The last 20 years have produced many...

By Shav Glick

May 18, 2003 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

INDIANAPOLIS —

The last 20 years have produced many changes in the Indianapolis 500 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but one constant has been the excitement of the unexpected that has continued to make it the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

There have been five multiple winners in that span, Rick Mears, Emerson Fittipaldi, Arie Luyendyk, Al Unser Jr. and Helio Castroneves. Plus, Al Unser Sr. posted the last of his four victories.

Six winners, accounting for nine victories, were foreign-born: Fittipaldi and Castroneves from Brazil; Luyendyk from the Netherlands; Jaques Villeneuve from Canada; Kenny Brack from Sweden and Juan Montoya from Colombia.

There was not always a new winner but each race had its memorable moments.

There have been Danny Sullivan’s “spin and win” year in 1985, the wire-to-wire wins of Mears in 1988 and 1991, Al Unser Jr.’s failed attempt to block Tom Sneva so Unser’s dad could win in 1983 and, four years later, Big Al becoming the oldest winner, driving what had been a show car a few weeks earlier.

Memorable also were Scott Goodyear’s finishing first in 1995 but being disqualified for ignoring a black flag ordering him to his pit, giving the win to fellow Canadian Villeneuve; Luyendyk’s living up to his Flying Dutchman name with the fastest 500 in history in 1990, Little Al’s eyelash margin of .043 of a second over Goodyear in 1992, Buddy Lazier’s dramatic victory in 1996, even though he was driving with a broken back.

Then there was Robby Gordon running out of fuel two laps from the checkered flag while leading in 1999, giving the victory to Brack, and of course, last year’s controversial finish between Castroneves and Paul Tracy, both drivers claiming victory amid the confusion of a late yellow flag.

All of those winning drivers are alive, testimony, perhaps, to the safety of the modern race car. A few decades earlier, fatalities were commonplace -- and expected. As it is now, the last 500 winner to have lost his life in a race car was Mark Donohue, the 1972 winner. He was killed while practicing for a Formula One race in Austria in 1975.

Eight of the 14 winners are still full-time drivers.

Here’s a look at the men whose likenesses are on the Borg-Warner Trophy for the last 20 years, how they won and what they are doing now:

TOM SNEVA, 1983

After posting runner-up finishes in 1977, 1978 and 1980, the former schoolteacher from Spokane, Wash., finally broke through to win. Sneva had been the first driver over 200 mph at the speedway in 1977 and had twice started on the pole, but in ‘83, with rookie Teo Fabi a surprise pole winner, he started fourth. Sneva, who had been fired by car owner Roger Penske, despite having won two national championships, drove the Texaco Star, a March-Cosworth, for Bignotti-Cotter. It was his 10th start in the 500.

The race was the first with a father-son entry as Al Unser Jr. made his rookie appearance. He provided some drama near the finish when, several laps down, he tried to make it difficult for Sneva to pass him, hoping that his father, Big Al, might catch Sneva. Sneva managed to get around Little Al, however, and cruised to an 11-second win.

Sneva lives in Paradise Valley, Ariz., and is co-owner of a company that designs, constructs and operates golf courses. He also was an ABC-TV analyst for three years at Indy Racing League races.

RICK MEARS, 1984, 1988, 1991

After having won in 1979, the one-time off-road racer from Bakersfield cemented his reputation as one of the greatest oval drivers in history, winning from the front row all three times, qualifying on the pole six times -- half of the 12 by Penske drivers -- and starting from the front row a record 11 times.

He won in all ways, dominating in 1984, when he led 119 of 200 laps and finished two laps ahead of Roberto Guerrero; running the race’s fastest lap of 209.517 mph in 1988 on Lap 168 and pulling away from runner-up Fittipaldi, and in 1991 coming from far back in the field by working with his crew to improve the car as the race developed. He took the lead on Lap 188 and beat Michael Andretti by three seconds.

All of Mears’ 15 Indy 500s were with Penske and after abruptly retiring at the team banquet in 1992, Mears, who lives in Jupiter, Fla., remained with the team as coach and team advisor. Both current Penske drivers, two-time winner Castroneves and two-time CART champion Gil de Ferran, credit Mears with masterminding their Penske team successes.

DANNY SULLIVAN, 1985

The son of a well-to-do Louisville family, Sullivan set out on his own to become a race driver. One of the things he did along the way was drive a cab in New York.

So, after spinning in front of Mario Andretti in the first turn in a battle for the lead, Sullivan jokingly credited what he’d learned as a cabby for saving his car. He later re-passed Andretti and beat him by two seconds, frustrating Andretti, who’d led for 107 laps. Sullivan’s victory, in a March-Cosworth, was the second in succession for Penske.

