500" came down to a battle between Lazier and Eddie Cheever. Lazier led 20 laps and made a challenge. Cheever's Dallara was too strong however and Buddy had to settle for second place. Last May Lazier started in position 22 at Indianapolis and struggled with a bad car to finish seventh.

The 2000 Indy Racing League season has been Lazier's most successful so far. The Hemelgarn team began the season with the new Riley & Scott chassis. Buddy started fifth in the season opener at Walt Disney World. He led 47 laps and the race came down to a three way fight between Lazier, Eddie Cheever and Robbie Buhl. Cheever and Lazier were both slowed by cars in the closing laps, which enabled Buhl to sneak by for the win with Buddy finishing second.

The next race IRL race at Phoenix was a Buddy Lazier masterpiece. Lazier was suffering from a virus or flu. His primary Riley & Scott entry was handling so badly that Ron Hemelgarn withdrew the car forcing his crew to assemble the backup chassis for the race and pushing Lazier to the back of the Phoenix grid.

I remember when Mike Mosley started from last on the grid in the spring 1974 race at Phoenix to win. I saw that race on ABC. I watched Mosley do the same thing in person, a last to first win, at Milwaukee in June 1981. Roberto Guerrero also won from last on the grid at Phoenix in 1987. None of those three performances can top what Lazier did at Phoenix on March 19 however.

Lazier moved from 27^th to twelfth by lap 24. He avoided three or four accidents while picking off one car after another on his way to the front. Pitting out of sequence put Al Unser Jr. into second place behind Stephan Gregoire after the race moved past the 100-lap halfway point. Little Al passed Gregoire for the lead on lap 129. Unser pitted under green on lap 151 only to have the yellow flag come out for Sam Hornish's spin as he was pulling away from the pits. With this Buddy moved into the lead to eventually take his third career Indy Racing League victory. I wanted Little Al to win at Phoenix but I don't think he could've beaten Buddy Lazier however.

In the most recent IRL race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Lazier's performance wasn't so spectacular. Buddy qualified in grid position 20 and finished number 22 after falling out on lap 65 with fuel pump problems.

The first five days of practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have been interesting and competitive. There have been five different speed leaders on each of the five days. Al Unser Jr. (217.223) topped the speed charts during last Saturday's opening day of practice. The next day Eddie Cheever was fastest with a 220.881 mph lap. Robby Gordon's 223.120 mph lap was the top speed Monday. Yesterday Scott Sharp had the fastest lap of the month so far at 223.936 mph. Today rain interrupted all but about 30 minutes of track time. CART champion Juan Montoya was fastest at 221.566 mph.

Almost unnoticed however Buddy Lazier has been among the fastest each day. He was third fastest (216.820) Saturday, fifth (219.453) on Sunday, sixth (221.250) Monday, eighth (220.810) yesterday and second to Montoya today with a lap at 221.510 mph.

Given the competitive nature of the Indy Racing League there are several drivers who could win this year's "Indianapolis 500." Off the top of my head without thinking too hard I can name Greg Ray, Scott Goodyear, Eddie Cheever, Al Unser Jr., Scott Sharp, Mark Dismore, Robby Gordon as likely "500" winners as well as the two Ganassi drivers Juan Montoya and Jimmy Vasser. However no less likely a "500" winner is Buddy Lazier, absolutely no less likely.