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bob jennings' WORLD O' RACING  07/03/2000

Ganassi's "greatest moment"

Juan Montoya winner of the 84^th "Indianapolis 500" qualifies at 223.372 mph

 Bob Jennings

I was awakened at 6:15 AM on Sunday May 28 by a knock on the bedroom door. My long time friend Guy Nadeau was visiting. Guy was waking me to get ready for the "Indianapolis 500." Less than six days later at 4:30 AM Saturday June 3 Guy Nadeau was killed in a double fatality auto accident on the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago a few miles from his apartment on the city's northwest side.

The last time I talked to Guy was Memorial Day Monday May 29. He called to thank me for having him down for the "500." We talked about Juan Montoya's dominant win. Then as our conversation moved to the topic of an Indy car reunification I became a bit upset as I usually do when that subject comes up. Guy probably sensed that and said he had another telephone call.

My friend since 1968, benefactor, mentor and racing buddy is gone. We went to so many races together over the years and shared so many great memories. The last thing we shared was the 2000 "Indianapolis 500" and the last thing we talked about was Juan Montoya's win.

My initial reaction to Juan Montoya's "Indianapolis 500" win was disappointment that an Indy Racing League regular didn't win. My next reaction was embarrassment that the IRL guys weren't able to repel the "wicked invaders from the land of CART." Neither emotion lasted too long however as frustration gave way to admiration for a truly marvelous effort on the part of Juan Montoya and the Chip Ganassi Target team.

After watching a replay of the CART race at Milwaukee it's not difficult to comprehend how Montoya and Ganassi were able to beat the IRL teams. In bringing Toyota their first CART win eight days later, Montoya muscled his regular competition as badly as he whipped the boys at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 28. For that matter Montoya has been kicking ass in CART since he joined the series for the1999 season. As well every CART season since the Indy car split at the end of 1995 has had Chip Ganassi and Target stamped all over it like the brand on a herd of cattle.

One of the things I enjoyed most was Vince Welsh's interview with Chip Ganassi on the ABC telecast, immediately after Montoya took the checkered flag at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. When Welch asked Ganassi how important winning the "Indianapolis 500" was, Ganassi's response was "This is the greatest moment of my life. I'll tell you."

Let me pose a question to Robin Miller or any other CART enthusiast who likes to refer to the "Indianapolis 500" as the "IRL 500." Since it was just the "IRL 500" and not the "Indianapolis 500" why do you suppose Ganassi would respond in that manner? I mean "the greatest moment" of his life - what could he be thinking? This is a guy who's cars have won the past four CART championships and most of the CART races. Doesn't it seem strange the "king of CART" would call a win by one of his cars in the "IRL 500" the "greatest moment of my life" and then punctuate that statement with "I'll tell you" just to underline what he was saying? That's something I'll let CART fans ponder. It gives an indication what the big prize in open wheel racing is or at least how Chip Ganassi feels about things doesn't it? I'll ponder the 2000 "Indianapolis 500."

One of my concerns was that the total purse for the "Daytona 500" last February might surpass the purse for the "Indianapolis 500." The totals purse for the 1999 "Indianapolis 500" was a motorsports record $9,047,150 with $1,465,190 going to winner Kenny Brack. At the start of the CBS telecast of the "Daytona 500" last February the total purse for that race was announced as $9,367,616. Winner Dale Jarrett took $2,277,975 (including the $1 million Winston No Bull bonus). However when I add all the driver winnings for Daytona which are listed on the official NASCAR website, I discover the Daytona purse was only $8,648,975. Do you suppose the NASCAR PR machine was telling a fib about the $9.3 million purse announced at the beginning of the CBS telecast? The total purse for this year's "Indianapolis 500" was $9,435,985 with $1,235,690 going to winner Juan Montoya. This is an interesting statistic, the relative payout for racing's two biggest events.

It concerns me that Daytona has drawn as close as it has to the "500" in terms of total payoff. No doubt the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has spent millions of dollars on the Formula One construction and keeping the Indy Racing League going is a very expensive proposition. I hope however the 2001 "Indianapolis 500" sees a substantial increase in both the winner's prize and the total prizes. Being the richest race in the world and being the most widely attended race are important traditions for the Speedway to perpetuate and maintain for the "500."

