IRL: Showtime is Finally Here for Team Menard as the Brickyard Opens for Business
15 May 1999
INDIANAPOLIS - It's the crowning achievement for any race driver or team owner who's been to Victory Lane at the Brickyard, the goal of anyone who's ever strapped themselves into an open-wheel race car: the Indianapolis 500.Team Menard, with it's new driver Greg Ray and the #2 Glidden-Menards Dallara/Aurora/Firestone entry, are as ready as ever to make their run at the ultimate prize in the 83rd renewal of the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing."
"This is what it all comes down to," said team owner John Menard, who's been a fixture at Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1979 and has fielded entries for such notable drivers as Herm Johnson, Mark Dismore, Arie Luyendyk, Gary Bettenhausen, Nelson Piquet, Al Unser, Scott Brayton and Eddie Cheever. "There is no more important race to win in the world than this one. And we've been as focused as we've ever been on coming out on top. All the pieces seem to be in place. Now, our fingers are crossed in hopes that our hard work and determination pay off."
Ray, the 32-year-old Texan who shocked the world at last year's Indy 500 by qualifying a then-unsponsored car second on the grid, stepped up to the Team Menard camp this season and wasted no time getting his new ride up to speed on the test track and at the first three Pep Boys Indy Racing League events of 1999.
"What a difference a year makes," Ray said. "This is a solid organization from top to bottom, loaded with some of the best racing people in the business. It's the opportunity of a lifetime for me, knowing I can show up at the track and focus all my energy on driving. Team Menard is primed, and I plan to keep my end of the bargain."
In its methodical yet determined march toward this year's Indy 500, the familiar, brightly colored #2 Glidden-Menards car has been at the front of the pack all season, qualifying on the pole its last two times out and narrowly missing it a third time. And in early testing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Ray clocked the fastest unofficial speed of the season thus far at 227 mph.
"It's all a credit to way everybody has found a way to turn it up a notch this season, to find a way to do their job better than ever before," Menard said. "The players have demonstrated that Team Menard is deep in talent."
New team manager Thomas Knapp stepped into the picture this year to play the role of orchestra leader to a unit that features chief mechanic John O'Gara and engine builder Butch Meyer.
"We've spent a considerable amount of time focusing on the fundamentals," Knapp said. "We worked long and hard on issues such as fit and finish on the race car, and the fine-tuning we've done there have brought us tenths of seconds on the racetrack. Johnny (O'Gara) is a true leader and he has his troops running on all cylinders. We've also made great strides with our engine program. Butch (Meyer) has spent a lot of hours making sure our motors go the distance, yet maintain the speed it takes to stay up front. This is a true team effort."
For Menard, the proud owner who's brought teams to the Brickyard for the past 20 years, the story gets twice as exciting with the addition of Team Gordon to his racing portfolio. He, co-owner/driver Robby Gordon, and Mike Held formed Southern California-based Team Gordon this past offseason with a focus on the CART FedEx Championship Series. But his association with Menard (and an agreement with his sponsors) gives the 30-year-old Gordon the opportunity to participate in this year's Indy 500, as well. The two programs, with Menard as the common denominator, plan to combine efforts with one common goal - bringing home a winner at Indy.
"It's quite exciting," said Menard, who'll also be rooting for Gordon's #23 Johns Manville/Menards/Duracell G-Force/Aurora/Firestone entry. "We've got two different chassis combinations, which gives us the best of both worlds. And we've got two great drivers who are stubborn about which one wants to win it more. It should be fun"
Daily practice for the 83rd Indianapolis 500 begins Saturday (May 15), with pole qualifying set for Saturday (May 22). Race day is Sunday (May 30) with the green flag set to fall at 11 a.m. CDT. ABC-TV will provide live television coverage.
Editors Note: For hundreds of hot racing photos and racing art, be sure to visit The Racing ImageGalleries and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.