The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 20

THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR TUESDAY, MAY 31, 1977 WARNING ABOUT FOYT EXCEPTION PACE 20 Pre-R rong ace jbriiessing But Meyers said Mahler had been running "less than 160" when the change was ordered. And in one final development, Foyt's teammate, Bill Vukovich, awoke to discover he had led the "500" for the first time. The scoring recap showed him in front on Lap 26, a circuit previously credited to A.J. fines against nine crews for various pit ruie violations. Foyt's team got socked for $100 for "crew member walking in front of the pit wall continuously." Stiffest jolts went to teams for Gary Bettenhausen's Agajanian Evel Knievel and for Regazzoni for having six men over the wall.

USAC officials also confirmed that they ordered the Cannon-for-Mahler switch. "He was running too slow in the groove and was erratic," said referee Art Meyers. IT WAS A decision with which Mahler did not concur Sunday. "I feel fine," he said after the race. "I was running laps of 178-179." Clarence Cagle was getting his crews to work cleaning up the tons of debris left by 350,000 persons.

Bill Simpson was selling his McLaren that Clay Regazzoni drove Sunday to his sponsor, Teddy Yip, and negotiating to buy the two Roger Penske McLarens driven by Sneva and Andretti for delivery after the Ontario 500 on Labor Day weekend. FOYT SHOWED up during the morning for the winner's annual picture-taking grind, then left to get ready for the Victory Dinner. A few other drivers were around for a while, mostly just visiting. Johnny Rutherford, able to laugh through the pain of going from first to 33d in a year's time, jokingly suggested setting fire to his garage. There were a few developments when the report finally came down from timing and scoring on the official finish.

The Mergard 20th Century Eagle ad bm JT By DAVE OVERPECK Just about every year there are a lot of predictions made prior to the 500-Mile Race that the prog-nosticators find convenient to for- i give afterward. Sunday's 61st renewal didn't neces- sarily set a record in that department, but there's no denying there were plenty of bad guesses before the race. A few examples: WINNER A.J. Foyt said he expected several crashes, a lot of debris on the track and a "greasy" surface. Afterward he owned up.

"I was wrong," he said. "I'd have to say this was the cleanest race and some of the cleanest driving I've The track was iii great shape." i Several parties predicted the track i surface would change for the worse as the race went along and that crews would be scrambling to keep up with it. In fact, the track changed only minimally and what change there was was for the better. BOBBY UNSER, who drove one, forecasted that the -c 1 i Drakes would not be able to keep up with the V-8 Cosworths and Foyt. Gordon Johncock, in the Drake-Goossen-Sparks first cousin to the Drake Offy, led more than half the race and Bobby U.

was running consistently in the first five until an oil leak put him out. There were those who expressed doubts about the Cosworth's reliability and its fuel economy. Two of the Cosworths went the distance, with Tom Sneva finishing second and Al Unser third. Two of the others (Mario Andrew's and Danny Ongais') went out with cracked headers and the other (Johnny Rutherford's) was eliminated when it jumped out of gear. UNSER RAN OUT of fuel on his 200th lap and crew chief Jim Chapman admitted, "We cut it pretty tight." Sneva had fuel left and neither slowed any more than was planned because of excessive fuel consumption.

Even one frequently heard prediction that DID prove to be right was correct for the wrong reasons. "Keep an eye on Foyt," was the hot tip. "He's been awfully calm this month. When he's like that it usually means he's got something he's hiding for the race." Indeed it was a good idea to keep an eye on Foyt. But he was calm, he said, because he was determined not to let himself get overwound for this race.

In fact, he said, he felt like he didn't have the advantage that he had had here the last two or three years. IT WAS QUIET and peaceful at the Speedway yesterday. Most crews were busy getting packed and ready to move out. Some still were trying to figure out what went wrong. Others would just as soon forget the whole thing.

Over at the exchequer, officials were trying to get the purse totaled up and divided out to the right people. vanced past Pancho Carter and into 14th place when the recap showed the car shared by John Mahler and Larry Cannon went two more laps than it was credited with Sunday afternoon. IT ALSO WAS announced that the 500-Mile Race now has a new one-lap record-holder. Ongais, who already had the rookie qualifying record to his credit this month, completed his 42d lap in :46.71 for an average speed of 192.678 miles an hour. The fastest previous lap in the race itself was Wally Dallenbach's 191.408 on Lap 2 of the 1974 event.

