Stewart Again Is the Fastest

Tony Stewart, who will be the first rookie to start in the front row of the Indianapolis 500 since Teo Fabi was on the pole in 1983, was once again the fastest driver on the track Monday with a practice lap at 235.837 mph. Stewart had a speed of 248 through the speed trap on the back straightaway.

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The track was closed twice briefly, once when a chipmunk ran onto the track and again when a mother duck and her nine ducklings wandered into Turn 1.

“I was in the warmup lane when I saw the ducks stopped in the grass,” said Eliseo Salazar, the only driver on the track at the time. “Then, when I went into the first turn and saw them a couple of feet away I had to swerve to miss them. I’m sure I scared them. They’ll probably have to go through therapy for the rest of their lives.”

His fellow drivers may start calling Salazar “the Bird Man.” Later in the day, the Chilean veteran hit a pigeon in Turn 1.

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Sixteen cars were on the track, most of them driven by rookies hoping to qualify next weekend. Among them were Johnny O’Connell, who drove for the Cunningham Racing Nissan team when it won the GTS class in the 24 Hours of LeMans in 1994, and Fermin Velez, a 5-foot, 3-inch Spaniard who won two world sports prototype world championships.

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Rumors that there might not be enough cars to fill the 33-car field on May 26 were dispelled when Indy Racing League officials announced that 47 cars were on the Speedway grounds--with 65 drivers having passed physicals in hopes of landing rides.

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Spectators polled last Saturday, pole day, voted Arie Luyendyk the most popular driver in the 500. The long-haired Dutchman received 42% of the vote, followed by Stewart with 35% and pole-sitter Scott Brayton with 13%.