I wonder if the second half of May 2000 in Indianapolis, Indiana set a record for the fewest hours of direct sunlight. If it didn't it had to be close? It was almost to be expected the lousy weather that hung around central Indiana during "500" practice and qualifications would continue into race day. As things turned out the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was lucky to get the entire 500 miles run on May 28. In a situation similar to what occurred during the 1999 race, it began sprinkling almost immediately after the race concluded. Actually I felt raindrops about lap 170 but they were light and didn't interfere with the remainder of the race. This was fifth time since 1994 that rain has threatened or delayed the start of the "500."

My wife, Guy Nadeau and another longtime friend Bill Correll accompanied me to the Speedway. We arrived at a strip mall one mile north of the Speedway at 9:30 AM. Guy left us at the north entrance to the Speedway grounds in search of a ticket to a seat in one of the penthouse grandstands. My wife, Bill and I were caught in the light showers that delayed the race around 10 AM. We passed the time talking and mingling with other fans, waiting through two more light showers until the race started about 2:05 PM. My wife went to her seat high in the North Vista. I went to my photo location inside turn three. Bill went to watch the race from the new spectator mounds behind where I was standing.

Years ago I used to become very apprehensive in the closing minutes before the start of the "Indianapolis 500." In those days the specter of death was real. I was at the Speedway in 1958 when an eleven-car pileup occurred in turn three moments after a confusing start. Driver Pat O'Connor was killed in that crash. I was at the Speedway in 1964 when the horrible, fiery crash at the north end of the main straightaway took the life of Eddie Sachs. Dave McDonald succumbed to injuries suffered during the same crash, a few hours later. I was at the Speedway on Pole day 1966 when driver Chuck Rodee was killed attempting to qualify for the "500." I was at the Speedway on Pole day 1982 when Gordon Smiley was killed during his qualifying run. Racing's deadly consequences used to be more apparent and the "Indianapolis 500" felt like the most dangerous race of all. My earliest racing hero Tony Bettenhausen was killed the day before Pole day 1961 at the Speedway. What about Bill Vukovich in 1955? Nothing was more chilling than hearing Tom Carnegie hushed announcement over the public address system. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Speedway regrets to report that driver Pat O'Connor has been fatally injured." In more volatile times I used to wish that the start of the race could be pushed back an hour so I could ease my pre-race anxiety and concerns about impending disaster.

Perhaps I'm thinking about fatal crashes because Guy Nadeau went through the windshield of an Isuzu Omega after it hit a parked service vehicle at 65 miles per hour one month ago today. I'm heartbroken that such a wonderful, bigger than life personality met his end in such a violent and tragically unnecessary way.

In these days of safer conditions in racing, death and serious injury aren't expected to occur and when they do it's rare. The danger is much less and so that element of drama has been replaced by anticipation for competition. After waiting for three hours for the track to dry with not much to do but wait I was anxious for the "500" to begin by the time things got going Sunday May 28. My feelings were shared by most of the 300,000 plus people at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

In recent years I've made a point of watching for empty seats on race day at the Speedway. I didn't see any from where I was standing inside turn three. When I watched the ABC replay later that evening the only gaps in the crowd were in the bleachers inside turn two. Those aren't particularly good seats. The line of vision from that location only extends from the south chute through the second corner. Still, it always bothers me when I see empty seats at the "Indianapolis 500" even though the race is annually sold out by the end of the preceding June. I guess a few scalpers had to eat their tickets. 

For about 20 minutes starting with the three pace laps prior to the "Indianapolis 500" until about lap 20 my life is as animated and frenzied as it gets. I'm shooting photos or video and constantly adjusting the focus of my camera lens on some crack in the track surface. The adrenaline is pumping through my body like a flood. This is the best time of each year for me. It's a moment I live for! " Oh and I always sing along with Jim Nabors when he does "Back Home Again in Indiana."

One thing I notice is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway no longer set off bombs at the start of the race. When did they quit doing that? Donald Davidson, if you're reading this send an e-mail. As the cars got faster they were usually racing down the backstretch when the starting bombs went off. I remember the "same day" ABC coverage that preceded the first network live telecast of the "Indianapolis 500" in 1986. Jim McKay would exclaim "there's the bombs that signal to the surrounding countryside that they're racing again at Indianapolis" or something like that. Do you remember that? Anyway, where did the starting bombs go?

