Motor Racing Notes : Sport’s Popularity Will Be Quite Evident at Indianapolis 500

The growing popularity of auto racing in North America never is more apparent than on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.

The long-time staple of the holiday is the Indianapolis 500, the world’s richest and most prestigious auto race. The usual crowd of more than 400,000 will turn out today for the 73rd Indy race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It also will be viewed live by millions more around the world.

The total purse at Indy is expected to be close to $6 million, with the winner earning about $1 million.

The same day, in Concord, N.C., one of NASCAR’s Big Four events, the $800,000 Coca-Cola 600, will be run at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The longest of all NASCAR stock car events, 600 miles, draws a crowd announced by race officials at about 175,000 people. It too is on national television and the winner will earn up to $200,000.

Also on the Sunday schedule is the Grand Prix of Mexico Formula One race in Mexico City. That event also draws more than 100,000 people and is broadcast live to three continents. Formula One never announces its purses or payoffs, but the series involved millions of dollars.

Interest in the Indianapolis 500 runs high in the Indiana capital city -- including academic interest.

Donald Davidson, historian for the U.S. Auto Club, which sanctions the Indy race, teaches a class each May at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis on the history of the 500-mile race.

The class met each of the four Wednesdays this month and Davidson said he had 50 students this year, the fourth since he began the project.

Alan Kulwicki, a relatively new star on the NASCAR stock car circuit, is a rarity these day--a successful owner-driver. Part of the reason for Kulwicki’s growing stature in Winston Cup racing is his creativity.

The graduate engineer from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee recently hired Fritz Hagerman, an exercise physiologist, to shape up his crew.

Hagerman has ordered strenuous 45-minute workouts at least three times a week, plus sprint exercises two days a week in an attempt to improve the strength and quickness of the entire crew.

“It’s sort of like basic training,” Hagerman warned the Kulwicki crew.

Hagerman, 54, has worked with former Olympic gold medalist skater Eric Heiden, as well as the Cincinnati Bengals and Cincinnati Reds on nutrition and exercise programs.

Hagerman told Kulwicki that regular workouts and improved eating habits could reduce pits stops by a second or more.

“That would be worth it,” Kulwicki said. “We really need that edge.”

Reggie Jackson, the former baseball star and noted car collector, recently bought 30 muscle cars for $1 million, bringing his total high performance collection to about 150 cars.

The new additions will help Jackson replace 34 cars destroyed in a warehouse fire last summer. The purchase came from a 100-car collection owned by Carl Dwiggins of Conover, N.C. Both men collect classic Chevrolets.

Among the cars changing hands is a 1969 Camaro ZL-1, one of only 69 such cars built for drag racing. Other rare cars in the deal are a 1970 Chevelle 454 cowl induction, a 1970 Chevelle LS-6 and a 1967 Camaro Z-28.

The Judd-powered Lola that Bill Vukovich III qualified for Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 carries a surprising logo--the cartoon character Snoopy. Bob Consani of Hemelgarn-Consani Racing made the deal with cartoonist Charles Schulz to give Snoopy a ride at Indy.

The black and white Lola-Cosworth qualified by Pancho Carter also is carrying an unusual logo. The car is sponsored in part by Ghostbusters II, the sequal to the hit movie of several year ago. The new movie is due out later this year.