Indianapolis Motor Speedway Trackside Report, Day 16
17 May 1997
IMS Trackside Report
Day 16, Saturday, May 17
Third Qualifying Day
Motorsports photographer Jesse Alexander has a career that has spanned
four decades around the world. Despite the 68-year-old Californian's
longtime reputation for his powerful black-and-white images of motor
racing, he has not attended the Indianapolis 500. In celebration of
its first appearance in the Indianapolis 500, Nissan and its Infiniti
luxury division have commissioned Alexander to photograph the drivers,
crew members and race cars that make up this year's Infiniti Indy
project...all in black-and-white.
Championship Auto Racing Auxiliary (CARA) will hold its 16th annual
"500" Fashion Show and Luncheon Friday, May 23 at the Westin Hotel.
The luncheon is scheduled for noon and fashion show is at 1 p.m. Kai
Binford, 1997 chairperson, said the theme for the show would be
"Winning Spirit". Laura George is honorary chairperson and MCs will
include Kristi Lee and Dave Calabro. Since its inception in 1981,
CARA has donated more than $650,000 to numerous racing and
child-related causes and charities. Tickets are $50 each with an
additional $15 for the Patron Party at 11 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency
and may be purchased by contacting the CARA office at (317)299-2277.
Update on driver Johnny O'Connell from Dr. Henry Bock, Speedway
medical director: O'Connell underwent surgery Friday by trauma
orthopedist Dr. Dean Marr to repair his dislocated left foot. The
surgery was successful and he will remain at Methodist Hospital for
two or three days. After his release, his foot will remain in a cast
for six to eight weeks. He remains in good condition.
Morning Practice Notes:
9:30 a.m. _ YELLOW, #91 Unser smoking, stopped on course.
9:32 a.m. _ The temperature was 62 degrees with southwest winds at 14 miles
an hour.
10:02 a.m. _ #11 Boat turned a lap at 216.201 miles an hour, fastest of session.
10:08 a.m. _ #28 Dismore turned a lap at 217.360, fastest of session.
10:15 a.m. _ #97 Ray turned a lap at 215.260, third fastest of session.
Mark Dismore, Billy Boat and Dennis Vitolo each turned their
fastest lap of the month during the session.
Top Speeds: #28 Dismore 217.360; #11 Boat 216.201; #97 Ray 215.260; #50 Roe
212.394; #18 Carlson 211.531; #16 Schmidt 208.904; #54 Vitolo 208.522; #33
Velez 208.083; #91 Unser 204.834; #72 Bourbonnais 123.126.
At 11:00 a.m. the ambient temperature was 77 degrees and the track
temperature 103 degrees, according to Goodyear tire engineers.
11:00 a.m. #97 Greg Ray pulled off the race track with engine trouble during
qualification attempt warm up lap.
11:35 a.m. #11 BILLY BOAT/Phoenix, AZ
Conseco AJ Foyt Enterprises - D/A/G
QA - 34 1 -- 41.961 -- 214.485 Q - 24
2 -- 41.609 -- 216.299
3 -- 41.722 -- 215.714
4 -- 41.727 -- 215.688
T 2:47.019 -- 215.544
11:42 a.m. #50 BILLY ROE/Gilbert, AZ
Sega/Progressive Electronics/Eurointernational - D/A/F
QA - 35 1 -- 42.412 -- 212.204 Q - 25
2 -- 42.200 -- 213.270
3 -- 42.421 -- 212.159
4 -- 42.178 -- 213.381
T 2:49.211 -- 212.752
11:47 a.m. #33 FERMIN VELEZ/Barcelon, Spain
Old Navy Scandia Alta Xcel - D/A/G
QA - 36 1 -- 43.040 -- 209.108 Q - 26
2 -- 43.350 -- 207.612 Locked In
3 -- 43.917 -- 204.932
4 -- 44.017 -- 204.466
T 2:54.324 -- 206.512
11:54 a.m. #18 TYCE CARLSON/Indianapolis, IN
Klipsch Tnemec Overhead Door Pyle V-Line Earl's - D/A/G
QA - 37 1 -- 42.400 -- 212.264 Q - 27
2 -- 42.517 -- 211.680 Locked In
3 -- 42.689 -- 210.827
4 -- 43.130 -- 208.671
T 2:50.736 -- 210.852
11:59 a.m. #54 DENNIS VITOLO/Golden Beach, FL
SmithKline Beecham/Kroger/Beck Motorsports - D/I/F
QA - 38 1 -- 43.376 -- 207.488 Q - 28
2 -- 43.367 -- 207.531 Locked In
3 -- 43.340 -- 207.660
4 -- 43.306 -- 207.823
T 2:53.389 -- 207.626
At 12:00 p.m. the ambient temperature was 79 degrees and the track
temperature 120 degrees, according to Firestone tire engineers.
