A One-Track Mind Always Has Lazier on Edge for Indy 500

Since his victory in the Indianapolis 500 in 1996, Buddy Lazier has had a remarkable run here, finishing second twice, fifth and seventh.

Last year, after his second-place finish, he went on to a great season, winning two races and the championship in the Indy Racing League.

Winning those other IRL races and the title were nice for Lazier--nice practice. Practice that will make him a better driver who won’t have to settle for seventh or fifth--or even second--here Sunday, in what to him is the only race that really counts.

“I’m feeling a little sick to my stomach and I don’t think it’s because of something I ate,” he said Thursday.

“I think it’s just anticipation. I can’t believe, after this many years of racing, I still get that. . . . There’s no other race like the Indianapolis 500. I certainly wouldn’t feel like this before any of the other races. It’s just that big of an event and there’s that much on the line.”

Lazier, at 33 and with nine starts and a triumph here behind him, certainly is no wide-eyed kid, so his reaction rather surprises even him.

“You grow up as a young man in America, you dream of racing in the Indianapolis 500--someday you’ll qualify--then when you do qualify you dream--you dare to dream--of winning it,” he said. “And when you actually do win it, the most wonderful thing, you would think that would somewhat diminish the passion or the hunger. But believe me, this race so exceeds expectations, and is such a wonderful thing to win, it makes you want to win [it] that much more. It just makes you more hungry and I can tell you, I want to win this race so bad.

“Maybe part of the string we’ve had [here in recent years] has something to do with the fact that I want to repeat that victory so badly.

“This has become a year-around thing [with me]. You’re training year-around, preparing [for this race]. At the end of this month, by June 1, you’re already starting to prepare for next year’s Indy 500. Everything I do in the off-season is all about trying to become a better race driver when I come to Indianapolis for the Indy 500. My mind is always on the 500.”

If Lazier is to win this time, he will have to get through some early traffic. He qualified his Dallara-Oldsmobile 10th, which leaves him starting from the pole in the fourth row. In Thursday’s final practice, however, during which drivers normally test their race-day setups with full fuel tanks, he was third fastest, at 222.392 mph, behind pole sitter Scott Sharp and second-row starter Gil de Ferran.

Lazier likes his chances.

“You hear a lot about some of the young drivers--and there’s some awesome young talent tearing up the racetrack--but I think I’ve still got some youthfulness in me too,” he said. “When you’re running consistently [as Lazier has here], I feel it’s just a matter of time till the yellows [caution periods] fall your way. If you’re capable of running up toward the front and you’re one of the guys that could win the race, it’s almost a matter of circumstances. Will the yellow fall [at the right time] for your strategy?”

Lazier, understandably, is proud of his consistency here but . . .

“It’s difficult, sometimes, to take second,” he said. “You have such mixed emotions. It’s wonderful, because you know you could have won. If you take second, you probably could have won.”

Which is precisely the problem.

“Looking at what we did last year, what we did in ‘98--we got runner-up twice and under slightly different circumstances, those could have been victories. I added up something like 10.7 seconds in those two races would have taken me from a one-time winner to a three-time winner. I’d be wearing three rings.

“That’s the kind of thing that haunts you all off-season--and motivates you.”

And leaves Lazier with a queasy stomach.

“This time of month, just before the race, is always hard on the driver,” he said. “Even though most of the work is done, it’s still pretty stressful. . . . No matter how ready I am and how prepared, I’m always a little late. It seems like I’m always running late. I guess it’s just the nature of how much we have to do this month. Even though it all boils down to a race, there’s still a lot of activities that affect the psyche and mind-set of the driver and we can’t really 100% focus on the race until we’re getting buckled in [the car].

“You never get over the butterflies and the pressure you feel doesn’t go away until after driver introductions, when you’re in the car and getting ready to roll off.”

Right. And he did mention, didn’t he? “There’s no other race like the Indianapolis 500.”