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The Callahan Report from Indianapolis, May 2626 May 1997 Indy 500 Postponed.... Again INDIANAPOLIS (2:15 PM): There is plenty of green displayed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The only problem is, the green is the form of colors on a radar screen instead of a flag out on the track. Showers have once again hampered the Indy 500. Umbrellas are at the top of the souvenir sales list. The Speedway has announced the remainder of the race will be run on Tuesday, May 27 at 11:00 AM. After running only fifteen laps (11 laps of green flag racing), the skies opened. The track has a familiar shine. The headlights from the wreckers drying the track are the brightest thing about this wet day at the speedway. Tony Stewart, driving the Menard's/G Force/Aurora has led every lap (thirty-seven and a half miles). The track was open long enough to eliminate five of the thirty-three starters.
Four of the cars scheduled to start the race did not take the green flag. Alessandro Zampedri and Sam Schmidt had their engines expire on the first parade lap, placing them in thirty-fourth and thirty-fifth positions. The fifth row was eliminated in a parade lap crash (see story below). Paul Durant, driving for A.J. Foyt Enterprises/Conseco, flew through the field in the short spurt of racing. Durant, starting thirty-third, is currently in twenty-first position. There are twenty-nine cars still in the running (if this show ever gets underway). The Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced the postponement very early yesterday (1:30 PM local time). The announcement today was delayed till 2:15 PM. In 1986, the race was postponed due to rain until the Saturday after Memorial Day. This scenario may be repeated today. The teams had planned to move to Texas by next weekend in preparation for the Indy Racing League's inaugural event at the new facility. The weather is playing havoc with those plans.
Race Update: The Race Is On... And Off Again INDIANAPOLIS (11:45 AM): The Indy 500 started with a crash. An entire row of cars got together on the second of two parade laps. Kenny Brack, Affonso Giaffone, and Stephan Gregoire came together before getting up to speed (75 mph). Brack, driving the Galles/Monsoon Aurora says he was hit from behind. Giaffone, starting in the middle of row five, said the other two cars came in on him. Gregoire, driving for Chastain Motorsports, doesn't know what happened. He wants to look at the tape. None of the drivers were injured.
The track stayed yellow for several laps as the clean up for the parade lap accident continued. When the green came out, Luyendyk, starting from the pole, led through four corners. Tony Stewart took the lead before the cars hit the start/finish line at the end of the first lap. After racing for 11 laps the yellow came out for Claude Bourbonnais as he smoked his engine. Bourbonnaise drives for Blueprint racing along with stable mates Jim Guthrie and Sam Schmidt. The three drivers received their engines after the carb day practice session and were allowed to practice in a special session on Saturday. The practice session was not effective. Sam Schmidt and Jim Guthrie have already experienced engine problems as well.
One of the biggest movers in the race so far is Roberto Guerrero. He started in the twenty first position and has moved to fifteenth in only 11 laps of green flag racing. Guerrero, driving for Pennzoil, has been low on power all month. He said his car is handling great in traffic. He has passed many of the cars using a high groove in the turns. A couple more laps passed.... then the sprinkles came. The race was red flagged after fifteen laps of racing. It is not a downpour as it was yesterday, but it is wet enough to halt the race. The drizzle will not be difficult to dry. The high winds at the speedway this afternoon will aid in the drying process. Tony Stewart is the leader after fifteen laps. Indy 500 On Schedule . . . So Far INDIANAPOLIS (10:30 AM): The cars are aligned on the front straight. The drivers are leaving the garage area. Many of them are getting their first look at the massive crowds that attend the Indy 500 each year. There are thirteen rookies that are seeing this sight for the time.
This track will look very different to those rookie drivers today. The main straightaway will look much narrower than it has in during the practice sessions. The grandstands, flowing with color, will give the optical illusion of "traveling through a tunnel". Affonso Giaffone one of the rookies in today's race, is not too terribly concerned about this tunnel effect. He says "We are race drivers and will adapt to the situation". Giaffone is a good one too. He cut his teeth in Indy lights a couple of years ago. He finished third in that competitive series. He led the Indy Racing League event at Phoenix for thirteen laps. Giaffone attended the Indy 500 last year as a spectator and realized that this is the place he must be. The track festivities have begun.... The goose bumps are appearing.... It is raceday. Terry Callahan -- The Auto Channel |
