The Independent-News, Volume 97, Number 1, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 28 May 1970 — Page 2
— THE INDEPENDENT-NEWS — MAY 28, 1970
2
Fast Field Ready for ”500" Saturday
Veteran drivers in cars pow- ( ere' by turbocharged Ford and Offenhauser engines dominate the fast field which is poised for the start of the 54th annual Indianapolis 500-mile race at neon (EDT) Saturday. It will be the 25th International speed classic under the direction of Speedway President Tony Hulman and most members of the racing fraternity regard this year's event as one of the most wide-open battles of the last decade. All three front row drivers—including A. J. Foyt, who will be seeking an unprecedented fourth “Indy” victory—averaged better than 170 miles an hour on their official time tria.;; but they'll be hard pressed by such other former winners as Mario Andretti and Bobby Unser. Bobby's younger brother, Al, who missed the 1969 race because of injuries sustained iu a motorcycle accident, has turned in the fastest practice limes as well as the fastest qualification lime; but at least a dozen US AC veterans are rated as strong con- ' tenders for the winner's share of i a purse which is expected to exceed SBOO,OOO. Andre'ti, the defending champion, set the present race record of 156.807 miles an hour last year, including time spent in the pits on three stops for fuel. The rookie contingent this year ' is headed by NASCAR driver ; Donnie Allison, Rick Mulher and , Tony Adamowicz. All gates to the grounds will be opened at 6 a.m. Saturday and all race fans who have not ’ yet ] urchased tickets will be wel- , come at the usual general admis- . sion charge of $5 ? Pre-race ceremonies will get j
THE FIELD IS SET, the word is gs and Saturday the greatest single sporting event in history will unfold before a throng of as tile annual Memorial Day race as the annual Memrial Day race will ‘be held. As the activity progresses, one of the most enter tining and exciting and certain^y richest events will proceed as man and machine battle each othet and the clock. TSE EXCITEMENT OF THE 500 Starts long before the engines rout£ Aheady it has been happines> and heartbreak for the drivet 3g owners and mechanics. A tot J of 84 cars were entered at Indianapolis and only 33 are able to a|art. Accidents, breakdowns and Must the fact that some cars andi drivers cound not reach competition speeds ends a lot of timm and effort as well as money witlu any satisfaction of getting to ilin the race. For others it is ^happiness. Take Johnny ft th i ford for instance, formerly a h&rd luck driver who in six attempts had not yet made a complete race. All of a sudden on the first day of the time trials he is within a fraction of a second 'of the pole, setting right in tiie middle of the front row uhkn Lad to be somewhat of a Surprise to this heavy footed driver. ROOKIES HIT THE STARTing field each year, thus climaxirm a thrilling experience for the;;, as Indianapolis is the tops in closed curcuit driving. Just to pass the dirvers test and be aw tried a good car is rewardin_ but a good showing in the ra< e, makes it all complete. Then with a little more luck, a good run on Memorial Day and all of a Sudden a new hero is born. THE ACTUAL RACE DAY activities actually start the night before. Thousands upon thouSana; of race fans line the big 2'_ mih oval the night before to c t that shot at a prime in-fi-iu spot in the morning. At 5 GO t.m a cannon shot officially op ii the track and the rush is on After a night of eating, drinking and maybe sometimes hl"- p>.ng the entire scene shifts to the infield After moving in. tin nene is* sumhir but in a n -”'‘ paasanf loc.tmn Grills p-p.up .ill over the idue. picHKh Start immeditely md more
' Wal ^4 *l^ 1 IWE i ■ * * K fl 1 WH,'i .• :Z’ i* " SILiE3ISt^O r- • 1, Al Unser, pole position winner for Saturday's WC-rri!* rase, i gets final inslructions from Chief Steward Harki 1 en^kr kr the j traditional "flying start" of the 54th annual ever.?.
