INDIANAPOLIS 500 / DAILY REPORT : Drivers Predict It Will Take Speed of 226 to 234 M.P.H. to Win Pole

Between practice laps while preparing for today’s Indy 500 qualifying, drivers predicted that a speed of 226 to 234 m.p.h. will be needed to win the pole.

Rookie Mauricio Gugelmin, a former Formula One driver from Brazil, picked the highest average speed, 234.598 for four laps. Another rookie, Mark Smith, predicted the lowest, 226.340.

Emerson Fittipaldi, last year’s race winner, was right in the middle with a prediction of 230.500. That is almost exactly what he ran as the fastest practice lap so far, 230.438.

Eight drivers predicted that Roberto Guerrero’s 1992 record of 232.482 would be broken. Guerrero also holds the one-lap record of 232.618. The veteran driver from San Juan Capistrano will try to qualify today in the same ’92 Lola-Buick V-6 he drove to the record.

*

When Smith woke up Friday, he realized it was Friday the 13th.

“I’m not superstitious, but I knew I wouldn’t get through the day without something happening,” he said.

Late in the day, he brushed the wall in the third turn and damaged the car.

*

Dick Simon, not content with trying to get six cars into the Indy 500, is planning to field a Ford Thunderbird in the Brickyard 400, the Aug. 6 NASCAR stock car race that will be the first non-Indy car race ever held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The driver is expected to be either P.J. Jones or Joe Ruttman.

*

Mario Andretti, in his final year of Indy car racing, was asked what he felt was the most significant change at Indianapolis since he began racing at the track in 1965.

“Allowing women in the pits,” he answered.

For the record, the first woman in either the pits or garages was admitted in 1971.

*

Parnelli Jones, the 1963 winner, will drive this year’s pace car, a Ford Mustang Cobra. He is the 11th former winner to do the honors. Others were Bobby Unser, Jim Rathmann, Johnnie Parsons, Rodger Ward, Mauri Rose, Sam Hanks, Wilbur Shaw, Tommy Milton, Ralph DePalma and Joe Dawson.