Indy News Briefs

05/13/96

On Friday Dutch Driver Arie Luyendyk drove his Ford-powered Reynard through the fastest lap ever run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. At 239.260 mph, Luyendyk broke his own record, which he set during Thursday's practice (237.774 mph).

On Saturday Johnny Parsons, Jr. crashed into the Speedway's third wall during warm-ups. Parsons bruised his foot and was released from the track-side hospital. A tire rolling away from Parsons' car struck Luyendyk's back wheel, causing him mechanical problems.

During qualifications on Saturday Scott Brayton, Arie Luyendyk, and Tony Stewart drove fast enough to fill the front row. Luyendyk's qualifying time was later thrown out, after official's determined that his racer was seven pounds under the 1,550-pound weight minimum. Officials judged that there was no malicious intent on the part of the team. Luyendyk's team worked double time to get him back on the track after the Parsons wreck caused mechanical problems. Luyendyk's qualification run was disallowed and his car was charged with one qualifying attempt.

On Sunday Arie Luyendyk was back with a vengeance, though, setting more track records. He bested the records for the fastest four lap average and the fastest lap--both of which had been set by Scott Brayton on Saturday. The pole position was locked up on Saturday, so Luyendyk couldn't get it, but he turned a four lap average of 236.986 mph and a fastest lap of 237.498. Luyendyk will start the Indy 500 from the inside of the seventh row, in the twenty first position.

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Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel