Four Eclipse 1997 Pole Speed in Practice

Four drivers, including defending Indy 500 champion Arie Luyendyk, bettered Luyendyk’s 1997 pole speed Sunday during the first day of practice for the May 24 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but the day was more of a time for nostalgia.

Robbie Buhl, in one of John Menard’s gaudy-colored Aurora-powered Dallaras, was quickest of the day at 219.325. Others who exceeded Luyendyk’s year-old 218.263 standard, which is a record for non-turbocharged stock-block V8s that were introduced last year, were Luyendyk, 291.207, Scott Sharp, 219.101 and rookie Jimmy Kite, 218.765.

The day’s biggest cheer went up when Parnelli Jones, the first driver to better 150 mph back in 1962 and the winner of the 1963 race, took a couple of laps in J.C. Agajanian’s No. 98 roadster that Parnelli called Ol’ Calhoun.

“I remember the day I got over 150, everybody said it was the ultimate, that no one would better it,” Jones said. “Now they’re warming up faster than that.”

“I’ve been here every year since 1960, and I’ll hopefully never miss for a long time. This race has come a long way, and I don’t see it stopping. The fans have always been great.

“Driving Ol’ Calhoun brings back a lot of memories, going around the track and seeing all the fans waving at me.”

He said he didn’t try for speed because the car, which has been in the Speedway’s museum, had on 1963 vintage tires.

Thirty-six cars took practice laps, making it one of the busiest first days in recent Indy history. Many teams that traditionally skip opening day were on hand because practice time for the 500 has been cut from two weeks to one week. Buhl said he expected it would take a 223 to win the pole on Saturday, with 224 possible under ideal circumstances.

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Pasadena’s Mike Groff was the first driver on the track, taking Jonathan Byrd’s G-Force onto the pavement as soon as the green light appeared at 11:07 a.m. Groff, who had the highest finishing Infiniti-powered car in last year’s 500, has switched to an Olds Aurora. He finished 12th last year after running as high as seventh.

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Lyn St. James was happy to see Danny Ongais land a ride for the 500, considering it took away her undesired designation as the “oldest driver in the race.” Ongais, who is driving Team Pelfrey’s No. 81 Dallara, will be 56 on May 21. St. James is 52.

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Jack Hewitt, a legendary U.S. Auto Club sprint-car driver but a 46-year-old rookie at Indy, hit the outside wall, did a half-spin and hit the inside retaining wall, then rebounded across the track and hit the outside wall a second time.

Hewitt was not injured, but the car was pretty beat up. “They put a little push in the car, so I would have to back off in the corners, and I didn’t back off enough,” Hewitt said.