Indianapolis 500 Qualifying : No Day for Play, Rahal Tends to Business

INDIANAPOLIS — National driving champion Bobby Rahal had to cancel an important golf date Sunday at the Crooked Stick Country Club, in nearby Carmel, Ind., because he failed to qualify Saturday for the May 29 Indianapolis 500 during the opening day of qualifications.

Sunday, he sat around for more than five hours waiting for weather conditions to improve before he took his Judd-powered Lola out on the track for its official four-lap time trial. When conditions deteriorated instead of improving, Rahal went out anyway at 5:30 p.m. and qualified by lapping Indianapolis Motor Speedway at an average of 208.526 m.p.h.

“It was a blow to us not getting in the show yesterday, to the whole team, but to me personally because I had that golf date,” said Rahal, who has become a golfing fanatic since moving into a home adjacent to Jack Nicklaus’ Muirfield course in Dublin, Ohio.

“It was hairy going out there today but we couldn’t wait until next weekend. What if it rained?

“When I went through turn four on the first lap, it was the closest I’ve ever come to losing a car at Indianapolis. Thank goodness I quit smoking, so I could hold my breath for four laps. Last year, all I could hold it for was two, and that wouldn’t have been enough today.”

Rahal, who won the Indy 500 two years ago from the fourth starting position, will start the 72nd annual race in two weeks from the outside of the seventh row, position No. 21.

“The wind made it treacherous and I don’t recall ever having a more difficult time qualifying here. Not only was the wind awful, but the track was much hotter than yesterday. It was very, very slippery and if that wasn’t enough, there were pieces of paper blowing all over the track. When you’re going as fast as we were, they’re not going to hurt you, but they’re a heck of a distraction.”

Rahal did not qualify Saturday because on one attempt his car would not start and on the other a fuel line cable broke during a run in which he was averaging 212 m.p.h.

“That 208 today was much more impressive to me than a 212 yesterday, considering the conditions,” Rahal said.

Only one other driver, Jim Crawford of Scotland, in drag racer Kenny Bernstein’s Buick-powered Lola, qualified Sunday. Crawford, making his first start since suffering serious leg injuries a year ago when he crashed on the first lap of qualifications, averaged 210.564 m.p.h.

“It’s a wonderful thing to see Jim come through something like this after watching his dedication during rehabilitation of his legs,” Bernstein said after flying here from Memphis, Tenn., where earlier in the day he lost in the second round of funny car eliminations during the National Hot Rod Assn. Quaker State Nationals.

Crawford, who was running 236 m.p.h. down the front straightaway last year and couldn’t stop before hitting the first turn wall, had both feet dislocated, two broken ankles, a broken right leg and a broken left knee. He has had six operations to put his feet back together, including a bone graft from his right hip to his right ankle.

“I am really surprised I am here,” Crawford said. “I thought it would take another year before I could get in and out of a car properly, but I knew after one gear shift here that I could do it.

“I never doubted I would eventually be back because if I didn’t, I could never find a proper job.”

Asked how he felt as he took the green flag and headed into the first turn Sunday, the exuberant Scotsman laughed and said, “Like I was going 246. But this time it was closer to 225.”

Crawford walks with a cane and is undergoing daily therapy at the Indianapolis Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine facility.

Bernstein’s other Buick driver, three-time Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford, did not fare so well.

Rutherford crashed during morning practice, damaging his car enough so that it cannot be repaired until Thursday.

“The car suffered front and rear suspension and minor chassis damage,” said crew chief Mark Scott. “The car is repairable, however, and we hope to have it ready for next weekend’s qualifications.

Rutherford, who has driven in 23 Indy 500s, will have two more chances to qualify Saturday and Sunday when the remainder of the 33-car field will be filled for the 500. He was taken to Methodist Hospital after complaining of a sore chest, but was released and returned to the track in time to watch Crawford’s four laps.

The only other driver to attempt a run was rookie Jeff Andretti in Mike Curb’s Skoal Bandit Lola. Andretti, who is Mario’s nephew, put together three laps at 204.8, but on the fourth lap his crew decided to call it off because they felt it was too slow. Andretti will have another chance this weekend.

Four-time winner A.J. Foyt, who fumbled two chances to make the field Saturday, elected to wait another week before trying for his 31st consecutive 500. Foyt has only one more chance to qualify his Lola. But if he fails with it, he has several other cars entered which he can use. Foyt’s normal pattern is to qualify his own car, then get one ready for his buddy George Snider, but Snider could be sitting on the sidelines this year if Super Tex needs the No. 2 car.