I didn't realize this fact until I read it in a press release. This was the first time since 1994 that all starters were on the track when the green flag was waved to start the race. I didn't see it until later that evening on TV but Robby Gordon's attempt to take the lead into the first turn from the fourth starting spot was neat. Robby Gordon is a wild man isn't he? It's been publicly implied that Greg Ray isn't happy having Gordon as his Menard teammate. I would like to hear what Ray had to say on his radio after Gordon's move. Greg was able to hold Robby off however and Juan Montoya got by Gordon when the cars passed me in turn three.

I caught Ray's two-tone green Menard Conseco Dallara leading Montoya's red Target Ganassi G-Force. It seems like Greg was actually opening up a gap to Montoya in the early laps of the race. Montoya was cool however. He didn't push Ray too hard and he didn't seem particularly concerned about Gordon either. Juan took it easy and waited for things to sort themselves out.

After five laps Ray was leading Montoya by six tenths of a second. Following were Gordon, Eliseo Salazar, Jeff Ward, Scott Sharp, Eddie Cheever, Jimmy Vasser, Stan Wattles and Robbie Buhl. I was keeping an eye on Buddy Lazier who seemed to be coming forward and I was also watching Al Unser Jr. Little Al didn't seem to be in a rush and he was running in a pack with Sam Hornish, Donnie Beechler, Jason Leffler, Sarah Fisher and Stephan Gregoire. I also recall that Lyn St. James and Andy Hillenburg were swapping last place regularly during the early laps.

On lap 13 the leaders began to move through slower traffic. Ray was running anywhere from one to 1.7 seconds in front of Montoya. Gordon must've brought a smile to John Menard's face when he passed Montoya at the end of the front straightway. The one-two run by the Menard cars ended the next lap however when Montoya retook second from Robby in the south chute.

One of the scenarios I played out in my mind regarding the 84^th "Indianapolis 500" had to do with a battle of Indy car champions Greg Ray and Juan Montoya. I got a kick out of Ray beating Montoya for Pole Position. I knew Montoya would be tough but I also felt like John Menard was long overdue to see one of his cars win the "Indianapolis 500." I was impressed by the way Ray fought his Conseco Dallara through his Pole-winning qualification run. There were 14 drivers who I thought had a realistic chance of winning the "500" going into the race, those being Ray, Montoya, Eliseo Salazar, Robby Gordon, Scott Sharp, Jeff Ward, Jimmy Vasser, Robbie Buhl, Eddie Cheever, Mark Dismore, Scott Goodyear, Buddy Lazier, Al Unser Jr. and Billy Boat. Although I expected competitive runs from each of the 14 the most likely potential "500" winner looked like Greg Ray to me with Montoya the guy he'd probably have to beat.

Ray leading Montoya during the early laps was about what I'd expected. With the race going green until lap 66 (ironically for Ray's first incident) the two were averaging in excess of 210 mph by the time the first series of pit stops began to occur. Montoya took the lead from Ray on lap 27 but Greg got it back the next lap and then came to the pits for his first stop. From that point forward the "Indianapolis 500" became the property of the Columbian driver.

Montoya led 167 laps of the race. That was the most laps led by an "Indianapolis 500" winner since Al Unser who led 190 laps on the way to his first Indianapolis win in 1970. In fact the only driver to lead more laps in an "Indianapolis 500" since Unser Sr. in 1970, was Mario Andretti in the 1987 race. Mario finished ninth in the 1987 "500" after leading 170 laps.

As I watched Montoya move toward victory I was most reminded of Parnelli Jones in the 1962, 1963 and 1967 races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In the 1962 race Jones was in his second "500." He started from pole and led 120 of the first 125 laps before losing the brakes on the number 98 Agajanian Watson Offy roadster to finish seventh. In the 1963 "500" Parnelli started from pole again in the same Agajanian number 98. He led 167 laps and had to hold off a strong challenge from rookie Jim Clark to win. In 1967 Parnelli was driving Andy Granatelli's STP turbine powered number 40. Jones led 171 laps of the race before breaking on lap 196 to finish sixth.

Robin Miller has suggested a couple times recently that Montoya told Target Ganassi crew members after the "500" that he was "toying" with the competition. Whether that's true or not would be hard to prove but that notion wasn't without some basis judging by what occurred on the track.

Even with Montoya's dominance however the 84^th "Indianapolis 500" produced some great racing even though it was for second place. When it became obvious that without something unexpected taking place the CART champion was heading for victory my attention focused on the racing behind the leader. I guess that's probably the biggest compliment a race fan can pay to a driver in a race. You cease to pay attention to the leader because you realize he isn't going to be beaten at least by his competition on the track.

