Gearing Up : Indy 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi, above and left, credits a personalized diet for his increased stamina and renewed success on the racing circuit.

So you think that being a successful race car driver is just a matter of climbing into the right machine, driving fast and not having to worry about speeding tickets, right? What could be easier?

Some sports fans, in fact, share this attitude. To them, race car drivers don’t quite qualify as true athletes.

But maneuvering a 720-horsepower Indy car for two to three hours at speeds that can exceed 200 miles per hour is a physical ordeal that would test the stamina of most long distance runners. Temperatures in the car’s cockpit can reach more than 120 degrees and drivers commonly lose as many as 10 pounds during a race.

No wonder Emerson Fittipaldi, winner of last year’s PPG Indy Car World Series championship, follows a diet and exercise program fit for a marathoner.

Fittipaldi must be in top physical and mental condition when he climbs into his car for Sunday’s Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. He will drive a distance equal to a trip from Los Angeles to Santa Maria in only two hours, constantly changing gears while making an average of 11 turns every minute--all with just two 12-second stops.

Providing Fittipaldi with the same level of attention that a pit crew of 16 will give his car is a smaller personal fitness team--diet/lifestyle consultant Gary Smith and trainer Jim Landis.

A two-time Formula One world champion, Fittipaldi, 43, retired in 1982 then returned to racing two years later, this time driving Indy cars. Looking for any way to improve his race results after a disappointing 1987, the Brazil native took a friend’s suggestion and began modifying his diet with Smith’s assistance.

“Before starting the diet, I used to eat everything,” Fittipaldi explained during an interview prior to the Autoworks 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. Under Smith’s direction he began eliminating saturated fats, dairy products and sugar.

Today, the driver’s diet is composed of approximately 70% to 75% complex carbohydrates (whole grains, barley, whole-wheat pasta, vegetables and fruit), 12% protein (beans and small amounts of fish and poultry) and 12% to 15% fat (from vegetables, grains, fish and poultry). (The diet was designed specifically for Fittipaldi and is not intended for use by the public.)

Three to four days before a race Fittipaldi reduces his fish and poultry intake and begins “carbohydrate loading”--a method of storing two to three times the normal amount of glycogen in the muscles. Glycogen, a complex carbohydrate, is changed into glucose as the body needs it for energy.

According to Walt Evans, author of “Sports Nutrition” (The Keats Sports & Fitness Library, 1989: $2.95), “a high-carbohydrate diet is associated with both a higher muscle glycogen concentration and a greater time to exhaustion than either a high-fat or mixed diet. . . . Athletes involved in events lasting (one to 1 1/2 hours or more) may benefit from carbohydrate loading.”

However, it should be noted that not all sports nutritionists agree on the benefits of carbohydrate loading. Some cite dangers in the process and recommend it not be done too frequently.

Fittipaldi’s diet differs from a marathoner’s in that the driver consumes carbohydrates solely through grains rather than by eating pasta, a method often used by runners, Smith explained. The diet is modified depending on the length of the race, weather conditions and other factors.

Prior to shorter races and before and during longer races, Fittipaldi drinks a tea made from a mixture of Chinese herbs. Smith claims that the infusion “picks up metabolic activity and adds mental focus.”

Dietary calcium is derived from leafy greens and sea plants such as arame, kombu and niziki, according to Smith. Recipes are developed by his associate Nancy Meze, who has trained Fittipaldi’s cook, Lourdes Maeiei, in the necessary preparation methods and to shop for the proper ingredients.

The diet uses organic foods whenever feasible, which can mean transporting shelf-stable items when the Fittipaldi family travels to race tracks throughout the United States and Canada. Maeiei also has adapted some of the family’s favorite Brazilian recipes using the diet’s techniques.

“It took about two months (after starting the diet) before I began to see and feel the difference,” Fittipaldi said. His cholesterol level lowered as did his weight. And he started to win races again, including last year’s Indianapolis 500.

When the Championship Auto Racing Teams season ended last October, Fittipaldi had racked up enough points to take the CART PPG Indy Car World Series championship. This year he is defending the title as a member of the Roger Penske racing team, which also includes former Indy 500 winners Rick Mears and Danny Sullivan.

Impressed with Fittipaldi’s enthusiasm for the diet, teammate Sullivan has begun a similar regimen, eating the same menu for four days prior to races. According to Smith, there are some variations in meal proportions based on physical differences between the two men and the relative sizes of their appetites.

In addition to the diet, both drivers engage in an exercise program that includes running, stretching and toning. Exercise has been part of Fittipaldi’s routine since 1968 and, in another exchange, he has begun using Sullivan’s trainer, Jim Landis, for direction.

