INDIANAPOLIS 500 / DAILY REPORT : Luyendyk Is an Art Entrepreneur, Not an Artist

When he is not driving race cars, Indy 500 pole-sitter Arie Luyendyk runs an art gallery in Union Station at Indianapolis. He originally opened the gallery in his hometown of Scottsdale, Ariz., but moved it to Indianapolis last August because of more race-oriented exposure.

Wednesday night, Luyendyk will hold an auction of motor racing art and memorabilia to benefit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Among the items offered will be checkered flags from Michael Andretti’s last Indy car race at Laguna Seca last year, and from Nigel Mansell’s first Indy car victory in March in Australia.

The gallery is filled with racing paintings and photographs, but none are Luyendyk’s.

“I can’t even finger-paint,” the former Indy 500 winner said.

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The Lola-Chevy that Al Unser Jr. drove to the narrowest winning margin in Indy 500 history last year was auctioned for $510,000 to Valvoline Corp., which plans to display the car at its Lexington, Ky., headquarters.

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Michael Andretti, who finished eighth in the Grand Prix of Monaco on Sunday, will arrive here Thursday to watch his father (Mario), brother (Jeff) and cousin (John) drive in Sunday’s 500.

Michael led 160 of 200 laps last year before he lost fuel pressure and turned the lead over to Al Unser Jr. When word of his impending arrival at Indy reached the media center, it stimulated a rumor that he was coming to act as a relief driver for Nigel Mansell, who replaced him this year on the Newman-Haas team. Mansell is still recovering from back surgery. “Absolutely not true,” team publicist Hank Ives said.

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The last time a relief driver ran in the 500 was in 1977, when Larry Cannon took over from John Mahler on the 150th lap.

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Former Formula One champion Nelson Piquet suffered an undisclosed minor injury that did not require hospital treatment in a traffic accident Saturday near the Speedway. He was driving his BMW when it was broadsided by another car.

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Tony George, president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, will receive the Jim Clark Award for “making great contributions to motor sports” on Thursday night. Previous winners include Troy Ruttman, A.J. Foyt, Lou Meyer, Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones and Mario Andretti.

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Willy T. Ribbs is the only driver among the 33 qualifiers to have driven faster during his time trials than in practice.

Ribbs was also one of the most consistent with laps at 217.234 m.p.h., 217.912, 217.891 and 217.807 for a 217.711 average. His fastest practice lap was 216.

“That’s my style, to save the best for last,” Ribbs said. “It was like throwing a long bomb. The game was over--two seconds left on the clock, six points behind. We had to score a touchdown, and we did it.”