PAUL JR. REACHES 213.614 IN GOODYEAR TEST AT SPEEDWAY

    

INDIANAPOLIS, Monday, April 14, 1997 -- John Paul, Jr. turned a lap at
213.614 miles an hour to lead three Indy Racing League drivers during a
pre-May testing session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Paul Jr., took
PDM Racing's Klipsch/Tnemec/Overhead Door/Pyle/V-Line/Earl's
Dallara/Oldsmobile Aurora to the fast lap on control tires as part of a
Goodyear test. In all, he ran 104 laps on the 2 �-mile oval as the teams
prepare for the 81st running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 25.

Rookie Jack Miller got his first ever run at the Speedway in a system-check
session of 24 laps in the AMS/Crest Racing Dallara/Nissan Infiniti Indy.

Buzz Calkins turned 58 laps in the Bradley Food Marts G Force/Aurora. Robby
Gordon ran 12 laps in Team Sabco's Coors Light G Force/Aurora.
***
QUOTES:
JOHN PAUL, JR.: "We're testing different tires right now. I'm curious to see
what it's going to be when it's hot like Friday (of race weekend) in
Phoenix. Then, I think it'll be different. We've been trying some things. We
made a change to the sump and got 500 miles or so on it. We have some things
we want to do to take away the drag. I always find laps here help me -- the
more, the better." (about competition with the new IRL cars and engines):
"It's given us all the opportunity to be competitive. We were pretty good at
Phoenix as far as competitiveness is concerned. Here, we seem to be right
there. Overall, it's a pretty good format. With (Jim) Guthrie winning the
race (at Phoenix), it should get teams with other series to say, 'There is
an opportunity there.' The racing's going to be close." (about his chances
in the "500"): "It is by far (my best chance to win the race). I've waited a
long time to have a car like I had at Phoenix. We're clicking as a team.
Twice, I think, I've been here for one day of testing (before May) but never
three times. That's because we're helping Goodyear. Luckily, we're fast
enough to be of use to them. We're really looking forward to this. I'd like
to BE IN this race for once. Between Paul (Diatlovich) and Chuck (Buckman,
co-owners of PDM), they give me a basic setup that I can trust to run on the
edge with."

DR. JACK MILLER: (about being on the Speedway for the first time): "Never
(on it) in my life ... not even on that tour bus. It's awesome. I thought
I'd get caught up in the mental part of it but I really didn't have time to.
The 35 years or so I've been coming out here since I was a kid, it's kind of
mind-boggling to be actually doing it. We didn't go real quick, obviously,
just doing a system check. The real test will be tomorrow when we start
going quicker. We wanted to take it one step at a time."