Drivers Feeling a Need for Speed

Bump Day, one of the intriguing elements of the Indianapolis 500 that sets it apart from all other races, should live up to its reputation today.

All the cars and drivers not yet qualified, and some drivers who are, will be on the waiting list at Indianapolis Motor Speedway when the third and final round of time trials begins.

One spot remains to fill the 33-car field for Sunday’s 85th running of motor racing’s premier classic. Once that is accomplished, the bumping process begins, which means that any driver-car combination posting a faster four-lap average speed than the slowest car in the field knocks the slow car out.

Cars qualify here, not drivers. Once a car is out, it cannot return. However, drivers can jump in as many cars as they can find in hopes of catching one fast enough.

The man on the bubble is Roberto Guerrero, who didn’t have hopes of a ride when he arrived here last week, helmet in hand, from his home in San Juan Capistrano. Guerrero, a veteran of 15 Indy 500s, has not driven in a race since last August in Kentucky.

Guerrero is in the car because Dick Simon, an Orange County neighbor, asked him for a favor. Simon’s regular driver, Stefan Gregoire, said he was unable to get either of Simon’s cars up to speed because he had lost confidence in his ability to drive them around the 2 1/2-mile Speedway oval.

“I asked Roberto if he would take a few laps and find out how much speed was in the car,” Simon said. “When he got it up to around 219, I told Stefan to get back in and see what he could do. He got up to 219, then pulled in and said he didn’t feel comfortable.”

As a result, Simon sent Guerrero out to qualify the team’s No. 7 Yellow Dallara last Sunday and his speed of 220.054 mph is the slowest of the 32 qualifiers.

“Stefan was still our No. 1 driver and we started getting him ready to qualify our G Force on Bump Day,” Simon said. “When he came here this month, we had one goal in mind, to put Stefan in the show and try to race for a win.

“Right now we’ve done everything to achieve this goal, but unfortunately we’ve encountered a communication problem and never found enough speed for Stefan to pass the 220-mph mark.”

Gregoire, convinced he could not qualify in Simon’s car, decided to switch to Heritage Motorsports and take the seat in Jeff Ward’s No. 35 backup car in hopes of getting in his sixth 500.

“I just didn’t feel like I could do it with Dick,” said the popular French driver. “He agreed with me. We both felt I might do better getting a different car.”

This left Guerrero as Simon’s lone driver. If, or more likely, when he gets bumped today, he will jump into a refurbished G Force in hopes of bumping someone else out of the field.

Even Guerrero has had his anxious moments in the car. After spinning, without hitting a wall, he said, “The car kind of talks to you. It told me I could be wide-open, but it lied.”

To help find more speed, Simon bought a $40,000 trick G Force rear suspension package Saturday. Guerrero will get a chance to test it during morning practice today.

“Roberto brought some new sponsor money to the table,” said the financially strapped Simon, who has said that his team will probably disband if it does not get a car in the 500. “This is the same suspension the Ganassi cars and Jeff Ward has. It is supposed to be worth two to three miles an hour.”

Two new names have entered the picture, both in fast cars.

Raul Boesel, 12 times an Indy starter, was summoned from his home in Brazil by Fred Treadway to drive a third car on a team that includes two-time champion Arie Luyendyk and rookie Felipe Giaffone.

Donnie Beechler, a U.S. Auto Club open-wheel veteran, will get one of A.J. Foyt’s cars if [or when] Eliseo Salazar gets in the field. Salazar, Foyt’s regular Indy Racing League driver, has crashed twice and lost a fast qualifying effort when the engine blew on his final lap. However, he has consistently been among the fastest non-qualified drivers.

Stan Wattles, after crashing hard in practice twice, said Saturday that he would not attempt to get in this year’s race. He had been in the last three 500s.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Indianapolis 500 Tentative Lineup

ROW 1

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P. (N) Driver Car Qualifying speed 1. (8) Scott Sharp Dallara-Oldsmobile 226.037 mph 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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P. (N) Driver Car Qualifying speed 4. (28) Mark Dismore Dallara-Oldsmobile 224.964 5. (66) Gil de Ferran Dallara-Oldsmobile 224.406 6. (5) w-Arie Luyendyk G Force-Oldsmobile 224.257

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ROW 3

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P. (N) Driver Car Qualifying speed 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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P. (N) Driver Car Qualifying speed 10. (91) w-Buddy Lazier Dallara-Oldsmobile 224.190 11. (68T) r-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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P. (N) Driver Car Qualifying speed 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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P. (N) Driver Car Qualifying speed 16. (52) Scott Goodyear Dallara-Infiniti 222.529 17. (77) Jaques Lazier G Force-Oldsmobile 222.145 18. (6) r-Jon Herb Dallara-Oldsmobile 222.015

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ROW 7

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P. (N) Driver Car Qualifying speed 19. (3) w-Al Unser Jr. G Force-Oldsmobile 221.615 20. (21) r-Felipe Giaffone G Force-Oldsmobile 221.100 21. (55T) r-Shigeaki Hattori Dallara-Oldsmobile 221.098

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ROW 8

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P. (N) Driver Car Qualifying speed 22. (32) r-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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P. (N) Driver Car Qualifying speed 25. (44T) r-Bruno Junqueira G Force-Oldsmobile 224.208 26. (39T) Michael Andretti Dallara-Oldsmobile 223.441 27. (33T) r-Nicolas Minassian G Force-Oldsmobile 223.006

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ROW 10

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P. (N) Driver Car Qualifying speed 28. (9T) Jeret Schroeder Dallara-Oldsmobile 222.786 29. (12) Buzz Calkins Dallara-Oldsmobile 222.467 30. (51) w-Eddie Cheever Dallara-Infiniti 222.152

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ROW 11

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P. (N) Driver Car Qualifying speed 31. (99T) Davey Hamilton Dallara-Oldsmobile 221.696 32. (60) Tyce Carlson Dallara-Oldsmobile 220.480

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Field Average--222.976 mph. Record--227.807 mph (1996)

Note: w-former winner; r-rookie

Indianapolis 500 Facts

Qualifying: Today, beginning at 9 a.m. (ESPN 9 a.m., ESPN2 11 a.m., Channel 7 1 p.m., ESPN2 3 p.m.).

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

2000 winner: Juan Montoya.

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

The race: Indianapolis 500, next Sunday.