After retiring in 1996, Sullivan settled in Saint-Tropez, in southern France. He also has a home in Aspen, Colo. He is a minority owner and board member of Irwindale Speedway and is actively campaigning to prepare young American drivers to compete in Formula One.

BOBBY RAHAL, 1986

Experience paid off for Rahal as he snookered young Kevin Cogan on a restart only four laps from the end of the race. Rahal lagged well behind Cogan in second place, but he was building speed and when the green flag was displayed he had a full head of steam and passed the surprised Cogan.

Rahal showed that his Truesports March-Cosworth was the fastest car by running the day’s fast lap of 209.152 on the final lap to hold off Cogan by a little more than a second. Adding drama, Jim Trueman, Rahal’s team owner and long-time patron, was in the pits, even though he had been diagnosed with cancer. He died shortly after the race.

Rahal drove nine more years and was one of the strong supporters of CART in its split with the IRL. After a brief period directing Jaguar’s Formula One team, he returned to the U.S. and this year has drivers in both open-wheel series, Brack in the IRL and Michel Jourdain Jr. in CART. Rahal, who lives in New Albany, Ohio, also owns several auto dealerships and served briefly as interim president of CART. His minority partner in Team Rahal is CBS late-night host David Letterman.

AL UNSER, 1987

Seventeen years after winning his first 500, the senior Al Unser won his fourth, becoming the oldest winner in history, five days shy of his 48th birthday. When practice started for the 1987 race, Unser did not have a ride, but when Danny Ongais was injured after crashing one of Penske’s cars, Unser replaced Ongais. The race seemed to belong to Mario Andretti, who led 170 laps before slowing to a stop on Lap 193. Then Guerrero appeared to be the winner, only to have his car fail to start after a late caution flag. Unser inherited the lead and cruised to the victory. Today, Al lives in Albuquerque and serves as a driver coach and consultant for the IRL and its Infiniti Pro Series, which is designed to develop new talent.

EMERSON FITTIPALDI, 1989, 1993

The finish of the 1989 race was one of the most dramatic, as Emmo and Al Unser Jr. battled through the final laps before bumping in the third turn of the next-to-last lap. Unser crashed and Fittipaldi went on to win, Unser giving him thumbs up as he passed the crash site on his way to the checkered flag.

Four years later, Fittipaldi, who had won two Formula One championships before becoming an Indy car driver, won after passing reigning F1 champion Nigel Mansell on a restart 15 laps from the end.

Fittipaldi’s winning drives were for different team owners, Pat Patrick in 1989 and Penske in 1994. Each time, however, the Brazilian veteran was driving a Penske chassis.

Today, Fittipaldi maintains homes in Miami and Brazil, where he owns a huge orange grove. He also holds TV rights in Brazil for champ car races and this year returned to CART as a team owner with rookie Tiago Monteiro as his driver.

ARIE LUYENDYK, 1990, 1997

The fastest race ever run at Indianapolis, at an average speed of 185.981 mph, was won by the Flying Dutchman in 1990. He was so far ahead with 27 laps to go that he pitted for fuel and four tires and kept his lead.

The 1997 race was twice postponed by rain and ended two days after the scheduled start. At that, the finish was confusing. Coming off a caution period, both the green and white flags were waved on the final lap but yellow lights remained on around the track. Luyendyk, ignoring the yellow lights, got the jump on Scott Goodyear on the restart and won by .570 of a second. Luyendyk retired after the 1999 race, but after working as a consultant at Treadway Racing and as an analyst for ABC Sports, he changed his mind and drove in the 500 the last two years. He decided not to race this year after a crash in practice. In 16 races here, he has earned $6.1 million, more than any other driver. His son, Arie Jr., competes in the IRL’s Infiniti Pro Series.

AL UNSER JR., 1992, 1994

After the disappointment of losing to Fittipaldi on the final lap three years earlier, Little Al held off a fast-finishing Goodyear and won the closest race ever by .043 of a second in ’92. Little Al, driving a Chevy-powered Galmer for Galles-Kraco Racing, became the third Unser to win the 500, joining father Al and uncle Bobby. In 1994, driving for Penske, he won from the pole in a Penske-Mercedes, taking the lead when Fittipaldi tried to pass him and lap the entire field, only to hit the wall in Turn 4. Unser, who still lives in his native Albuquerque, is driving in his second season with Tom Kelley Racing.

JACQUES VILLENEUVE, 1995

In the last race before the IRL-CART open-wheel split, Goodyear appeared to have the race in hand but, coming off a caution period 15 laps from the finish, the Canadian jumped the gun on the restart, passing the pace car. When he refused to acknowledge the black flag, his scoring was suspended, so although he crossed the finish line first, he was placed 14th.