Some of the excitement of the race went away for me when Al Unser Jr. came by with steam pouring from under the number 3 Tickets.com G-Force on lap 66. I'm personally caught up in the Unser comeback attempt and I wanted to see Little Al re-establish his career at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last month.

I'm probably more excited about Al Unser Jr. now than I was ten to twelve years ago when he was emerging with Michael Andretti as heirs to throne so to speak of Indy car racing. Then I was still watching Al Unser Sr. and I was also preoccupied with the fortunes of Nigel Mansell. I didn't want to admit it at the time as much as Guy Nadeau and my other friends tried to get me to do that but I was focusing more on Mansell during his two seasons racing in America than I was Little Al. Even when Unser won his second "500" in 1994 I missed a lot of the excitement of the victory because I was disappointed about Nigel's retirement from the race thanks to Denis Vitolo's brain fade. Had the 1994 "Indianapolis 500" come down to an Unser - Mansell battle, which was entirely possible, I would've been slightly pulling for Nigel. During the 1994 season while Little Al was piling up eight wins on his way to the CART championship I was more interested if Mansell was going to return to Formula One. If Tony Stewart had raced in the "500" this May I would've divided my focus between he and Little Al. That would be fun having both Al Unser Jr. and Tony Stewart to watch in the "Indianapolis 500." I hope it does happen eventually, sooner than later.

My biggest enjoyment watching Al Unser Jr. came when he won the 1992 "Indianapolis 500." The battle with Scott Goodyear was one of my all-time favorite racing moments. Like others, I've had my doubts about Junior's desire and motivation to be a race driver in recent years. He was stuck in the junk Roger Penske was putting on the track and his personal life was in shambles. I've seen enough however in the six Indy Racing League events so far this season to know the Unser Jr. magic remains. It's apparent to me even if Robin Miller doesn't recognize it that Little Al remains a very talented racer indeed. Al's run last month at Texas Motor Speedway was terrific. I'm excited at the prospect of seeing him run like that a lot in the coming seasons and getting back to where he belongs at the top.

Had Al Jr. not dropped out of the "Indianapolis 500" with damage from the debris left by Greg Ray's lap 66 mishap I'm confident he would've finished in the top three or four. After Junior's first pit stop on lap 28 he began passing cars steadily. I saw him pass Jimmy Vasser for eighth the lap before the Ray mishap. Unser didn't have anything for Juan Montoya but he looked on pace with the primary challengers Buddy Lazier, Eliseo Salazar, Jeff Ward, Eddie Cheever, Robby Gordon and Vasser.      

The battle for the honor to pursue Montoya (better known as second place) was possibly the most intense I can recall in 45 years of going to the "Indianapolis 500." The driver I would've expected to take the challenge to Montoya was Greg Ray. Ray faded quickly however and he really never showed much after his first pit stop. The number 1 Menard Conseco Dallara must've been a handful for Ray. Greg blamed the wind for catching his car out of turn two on lap 66 and pushing him into the wall. Ray's second mishap on lap 143 which also took him too close to the wall in turn two can probably be attributed to a wrecked race car that should've been parked for the day.

The rule introduced for the 1998 "Indianapolis 500" that allows cars to return to the race after they've been taken to the garage for repairs ought to be discontinued. Ray had no business going back to the race after his first accident. The same can be said for Al Unser Jr. who was a victim of Ray's lap 66 crash after he damaged the left side of car number 3 running over debris from the Ray mishap. What can really be gained from this exercise? It was okay to try it for a few years to see how it worked but I don't think it's a good idea. If there were reliability problems with the new Indy Racing League cars I could perhaps understand the reasoning for it. There were 22 cars running at the finish of the "500" however so that can't be an issue.  

I like Robby Gordon. He's become sort of like a racing gypsy going where his moods take him. Gordon started off as a glamour boy destined to become a big star. Along the way however he hasn't been able to quite get in the groove it takes to go to the top. He's gone through racing teams and racing series in a reckless manner. At the same time his raw talent is apparent even if he comes off as a bit of flake.

He was the pet project of Michael Kranefuss when he was running Ford Mustangs in SCCA Trans Am ten years ago. After some part time work driving for Chip Ganassi and Target during the 1992 CART season Robby joined A.J. Foyt for the 1993 season. Gordon put in some good runs that season but I think he felt he was too big for the Foyt team. When Al Unser Jr. signed with Roger Penske for 1994 the Valvoline money became available and Robby took it to Derrick Walker's young team, which was trying to move into the upper echelon.

