bob jennings' WORLD O' RACING  09/06/99

Old favorites, good memories

Race winner Nigel Mansell laps Al Unser Jr. in the 1993 "Marlboro 500" at Michigan

Bob Jennings

So far, the 1999 racing season has been a dud for me. Other than enjoying myself, during May, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and having a good time going to USAC races around Indiana, there has been little pleasure, during the current racing year. I find myself anticipating the 2000 season, hoping for something better.

I'm having a difficult time identifying with what's going on.

Today, a driver makes more money from souvenir sales than he does from winning races. Today, most of the focus on racing, in this country, is on the weekly soap opera (or situation comedy) known as the Winston Cup series. Today, the stars of racing are a group of highly marketed media personalities, with hordes of adoring fans, who live and die by the successes and failures of their NASCAR heroes. The business community has turned a bunch of adrenaline junkies, we know as race drivers, into Michael Jordan like icons, for the primary reason of selling merchandise.

The current version of NASCAR isn't my thing. I'm tired of hearing about Jeff Gordon and Dale Jarrett.  Much as I like Tony Stewart, I don't find much appeal in his NASCAR exploits. I thought last weekend's Winston Cup race, in Bristol, was entertaining, but I can't understand the furor over Dale Earnhardt's bump and win. What do NASCAR fans expect when 43 cars race on a narrow high bank half mile, like Bristol? Earnhardt's antics are some of the foundations upon which NASCAR's popularity explosion is based. It's the kind of thing that turns NASCAR fans on. It's show business. NASCAR is show business, so choreographed and routine, that the racing gets lost in the hoopla and hype.

As talented as Juan Montoya seems to be, I can't get excited about CART either. I can't identify with the personality CART projects and their races, like most of the NASCAR events, bore me to the point that I can't stay awake while watching them. That happened this weekend, when I tried to watch the Vancouver race. 70,000 fans, at Chicago Motor Speedway, for the recent CART race, was impressive. The race, however, was a boring exercise, with little passing or competition. It wasn't much better than the street races CART runs.

I like a lot about the Indy Racing League, but the IRL seems to be sinking deeper into a hole, as each week brings discouraging news. The latest disappointment involves the refusal by Cleveland mayor Michael White to hold an IRL race, next Summer, at Burke Lakefront Airport, as announced in July. Pep Boys, who have done a good job of sponsoring the IRL series, appears to be in financial trouble, which leaves future involvement in doubt. The IRL race, last weekend, at Pikes Peak International Raceway, was good and Greg Ray is becoming the series Tony Stewart "poster boy" replacement. But the grandstands were nearly empty, at the PPIR race, and IRL crowds continue to be an embarrassment.

One of the few bright spots, for me, this summer, has been the recent Formula One runs, by David Coulthard and Eddie Irvine, which has increased my interest in what's happening. I'm even starting to think about next September's F1 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

At 53, I don't want to be one of those people who lives completely absorbed in nostalgia and memories. Racing has been my main passion since I was eight. Racing is life! With each racing era since that time, I've embraced the changes that make it so dynamic, in relation to other sports and entertainment past times. I find myself, however, wishing we could turn the calendar back to August 1, 1993, when the photo, on this page, was taken.

This photo is among my favorites, from the thousands of racing photos I've taken since 1981. It features two of my favorite racers, in a race that was perfect in terms of what I wanted to occur.

1993, was it that long ago? Now it seems like such old history.

Nigel Mansell has raced twice, in British Touring cars, since he walked away from the McLaren Formula One team, in May 1995. Al Unser Jr. has been replaced, by Roger Penske, for the 2000 season, with Greg Moore and Gil de Ferran. As Little Al hustles to hold on to his career, his name still commands attention, but his skills and motivation come into question, and his asking price appears out of line with his perceived market value.

Where Little Al will race, in 2000, is a big topic of racing conversation. The "Indianapolis 500" seems to offer the best chance to rescue his career, but there are obstacles in the way of his returning to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway next May. The Indy Racing League can't afford Al Unser Jr. and the future of the series has become more uncertain as the 1999 racing season has progressed. Little Al has been linked with the Cal Wells' new Winston Cup operation. No doubt, Unser would provide a large boost for the IRL, but NASCAR offers the money he needs and I'll be surprised if Junior doesn't go South, to drive Wells' new Tide Ford entry. Little Al's only previous NASCAR race was the 1993 "Daytona 500," driving a Valvoline sponsored Chevrolet, in the four car Rick Hendrick team that also included Ricky Rudd, Kenny Schrader and rookie Jeff Gordon. He crashed,  in that race, after being bumped by Dale Earnhardt.

