INDIANAPOLIS 500 : DAILY REPORT : Palmroth Is Not at Home Alone in Front of Symphony Orchestra

Veteran driver Tero Palmroth of Finland was a guest conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra the other night at a special performance for the relief fund for St. Petersburg (Leningrad) in the former Soviet Union.

“It was for a good cause,” said Palmroth, who wore his racing uniform for the occasion. “My grandfather was a conductor and my grandmother was an opera singer, but that doesn’t mean I’d ever done it.

“They told me the conductor would start and I’d go on and do it for two minutes with the conductor. So I went out and the conductor left me there. I was watching the drummer to see what to do. I was more nervous than I was qualifying for the 500.”

Arie Luyendyk, the 1990 Indy 500 winner from Holland, was recently chosen one of the “50 most beautiful people in the world” by People magazine. The magazine gushed over Luyendyk’s “turbocharged shag” and his “flinty green eyes.”

Luyendyk’s reaction: “It’s kind of ironic. I seem to get more publicity for this than for winning the 500.”

Old-time 500 followers take exception to the statement that this year’s front row of Roberto Guerrero, Eddie Cheever and Mario Andretti is the first made up of former Formula One drivers.

They point out, correctly, that from 1950 to 1960 the Indianapolis 500 was part of the Formula One schedule. But none of the American champions, such as Jimmy Bryan, Bill Vukovich or Sam Hanks, raced on the European circuit.

Thunderstorms closed the track Tuesday after less than three hours of practice. Pole sitter Guerrero got in 17 laps and posted the fastest speed, 230.368 m.p.h. Michael Andretti, driving his backup Ford Cosworth-powered Lola, ran 229.950.

Jovy Marcelo, the Toyota Atlantic champion from the Philippines, had the fastest lap among non-qualifiers when he hit 216.534 with a turbocharged Cosworth DFS engine in his ’91 Lola. Two-time champion Gordon Johncock continued to come up short in his quest for speed in a ’91 Lola-Buick when he could manage only 214.859.

A review of tapes from last weekend’s time trials revealed that Guerrero’s ’92 Lola-Buick was fastest everywhere on the track. He was clocked at 237 m.p.h. at the start-finish line, 232 in Turn 1, 229 in Turn 2, 237 down the back straight, 231 in Turn 3 and 229 in Turn 4.

Dominic Dobson, a four-time starter in the 500, has had a frustrating time at the Speedway this month. Dobson has two Lolas in his garage, a crew and enough money to race, but he can’t find anyone to sell him a competitive Chevy engine.

“No one would even talk until they got their own cars in the race,” the former racing school instructor said. “Now maybe I can find one in time to get in some laps before this weekend’s qualifying.”

A sponsorship announced last week that could have put three-time winner Johnny Rutherford in the race for the first time since 1988 apparently has fallen through.

Educredits, a Dallas-based supplier of educational materials for elementary and high schools, had announced it would sponsor a ride for Rutherford with the Walker Motorsports team.

Car owner Derrick Walker said he spent $250,000 of his own money to buy a year-old Lola and spare parts and hire extra personnel for his team, which also includes driver Scott Goodyear.

But the money from Educredits never showed up.

Patrick Knowles, the president of Educredits, could not be reached for comment.