Mario and the 1991 Indy 500

[Chris Paff]

He was penalized for running under the white line.. The rule was not in place during that race and everyone else was running there.. What was the deal with that? I got curious since im watching the race right now..

[Coyote]

OT-

I don't know. I remember thinking it was an incredibly stupid rule, mainly because of the selective enforcement. Now I see the same thing rear it's ugly head in Nascar during the restrictor-pack races. "Earnhardt ran below the line!" "Did not, was forced there!" "Did too!"

Anybody esle read "The Racing Driver" by Jenkins? Moss talked about a race where they had an area near pit lane entrance that was ruled off limits for safety. Yet it was the fastest line. So he waited until he needed a hot lap and signalled to his pit that he had a car problem and was coming in. Then he took the pit lane line but then blew on past, signalling "it's ok now" to his pit.

I've always thought they should let the drivers race where they want, down to the grass. The white line stuff just leads to controversies.

[theunions]

Anybody esle read "The Racing Driver" by Jenkins?

(Believe it or not) I haven't even read "The Racing Driver" by Jenkinson.

[Coyote]

Well, there's a new one by Bob Jenkins written in a very 'happy' style.

Yes, by Denis Jenkinson. Couldn't remember the name. Great book.

[Roadrage]

He was penalized for running under the white line.. The rule was not in place during that race and everyone else was running there.. What was the deal with that? I got curious since im watching the race right now..

I don't remember if it was an actual rule at the time, but there were advance warnings not to run under it. Of course some heed warnings; others don't. I thought it was a little ridiculous though. It was the same for everyone. Some drove under it and some didn't. It was an 'optional' groove.

[dalz]

I believe he was pinched for running under the yellow line in turn four. Of course this was before separate warm-up lane.

Before the '89 repaving of the track, the apron was rather rough and not well suited for racing on. After the repaving, the apron and it's transition was made so smooth that everyone started using it as the racetrack. For the '89 race, a rule was installed warning drivers not to race with all four wheels under the white line, but it didn't have alot of teeth. Little Al and Emmo sure weren't worried about it in the last ten laps!

After that, they gave up and said run anywhere you want, until the advent of the current separate warm-up lane layout in '93.

[Roadrage]

Remember those rumble strips? Incredible sound when they were run over at 220.

[Doctorindy]

You want to see someone running under the line?

Watch Jim Crawford in 1988. And that was before the repaving. The apron at that time wasn't the same banking as the racing surface.

What got them the most trouble was just that. When they repaved the track for the '89 race, they extended the 9 degree banking to the apron. Or at least smoothed the transition all the way down. There was no break in the banking. Prior to that, the apron was flatter. Not "flat," but somewhat flatter, and there was a defined break in the bankings. In many cases, it would upset the handling if you went down there too much, so that wasn't much of a problem '88 and before. As mentioned, before, it was rough too.

From '89-'92, it acted more like a wider track, not a track with an apron.

[IndyJim]

You want to see someone running under the line?

Watch Jim Crawford in 1988. And that was before the repaving. The apron at that time wasn't the same banking as the racing surface.

What got them the most trouble was just that. When they repaved the track for the '89 race, they extended the 9 degree banking to the apron. Or at least smoothed the transition all the way down. There was no break in the banking. Prior to that, the apron was flatter. Not "flat," but somewhat flatter, and there was a defined break in the bankings. In many cases, it would upset the handling if you went down there too much, so that wasn't much of a problem '88 and before. As mentioned, before, it was rough too.

From '89-'92, it acted more like a wider track, not a track with an apron.

Our seats in J each year gave us a great view of the end of turn four, so you really could see who was running close to the wall.

Crawford and Cheever seem to stand out as the 2 guys who were always within inches of that wall lap after lap.

Was 91 the year Mario went out with problems while in contention?

[Doctorindy]

Was 91 the year Mario went out with problems while in contention?

We'll never know exactly why Mario dropped out in 1991. He was running in the top ten at the time (6th, 3 laps down to be exact), but in 1991, running in the top ten didn't really mean being "in contention." He was running 9 laps ahead of the 7th place car (Johncock), and when all was over, he only lost the one position. Only 5 cars completed 190 or more laps.

After the Michael-passed-Mears then Mears-passed-Michael exchange, on lap 188, Mears started to pull away. A few laps later, Mario suddenly was "slowing down," and coasted to a stop right at the entrance to the pits. (Gee, how conveneint, this won't take long to clear up) Rumors said on the radio they told him to "get his foot off the brake" so they could push him out of the way. It wasn't unreasonable to think that he stopped on purpose to put the yellow out and help Michael get another chance to win. Well, it didn't work, Mears won anyway, and Mario "denied" he did it on purpose.

[Roadrage]

Didn't they send a garden tractor after him?

[dalz]

Yeah, the Buick-engined cars used the apron alot, anything to make a wider arc thru the corner for those poor-handling pigs. And to think hitting a bump on the apron is what caused Crawford to crash and destroy his feet in '87; back at it a year later, without blinking. Ballsy, Ballsy dude.

Mario in '81, Gordy (last 15 laps) in '82, Sullivan in '85, all using the Grass-to-wall-is-race-track philosophy when they needed it. Wild stuff.