Sharp Enjoying His Place in the IRL’s Grand Scheme

Scott Sharp, who will start on the pole in the May 27 Indianapolis 500, is a walking, talking commercial for the Indy Racing League and the 500, centerpiece of the IRL.

He has been part of the young league since its inception in 1996. In fact, he was co-champion of the first IRL season, although he sheepishly reminds you, “It was only three races.”

Sharp, a second-generation driver whose father, Bob, was a sports car champion, was driving for A.J. Foyt that year, but after suffering a serious head injury in an accident at Pikes Peak Raceway, he bought out his contract with Foyt and signed with a new team, Kelley Racing.

Tom Kelley, a prominent Indiana amateur golfer and air racing veteran, and his father, Jim, formed Kelley Racing as one of the first byproducts of Tony George’s plan to create a low-budget racing series.

Four years after its formation, it has Sharp, the pole-sitter, and Mark Dismore, in the second row, in the Indianapolis 500.

“I look at it that there’s a master plan upstairs, that the man upstairs has for everybody, and you know, I wouldn’t trade anything for what I’ve had the last three of four years,” Sharp said.

“And I think the world of Indy Racing League and what it stands for, it’s just so exciting to see where the month of Indianapolis is getting back to where I think it’s even greater than where it was before. I mean, I’ve said this all month, I feel there’s going to be 20 cars the morning of [May 27] that have a chance to win this race, and I don’t remember, ever since I was a little kid, the last time that was the case.”

Sharp, whose background is in road racing--he’s a three-time Sports Car Club of America national amateur champion, two-time Trans-Am champion as a professional--drove at Indianapolis for the first time in 1994.

“I’ll never forget the first time I went out on the warm-up lane at rookie orientation and came out of Turn 2 and looked down that long back straightaway,” he said. “A chill just went down my back. Honestly, I feel privileged to drive every lap here.

“It’s a good thing I love the place so, because I’ve never had a good, strong race here. It always seems like little things have bit us. Sometimes big things.

“My first year, in ’94 with PacWest, I had a stuck transmission and spent about 10 laps in the pits. In ’95 with A.J., I blew a tire and hit the wall in Turn 4. Finished 10th in ‘96, blew the motor with about four laps to go. Missed the race in ’97. In ‘98, blew a gear box with 16 laps to go. Ninety-nine we sort of overheated on the pace lap and the transmission quit early in the race.

“Last year was the best race I’ve had. We finished 10th, but we had a fuel problem and lost over a lap in the pits. Still, I love racing here. I’m pretty enthused this year. I think we have the best team, and I mean team in the strictest sense, on the grounds.”

The Kelleys have put together an operation in four years that revolves around Dismore, the team’s first hire, and Sharp.

“I remember when Scott and I met in the parking lot of the Speedway Motel when I was trying to hire him,” Tom Kelley said. “In fact, he reminded me this week, he said, ‘Remember when you said to me, “What do you need a salary for? How about just prize money?”

“You know, Scott had to buy out of his contract with Foyt to come race with us, and we didn’t have a lot to offer, other than our word and our commitment, and he did that.”

Kelley is a nine-time city golf champion in Fort Wayne, Ind. He finished in the top 16 in the U.S. and British amateurs in 1985. When Sharp put together laps of 225.783, 226.020, 226.423 and 225.923 for a 10-mile average of 226.037 mph, the golfer in Kelley exclaimed, “Watching Scotty take the pole was better than making a hole in one.”

Said Sharp, “I certainly would call it my greatest accomplishment so far in racing. When you think about the emotions and anticipation, anxiety, nervousness, all that goes into [running for the pole], from a driver’s standpoint, I think qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 is probably the hardest single day you have all year.”

In a sport where so-called “teammates” are often individualists who pay little attention to the other side of the team, Sharp and Dismore are a refreshing difference.

“You know, it’s so easy these days to have two cars where each car becomes the No. 1 competitor of each other, instead of you two as one competing against everyone else. I think Tom’s worked real hard to keep us all with that kind of a focus, and Mark and I have had a great relationship now, going into our fourth year. If you were out there when Mark qualified last Saturday, there were a lot of yellow shirts out on that wall, cheering him on. Those were my guys, wanting to see him do well.”

Sharp has been around racing all his life. His father not only raced, he owned and crewed cars driven by Paul Newman in SCCA and Trans-Am races. His father-in-law is Greg Pickett, a longtime Trans-Am driver.

His racing hero is the late Ayrton Senna, one of Formula One’s all-time greats, but he is in awe of Foyt, the five-time Indy 500 winner--four as a driver and one as Kenny Brack’s car owner.

“The thing that scares you when you work with A.J. is his unbelievable memory,” Sharp said. “He can tell you what springs he had on his sprint car back in 1970 at Springfield. It’s just amazing what the guy can remember. . . .

“When I came to him, I had zero oval track experience. And honestly, I was so ripe for learning that I was fortunate to hook up with A.J. with my eyes wide open and listening to the master.

“I think in a lot of ways, he taught me how to drive ovals. I’ll owe a lot to him when I’m out there next Sunday.”

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Indianapolis 500

Facts

Qualifying: Sunday 9 a.m. (ESPN, 9 a.m., ESPN2, 11 a.m., Ch. 7, 1 p.m., ESPN2, 3 p.m.).

Where: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (oval, 2.5 miles, nine-degree banking in turns), Indianapolis.

Last week: Scott Sharp won the pole for the Indianapolis 500 at 226.037 mph.

The race: Indianapolis 500, May 27.