During three seasons together Gordon, Walker and Valvoline had two CART wins (Phoenix and Detroit in 1995) and several other impressive runs but Robby grew restless. He called the Ford Cosworth V8 Indy car engine uncompetitive at the end of the 1996 season thereby renouncing his long time racing patron Ford Motor Company and moving south to Felix Sabates' Winston Cup team for 1997.   

As part of his agreement with Gordon, Sabates funded an entry for the 1997 "Indianapolis 500." The experience wasn't a happy one for Sabates however who expressed displeasure at the cost of racing in the "Indianapolis 500." Ken Anderson the designer of the original IRL G-Force chassis was in charge of the Sabates - Gordon entry at Indianapolis. It was an unsuccessful experience for all involved. Gordon was running fourth in the early laps but had to leave the race after 19 laps when a fire broke out in the cockpit of his Coors Light G-Force number 42.

Robby Gordon's first full season in Winston Cup in 1997 yielded little. His pole-position qualifying run at Atlanta in March was the biggest success of the season. Felix Sabates grew impatient with Gordon because he had problems getting along with Sabco Racing personnel and also because Robby wanted to do more racing in the Indy Racing League. Gordon and Sabates parted company before the 1997 Winston Cup season concluded.

By 1998 Gordon began the season unemployed but he was brought in by Cal Wells to replace Hiro Matsushita in one of Wells' Toyota powered CART entries. Gordon had a few exciting runs giving Toyota some of their best performances to that time in CART. On the basis of that friendly relationship with Toyota and money from John Menard and some other investors Gordon came back to CART in 1999 with his own team.

The new Gordon - Menard CART team had little to be happy about during the 1999 CART season. At Indianapolis however Gordon and Menard came closest to winning only to lose the race in the 84 year history of the event. Gordon was leading Kenny Brack when he drove to the pits in Menard's yellow Dallara number 32 within sight of the white flag. This resulted in a fourth place finish. Although John Menard lost the "Indianapolis 500" yet again he was overjoyed with Robby's performance.

There must be a strong bond between Gordon and Menard because they moved their CART team to NASCAR for the 2000 season. So far the team is going through all the trials and tribulations of being a new Winston Cup team. Gordon has missed qualifying for races at Atlanta and Texas and the team didn't make the trip to the recent races at Dover and Pocono, Robby's best finish of the season was a ninth at Sears Point.

Perhaps Gordon and Menard are coming to the conclusion that NASCAR isn't the future for this enterprise. To me it seems like Robby ought to be planning to run with Team Menard for the 2001 Indy Racing League season. Gordon and Menard look like a natural combination based on the two most recent runnings of the "Indianapolis 500." The way things have been going for Greg Ray this year perhaps Menard is considering Gordon as a replacement for next season.

After his attempt at taking Ray for the lead going into turn one failed Gordon was unable to keep second place from Montoya. Robby settled into a steady pace near the front. He raced with Eliseo Salazar and Eddie Cheever during the first half of the race. After 100 laps Gordon was in eighth place behind Montoya, Robby McGehee, Vasser, Salazar, Jeff Ward, Eddie Cheever and Buddy Lazier. By lap 125 Gordon had moved to seventh. At the finish he was sixth, the final driver to finish on the lead lap.

It seems like Robby Gordon and Eddie Cheever were racing together for much of the race. Cheever appeared to be running well although he experienced gear selection problems from time to time. His fifth place finish was a big deal for the Nissan people who've worked hard on the Indy Infiniti V8 engine project. It was another step forward for Cheever and Nissan, which led to Eddie's recent fourth career IRL win at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Cheever is a racer to the maximum as far as I'm concerned. I don't care what he did or didn't do during his seasons in CART. Since he found the "holy grail" to race driving during the 1998 "Indianapolis 500" Eddie Cheever Jr. has been an "ass-kicker."

With three races left in the 2000 Indy Racing League season Cheever leads the points with 176. Following Eddie are Buddy Lazier (168), Scott Sharp (159), Scott Goodyear (156) and Mark Dismore (155). Wouldn't it be a kick if Cheever drove that silver and black Excite@home Dallara - Infiniti to the IRL championship?

A.J. Foyt didn't get first, third and sixth place finishes in the 84^th "Indianapolis 500" the way he did with Kenny Brack, Billy Boat and Robbie Buhl respectively in the 1999 "500." Foyt's had fast cars however with Eliseo Salazar and Jeff Ward during the "500." Both Salazar and Ward ran with the pack of cars closest to winner Montoya for the entire race and they finished third and fourth.

