Foyt, 8 Others Join Indy 500 Field : Carter Escapes Twice; Rutherford and Johncock Struggle

A.J. Foyt and eight other drivers, including five rookies, made it into the tentative lineup for next Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 on a day marked by three crashes and the continuing problems of former champions Johnny Rutherford and Gordon Johncock.

Three positions remain open in the 33-car field following Saturday’s qualifying session. Qualifications end at 4 p.m., PDT, today.

Pancho Carter, trying to make the Indy race for the 15th time, escaped injury in two crashes, while his half-brother, Johnny Parsons, also walked away from a meeting with the Speedway wall.

Foyt, 53, a four-time winner, decided to switch to his backup car and put the year-old Lola solidly into the tentative field at 209.696 m.p.h., qualifying for a record 31st start here.

Both Raul Boesel of Brazil and rookie Dominic Dobson were faster than Foyt, with Boesel turning a four-lap, 10-mile average of 211.058--the 10th-fastest among the 30 qualifiers--and Dobson averaging 210.096 to become the fastest first-year qualifier ever at the Speedway.

Other qualifiers Saturday included third-generation driver Billy Vukovich III, a rookie, at 208.545; second-generation driver Tony Bettenhausen at 208.342; rookie Tero Palmroth of Finland at 208.001; Steve Chassey at 207.951; rookie John Andretti, Mario Andretti’s nephew, at 207.894, and rookie Rocky Moran, in another Foyt car, at 207.181.

The only other rookie in the tentative field, Scott Atchison, remained the slowest of the 30 qualifiers at 205.142.

Carter and Parsons, who have the same mother and whose fathers both were Indy-car drivers, walked away from their accidents, but both Carter’s primary car and his backup were badly damaged.

Rutherford, a three-time Indy winner, had a terrible day. The 50-year-old Texan’s engine stalled while he was trying to leave the pit, then he called off his attempt before completing the first lap.

Before the track closed, Rutherford’s team twice changed engines, and both times problems developed. He is left with one more allowable attempt in his 1987 Buick-powered Lola.

Carter may make a qualifying bid today if his main car can be repaired. Rutherford has the fastest unqualified car.

PARTIAL INDIANAPOLIS 500 LINEUP

No. Driver (Hometown), Car-Eng. Speed FIRST ROW 5. Rick Mears (Bakersfield), Penske-Chevy 219.198 9. Danny Sullivan (Louisville), Penske-Chevy 216.214 1. Al Unser (Albuquerque, N.M.), Penske-Chevy 215.270 SECOND ROW 6. Mario Andretti (Nazareth, Pa.), Lola-Chevy 214.692 3. Al Unser Jr. (Albuquerque), March-Chevy 214.186 7. Arie Luyendyk (Netherlands), Lola-Cosworth 213.611 THIRD ROW 91. Scott Brayton (Coldwater, Mich.), Lola-Buick 212.624 20. Emerson Fittipaldi (Brazil), March-Chevy 212.512 10. Derek Daly (Ireland), Lola-Cosworth 212.295 FOURTH ROW 18. Michael Andretti (Nazareth, Pa.), March-Cosw. 210.183 24. Randy Lewis (Hillsborough, Calif.), Lola-Cosw. 209.774 2. Roberto Guerrero (Colombia), Lola-Cosworth 209.633 FIFTH ROW 11. Kevin Cogan (Palos Verdes), March-Cosworth 209.552 81. Tom Sneva (Paradise Valley, Ariz.), Lola-Judd 208.659 97. Phil Krueger (Indianapolis), March-Cosworth 208.212 SIXTH ROW No.Driver (Hometown), Car-Eng. Speed 22. Dick Simon (Capistrano Beach), Lola-Cosworth 207.555 8. Teo Fabi (Italy), March-Porsche 207.244 29. Rich Vogler (Indianapolis), March-Cosworth 206.463 SEVENTH ROW 55. *Scott Atchison (Bakersfield), March-Cosw. 205.142 15. Jim Crawford (Scotland), Lola-Buick 210.564 4. Bobby Rahal (Dublin, Ohio), Lola-Judd 208.526 EIGHTH ROW 30. Raul Boesel (Brazil), March-Cosworth 211.058 92. Dominic Dobson (Sonoma, Calif.), Lola-Cosw. 210.096 41. A.J. Foyt (Houston), Lola-Cosworth 209.696 NINTH ROW 56. *Bill Vukovich III (Crsgld, Calif.), March-Cosw. 208.545 16. Tony Bettenhausen (Indianapolis), Lola-Cosw. 208.342 23. *Tero Palmroth (Finland), Lola-Cosworth 208.001 TENTH ROW 35. Steve Chassey (Carmel, Ind.), Lola-Cosworth 207.951 98. *John Andretti (Indianapolis), Lola-Cosworth 207.894 48. *Rocky Moran (Pasadena), March-Cosworth 207.181

NOTE--Remainder of lineup to be determined today.

*--Rookie. Average speed of qualifiers--210.315