Gordon Johncock turned-the fastest leading lap on 178. He did that one in 47.46 for an average speed of 189.633. That was not a record, since Dallen-bach was leading when he cut his hot one three years ago. Other scoring trivia: FOYT'S OFFICIAL margain of victory over Sneva was 28.63 seconds. Thirteenth-place finisher Eldon Ras-mussen improved his position more than any other driver.

He started 32d, so he picked up 13 spots. Lee Kunz- second in Monday's 500-Mile Race, is about to bo leaded. Next stop on the USAC championship trail is the Rex Mays 150 at Milwaukee June 12. (Star Photo by William A. Oates).

READY TO ROU Members of the Roger Penske team load up their two cars and prepare to leave the Indianapolis Motor Speedway yesterday after a month's stay. Already in the van is Mario Andretti's machine while the car of pole-silter Tom Sneva, who finished xTN 4T 9 If 1T7T i U- Xl I jjf yrsf mrFF vs i ,1 Fin. St. Driver Car Laps Time Speed COE 1 4 A. J.

Foyt Gilinore Racing Team Coyote No. 14 200 3:05:57.16 161.331 1 2 1 Tom Sneva Norton Spirit McLaren No. 8 200 3:06:25.79 160.918 1 3 3 Al Unser American Racing ParneUi No. 21 199 3:06:04.72 160.416 1 4 10 Wally Dallenbach SI Oil Treatment Wildcat No. 40 199 3:06:59.98 159.626 1 5 11 Johnnv Parsons STP Wildcat No.

60 193 3:06:26.45 155.277 1 6 22 Tom Bigelnw Thermo King Watson No. 24 192 3:06:45.89 154.205 1 7 24 Lee Kunzman Electric Eagle No. 65 191 3:06:38.24 153.506 1 8 18 Roger McCIuskcy 1st Nat'l City Lightning No. 11 191 3:07:01.62 153.186 1 9 25 Sieve Krisiloff Dave Mclntire Chevy Center Eagle No. 92 191 3:07:07.42 153.107 1 10 16 Jerry Sneva 21st Amendment McLaren No.

36 187 3:06:52.15 150.105 1 11 5 Gordon Johncock STP Double Oil Filter Wildcat No. 20 184 2:52:44.30 159.779 2 12 28 Bill Puterbaugh Dayfsn WaltherForeman Eagle No. 16 170 2:49:15.40 150.659 2 13 32 Eldon Rassmusscn Rent-A-Racer Rascar No. 58 168 3:06:29.72 135.124 1 11 31 x-John Mahler Mergard 20th Century Eagle No. 42 157 3:06:59.21 125.944 1 15 8 Pancho Carter Jorgcnscn Eagle No.

48 156 2:30:43.15 155.256 3 16 21 Garv Bettenhauscn Agajanian Evel Knieve! Dragon No. 98 138 2:15:52.85 152.339 4 17 23 Bill Vukovich Gilmore Racing Team Coyole No. 84 110 154.625 5 18 2 Bobby Unser Cobre TireCIaytou Lightning No. 6 94 1:32:27.31 152.506 6 19 9 Mike Mosley Sugaripe Prune Lightning No. 5 91 1:32:06.76 U8.188 7 20 7 Danny Ongais Intcrscope Racing Parnelli No.

25 90 2:00:06.83 112.393 8 21 33 Bubby Jones Bruce Cogle Ford Eagle No. 72 75 1:24:35.31 138.317 2 22 27 Cliff Hucul Team Canada McLaren No. 29 72 1:16:37.97 140.932 9 23 20 Jim McElrcath Carrillo Rod Eagle No. 73 71 1:23:51.39 127.003 10 24 13 George Snider Melvin Simon Assoc. Eagle No.

18 65 1:06:44.09 146.101 2 25 14 Bobby Olivero Alex Foods Lightning No. 78 57 1:03:47.57 134.028 11 26 6 Mario Andretti CAM2 Motor Oil McLaren No. 9 47 48:51.19 144.162 8 27 19 Lloyd Ruby 1st Nat'l City Lightning No. 10 34 28:48.34 177.048 12 28 15 AlLoquasto Frostle Root Beer McLaren No. 86 28 24:21.18 172.110 13 29 26 Janet Guthrie Bryant Heat Cool Lightning No.