under way at 10:30 am., with a parade of bandr led by Purdue University's famous AH-America marching unit. Celebrities from the enter, ainment world will be introduced as they cii e the track in their Oldsmobile convertibles and Mr. Hulman's traditional command “Gentlemen, Start Your Engines” will be made over the public address
trunk lids are open than can be imagined as the few hours prior to the race finds relaxing, and food the order of the day. ONE CAN LOOK JUST A short distance and see a impromtu ball game, a game of catch with a football, those Inevitable lovers enjoying the close compony of each other and just acres and acres of the most interesting item in the world, people. A little later in the morning the second real rush comes as the people with reserved seats start to file in to claim their spots and watch and pagentry and the race. High school bands appear all around the big oval, playing for those in the front of them and not heard at all a few hundred yeards way. The famous Purdue All-American marching band is doing its thing on the main straightaway and from 8:00 or 8:30 on, the speedway network is booming interviews and conversations all around the field on their public address systems. It might be a veteran driver, maybe last year's winner, Andretti, or a rookie making his first attempt at Indy. It might be a car owner, or one of the head mechanics who has worked almost night and day for the month of May in preparation for this big moment. THE CELEBRATIES ARE present and introduced to al). The stands are rapidly filling now as people continue their efforts to lug coolers, baskets and boxes of food, radios, binoculars and just about everything else to their seats so they will be ready for the big moment. Pit crews start to get edgy, having trouble restraining themselves until that moment arrives By 10:00 a.m., they start pushing those lowslung speedsters out on the track and immediately 11 rows of three cars each start to grow. The tremendous number of people gathered around almost completely hide the little cars on the track, but all the time you will hear a steady murmur of "there's Andretti's car,” or "look at that pretty blue job of Bettenhausen's. Each and everyone has their favorites x and are talking about them. SHORTLY AFTER THE LINE ot Oldsmobile Ci I! \e it ibio Will 1 i the pit an t, and Umi their
l system as thcusa~’s c' multi- [ colored balloons float skyward : after the singing of “Back Home i Again in Indiana.” j Rodger Ward, a two-time wini ner of the “500,” will lead the field across the starting 'ine as driver of the handsome Oldsmobile 4-4-2 pace car w? • Mr. Hulman and /stionaut Pete Conrad k as his passengers.
two and a half mile drive around the track with pretty girls, more pretty girls, celebraties and more pretty girls waving to tne tnrong with big smiles on their faces. Things really start to happen then in the area of the tower as activity is picking up constantly. After the familiar tune of “Back Home Again In Indiana” floats over the area, the “Star Spangled Banner” is also sung and a moment of silence is observed by all. Then it is time for that most thrilling of all commands, “Gentlemen, Start Your Engines.” ALL OF A SUDDEN THE little powerhouses one by one, begin to roar. The crews are busy getting them going, fanning the motors as they idle, getting the starters off the track and one by one the hands go in the air, indicating the motor is running. There is always wild anticipation as one or two cars will not respond right away as the cars start to leave the main straightaway heading for that first turn on the pace lap. A big roar then goes up as the last stubborn engine turns over nad away goes the last driver to get his position in the starting field. As the cars follow the pace car around, the air is filled with thousands of colored balloons, just released on the infield. You can follow the progress by the roar of the engines as they move around. After a couple of minutes, a standing throng cheers as the 11 rows are now coming into site out of the furth and they make the most beautibful of pictures as they move by at a lowrate of speed. THE CARS THEN HEAD into the pace lap. This time their progress is marked by the firing of rockets at various points around the track. The noise gets louder as speed is slowly increasing and it is just a matter of seconds now until that white Olds slips into the pit area and Al Unser and 32 others lay on the throttle. By this time there is no more rows to the field as the drivers are thinking of getting good positions as they accelerate heading into number one. Pat Bedan will be waving queen flag madly rind the race is on. A PERSON IS NOT HUMAN if they haven't had..4* guou case