Ward is building a decent record at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after four starts in the "500." Jeff finished third in his rookie year 1997. Last year he finished second to winner Kenny Brack. This year he finished fourth. Jeff still seems to be missing some of the fire he had during the 1998 season when he and Mitch Davis were running that plain yellow number 35 G-force for Bob Hanscher and Gary Sallee at ISM Racing. Ward led eight of eleven races during the 1998 IRL season. Although Jeff has yet to win an IRL event, during 1998 he could've won two or three races had the breaks gone his way. 

I've never been a big fan of Eliseo Salazar. It seems like most seasons you can usually count on Salazar to have a big crash. I'm not making light but images of Salazar's crash during qualifications for the 1998 "500" come to mind as I write this. Then I recall his crashing during the early laps of the 1999 "500" in that green and yellow Fubu sponsored car. Since he's come to A.J. Foyt's team as Billy Boat's replacement he's looked fast and competitive however. Salazar is a tough guy and he's been around international racing for 20 years coming back from some bad injuries in recent seasons. He was a "bit player" on the Formula One scene in the early to mid 1980's. He replaced Raul Boesel as the lead driver for Dick Simon's fleet of cars at Indianapolis in 1995 and finished a competitive fourth. This year he did that finish one better. I sense that Foyt likes having Salazar drive for him maybe not as much as Kenny Brack but there seems to be a connection between Super Tex and the Chilean driver. I wish Salazar was a cleaner driver however. He was purposely blocking Lazier when Buddy was making a charge on leader Montoya at the 400-mile point of the race.

It must be tough for Jimmy Vasser. Since his CART championship season in 1996 he's had to play "second fiddle" on the Target Ganassi team to Alex Zanardi and now Juan Montoya. During the "500" Vasser never looked especially strong to me. He hovered around the second half of the top ten for much of the race. Apparently Vasser's Target G-Force was having problems with the wicker bill on the car's rear wing. Jimmy pitted out of sequence with the other leaders, which enabled him to lead for five laps late in the race before being passed by both Montoya and Buddy Lazier. A stop for fuel on lap 196 dropped Vasser one lap off his winning teammate's pace to finish in seventh place.

It's hard for me to get a true feel for Jimmy Vasser the competitor. Over the past five years there've been times when he's driven like a tiger and other times he's looked docile and mediocre. He's been with the Target Ganassi team since 1995 and started the team's string of CART championships the next season. However I wonder how secure Vasser's future with the Target team is.

Rookie Airton Dare was having a nice run until his Team Xtreme/USACredit.com G-Force lost an engine after 126 laps. Dare ran as high as third during the race and at one point was giving the two Target Ganassi cars fits. With his recent second place finish to Cheever at PPIR the young Brazilian looks like someone worth paying attention to.

Buddy Lazier tried his best to defend the honor of the Indy Racing League at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the 2000 "Indianapolis 500." The absolute best part of the "500" came when Lazier took his challenge to Juan Montoya beginning with a green flag restart on lap 161. Buddy was flying in the number 91 Hemelgarn Delta Faucet/Coors Light/Tae-Bo Dallara. He made a run at Montoya on the main straightaway the next lap. On lap 163 Lazier drew to within .137 seconds of Montoya. It actually looked for a few moments like Lazier was faster.

I was screaming my head off for Lazier to pass Montoya! A photographer who was standing nearby looked at me like I was crazy. I think he was a CART fan because his disapproval was evident. I still believe the defining moment of the 2000 "Indianapolis 500" came when Montoya assumed the lead on lap 28 when Greg Ray made his first pit stop. However Buddy Lazier was the guy that Montoya had to beat to win the race.  

Buddy tried to hang onto Montoya but little by little the Target car began to establish a slight advantage. The margin grew to .199 seconds on lap 165. The next lap Montoya was .529 seconds ahead. By lap 169 Montoya was running 1.573 seconds ahead of Lazier and the margin increased to 2.5 seconds on lap 171. Two laps later Eliseo Salazar passed Buddy for second place after blocking Lazier badly. Montoya had overcome his only serious challenge.

