INDIANAPOLIS 500 DAILY REPORT : Former Pole-Sitter Carter Gets Chance to Qualify for Race for the 18th Time

Pancho Carter, who was on the pole for the 1985 Indianapolis 500 in a Buick, was selected to drive the second Hemelgarn-Byrd Buick as a teammate to Stan Fox, who qualified last Saturday. Carter was not entered until he was chosen by team owners Ron Hemelgarn and Jonathan Byrd.

Fox, like Carter a veteran of United States Auto Club midget campaigns, ran 225.761 m.p.h. in the ’91 Lola-Buick assigned to Carter. Carter will get two days of practice before time trials resume Saturday.

“It’s still a dream of the Carter family to win the 500,” Carter said. “My dad (Duane) drove here for many years (11) and never won, and I’ve been here 17 times and never won. I’m glad to get another chance.”

Four-time winner Al Unser brushed the wall coming out of Turn 4 during practice Wednesday and broke the right front wheel on his Lola-Buick. Unser was uninjured, and the car is expected to be back on the track today.

Ted Prappas, the rookie from Los Angeles who crashed twice last year in his first shot at Indianapolis, was the fastest non-qualifier Wednesday with a lap at 216.388 m.p.h.

Herm Johnson, who drove in the 500 in 1982 and 1984, has given up racing to become a designer-painter of racing helmets. Among those he has painted is the one worn by pole-sitter Roberto Guerrero.

“I decided the only way I could ever get one of my helmets on the front row was to paint it for someone else,” Johnson said.

Johnson started 14th and ninth in his two 500s.

The last rookie to finish all 500 miles was Donnie Allison in 1970. . . . Only one Indy winner has come from the eighth starting position. That was Danny Sullivan in 1985. Sullivan will start eighth again this year. . . . Brian Bonner, the Boston rookie who hopes to qualify for his first 500 this weekend, has never driven in an oval track race. Bonner had two engine failures in his first day on the track Tuesday. His best lap was 210.374. . . . Eight former winners have qualified for this year’s 500. The record is nine in 1987. Two-time winner Gordon Johncock is entered and has been practicing, and 1983 winner Tom Sneva is on the grounds looking for a ride.