27 27 2:17:33.51 29.412 7 30 29 Clay Regazzoni Theodore Racing McLaren No. 38 25 21:47.22 172.121 14 31 30 Dick Simon Bryant Heat Cool Vollstedt No. 17 24 21:42.15 165.880 15 32 12 Sheldon Kinser Genesee Beer Dragon No. 97 14 11:53.05 176.706 11 33 17 Johnny Rutherford 1st Nat'l City McLaren No. 2 12 10:17.53 174.890 9 man moved up 17 to finish seventh and the Mahler-Cannon combination equaled that in coming from 31st.

also was the matter of updating the Speedway record book (aka A.J. Foyt's career statistics). Oddly, the only record he set was for most victories. But he improved on several more he already holds. THIS WAS HIS 20th race and the 11th time he's led.

Both are two more than anybody else has managed. He increased his mileage figure to 7.157.5, his championship points to 7.450, his lap prize winnings to $83,516.92 and his total winnings past the $l-milIion mark (they stood at $921,472.02 entering Sunday). About the only significant career record he doesn't hold at the Speedway is number of leading laps. But the 46 he paced on Sunday give him 522 and pushed him past Bill Vukovich Sr. (485), ParneUi Jones (492) and Wilbur Show (508) and into second place behind Ralph DePalma (613).

He also is the Speedway's second-oldest winner. He stood 42 years and 133 days Sunday. Sam Hanks was 42 plus 321 when he won in 1957. Mauri Rose was 42 plus 4 when he won in 1949. IT WASN'T ALL profit for Foyt.

As the purse was being divided, Chief Steward Tom Binford said, "Save some for me," as he levied $1,500 in ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Jerry Sneva (left) holds the Srark Wetzel Rookie of the Year plaque at last night's Victory Banquet for participants in Sunday's 500-Mile Race. Sneva, younger brother of this year's pole-sitter Tom Sneva, was given the prize award on the strength of his lOth-place ride in the 21st Amendment Special. With him is Wayne Stephenson, president of Stark Wetzel Foods. cock, 69-70 Bobby Unser, 71-93 Johncock, 94-96 Sneva, 97-179-Johncock, 180-182 Foyt, 183-184 Johncock, 185-200 Foyt. TOTAL LAPS LED: Johncock 129, Foyt 46, Al Unser 17, Sneva 3, Snider 2, Bobby Unser 2, Vukovich 1.

OFFICIAL MARGIN OF VICTORY: 28.63 seconds. FASTEST LEADING LAP: By Johncock, Lap 178, 189.633. FASTEST LAP IN RACE: By Ongais, Lap 42, 192.678 (new record: old record 191.408 by Dallenbach, Lap 2, 1974). Relieved by Larry Cannon, Laps 150-157. "CAUSE OF ELIMINATION CODE: 1-Running at finish; 2 Valve failure; 3 Blown engine; 4 Clutch failure; 5 Broken wing strut; 6-OH Leak; 7 Broken timing gear; 8 Broken header; 9-Gearbox failure; 10 Turbochargcr failure; 11 Burned piston; 12 Crashed; 13 Broken magneto wire; 14 Split fuel cell; 15 Overheating.

LAP LEADERS: 1-17-A1 Unser, 18-21-Johncock, 22-23 Foyt, 24-25 Snider, 26-Vukovich, 27-51-Foyt, 52-68 John- COLLARS AIYGELS, 1-ft rstition, Confidence Supe (AdvertiMnwnt) INDIANA BASKETBALL CAMP ON TAYLOR UNIVERSITY CAMPUS Back Up No-Hit Effort lot of smokes Only 'One Injury' A spectator, who was splashed by flaming fuel from the crash of Lloyd Ruby's racer, was the only race-related injury in Sunday's Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. Lloyd Swift, 35, a favm equipment dealer from Carolton, was treated and released at a first aid station set up near the second turn at the Speedway track. OPENINGS: June 12 17 July 17-22 July 24 29 July 31 Aug. 5 DIRECTED BY, MARION CRAWLEY, LAFAYETTE ond DON COLE, TAYLOR U. Phon (317) 998-2751 or Writ, lex 631, Upland, M.

