IRL: Phoenix prize report

For Immediate Release IRL PAYS $1,080,500 FOR DURA-LUBE 200 AT PHOENIX WINNER ARIE LUYENDYK AWARDED $132,000 INDIANAPOLIS, March 28, 1996 -- Driver Arie Luyendyk won $132,000 of a $1,080,500 purse by taking the checkered flag in Sunday's ...

For Immediate Release

IRL PAYS $1,080,500 FOR DURA-LUBE 200 AT PHOENIX WINNER ARIE LUYENDYK AWARDED $132,000

INDIANAPOLIS, March 28, 1996 -- Driver Arie Luyendyk won $132,000 of a $1,080,500 purse by taking the checkered flag in Sunday's Dura-Lube 200 Indy Racing League event at Phoenix International Raceway. The purse was announced today.

The 42-year-old Dutchman, winner of the 1990 Indianapolis 500, notched his first Indianapolis car win since 1991 and the fourth of his career. He put his Jonathan Byrd's Cafeteria/Bryant Heating & Cooling Special -- a '95 Reynard/Ford Cosworth machine -- on the pole adding an extra $10,000 for the True Value Pole Winning Chief Mechanic's Award (to Brad McCanless) into the first-place total for the Jonathan Byrd/Treadway Racing team.

The Dura-Lube 200 IRL payoff eclipses the $1,078,500 purse at the League's first race, the Indy 200 at Walt Disney World Presented by Aurora, on Jan. 27. Luyendyk's Phoenix winner's share with the pole award tops Disney winner Buzz Calkins' first-place prize which was $122,500.

Luyendyk's prizes included the $78,000 IRL first place award and the $22,000 IRL qualifying bonus which goes to each of the top 20 qualifiers at every IRL event, adding up to the $100,000 base prize. Another $32,000 came from sponsors of Designated Awards. That included the $10,000 from True Value, $7,500 from J.C. Carter Company, Inc., $5,000 from Cooper Automotive/Champion Spark Plug, $3,000 from AC Delco/Delco Battery, $3,000 from STP Products, and $1,000 from Emco Gears, Inc.

Second-place finisher Scott Sharp, driving the Conseco/AJ Foyt Racing Lola/Ford Cosworth, won $86,250, while third-place Mike Groff won $71,250 in the AJ Foyt Enterprises Lola/Ford Cosworth. Top-finishing rookie Richie Hearn, driving to fourth place in his Ralph's Food 4 Less/Della Penna Motorsports Reynard/Ford Cosworth, totaled $72,500 thanks in part to the $10,000 Highest Finishing Rookie award from Raybestos Brake Parts, Inc., the $2,500 American Dairy Association Fastest Qualifying Rookie Award (Hearn was second) and $2,500 from A.C. Delco/Delco Battery.

The IRL prize fund for the Dura-Lube 200 was $1,015,000, plus $65,500 in Designated Awards. In two races this year, the IRL has paid total prize money of $2,169,000. Next up on the IRL schedule is the 80th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 26, with an expected purse in excess of $8 million. The race will be aired live on ABC Sports television and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network.