Ganassi Enjoys Red-Letter Day

Before leaving this morning for Japan and a CART race Saturday night in Motegi, car owner Chip Ganassi put two more drivers in the Indianapolis 500, making four red Target machines to confuse viewers in the May 27 race.

Bruno Junqueira and Nicolas Minassian, two rookies untried in oval racing, posted the fastest speeds for nonqualified drivers Sunday to join former CART champion Jimmy Vasser and Winston Cup standout Tony Stewart as Ganassi qualifiers.

“My hats off to Tony Stewart and Jimmy Vasser,” said Ganassi, who won the 500 last year with Juan Montoya. “They did the work to get the guys into the show. Without them it wouldn’t have been possible.”

Junqueira and Minassian are European Formula 3000 champions recruited by Ganassi to replace Montoya, who has moved to Formula One, and Vasser, whom he released this year--but brought back for this one race.

“I had no idea, I thought I was supposed to concentrate on the Japan race,” said Junqueira, whose four-lap average of 224.208 would have put him in the fourth row had he done it Saturday. Because it was a second-day time, he will start 25th.

Michael Andretti, Buzz Calkins and 1998 Indy 500 winner Eddie Cheever all withdrew cars that qualified Saturday with slow times, then posted substantially quicker times in backup cars to avoid the possibility of being bumped from the 33-car field next Sunday.

Andretti had the biggest jump, from 220.747 to 223.442.

“I’ve never experienced anything like [qualifying so late],” said Andretti, whose father Mario was calling the shots on the sideline. “I feel sorry for the guys who have to go through this. It’s a high-pressure situation. I didn’t sleep very well last night.

“I’ll sleep better in Japan. I didn’t need to go to Motegi sitting on 220.7. We put Sam’s [Hornish] setup on the car, exactly. We were fortunate to have Panther Racing working with us.”

Hornish drives for Panther Racing and is the IRL series leader. He qualified Saturday in the 13th position. Andretti will start 26th.

Thirty-two cars have qualified, leaving one opening before bumping can begin. Still on the outside hoping for a shot at the 500 are Eliseo Salazar, who was within one turn of qualifying when the engine blew in the A.J. Foyt-prepared car; Billy Boat, 1998 Indy pole-sitter in the Curb-Agajanian No. 98; Memo Gidley and Stan Wattles, both of whom crashed Sunday; and Cory Witherill, the Native American from Santa Monica who was black-flagged because of a technicality.

Witherill, who was poised to take the 33rd and final spot, was called in by officials because his team did not throw a green flag, signifying the driver was ready to take his four laps.

“I assumed I just wasn’t up to speed, but I think I would have had a really good speed,” said a disappointed Witherill, whose fast lap was 219.746. “We have been gaining every day, so maybe the extra time will help.”

The track will be closed today and Tuesday, but will reopen Wednesday for daily practice through Saturday. Final qualifying is Sunday.

Veteran supermodified driver Davey Hamilton, who has not missed an Indy Racing League event since the series began in 1996, qualified Sam Schmidt’s car after Schmidt was loaned a new Ilmor-built Oldsmobile engine from the pole-sitting Kelley Racing team.

“Sam has been trying so hard to get this team together without sponsorship,” Hamilton said. “The first lap [with the new motor] was my fastest of the month. If it wasn’t for Kelley Racing, who knows where we’d be. Thank God we’re in and the streak is still alive.”

The last time one owner had more than four cars in the 500 was 1997 when the Andy Evans-owned Team Scandia had Fermin Velez, Marco Greco, Vincenzo Soslpiri, Eliseo Salazar and Alessandro Zampedri.

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Tentative Indy 500 Lineup

Qualifiers for the May 27 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

ROW 1

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1. (8) Scott Sharp Dallara-Oldsmobile 226.037 2. (2T) Greg Ray Dallara-Oldsmobile 225.194 3. (41) Robby Gordon Dallara-Oldsmobile 224.994

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ROW 2

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4. (28) Mark Dismore Dallara-Oldsmobile 224.964 5. (66) Gil de Ferran Dallara-Oldsmobile 224.406 6. (5) Arie Luyendyk G Force-Oldsmobile 224.257

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ROW 3

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7. (33) Tony Stewart G Force-Oldsmobile 224.248 8. (35T) Jeff Ward G Force-Oldsmobile 224.222 9. (24) Robbie Buhl G Force-Infiniti 224.213

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ROW 4

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10. (91) Buddy Lazier Dallara-Oldsmobile 224.190 11. (68T) Helio Castroneves Dallara-Oldsmobile 224.142 12. (44) Jimmy Vasser G Force-Oldsmobile 223.455

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ROW 5

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13. (4) Sam Hornish Jr. Dallara-Oldsmobile 223.333 14. (10) Robby McGehee Dallara-Oldsmobile 222.607 15. (15T) Sarah Fisher Dallara-Oldsmobile 222.548

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ROW 6

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16. (52) Scott Goodyear Dallara-Infiniti 222.529 17. (77) Jaques Lazier G Force-Oldsmobile 222.145 18. (6) Jon Herb Dallara-Oldsmobile 222.015

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ROW 7

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19. (3) Al Unser Jr. G Force-Oldsmobile 221.615 20. (21) Felipe Giaffone G Force-Oldsmobile 221.100 21. (55T) Shigeaki Hattori Dallara-Oldsmobile 221.098

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ROW 8

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22. (32) Didier Andre G Force-Oldsmobile 220.985 23. (88T) Airton Dare G Force-Oldsmobile 220.966 24. (7) Roberto Guerrero Dallara-Oldsmobile 220.054

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ROW 9

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25. (44T) Bruno Junqueira G Force-Oldsmobile 224.208 26. (39T) Michael Andretti Dallara-Oldsmobile 223.441 27. (33T) Nicolas Minassian G Force-Oldsmobile 223.006

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ROW 10

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28. (9T) Jeret Schroeder Dallara-Oldsmobile 222.786 29. (12) Buzz Calkins Dallara-Oldsmobile 222.467 30. (51) Eddie Cheever Dallara-Infiniti 222.152

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ROW 11

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31. (99T) Davey Hamilton Dallara-Oldsmobile 221.696 32. (60) Tyce Carlson Dallara-Oldsmobile 220.480

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