Times Staff Photographer Randy Leffingwell contributed to this article.

Food styling by Minnie Bernardino and Donna Deane / Dinnerware from Shoening Enterprises

FRESH PESTO PASTA

3 cloves garlic, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups fresh basil leaves

1/4 to 1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon light-colored miso

1 tablespoon lemon juice

6 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

9 ounces dry durum wheat pasta

1 sweet red pepper, cut into slivers

Saute garlic in olive oil. Place in blender or food processor container with basil, 1/4 cup water, miso, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons pine nuts. Process until smooth adding remaining 1/4 cup water if thinner consistency is desired.

Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain.

Serve sauce over pasta, sprinkled with remaining 3 tablespoons pine nuts and garnished with red pepper slivers. Makes 4 to 5 servings.

QUINOA MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE SALAD

4 cups quinoa

1/2 cup sliced celery

2 tablespoons sliced green onions

1/2 cup sliced carrots

1/4 cup chopped yellow pepper

1 tablespoon cilantro leaves

1/4 cup light-colored miso

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon prepared grain mustard

1 tablespoon mirin

Wash quinoa well 4 to 5 times, rubbing between hands. Cook according to package directions.

Combine cooked quinoa, celery, green onions, carrots, yellow pepper and cilantro in large bowl. Combine miso, lemon juice, water, mustard and mirin in small bowl.

Pour miso mixture over quinoa and vegetables and toss lightly. Makes 4 to 5 servings.

AVOCADO SUSHI

2 toasted nori sheets

2 1/2 cups cooked short grain brown rice

Pickled plum paste

Wasabi

6 avocado slices

1 tablespoon chopped green onion

Place nori sheet on bamboo mat. Spread 1 1/4 cups rice over sheet, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch edge at 1 end. Spread pickled plum paste and wasabi to taste down center of rice.

Place 3 slices avocado end to end over top and sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons green onion. Lightly moisten exposed end of nori with water. Roll up mixture in mat, pressing ingredients into firm cylinder about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

Remove mat and slice roll into 1/2 inch rounds, wiping knife clean after each cut with damp cloth. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Makes 2 servings.

HUMMUS

3 cups cooked garbanzo beans

3 tablespoons tahini

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

Ground cumin, optional

Pita triangles

Chopped parsley

Place garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt and cumin to taste in blender or food processor. Process until smooth.

Spread mixture on pita triangles and garnish with parsley. Makes about 3 cups spread.

Note: Hummus may be thinned to desired consistency with liquid from cooking garbanzo beans or water.

BULGUR CARROT FRUIT SALAD

6 cups apple juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups bulgur

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup walnuts

2 cups grated carrots

3 tablespoons kuzu or 1/4 cup arrowroot

3 orange cartwheels

Bring 4 cups apple juice to boil. Stir in salt, bulgur, raisins and walnuts. Reduce heat, cover and cook 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and fold in carrots. Press mixture into 13x9-inch glass dish.

Combine kuzu with 1/2 cup of cool apple juice. Bring remaining 1 1/2 cups apple juice to simmer and add kuzu mixture, whisking constantly until mixture thickens and becomes clear. Pour over bulgur mixture.

Garnish with orange cartwheels. Serve warm or cool. Makes about 12 servings.

Note: Kuzu is powdered starch made from kuzu vine and is found in Japanese markets and health food stores.

INDONESIAN HI-ENERGY SALAD

1/2 pound tempeh

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

Finely chopped parsley

Grated carrot

1 tablespoon chopped dill pickles

Tofu Mayonnaise

Lettuce leaves

Paprika

Cut tempeh into 1/2 inch cubes and steam 20 minutes. Combine with celery, onion, 2 tablespoons parsley, 3 tablespoons carrot and pickles.

Combine Tofu Mayonnaise with tempeh mixture, tossing to blend. Serve on lettuce leaves, garnished with paprika and additional grated carrot and chopped parsley. Makes 4 servings.

Tofu Mayonnaise

1/2 pound soft tofu

2 tablespoons olive or sesame oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon prepared grain mustard

2 to 4 tablespoons water

Boil tofu in water 2 minutes. Drain. Combine with oil, salt, mustard and 2 tablespoons water in blender or food processor. Puree, adding more water if necessary to make mixture of mayonnaise consistency.

GARLIC BREAD

2 to 3 cloves garlic, sliced

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons light-colored miso

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup chopped green onions

Sliced whole-wheat or sourdough bread

Place garlic, water, miso and olive oil in blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Fold in green onions.

Spread on bread. Place under broiler and broil until golden brown. Makes about 1 cup spread.

Note: Leftover spread may be refrigerated.