AUTO RACING : NASCAR Eyes Racing Dates at Indy Speedway

The excitement raised by NASCAR’s unofficial visit to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway two weeks ago still has not died away.

Instead, the talk continues to heat up that speedway officials will soon approach NASCAR officials about a race date in 1994 or 1995.

Of course tradition dictates only one race each year at the home of the Indianapolis 500, the world’s richest and most prestigious auto race. But speedway president Tony George, according to those closest to him, was smitten with the idea of a summer stock car race at the old brickyard.

For the record, George has said that he and the rest of the family that owns and operates the speedway have not yet met to discuss such an event. But he has also said that the excitement generated and the interesting show put on by the stock cars during the two days of tire tests on the 2 1/2-mile oval have convinced him that such an event would be a plus for the speedway.

“We haven’t even taken the first step to get such an event here,” George said. “But it almost certainly would be a successful event for NASCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.”

Bill France Jr., president of NASCAR, loved everything about those two days at the speedway, but he said, “The ball is definitely in their court now.”

MANY OF THE TOP stars in Indy-car racing are over 40 years old, and some over 50.

Since both 29-year-old Michael Andretti and 30-year-old Al Unser Jr.--the last two series champs--are thinking about going Formula One racing for at least a few years, there have been a lot of questions lately about where the future stars of the series will come from.

Some people think a trio of them already are on the scene.

Paul Tracy, driving part-time with Marlboro Team Penske this season, has been fast on the ovals and drove spectacularly at the Detroit Grand Prix, leading the race and running among the leaders until a clutch problem late in the event.

Robby Gordon has only run three road course events, but the sports car star already has shown flashes of brilliance and is being groomed by Ford’s racing hierarchy for greatness.

Adrian Fernandez is still a step away in Indy Lights, but he has shown so much skill and potential that people are wondering which of the top teams will snatch him up for 1993 as a No. 2 or No. 3 driver.

Tracy, from Canada, and Gordon are 22, while Fernandez, a former Formula 3 champion, is from Mexico.

EVERYBODY KNOWS that winning the Indianapolis 500 raises a driver’s career up another notch, no matter how successful it is already. But Canadian Scott Goodyear is finding that even finishing second can be a boon.

Goodyear lost to Al Unser Jr. in May in the closest finish in the history of the 500, crossing the finish line just 43-thousandths of a second behind after 500 miles of racing.

“It has absolutely changed my life,” the 32-year-old Goodyear said. “I think I’ve been home about six nights since Indianapolis, and it just goes day in and day out. I’m overwhelmed with it, really. It’s just incredible. I mean, from invites to go up and meet the Queen (of England) for Canada’s Day, and that sort of thing.

“What makes me very happy is that it’s raised the awareness of motorsports in Canada, because when I started off in 1980 in cars, there was no attention to motor racing whatsoever,” Goodyear said. “If you’re going in the door to sell--grant you, I was pretty green at selling at the time, also nobody knew about motor racing.

“You had to explain to them what it was about. Now, because of the Toronto Indy and the Vancouver race that’s come along, and Gilles Villeneuve from the early 1980s before he got killed, I think motor racing right now is matching up there very close to probably baseball in the Toronto area.

“That’s good,” he added, “but still a long ways away from hockey and probably will be for a long time. As you grow up (in Canada), if you don’t hit it with a hockey stick, then it’s pretty hard for you to get press.

“We took a picture at Indy with both Paul Tracy, the other Canadian that’s doing real well, and myself with hockey sticks in front of the Gasoline Alley sign. It was on the front page of the paper at home. They loved it. Auto racing still has a ways to go.”

GOING INTO THIS weekend’s race at the new New Hampshire International Speedway, Michael Andretti, the defending IndyCar series champion, is fourth in the points and moving up.

Two straight victories after a very disappointing start have moved him within 33 points of leader Bobby Rahal, who finished second to Michael after leading most of the 1991 season.

Andretti now has 24 career victories and 10 of them have come in the last 20 races.

It’s the first time for the Indy cars on New Hampshire’s one-mile oval, but Andretti probably should be considered the favorite since six of his career victories have come on one-mile ovals, including four at Milwaukee and one each at Nazareth and Phoenix.

NOW THAT NASCAR’s 29-race Winston Cup season has reached the halfway point, rumors about who will replace retiring Richard Petty in his Pontiac Grand Prix’ next season are beginning to swirl.

The betting has the very impressive but relatively unknown Ted Musgrave as the early favorite, with Michael Waltrip, Kenny Wallace, Bobby Labonte and Hut Sticklin among the other possibilities.