4a9t9 for a little money WITH 66 strikeouts in 81 innings this season, Eckersley is not currently a threat to A.L. strikeout leaders Nolan Ryan and Tanana but in only three seasons he has established himself as Cleveland's hardest-throwing righthander since Feller. Feller, a Hall of Famer, pitched three no-hitters, a record until Ryan threw his fourth in 1975. Eckersley, who signed with the Indians in 1972 for a reported $72,000 bonus as the No. 3 draft choice in June of that year, threw 117 pitches in the game.

Last year, after an outstanding rookie campaign of 13-7 with a 2.60 earned run average, Eckersley got off to a bad start and was banished to the bullpen at the all-star break. However, he came back with an excellent second half of the season, winding up 13-12, while becoming only the eighth pitcher in history to strike out 200 batters in a season prior to reaching the age of 22. About 330 kJ SI Ojnvt I Bonds struck out in the eighth and reached first on a wild pitch third strike, but Don Baylor followed by hitting into a double play and Eckersley struck out three of the next four batters. He fanned Bobby Grich to open the ninth, got pinch-hitter Willie Mays Aik-ens on a routine fly to Paul Dade in left, then struck out Flores to end it. The previous no-hitter in the majors this season was pitched May 14 by Jim Colborn of the Kansas City Royals against the Texas Rangers.

The last by a Cleveland pitcher was by Dick Bosman in 1974. Eckersley said that Joe Rudi, who lives near him in the San Francisco bay area, may have wished him a little luck in the top of the ninth. "AFTER RAY Fosse flied out for the final out in the eighth inning, Rudi was trotting in and I was already on the mound," Eckersley said. "He kissed the ball and threw it to me." Rudi admitted planting a kiss on the ball and said, "Dennis is a good kid. He lives in the Bay Area and I was just kidding arouna.

He showed no reaction to my so I didn't think he even noticed," Rudi said. "I hate to see a no-hitter thrown against us but he threw well and deserved it," added Rudi. Tanana, 8-2, gave up only four hits besides the triple by Kuiper. He struck out six and walked one. Counting 7 2-3 hitless innings against the Seattle Mariners in his previous start, Eckersley has not allowed a hit in 16 2-3 innings.

The major league record of 23 consecutive hitless innings was set by Cy Young in 1904. Cleveland (UPI) A little superstition and a large streak of cockiness helped Dennis Eckersley pitch the second no-hitter of the major league season last night. "I talked to no one throughout the game and I followed the same routine after every inning," said Eckersley, Cleveland's fire-baliing right-hander who has hurled 16 2-3 consecutive hit-less innings, bringing back memories of Bob Feller to the Indians' fans. "I sat in the middle of the dugout, put on my jacket, went to the water fountain and sat back. (Duane) Kuiper started talking to me at one time, but I had to tell him to shut up," smiled Eckersley.

KUIPER TRIPLED with one out in the first inning and scored the game's only run on a sacrifice squeeze bunt by Jim Norris as Eckersley outdueled Frank Tanana and the Indians beat the California Angels, 1-0. The Angels had only two base runners against Eckersley, who struck out 12 and never for a moment doubted he could complete the no-hitter that raised his record to 5-3. His final out was a strikeout of Gil Flores in the ninth as the crowd of 13,400, small in mammoth Municipal Stadium, screamed approval. It appeared to some of the fans that Eckersley said something to Flores before he came to bat, and later the pitcher admitted that he had. "Flores was stalling a little in the ninth so I just yelled at him to get up to the plate," Eckersley said.

"One more out and you are it, I told him." ECKERSLEY WALKED Tony Solai-ta with two out in the first inning, then retired the next 19 batters. Bobby Tirolm lic-1 toy? 1 -HOUR SERVICE Jfi MAE 4-WHEEL DRUM BRAKE RELINE UmmJm LI.I..I INSTALLED Borf(i lining. ON ALL U.S. CARS SHOCK $ff75 ABSORBERS MOiTUt. INSTA1UTIOM INSTALLED '('.

)U IV In Menthol too. NCAA Champ Athens, Ga. (AP) Top-seeded Matt Mitchell of Stanford won the NCAA tennis singles title yesterday and fifth-ranked Bruce Manson and Chris Lewis of Southern California teamed to capture the doubles title as the touurnament wound up at the University of Georgia. Mitchell, a sophomore, recovered from a nearly disastrous second set to defeat Tony Graham of UCLA, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. Manson and Lewis, defeated the unseeded team of John Austin and Bruce Nichols of UCLA, 6-2, 6-3, 6-7, 6-3.

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