Villeneuve, who had been assessed a two-lap penalty for a similar mistake early in the race, made up his two laps and won easily over runner-up Christian Fittipaldi, Emerson’s nephew.

After going on to win the national championship, Villeneuve moved to Formula One in 1996 and won the F1 championship in ’97. He is now driving for the BAR F1 team.

BUDDY LAZIER, 1996

With most of the familiar Indy car drivers at Michigan International Speedway, where CART held its own 500-mile race on the same day, Lazier defeated a hodgepodge group of IRL drivers, despite his painful back. He had to be helped from his car after winning the 500, having broken his back two months earlier in an accident while practicing at Phoenix. Lazier, driving for Hemelgarn Racing, won in a year-old Reynard-Cosworth. When not racing, Lazier works with his father, Bob, also a former Indy 500 competitor, in developing and building commercial properties for Lazier Construction in Vail, Colo. He is in his eighth season with Hemelgarn.

EDDIE CHEEVER JR., 1998

After 11 years and 132 races in Formula One, more than any other American driver, and nine years in CART and the IRL, the Phoenix-born veteran collected his biggest prize at age 40. He won in his own Cheever Racing Dallara-Aurora after starting 17th and narrowly escaping an accident on Turn 1 on the first lap when rookie J.J. Yeley spun in front of him.

Cheever, who grew up in Rome and began racing in Europe before he returned to the United States, has homes in Orlando, Fla., and Indianapolis, where he owns and operates his Red Bull Cheever Racing team. He also has ownership in a marketing company and a worldwide trading company.

This year, he has stepped aside as a driver to campaign a car driven by rookie Buddy Rice, but he says he may return to driving if a sponsor can be found.

KENNY BRACK, 1999

When Robby Gordon ran out of methanol and coasted into the pits for a splash of fuel while leading two laps from the checkered flag, Brack took over and won a fifth Indy 500 for team owner A.J. Foyt, finishing six seconds ahead of former motocross champion Jeff Ward. Gordon finished fourth. During Victory Lane ceremonies, Brack received a congratulatory call from the king of Sweden.

Brack enjoys mixing music with his racing and has formed his own band, Kenny Brack and the Subwoofers, to perform in cities where he races. He plays a mean jazz guitar. When he is not commuting to his home in Karlstad, Sweden, he lives in Upper Arlington, Ohio, near Rahal race headquarters. He is driving for Rahal this year in the IRL series.

JUAN MONTOYA, 2000

On loan to Chip Ganassi’s Target team from Frank Williams’ Formula One BMW team, the Colombian put on one of the most impressive 500-mile runs in Indy’s history. He didn’t start on the pole, but that’s about all he missed. Greg Ray was on the pole, but Montoya took over on Lap 27 and led every lap but a few when he was in the pits. As early as Lap 60, he had a 30-second lead over teammate Jimmy Vasser in second place. Leading for 167 laps, Montoya became the first “rookie” to win since Formula One champion Graham Hill in 1966.

After the 2000 season, Montoya returned to Formula One, where he is one of the few real challengers to champion Michael Schumacher. He lives in Bogota, Colombia, and Monte Carlo and last week lost his driver’s license when caught speeding at 128 mph on the road to Nice.

HELIO CASTRONEVES, 2001, 2002

The Spiderman from Brazil, so named because he celebrates victories by climbing the safety fencing in front of the grandstands, became the second consecutive rookie winner when he edged Penske teammate and fellow Brazilian Gil de Ferran by 1.7 seconds in 2001.

He won again last year, although in the CART media guide, Paul Tracy lays claim to the victory. Castroneves’ response? “I wear the ring and my face is on the [Borg-Warner] trophy.”

At dispute was which driver was leading when a crash occurred on Lap 198 and the race ended under a yellow caution flag. Castroneves was ultimately proclaimed the winner, a decision protested by Tracy and Team Green. Speedway President Tony George later upheld Castroneves’ victory.

Castroneves is in his fourth season with Penske. He divides his time between his native Sao Paulo and Miami.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Indy 500

When: May 25, 9 a.m. PDT.

Where: Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

TV: Channel 7.

Starting grid:

Row 1: 1. Helio Castroneves, 2. Tony Kanaan, 3. Robby Gordon

Row 2: 4. Scott Dixon, 5. Dan Wheldon, 6. Kenny Brack

Row 3: 7. Tora Takagi, 8. Tony Renna, 9. Scott Sharp

Row 4: 10. Gil de Ferran, 11. Roger Yasukawa, 12. Tomas Scheckter

Row 5: 13. Michael Andretti, 14. Greg Ray, 15. Shinji Nakano