A Split in Family : Over Here Is Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Tony George, and There Is CART, Which Scheduled a Race Opposite the Indy 500

At first glance, it would appear that preparations for the 80th Indianapolis 500 on May 26 are proceeding much as they have in past years.

The track opened Saturday with the usual pomp and ceremony befitting the world’s biggest single-day sporting event. The mayor had his welcoming breakfast, the rookie drivers were given an introductory ride with three-time winner Johnny Rutherford and everyone was wondering how high speeds might climb on a newly paved track.

The enormous grandstands, circling the 2 1/2-mile rectangular oval with approximately 300,000 permanent seats, are polished and waiting for the throngs to gather. The 97-foot-high scoring pylon is ready to flash its electronic message as race cars cross the thin line of bricks on the start-finish line at 230 mph.

But it might as well have been David Copperfield at work. It was an illusion.

Something is dreadfully wrong. Or different.

The names that have made Indy car racing what it is--Al Unser Jr., Bobby Rahal, Michael Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, Robby Gordon--are not here. The successful car owners--Roger Penske, whose drivers have won 10 Indy 500s; Carl Haas and Paul Newman, and Barry Green, who won last year with Canadian Jacques Villeneuve--are not here.

The big-bucks sponsors who have funded multimillion-dollar teams--Marlboro, Texaco, Havoline, Miller and Budweiser--are not here.

They are not here because Tony George, president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, founded his Indy Racing League last year, and to assure its success, guaranteed 25 of the 33 starting berths in the 500 to IRL drivers.

Faced with having its 26 franchise-owned teams fighting for eight at-large spots here, Championship Auto Racing Teams decided to hold its own race, the U.S. 500, on the same day at Brooklyn, Mich.--the same site as the Marlboro 500 on July 30.

There has been speculation, fueled by CART spokesmen and Indianapolis Star columnist Robin Miller’s yearlong attack on George’s proposals, that there might not be 33 cars able to qualify for the Indy 500, that townspeople would suffer from diminished interest in a watered-down entry list, even that the venerable Indy 500 might flounder and fall from favor as one of the world’s great races, as has the LeMans 24 Hour race.

“Certainly I would like to see Little Al [Unser] and Michael [Andretti] and all the other drivers here, but just because it’s not going to happen doesn’t mean we won’t have an excellent race,” George said Saturday. “We have all the drivers and cars and teams we need to fill the field of 33.

“In fact, I expect we’ll have bumping, like any other year, on the second weekend of qualifying.”

Filling the void left by CART drivers is an entry of 22 rookies, ranging from high-profile youngsters such as Tony Stewart and Richie Hearn to Formula One veteran Michele Alberto to relative unknowns such as former rodeo cowboy Brad Murphey and Supercross rider Russ Wicks.

There are so many rookies on hand that the first three days of practice were to have been limited to drivers without experience at the Speedway.

One thing George couldn’t change, however, was the Indiana weather. It rained all day Saturday, wiping out the first day of rookie orientation.

One of the frustrated rookies was Johnny Unser, a cousin of Al Jr. who hopes to revive the family tradition at Indianapolis. Until Junior, the defending champion, failed to qualify one of Penske’s Mercedes last year, there had been an Unser in the 500 for 32 consecutive years. Nine times they were winners--Al Sr. four, Bobby three and Al Jr. two.

“It’s killing me inside, I’ll admit it, not to be racing here this year, but not under the circumstances Tony established,” Al Jr. said Friday night during a stopover en route to Michigan. “Right now, my only concern is the U.S. 500, but I’ll miss racing here. It’s still Indianapolis.”

Johnny Unser’s father, Jerry, was the first Unser at Indianapolis. He raced in 1958 but was killed in an accident while practicing before the 1959 race. Johnny was seven months old at the time.

“One of the objectives of the Indy Racing League is to give a window of opportunity to young American drivers and I think we have succeeded,” George said. “We wanted to replace the practice of foreign drivers buying rides with American riders earning them through ability.”

It hasn’t entirely worked, however.

A.J. Foyt, one of George’s most dedicated backers, hired Scott Sharp and Davey Hamilton to drive two of his Lola-Cosworths, but sold a third ride to Brazilian Marco Greco instead of giving a chance to another American youngster such as Robbie Groff. And Bill Tempero dropped David Kudrave of San Pedro when Justin Bell of England showed up with money.

The record number of rookie starters is 19 in 1919. In recent years, there have been 10 in 1980 and 1981 and nine in 1982 and 1994. There were six last year.

Veterans, headed by 1990 winner Arie Luyendyk and track record-holder Roberto Guerrero, will get their first test of the resurfaced track on Tuesday.

“If the weather cooperates, I’ll be surprised if one of us doesn’t break Guerrero’s record [232.482 mph] on Saturday,” said Scott Brayton, last year’s pole-sitter who had a practice lap of 237.555 last month in a Menard Buick- powered Lola. “The track is so smooth and so fast that the speed came so easily it surprised me.”

Replacing the Penske presence as top dog in Gasoline Alley is a lineup of eight cars owned by John Menard, all in a row, two each for Brayton, Eddie Cheever and rookies Stewart and Mark Dismore. All are ’95 Lolas, powered by Menard’s adaptation of Buick stock block V6 passenger car engines.

Menard, who built a home improvement store into a chain that put him in the Forbes 400, has an even larger presence in the 500. When Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Toyota refused to furnish engines to IRL teams, creating a shortage of power for the 77 cars entered, Menard had aluminum and steel stock blocks built in his Indianapolis garage for at least eight other cars.

“I’ve been behind Tony’s efforts since Day 1,” Menard said. “It’s something I wholeheartedly support.”

George, overlooking the rain drenching his opening day, expressed satisfaction with his concept.

“I wouldn’t change anything,” he said. “I keep hearing about people asking for refunds, but we’ve had far more requests for tickets than we have had turned back. Considering all the things we’ve done, all the obstacles we’ve faced, I think we’re in good shape for a good race.”

In a show of civic solidarity, the community apparently agrees. Taking note of the negative light shed on the IRL in some quarters, 22 leading business organizations sent an open letter to the community pledging their support. It read, in part:

“We do wish to unequivocally voice our support of a civic partner since 1911, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. . . . We believe the Hulman-George family is motivated by true sportsmanship and the desire to improve auto racing. We also recognize that change involves risk and that some businesses have been affected. Yet we stand firmly behind the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and its efforts to produce a plan for the future that secures the 500’s rich heritage.

“Therefore, we collectively pledge our support . . . in its initiative to strengthen and perpetuate the Indianapolis 500 as the premier racing event in the world.”

Among the signatories were the Indiana and Indianapolis Chambers of Commerce, Indiana Black Expo, Convention & Visitors Assn., Urban League, Pacers, Colts, Mayor’s office and the Restaurant & Hospitality Assn.