The yellow flag came out on lap 174 due to smoke coming from Stan Wattles number 92 Hemelgarn Dallara. The following lap all of the leaders but Vasser went to the pits. Montoya had a phenomenal pit stop, four tires and fuel in 11 seconds. The competition took more time. Lazier received four tires and fuel in 16 seconds. Eliseo Salazar stopped for 18 seconds. Eddie Cheever's stop lasted 16 seconds. Robby Gordon was in and out in 15 seconds. Jeff Ward's stop lasted 18 seconds. The excellent pit work and the fact that Montoya made one less stop than his challengers together with his on track performance were too much to overcome.  

During the pit stops Vasser assumed the lead but Montoya caught and passed his teammate on lap 180. After Lazier passed Vasser for second place on lap 193 Buddy was trailing Montoya by 10.4 seconds. Again Lazier gave it his best effort running about 1.5 mph quicker than the leader over the final laps. On lap 198 Lazier turned the race's fastest lap at 218.494 mph. When the white flag was waved on lap 199 Buddy was trailing by 8.5 seconds. When Montoya received the checkered flag Lazier was 7.1 seconds behind.

I have nothing but admiration for Buddy Lazier. He's a real racer in the truest sense. When he was running in the Indy Racing League Tony Stewart was the best driver in the series. After Stewart went to NASCAR Kenny Brack might've become the best had he remained in the series. I thought Greg Ray might be headed in that same direction but he's floundered badly so far in the 2000 season. Al Unser Jr. might well become the best as things develop with his IRL career. Right now however I'd consider it a tossup whether Buddy Lazier or Eddie Cheever is the best racer in the IRL.

The way Lazier works traffic reminds me of 1993 "Indianapolis 500" winner Tom Sneva who used to be the master at moving through the pack. Buddy's recent record at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway brings up memories of Rodger Ward. From 1959 when he won his first "Indianapolis 500" through the 1964 race in which he finished second to A.J. Foyt, Ward had a remarkable string of finishes in the "500." He was second in 1960 and third in 1961. Rodger won his second "500" in 1962 and finished fourth in 1963. Starting with his "500" win in 1996 Lazier has finished fourth, second, seventh and second again this year.

He's only 32, which seems surprising considering how long Lazier has been on the scene and what he's accomplished in recent years at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I think Buddy's best years are ahead of him. To some extent he's been a victim of the Indy car split while benefiting from it at the same time. Because so many CART owners have been stupid about whom they put in their racing cars Lazier probably would've never made it in that series although not for a lack of talent.  Buddy has been nurtured by the IRL. Unfortunately his great drive to victory in the 1996 "500" was diminished in the media because it occurred immediately after the split. I'm excited about what lies ahead in Lazier's career however. Another win in the "Indianapolis 500" seems likely to me. 

Buddy Lazier looks great in the purple and white Hemelgarn Racing number 91 with the familiar day glow yellow nosepiece. Hemelgarn has assembled a credible group of sponsors including Coors Light, which is expanding its participation in the Indy Racing League. I notice that Lazier has added Coors yellow to the Vail, Colorado design on his helmet. I like the Hemelgarn team. The number 91 team, led by manager Lee Kunzman and crew chief Ronnie Dawes have been together for a while and they appear to have developed into a first class racing unit.

One thing that concerns me is this. Chip Ganassi is tight with Buddy's dad Bob Lazier, a one-time "Indianapolis 500" participant. It makes me wonder if Buddy might be a prime candidate to join the Target Ganassi team sometime in the future, perhaps at the expense of Jimmy Vasser. Lazier's loss to the Indy Racing League would be a big one.

With three races remaining in the 2000 Indy Racing League season there are more than a few drivers with a chance to win the season title. Cheever with 176 points and Lazier with 168 are atop the IRL standings. I'm pretty neutral about which driver I'd most like to see win the championship. Cheever and Lazier are each deserving in my opinion.

I expected Scott Goodyear to run better in the "500" than he did. He spent less time in the pits than any of the other finishers. He sort of looked like he was just out there driving around on the way to a steady ninth place finish. Apparently things aren't going well for Goodyear and the Pennzoil Panther team because last week Scott announced that he was leaving the team at the end of this season. This past weekend Sam Hornish and Alex Barron tested in the Pennzoil Dallara at the new Kentucky Speedway.  

At most other tracks where the Indy Racing League competes the two Kelley Racing Dallaras are competitive. Scott Sharp and Mark Dismore run among the leaders and are both often in contention to win. In fact Sharp became the first five-time winner in IRL history with his recent win at Texas Motor Speedway. At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway both Sharp and Dismore each seem to be under a dark cloud however. This year was no different.

