INDIANAPOLIS 5O0 : DAILY REPORT : New Pit Rule Is Dangerous, Andretti Says

The United States Auto Club has changed the pit procedure for yellow caution periods for Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, and Indy car champion Michael Andretti believes it could be disastrous.

“The new rule will make it three times as dangerous as in the past,” Andretti said. “Instead of having maybe a third of the field pitting at the same time, every car--or just about every one--will come in together. We could have 33 cars sliding around in the pits together. It will be mayhem.”

Under the new rule, when a yellow caution light comes on, no car will be permitted to pit until the entire field has packed up behind the pace car. In the past, cars could pit at any time.

The change was made because safety crew personnel had complained that cars on the track were not slowing down when the yellow light came on, and that they were racing too fast down pit lane. Now their speed will be governed by the pace car.

“I would hate to be one of the guys over the wall (servicing cars in the pits),” Andretti said. “It’s not going to be any fun in the pits. The guys will be worrying more about being hit than they are in changing a tire, and I won’t blame them.”

Hospital report: Pancho Carter, who suffered a broken right arm in a crash Saturday during warm-ups for qualifying, was released from Methodist Hospital, but was not cleared to drive. He is expected to have a cast on his arm for another four weeks.

“I can drive,” Carter insisted, then quickly added, “a passenger car. There is no way I can grip the steering wheel or push with my arm. If it had been my left arm, I would have tried to qualify the car.”

Rumors circulate around Indianapolis almost as fast as the cars.

The hottest one this year is that NASCAR will run a Winston Cup race at the Speedway within two years. The rumor was fueled by the visit of Davey Allison, current points leader, and Richard Petty to Indianapolis with representatives of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., last week.

Tony George, president of IMS, did not deny the possibility.

“I think that tradition can be maintained, but I think we can build new traditions,” he said in a speech at the Indianapolis Press Club. “I think everyone who knows racing knows they (NASCAR) would put on a tremendous show at the speedway.”

The wildest rumor is that Speedway officials are planning a Formula One race where the Speedway golf course is now being torn up and rebuilt by golf course architect Pete Dye. All that can be seen now are earthmovers shifting piles of dirt from place to place.

“I hear the golf course will have 45-foot wide cart paths . . . wide enough for a race track,” one observer said.