IRL: Olds Indy 500 Notes Day 3

OLDSMOBILE AND RAY REIGN ON RAINY DAY 3

IRL Aurora V8s Post 13 Fastest Times Before the Deluge

INDIANAPOLIS, May 17, 1999 - There was something in the air when 37 drivers took to the track for the third day of practice for the Indianapolis 500 - rising humidity and lots of water vapor. At 3:45 p.m., a long-predicted downpour brought an early end to the day.

Before the rain came, 35 racers using IRL Aurora V8 engines completed 866 laps around the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. Greg Ray topped the speed chart for the third straight day with a 224.843 mph lap in Team Menard's Oldsmobile Dallara. Unheralded rookie John Hollansworth turned the second fastest lap at 221.669 mph.

* Oldsmobile engines turned the 13 fastest speeds and powered 37 of the 40 car/driver combinations that practiced on Day 3. Two Nissan drivers ran a total of 47 laps.

* Familiar Faces: With the exception of the surprising Hollansworth, all of the "usual suspects" checked in with fast laps. Reigning Pep Boys Indy Racing League champion Kenny Brack was third fastest at 221.282, followed by Arie Luyendyk (221.119 mph), Scott Goodyear (220.848), Sam Schmidt (220.448), Buddy Lazier (219.909), and Tony Stewart (219.764). Roberto Guerrero was the fastest Infiniti Indy driver, ranked 14th at 218.383 mph.

* Aurora Report: As the annual car/driver shuffle begins to sort itself out at the Speedway, the roster of teams supplied by Oldsmobile engine builders is firming up. Brayton Engineering of Coldwater, Mich., is the most prolific IRL Aurora V8 engine builder with nine teams representing 12 drivers. Speedway Engine Development of Indianapolis is supplying seven teams with nine drivers. Katech and Comptech Machine each have three teams in their respective camps. Roush Technologies has two teams, while Blueprint Racing, Klein Engines, NAC Engines, Shaver Racing Engines, and Team Menard are supplying single teams at Indy. Of course, all of this is subject to change before race day!

* Today's Aurora Factoid: When the piston in an IRL Aurora V8 changes direction at the top of its stroke, its inertia exerts a load of more than 10,000 pounds on the connecting rod. That's the equivalent of lifting six Indy cars, plus a couple of 250-pound crewmen, 10,000 times per minute!

* TOP 10 DRIVERS OF THE DAY Pos/Car # Driver Entry Engine Speed 1. 2T Greg Ray Team Menard Oldsmobile 224.843 2. 42 John Hollansworth Team Xtreme Oldsmobile 221.669 3. 14 Kenny Brack A.J. Foyt Ent. Oldsmobile 221.282 4. 5 Arie Luyendyk Treadway Racing Oldsmobile 221.119 5. 4T Scott Goodyear Panther Racing Oldsmobile 220.848 6. 99 Sam Schmidt Treadway Racing Oldsmobile 220.448 7. 91T Buddy Lazier Hemelgarn Racing Oldsmobile 219.909 8. 22 Tony Stewart Tri Star Mtrspt. Oldsmobile 219.764 9. 2 Greg Ray Team Menard Oldsmobile 219.700 10. 21T jeff Ward Pagan Racing Oldsmobile 219.673