1993 is the most recent racing season I can recall with a lot of enthusiasm. The 1993 season came on the heels of an almost perfect personal choice 1992 season, when Nigel Mansell finally won the Formula One World Championship and Al Unser Jr. finally took a win in the "Indianapolis 500." Unfortunately, in 1992, I was so unhappy with my personal life, that it was difficult for me to get everything from racing that I would've, under different circumstances. In 1993, however, I was happier, and I was able to plug into the exciting things that were happening on the race track.

Most of that excitement, for me, came from Nigel Mansell's journey to America to run Indy cars.

When Nigel announced his "retirement," from Formula One, the previous September, at Monza, a few weeks after he clinched the 1992 World title in Hungary, I was disappointed that he wouldn't be defending his F1 championship. A few weeks later, however, when I began to ponder the possibilities of Nigel Mansell racing in the "Indianapolis 500" and having opportunities to see him drive in person, my feelings changed.

The only thing lacking from Nigel's first season of Indy car racing was that he didn't win, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But he came close to winning the "500," leading late in the race, and only losing, when Emerson Fittipaldi and Arie Luyendyk beat him on a restart, with 16 laps to go.

Mansell won in his first Indy car start, at the season opener, in Australia. He won his first oval race, in Milwaukee, in June. He put together a string of podium finishes to go with his wins. He finished third, in Long Beach; third at Indianapolis; second in Portland and third in Cleveland. Coming into the Michigan race, Nigel trailed points leader Fittipaldi, in the season standings, by a few points.  

Nigel Mansell brought so much international exposure to the CART series, in 1993, that he's probably directly responsible for the things I like least about CART today. Nigel was, as Mario Andretti called him, "the biggest attraction in racing." When he came to Indy car racing, he created so much media excitement that it reminded me of the first visit to the U.S., by the Beatles, in February 1964. I'll never forget when Mansell passed his rookie test, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, on May 9, 1993. Each time he returned to the pits, after completing various phases of his test, photographers would stand five deep to get shots. That was one of the most interesting and enjoyable "500" practice days I can recall.

I professed neutrality to my pals, when they asked me who I was rooting for, in 1993; Nigel or Little Al. Things were even more complicated, for the "Indianapolis 500," where Al Unser Sr. was also racing. All three favorites, Nigel, Al Jr. and Al Sr. led during the race, 34, 16 and 15 laps respectively. 1993 was such a neat "Indianapolis 500," one of my all time favorites!

I tried to be neutral too, but my focus was on Nigel. I still watched Little Al, but I paid the most attention to the Newman - Haas K Mart/Havoline Lola - Ford number 5, while Mansell was on his great crusade to win consecutive championships in the two major forms of open wheel racing competition.

Unser wasn't running badly either, in the final year of his long association with Rick Galles and Valvoline. Little Al was disappointed that Galles had dropped the costly Galmer project, after the new chassis had won Indianapolis the previous year. Galles'  1993 Lola - Chevrolet package was conventional, but at times, "Junior" ran well, often better than he had in the Galmer. He finished fourth, at Phoenix; eighth at Indianapolis; fifth in Milwaukee; sixth at Detroit; fifth at Portland and fifth in Toronto.   

Little Al had been flirting with Formula One, since 1990. In fact, he was offered a reported $6 million, in 1990, by Frank Williams, for the 1991 season. Unser insisted on being able to run the "Indianapolis 500" and the offer from Williams vanished. Unser's proposed Williams ride was the one that carried Mansell to his F1 championship. If  I recall, however, Al did test a Williams at the end of 1990. Two years later, less than two months after winning Indianapolis, Al discussed F1 opportunities with the Tom Walkinshaw and the Benetton team , but nothing ever came of it. By the start of the 1993 season, Unser seemed to forget about Formula One, especially when he saw the problems Michael Andretti experienced.

Next to the "Indianapolis 500," I was most interested in how Mansell was going to perform at the two mile oval, known at that time as Michigan International Speedway. Unlike today, Michigan was bumpy and badly in need of repaving. I think Nigel was scared of the place, but he didn't drive like it. He qualified at 233.462 mph, which was second to his Newman Haas teammate, Mario Andretti, who ran 234.275 mph.