12:05 p.m. #28 MARK DISMORE/Greenfield, IN
Kelley Automotive Group - D/A/G
QA - 39 1 -- 41.881 -- 214.895 Q - 29
2 -- 42.104 -- 213.756 Locked In
3 -- 42.477 -- 211.879
4 -- 43.011 -- 209.249
T 2:49.473 -- 212.423
12:12 p.m. #16 SAM SCHMIDT/Las Vegas, NV
HOPE Prepaid Fuel Card - D/A/F
QA - 40 1 -- 41.636 -- 216.159 Q - 30
2 -- 41.903 -- 214.782
3 -- 41.968 -- 214.449
4 -- 41.825 -- 215.182
T 2:47.332 -- 215.141
12:19 p.m. #22 MARCO GRECO/Sao Paulo, Brazil
Side Play International Scandia Alta Xcel - D/A/G
QA - 41 1 -- 42.265 -- 212.942 Q - 31
2 -- 42.718 -- 210.684 Locked In
3 -- 43.036 -- 209.127
4 -- 43.147 -- 208.589
T 2:51.166 -- 210.322
After Mark Dismore qualified, he took a stool out in front of the
PDM/Kelley garage in Gasoline Alley, dragged out a Sharpie (pen) and
started to sign autographs. Two and a half hours later, he was done,
after signing everything from T-shirts to "hero" cards to a man's bald
head. At one point, a team member brought him a new Sharpie when the
first one had well run down its felt-tip point. "I think I
flat-spotted that one," was Dismore's comment.
At 3 p.m., Linda Conti, a spokesperson for Thomas Knapp Motorsports,
said that a piston failed on Greg Ray's #97 Tobacco Free Kids entry as
he warmed up before bidding to make a qualifying attempt this
morning. Conti added that the team was installing its race engine and
was waiting on an inner cooler in order to make a qualifying attempt
this afternoon.
Veteran Hideshi Matsuda passed the driver physical today, according to
Dr. Henry Bock, Speedway medical director.
At 5:32 p.m., Claude Bourbonnais in the #72 Blueprint Racing entry
went high in Turn 2 and brushed the wall with the right rear for
approximately 20 feet, came off the wall 40 feet and brushed the wall
again for 10 feet hit again with the right front, then came off the
wall and drove to the pits on two wheels. The car sustained right rear
suspension and rim damage, rear wing mount damage and minor right
front damage. The car will be repaired, according to a team spokesman.
Speedway medical director Dr. Henry Bock reported Bourbonnais was
uninjured and cleared to drive.
CLAUDE BOURBONNAIS: "I had a bit of a push. I came in and did some
changes. I was going faster. It was better. I had a little push in
turn 2. I touched the wall and did a little damage. I misjudged the
changes and couldn't get into the apex. We just made some progress.
We'll be back out tomorrow."
18 cars were on the track today, running 611 laps. Cars on track
today: #4 Brack; #7 Salazar; #11 Boat; #12 Calkins; #16 Schmidt; #18
Carlson; #22 Greco; #28 Dismore; #33 Velez; #34 Zampedri; #36
Harrington; #50 Roe; #51T Cheever; #54 Vitolo; #72 Bourbonnais; #91
Unser; #91T Lazier; #97 Ray.
A total of 48 cars are now at the Speedway, 46 have passed technical
inspection and 0 are in the process. 38 drivers have been on the track to
date. There were 12 yellows for 1 hour, 59 minutes.
At 6:04 p.m., the temperature was 81 degrees and winds were out of the
west at 10 miles an hour.