Five Qualify at a Subdued Indy

A pall hung over Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday in the aftermath of Scott Brayton’s shocking death during practice Friday.

Even though five more rookies qualified for the May 26 Indianapolis 500, bringing the field only two drivers short of filling the traditional 33 spots, nearly everyone’s thoughts were on the young man who qualified on the pole for the second consecutive year a week ago, only to have his life taken in a 230-mph crash.

Of more interest than the qualifiers--Billy Boat, Fermin Velez, Brad Murphey, Johnny O’Connell and 51-year-old Johnny Parsons--was speculation about what car owner John Menard will do with the No. 2 machine that Brayton put on the pole. All that is certain is that rookie Tony Stewart, in another of Menard’s cars, will start from the pole.

Stewart took the pole car out for a few laps and ran 233.245 mph, second-fastest of the day. Arie Luyendyk ran 234.503 in his backup car.

Parsons, who has not raced in the 500 since 1986, was the big surprise. He had crashed and severely damaged the team’s ’93 Lola last Saturday, but the Team Blueprint crew patched it together well enough for the former Los Angeles policeman to qualify at 223.843.

“We’re still piecing this car together, and with a skeleton crew, the effort goes to them,” Parsons said. “There’s nothing like being in the big show. We never gave up hope of getting there.”

Parsons drove in his first 500 in 1974. In 11 starts, his best finishes were two fifths in 1977 and 1985.

Murphey, a onetime rodeo cowboy from Tucson, has perhaps the most unusual background of any driver in the race. Since crashing his Corvette Challenge and suffering a concussion in a race at Riverside in 1988, he has not raced until now.

“The more laps I did, the more it came back to me,” he said of his return to the track. “It comes back pretty quick.”

Murphey, 40, got the ride from car owner Ron Hemelgarn after he was impressive in a test on the high backs of Texas World Speedway.

It was also Boat’s first try at Indianapolis after dominating midget racing on the West Coast. He won 11 U.S. Auto Club races in a row last year and has benefited from working with fellow Arizona short-track drivers Ron Shuman and Lealand McSpadden.

“All the guys who raced at Manzanita Speedway [in Phoenix], where I grew up, had a tremendous impact on my career. They probably deserve to be here as much as I do,” Boat said. “I’m just very fortunate the IRL came around when it did.”

In an accident eerily similar to the one that killed Brayton on Friday, rookie Dan Drinan suffered a concussion, broken left foot and hip and bruised left lung when his ’93 Lola hit the wall in the south chute before qualifying began. He was taken to Methodist Hospital, where Dr. Henry Bock, Speedway medical director, said his condition was stable.

Qualifying will resume today to fill the final two starting berths.

Indy 500 Notes

A memorial service was held for Scott Brayton in Victory Circle following time trials. Eulogies were given by Tom Carnegie, chief track announcer; Dick Simon, Brayton’s former car owner; and Jonathan Byrd, sponsor of Luyendyk’s car. Services will be Wednesday in Coldwater, Mich. . . . . Brayton was the 39th driver to die from injuries suffered on the track. One driver, Carl Scarborough, died of heat exhaustion in the infield hospital after finishing 12th in 1953. . . . Billy Boat’s last USAC midget win was at Perris Auto Speedway, his 28th in the last four years.