It's fun to recall the grid for the 1993 Michigan race. Following Mansell and Andretti, in order, were Arie Luyendyk Target Ganassi Lola - Ford (229.743), Raul Boesel Dick Simon Duracell Lola - Ford (229.562), Paul Tracy Marlboro Penske - Chevrolet (227.468), Scott Goodyear Walker Mackenzie Financial Lola - Ford (227.408), Scott Brayton Dick Simon Amway Lola - Ford (226.134), Teo Fabi Hall VDS Pennzoil Lola - Chevrolet (225.536), Robby Gordon Foyt Copenhagen Lola - Ford (224.815), Lyn St. James Dick Simon JC Penney Lola - Ford (224.208), Roberto Guerrero Kenny Bernstein Budweiser Lola - Chevrolet (224.204), Hiro Matsushita Walker Panasonic Lola - Ford (224.045), Willy T. Ribbs Walker Service Merchandise Lola - Ford (223.852), Stefan Johansson Bettenhausen AMAX Penske - Chevrolet (223.832), Emerson Fittipaldi Marlboro Penske - Chevrolet (222.524), Bobby Rahal Miller Genuine Draft Lola - Chevrolet (222.100), Al Unser Jr. Valvoline Lola - Chevrolet (219.370), Buddy Lazier Leader Card Hemelgarn Lola - Buick (217.935), David Kudrave Euromotorsports Andrea Moda - AGIP Lola - Chevrolet (215.697), Adrian Fernandez Galles Molson Lola - Chevrolet (214.354), Olivier Groulliard Indy Regency Lola - Chevrolet (214.326), Marco Greco Alfa-Laval Lola - Chevrolet (212.020), Jeff Wood Euromotorsports AGIP Lola - Cosworth (207.188) and Ross Bentley Dale Coyne AGFA/Rain -X Lola - Chevrolet (205.468). I'd forgotten how little parity there was in those days.

I went to the Michigan race, with my old racing companion Tim Pendergast. I'd driven over from Chicago, early on the morning of the race. I picked up Tim at his weekend trailer, on Crooked Lake, near Angola, in the northeast corner of Indiana, about an hour from MIS (that's what we used to call it). We had a good time that day. I shot video and when I watch the footage, it always brings smiles. Tim and I used to go to the Michigan race every year together. We parked in the infield and I brought a step ladder so I could shoot photos over the infield spectator fence. Those were good days. I quit going to Michigan in 1996. I wonder if I'll go back.

Mansell claimed to have the flu or some sort of virus that day, although recalling Nigel's flair for the dramatic, I think it was more of a situation where 500 miles around the Michigan bumps beat him up pretty good. After the race, he was exhausted and had to be lifted from his car, in the winner's circle.

Sick or not, Nigel put on a clinic that day. I think it was one of the best drives of his career.

At the start of the 250 laps, Mansell fell back to third, behind Mario and Luyendyk. By lap 28, however, Nigel got into a rhythm and he passed Andretti, high going through turns one and two, to take the lead. He was to lead 222 of the remaining 223 laps.

By the time he made his first pit stop, on lap 37, Mansell had lapped all but the first six cars. By lap 80, Nigel led Mario by 18 seconds, with Boesel running third. Everyone else was at least one lap down.

Andretti spun in the pits, on lap 81, which cost him a lot of time and he fell to third, behind Boesel.

On lap 98, Mansell went under Andretti, in turn one, forcing Mario to lift and only Boesel remained on the lead lap with Nigel. On lap 100, car 5 flew past Boesel's orange car 9 and Mansell had a lap on the entire field.

Ten laps later, Andretti passed Boesel for second and he began to chase Mansell. Looking back on it now, I find myself admiring the competitive drive that Mario Andretti had into his fifties. If you think about how drivers like Mansell, Rick Mears, Bobby Rahal and Arie Luyendyk walked away, in their early to mid forties, it makes the performances of Mario Andretti and Al Unser Sr., at the end of their careers, all the more noteworthy. When the yellow flag came out, on lap 119, for Tracy's car, which had stopped inside turn three, Mario had moved closer to Mansell.

When the race restarted, on lap 128, Mario challenged Mansell, and after a couple attempts, was able to go by, coming out of turn two, to return to the lead lap. Nigel wanted that lap cushion, on the field, however. He kept Andretti close and on lap 190, was able to go by and restore his one lap advantage.

Mario pitted, on lap 201, and his stop was three seconds faster than Mansell's stop, which came the following lap. That put Mario back on the lead lap. When Marco Greco's car stopped on the course, the yellow flag allowed Andretti to get within nine lapped cars of his teammate. After the two Newman Haas cars came in, on lap 211, for precautionary pit stops, under yellow, only Rahal separated them on the track.

When the race restarted, Mario was held up by traffic, which enabled Mansell to pull out an 11 second advantage, which he retained to the checkered flag. Nigel's average speed was 188.203 mph, one of the fastest races of all time.

What of Al Unser Jr.'s run at Michigan? Obviously his car wasn't competitive, on the day, and Little Al held on for an eighth place finish, behind Mansell, Andretti, Luyendyk, Boesel, Goodyear, Fabi and Guerrero, five laps off the winning pace.  

I recall leaving the track, after the race, completely satisfied with Mansell's accomplishment before the crowd, of 60,000. It was one of my best racing days! I kept thinking, he's actually better than I thought he was.

