Luyendyk Rebounds For Record

When last viewed, which was late Saturday afternoon at Indianapolis, Arie Luyendyk was one unhappy race-car driver. His recent hours had been marred by a near-accident and a pair of blown engines, and then, as some final, grand insult, he had lost the pole position in the Indianapolis 500 to Scott Brayton of Team Menard.

“I’m (teed) off, basically,” he said shortly after that happened, and this was even before he learned his car had weighed in seven pounds too light. That meant his run would be disallowed and he would have to drive again Sunday to qualify for the May 26 race.

Luyendyk had turned a 239.260 m.p.h. lap in practice earlier Sunday, and was ready to take dead aim at the one-lap (233.851) and four-lap (233.718) qualification records Brayton had set on Saturday. This was all that was left to him now, because the pole is decided on the first day of qualifying.

Luyendyk turned his first lap in a record 236.239, his second in a record 236.948. He turned his third lap in a record 237.260, his fourth in a record 237.498. He finished his four laps in a record average of 236.986.

Foyt blasts CART and car owners

A.J. Foyt blasted Championship Auto Racing Teams, calling the car owners who are boycotting the Indianapolis 500 crybabies and ingrates.

At a news conference after the four-time Indy winner and current car owner put three of his entries into the May 26 lineup, Foyt said none of the CART drivers would be at Michigan International Speedway for the renegade U.S. 500 if they weren’t under contract with their owners.

“I mean, I know that personally, because all of them was here, at my shop. It’s a terrible thing. They’re the ones that are suffering,” Foyt said.

“This is the biggest race track in the world, and the world knows it after 80 years. Like I’ve always said, it’s like the Kentucky Derby, you can’t replace tradition regardless of megabucks or what. I think all of them are so jealous and so hurt that they’re not here, they should be here.”

Brayton joins select list

Scott Brayton is in select company after winning the pole position a second consecutive year for the Indianapolis 500.

Brayton, the most experienced driver at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this month with 14 previous Indy starts, is the seventh driver to accomplish the feat.

Among the others is four-time Indy 500 winner Rick Mears, who started on the pole six times and was the last to capture back-to-back poles in 1988-89, and Spokane native Tom Sneva.

Rookie update

Nine rookies at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway qualified for the May 26 race on the first day of time trials. Tony Stewart has the top speed among the newcomers at an all-time first-year record 233.100. He’s followed by Mexico’s Michel Jordain Jr., at 229.380 and Buzz Calkins at 229.013.

Rain completes weekend washout

Rain washed out the NASCAR Busch Grand National Stanley 200 at the New Hampshire International Speedway. The race has been rescheduled for July 12.