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Arie Luyendyk in the 1996 "Indianapolis 500"
(originally presented 05/15/99)
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Arie Luyendyk in the 1996 "Indianapolis 500"
(originally presented 05/15/99)
Bob Jennings
This photo was taken during the 1996 "Indianapolis 500." Arie Luyendyk's car 5, Jonathan Byrd's Cafeteria/Bryant Heating & Cooling Reynard - Ford, finished 16th. Arie retired after 149 laps, with damage from a pit road incident with Eliseo Salazar. Two weeks earlier, however, during qualifications, Luyendyk set the current one and four lap records , at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, of 237.498 and 236.986 respectively. The Friday before qualifications began, Luyendyk turned a lap at 239.26 mph. Therefore, this is the fastest car in the history of the "Indianapolis 500."I've only missed Pole day, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, twice; 1957 and 1996, since I began attending the "Indianapolis 500" in 1956. I stayed away from the Speedway, in 1996, until race day, because I was suffering from the trauma surrounding the CART - IMS split. I wish I could go back now and change things because despite the general emptiness of the pre "500" activity, in May 1996, Pole day was a classic.
Recall that the existing one (232.618) and four (232.482) lap records were set by Roberto Guerrero in 1992. Going into Pole day 1996, there had been a furious battle between Luyendyk and the Menard team to establish top speeds on the freshly paved Speedway track surface. That was a smart decision, by management, to repave the entire 2.5 mile oval, in a move that would escalate speed and divert some of the attention from the missing CART establishment.
Davy Jones, in Rick Galles Delco Lola - Mercedes, was the first to break Guerrero's records with a 233.082 mph lap and a 232.882 mph average. Tony Stewart broke Jones' records a bit later, with 233.179 and 233.100 respectively. Then Luyendyk had a lap, at 234.742, with a four lap average, of 233.39, to steal both records from Stewart.
John Menard was not to be denied, however. He withdrew the car that Scott Brayton had qualified in sixth position. Brayton was sent to qualify a backup Lola - Menard Buick V6 and took the four lap record and the pole from Arie, with an average 233.718 mph.
To add insult to injury, USAC found Luyendyk's qualified car to be seven pounds under weight, in a post qualification inspection, and Arie's run was disallowed. The records were set the following day and Luyendyk started the race from 21st on the grid.