It's obvious that Nigel Mansell was at the very top of his racing skills, during the 1993 racing season, perhaps even more so than during his record run to the 1992 World Championship. 

The following Sunday, at the one mile New Hampshire International Speedway, before 43,000 fans, on his 40th birthday, Nigel faced a different set of circumstances, but his drive was equally impressive to his domination at Michigan, one week earlier.

This time Nigel qualified on pole, at 169.247 mph. He was lapping traffic by the tenth of 200 laps.

The Penske Marlboro cars, which provided most of Mansell's competition, in 1993, were stronger than they had been in Michigan. Paul Tracy moved into second and went by Nigel, on lap 41, when car 5 became caught in traffic.

Mansell stayed close to Tracy. When the yellow flag came out, on lap 66, for a crash with Brian Till and David Kudrave, Mansell rushed into the pits, while Tracy had to wait an additional lap before stopping. This left Nigel leading Tracy and Emerson Fittipaldi.

Emerson was able to pass his Penske teammate, for second, on lap 85. But on lap 95, Tracy worked the traffic to his advantage, going by both Fittipaldi and Mansell, to regain the lead.

A yellow flag, for Boesel's crash, brought Tracy, Mansell and Fittipaldi into the pits. Nigel lost time while his crew had problems with a tire and he fell to third, behind Fittipaldi.

The three leaders ran in tandem, until Nigel took Fittipaldi low in turn three, to move into second behind Tracy. At one point, Mansell actually passed Tracy, when the two were caught in traffic, but Paul recovered to regain first, in the next corner.

While following Tracy, Mansell had been watching Paul's technique of driving around the tight New Hampshire corners. On lap 197, Nigel put his lesson to use and went high and sped past Tracy, who was left helpless by the move. He beat Paul by .453 seconds to the checkered flag.

Mansell's reaction to victory, in New Hampshire, was more jubilant than he had been after Michigan, where he was barely able to move. He called the race one of his three best racing performances. I wonder what the others were; perhaps his 1987 win, over  Williams - Honda teammate Nelson Piquet, at Silverstone, in the Grand Prix of Britain is one of those. Perhaps another was his 1989 come from behind win, for Ferrari, in the 1989 Grand Prix of Hungary.

Mansell went on to score a second place, to Tracy, in the next race, at Elkhart Lake, followed by a sixth, at Vancouver, which was won by Unser. He scored a single point, for 12th, at Mid Ohio, after coming together with Tracy, on the first lap of the race.

He had another impressive win, at Nazareth, overtaking both Fittipaldi and Tracy, to clinch the 1993 Indy car championship. I was at Nazareth to see another dominant Mansell performance and it was as enjoyable to me as the Michigan race had been. One of the neat things about the Nazareth win, was that for one week, Nigel held both the Formula One World championship and the Indy car series title.

Mansell accumulated 191 points, during the 1993 season, with Fittipaldi his closest challenger, with 183 points. Tracy was third, with 157 points, followed in order by Rahal, Boesel, Andretti, Unser, Luyendyk, Goodyear and Robby Gordon, in the final season standings.

The next season, the tables turned, as Little Al joined the three car Penske Marlboro team. He scored eight wins, including his second "Indianapolis 500" victory, to succeed Mansell as the series champion.

Nigel, on the other hand, failed to win a race and was eighth in the season points standings.

Four developments seemed to lessen Mansell's competitive desire in 1994.

The first was the surprise announcement, by Roger Penske, in mid April, of a brand new pushrod turbocharged V8 engine, built by Ilmor Engineering, specifically for his three car entry at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The new engine, which carried the Mercedes Benz badge, was overpowering and that seemed to take a lot of enthusiasm from Nigel's effort at Indianapolis.

The second development was the death of  his great rival, Ayrton Senna, at Imola, on May 1. I think Senna's death might've left Nigel reflecting on his own mortality.

If that wasn't enough, Dennis Vitolo's ride over Nigel's head, while third place Mansell was coming to the pits, during the middle stages of the 1994 "500," appears to be the thing that more or less extinguished Mansell's fierce desire to compete.

Finally, with Senna dead, and Alain Prost retired, Formula One was badly in need of a super star. Bernie Ecclestone, Frank Williams and Renault made several attempts to lure Nigel back to F1, and they eventually succeeded. However after bringing Mansell back, the Williams team almost immediately cast him off, in favor of David Coulthard, for 1995, after Nigel won the 1994 F1 season finale, in Australia.

It's ironic that Nigel Mansell and Al Unser Jr. both made their final appearances, in the "Indianapolis 500," in 1994. The following May, while Mansell was walking away from Formula One, Unser failed to qualify at Indianapolis. Although he won four CART events, during the 1995 season, missing the 1995 "Indianapolis 500" seemed to be the start of a down turn in little Al's career, from which he has yet to recover.