Sharp had refueling problems during his first two pit stops that put him one lap off the pace. Late in the race he suffered a broken header on the Olds Aurora V8 powering his Delphi Dallara but Sharp still managed a tenth place finish two laps off the pace. Finishing one position behind Sharp was Kelley teammate Dismore. Dismore had to make a "splash and go" stop for fuel on lap 194 and he was also two laps behind race winner Montoya at the finish.

There was a lot of pre-race ballyhoo over the fact that two women were starting the "Indianapolis 500" for the first time. Things didn't work out too well for either Sarah Fisher or Lyn St. James however. Fisher was having problems getting the Walker Racing Cummins Dallara out of the pits. She stalled twice. During the early laps of the race St. James was racing with Andy Hillenburg for the next to last spot in the running order. Fisher got sandwiched between Jaques Lazier and St. James going into the first turn on lap 74. The result was predictable as both women ended up against the turn one wall.

Sarah, the youngest driver in the "500" field showed glimpses of promise during practice and received generally favorable reviews. She also showed however that she has a lot to learn about Indy car racing. It was the first time since 1997 that St. James, the oldest driver in the field, qualified for the "500." She experienced the most frightening crash at the Speedway late on Pole day but came back the next day to qualify for the race. Not to be unkind but it seems like Lyn St. James often gets in the way when she's racing and that looked to be the case again this time.

Montoya's victory was historic in the fact that he was the seventh rookie driver to win the "Indianapolis 500." The others were Ray Harroun (1911), Jules Goux (1913), Rene Thomas (1914), Frank Lockhart (1926), George Souders (1927) and Graham Hill (1966). Montoya's 167 leading laps was an "Indianapolis 500" record for rookies. Montoya averaged 167.607 mph for the 500 miles. This was the fourth quickest "500" in Indianapolis history behind the 1990 race (185.981), 1991 (176.457) and 1986 (170.722).

As Montoya was coming to the checkered flag Chip Ganassi shouted over the radio "You just won the 'Indianapolis 500' pal. You're now the most famous race driver in the world." That sentiment from Ganassi underlines how much CART teams want to be racing in the "Indianapolis 500." Although he wasn't ready to bring his own team to Indianapolis Roger Penske sort of snuck into the 2000 "Indianapolis 500" through the back door. Penske's United Auto Group put up the money for Jason Leffler's drive in one of Fred Treadway's G-Forces. Penske also dispatched Rick Mears and Penske Racing manager Tim Cindric to Indianapolis to work with the rookie Leffler. On race day Penske was back at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the "500" for the first time since 1995. Penske has all but announced he will have a team at the Speedway next May.

Other CART owners are said to be planning entries for Indianapolis in May 2001. Former CART CEO Andrew Craig indicated earlier this season he was leaning towards returning to a schedule for 2001 in which races would conflict with the "Indianapolis 500." Perhaps Craig's stance was one of the things that lead to his ouster a couple weeks ago in Detroit. New CART boss Bobby Rahal has said he will pursue a working relationship with Tony George.

At the same time the Indy Racing League has expanded their schedule to at least 12 races in 2001 with the possibility of two more races being added. The new IRL schedule will feature five races in addition to the "Indianapolis 500" in middle part of the country within a 300-mile radius of Indianapolis. With CART appearing to reduce the Midwest accent to its schedule this would seem to a smart move by the IRL.   

By the end of the week following the 84^th "Indianapolis 500" I was feeling positive about things. The 2000 "500" certainly ranks nowhere near my group of personal favorites but - - -.  It was a clean race without injury to drivers or spectators. There was next to no controversy at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May 2000. The surroundings were exciting and new in anticipation of Formula One coming in September. The interest in the "500" appeared to be higher than in recent years. The national network TV ratings for the "500" telecast remained as high as in 1999 despite a three hour delay in starting the race which would indicate a lot of interest. There was a generally peaceful feeling around the Speedway despite the gloomy weather throughout the 15 days of "500" activity.

Even better there is a feeling of energy about the coming 85^th "Indianapolis 500." I can't say exactly what it is but it's sort of like who knows what's going to happen? There appear to be a bunch of possibilities. I'm sort of reminded of the early 1960's at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when change was in the air and you could feel it. Things were feeling good.

Then Guy Nadeau went down at 4:30 AM Saturday June 3. The question that keeps popping into my head is why Roarin' Roy?