Robert E. Drbin, Editor PUBLISHER The Independent-News Co., Inc. 601-4)3 Roosevelt Road, Walkerton, Indiana 46574 Telephone 586-3139 PUBLICATION TIME: Thursday of Each Week Second Class Postage Paid At U alketon, Indiana •ÜBSCRUHION KATES: >3.00 Per Year • 50c Additional If Mailed Out Os State Member Os The Hoosier State Press Association Second Class Postage Paid At Walkerton, Indiana
of goose pimples in the lust five minutes as the big one is now at hand. After the cars all pass into the short south straight-a-way, everyone stands for the umteenth time and strains in the direction of number 4 to see if Unser held that lead or if he was ousted by A. J. Foyt in the third position. It doesn't take long at 165 or 166 mph for them to pop into view' and this time it is just after another zipping by with little gaps and little groups as the crowded race track finds some cars willing to drop back into good positions and others pushing all the harder to start passing cars ahead of them. THIS GOES ON FOR A FEW laps and then finally, crowd will settle down pop a beer or soft drink and start to watch the progress of the drivers as the race proceeds, always keeping one eye on that inevitable green light at the end of number one, hoping it won't turn yellow in a mass of twisting and crashing cars. For the next three hours it is noise, dirt and sun interferring with your viewing the race as one by one cars come limping into the pits with problems. or come racing in with that anticipated 18 or 19 second refueling stop and back out to complete their 500 mile drive. Again heartbreak and happiness follows as these daredevils of speed put it all on the line in the big one. THE SWJ IS SOMETHING everyone snould see once. Just the crowd and color makes it worth while and If ymu are a nut over it like yours Truly, the excitement of speed and challenge makes it truly, “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” THE COMPLETE FIELD FOR Saturday's race after the final two days of qualifying is. First Row Al Unser, Albuquque, N. M., Colt-Ford, 170-221 M. P. H. Johnny Rutherford, Fort Worth Tex., Eagle-Offenhauser, 170.213. A. J. Foyt Jr., Houton, Tex., Coyote-Ford, 170.044 Second Bow Roger McCluskey, Tucson, Ariz., Scorpion-Ford. 169.213. Mark Donohue, Media, Pa., Lo-la-Frd, 168.911, Art Pollard, Medford, Ore., King-Offenhauser, 168.595. Third Row Bobby Unser, Albuquerque, N. M., Eagle-Ford? 168.508.
JOHN NIEUBUURT i * Has Purchased The Verkier Limestone Service And It Wil! Be Known As John’s Limestone Service Phone Evenings 586-2465
Mario Andretti, Nazareth, Pa., STP-McNamara-Ford. 168.209. Jim Malloy, Denver, Colo., Ger« hardt-Offenhauser, 167.895. Fourth Row George Snider. Bakersfield, Calf.. Coyote-ForcL 167.660. Dan Guerney,Santa Ana, Calif. Eagle-Offenhauser, 166.860. Mike Mosley, Speedway City, Ind., Watson-Offenhauser, 166.65. Fifth Row Lee Roy Yarbrough, Columbia, S. C., Eagle-Ford, 166.559, Bruce Walkup, St. Paul, Ind,, Mongoose-Offenhauser, 166.459. Rick Muther, Laguna Beach, Calif., Brabham - Offenhauser, 165.654. Sixth Row Peter Revson. New York., Mc-Laren-Offenhauser, 167.942. Gordon Johncock, Mount Pleasant, Mich., Eagle-Frd, 167.015. Joe Leonard, San Jose, Calif., Colt-Ford, 166.898. Seventh Row Carl Williams, Kansas City, Mo., McLAren-Offenhauser, 166. 590. Gary Bettenhausen, Tinley Park, 111., Gerhardt-Offenhauser, 166.451, George Follmer, Arcadia, Calif. STP-Hawk-Ford, 166.052. Eighth Row Mel Kenyon, Lebanon, Inc., Coyote-Ford, 165.906. Donnie Allison, Hueytown, Ala., Eagle-Ford, 165.662. ‘ Wally Dallenbach, East Bruswick. N. Y., Eagle-Offenhauser, 163,592. Ninth Row Lloyd Ruby, Witchita Falls, Texas, Mongoose - Offenhauser, 168.895. Jack Brabham, Sydney, Australia, Brabham-Offenhauser, 166. 397. Ronnie Buckman. Capistrano, California, Cecil-Ford, 1G6.136. Tenth Row Greg Weld, Independence, Missouri, Gerhardt-Offenhauser, 166. 121. Jerry Grant, Seattle. Washington, Eagle-Offenhauser, 165.983. Bill Vukovich, Fresno, California, Bragham-Offenhauser, 165. 753. Eleventh Bow Dick Simon. Salt Lake City, Utah, Vollstedt-Ford, 165.548. Sam Sessions, Nashville. Tennessee, Eagle-Ford, 165.373. Jim McElreath, Arlington, Texas, Coyote-Ford, 166.321.