Retains Fourth Position : Crawford’s Lola Repaired Fast After Indy 500 Wreck

Taped to a wall above the workbench in race driver Jim Crawford’s garage is a piece of adhesive tape with these words: “Miracles Take a Few Days. The Impossible a Little Longer.” Exactly one week after the worst wreck at the Indy 500 this year, the impossible happened.

Crawford’s crew spent the night assembling his 1987 Lola following its rapid trip to England for repairs after the crash in practice last week. The crew of Kenny Bernstein’s King Motorsport team got the car ready in time to take part in today’s two-hour test period.

Crawford, 41, a native of Scotland, had placed the Buick-powered Lola on the inside of the second row as the fourth-fastest qualifier for the 73rd Indy 500. But the car’s status for the race became uncertain last Thursday when a piece in the car’s left-rear suspension broke, sending the car smashing into the wall in turn three. Crawford was not injured.

The battered chassis was sent by airfreight to the Lola factory to determine if it could be repaired. It arrived back at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway just before midnight Wednesday.

Written on it in black pencil was the message: “We fixed it. Good Luck!” along with the initials of several of the workers at the factory.

Crawford’s team decided to try to repair the car to keep its starting position on the inside of the second row. If they had removed the car and had gone with a backup, it would have started the race at the rear of the field.

“We didn’t want to lose the fourth position on the grid and start 33rd,” said Bernstein, a drag-racing champion.