Indy Car People Have Only Selves to Fear

Where is Indy car racing headed? Will it self-destruct, as major league baseball tried to do? Or will it somehow right itself and continue as one of the country’s most competitive and attractive motor racing series?

Championship Auto Racing Teams, the sanctioning body for all Indy car races except the Indianapolis 500, tried to shoot itself in the foot, but thanks to Jacques Villeneuve, it missed. Only a convincing championship run by the precocious French-Canadian driver prevented CART from one of racing’s most embarrassing circumstances.

Villeneuve’s chief competition for the $1-million champion’s bonus was Al Unser Jr., the defending champion from Roger Penske’s powerful team.

On June 25, Unser finished first in a race at Portland, but, after a post-race inspection of his car, was disqualified. The victory was awarded to Jimmy Vasser. Appeals by Penske kept the championship points available from the race in limbo until Sept. 22--nearly two weeks after the season ended and only three days shy of three months after the race was run.

The verdict, before an appeals panel of three, went in Unser’s favor. The Portland victory was restored. Regardless of the merits of the case, the time it took was ridiculous.

Fortunately for CART’s image, Villeneuve had clinched the title Sept. 10 at Laguna Seca. Had the points race been closer, the million-dollar prize would have been decided in court rather than on the track.

Now, with the focus on 1996, the image of Indy car racing is blurred by the infighting between CART and the new kid on the block, Tony George’s Indy Racing League.

George, head man at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, started the unraveling of Indy car racing when he announced that his IRL would run in competition with CART and that his series would include the Indianapolis 500, motor racing’s most visible and cherished event.

CART reacted as if George had taken all its toys away, though, in reality, it never has had control over the 500. The race had become part of the PPG Cup driver’s championship package at the insistence of Jim Chapman, then PPG’s motor racing director. The championship series for 15 years has included 15 or 16 CART races, plus the Indy race, which remained under control of the United States Auto Club, from which CART divorced itself in 1979.

The central point in the conflict is the IRL’s announcement that 25 of the 33 starting positions in the 500 will be reserved for drivers who competed in IRL races in Orlando, Fla., and Phoenix. The other eight would be open to all.

“Foul,” screamed CART drivers, owners and fans.

Said Bobby Rahal, driver-owner and former Indy 500 winner: “I have no intention of trying for one of the eight spots. I do not intend to run Orlando or Phoenix. Obviously, I want to run at Indy, but I am not going to run under Tony’s qualifying rules. I firmly believe that, whether we run Indy or not, the [CART] series can stand on its own merit. Individually, all our races live and prosper, and I don’t believe Indy has the impact it once had on the series as a whole.”

Said Bruce McCaw, owner of the PacWest team: “We cannot jeopardize the integrity of this series for the sake of one race.”

Said the IRL: “Wait a minute.”

“The Indianapolis 500 is part of our series, not CART’s series,” said Jack Long, IRL executive director. “If you want to compete in a certain race in a series, it’s logical you would run in the entire series. In golf, for instance, if you want to play in the PGA, you play on the PGA Tour or you qualify from a limited number of open spots.”

Said Eddie Cheever, an Indy 500 veteran who will drive for Team Menard in the IRL series: “I don’t mean to demean the other circuits, [but] when I came to the States, my sole objective was to win the Indianapolis 500. Six months ago, I made my decision that the IRL was the series I wanted to be racing in.”

Stay tuned: The opening IRL race is only four months away, CART’s six weeks later.

Motor Racing Notes

STOCK CARS--Only three races remain in the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour season as the late model stock car drivers head for San Bernardino and Saturday night’s Coors 100 at the Orange Show Speedway. After 14 races, Lance Hooper of Palmdale holds an 85-point lead over M.K. Kanke of Granada Hills. In the rookie race, Kevin Harvick, 19, of Bakersfield took a commanding lead when he won last week’s feature at Tucson. . . . Kern County Raceway will hold its final points races for all classes Saturday night. . . . Ventura Raceway will close its stock car season Saturday night. . . . The Coors 100 for sportsman drivers and a train race are scheduled Saturday night at Cajon Speedway. . . . The 18th annual Bill Baker Memorial at Santa Maria Speedway will feature final points races Saturday night.

MISCELLANY--The Sprint Car Racing Assn. will be at Mohave Speedway in Bullhead City, Ariz., on Saturday night. . . . The Exxon World Sports Car championships will be held Saturday night at Phoenix International Raceway.

NECROLOGY--Dick Steinbeck, longtime promoter of races at San Bernardino’s Orange Show Speedway, died Saturday of cancer at his home in San Bernardino. Steinbeck, 64, once promoted racing at Bakersfield’s Mesa Marin Speedway. He is survived by his wife, Linda. . . . Robert Sweeney, 58, former chief steward for NASCAR Winston West races, died of cancer in Redlands. Sweeney is survived by his wife, Joan, three daughters and five sons.