Frustrating Day Finley Cuts Prices Still Gentlemen
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
THE CITIZEN, Prince George - Monday, May 30, 1977 - 15 Broken clutch knocks Prince George's Cliff Hucul out in 73rd lap A. J. Foyt gets the checkered flag, as he wins his fourth Indy 500. Foyt smiles, as he is presented with trophy and flower wreath. AFTER JO YEARS The Citizen HUCUL AT INDY RON Foyt has record fourth ALLERTON First for experience SPORTS EDITOR 562-2441 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) —He there, too, by completing 199 “I started hoping nobody’d get S p o r t s INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Rasmussen stopped and was suddenly very different laps. Fourth was Wally Dal- hurt and we'd finish the race. When it comes to the offered his assistance. from every other driver who lenbach, one of Johncock’s And I talked to my car some, Indianapolis 500, one race His goal this time was a had ever challenged Indy, and teammates, followed by too. I talked to anybody and under the belt can do wonders simpleone: “to finish the race." yet he was still the same old Johnny Parsons. anything that would listen.’’ for a young driver. “Then if I can do that. I’d like A.J. The rest of the top 10 Said the dejected Johncock: “I think the feeling I experi to finish in the top 10. Finally, finishers—the only other driv enced most when I first got I’d like to win it. But realisti “Damn! We did it,” A.J. “I was pushing it hard all day. WITH FIRST W O M AN ers running ,at the end—were Then I started feeling vibra here and got on the track was cally, my chances of doing that Foyt barked as he stepped are pretty limited.” Tom Bigelow, Lee Kunzman, tions in the engine, and all of a awe,” said Cliff Hucul, a from his glistening orange Roger McCluskey, Steve sudden the whole thing let go.” . 28year-old Canadian making Hucul, too, admitted his Coyote racer and into posterity Krisiloff and rookie Jerry chances of finishing high in the Sunday. That was his first After all that, Johncock his first start in Sunday’s auto Sneva, Tom’s brother. Still gentlemenracing event. standings were "unlikely, to comment on becoming the first finished a disappointing 11th, While Foyt was making his “The awe isn’t entirely gone say the least.” four-time winner of the In the last of tne drivers to be INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tony Hulman's tradi tory, Janet Guthrie was mak standing still when Foyt whiz for me,” said Eldon Rasmus He started on the outside dianapolis 500. tional command remained Sunday, although he of the ninth row after qualify After winning in 1961, 1964 ing some of her own—although zed under the checkered flag in sen. 40. a transplanted Cana quite slowly—as the first noted the presence of Janet Guthrie, first woman dian making his second Indy ing at 187.198 m.p.h. and 1967, the pie-faced and a time of three hours, five mi woman in the 500. She ran well driver in the Indianapolis 500 auto race. run. “I think if I had to pick ‘‘A rookie winning, well crusty Texan hit the skids by nutes and 57.70 seconds—an HUCUL .. Hulman, millionnaire owner of the Indianapolis one word to describe how 1 feel that's a slim possibility,” way of a decade of frustration. for 16 laps before mechanical average speed of 161.331 miles troubles set in. She finished in Motor Speedway for 32 years said: “ With deference now about this place, it would are the drivers of their cars as Hucul said. “One winning He finished third twice and an hour. 29th position. be respect.” well as the owners. when he's as far back as 1 am, second once in a futile chase Following the victory, Foyt to the first woman in the race, Gentlemen, start Canadian drivers Eldon Both Hucul, from Prince “I wish I wasn't,” says Ras well that's just about unheard for the race that would cut him announced that it was the last your engines.” Rasmussen of Standard, Alta., George. B.C., and Rasmussen, mussen, who started in the of. But I’m going to go out there loose from his ties with Mauri race for his Coyote. Guthrie, who qualified at 188.403 miles an hour, and Cliff Hucul of Prince Sunday and do my best." Rose, Louie Meyer and Wilbur “This car is now the prop earned a spot in the ninth row. Her Lightning- a native of Standard, Alta., middle of the last row after qual George, B.C., both left the race Rausmussen thinks Hucul Shaw—Indy’s only other erty of the Indianapolis Motor Offenhauser was started by Kay Bignotti, wife of who has lived here since 1968, ifying at 185.119 miles an hour. early because of car trouble. “I wish I knew people with might be advised to do just a threetime winners since the car builder George Bignotti. Rasmussen was awarded 13th Speedway Museum,” he said. a lot of money who would be touch less than his best. race’s inception in 1911. spot and Hucul 22nd. Guthrie was disappointed willing to back me, but for now. And the frustration was dog Petty takes 600 "What I said about respect." with her performance. his voice trailed off as he ging again Sunday as he Hucul, 28, a rookie on the “Making a good show would Rasmusssen said, "goes dou thought of the more than trailed Gordon Johncock, USAC championship trail, was have satisfied me," she said. with wide lead ble for Cliff. My advice for him $40,000 it’s costing him to is to go out there and respect leader for most of the second making his first Indy start. “It was a very, very frustrat CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Motorcycle accident finance his part in the race. the place, the cars, the drivers half of Sunday’s race around A blown clutch knocked him ing day. Some mysterious Richard Petty, streaking from Rasmussen, who qualified and, most important, the the 2M>-mile oval. out in the 73rd lap. problem hit my car, but after bumper-to-bumper traffic A. J. wasn’t thinking about 15 years in racing, I've come to fatal for Bob Gassoffearly in the race to a half-lap for last year’s race but was speed. In other words, he Johncock, winner of 1973’s soff was dead on arrival at St. bumped from the field in later should cool it a little. He’s not rain-shortened and death- anybody behind him in those accept these things.” VILLA RIDGE, Mo. <AP>- lead at the checkered flag, Francis Hospital in qualifying, is perhaps best gonna win it. He knows that marred race, saw Foyt creep final laps. All he could think of She didn’t beat out many of St. Louis Blues defenceman pushed his Dodge to victory Washington, Mo. Neither known for his unselfishness in and I do. As a rookie, he should in front for an instant with was Johncock—and his own the drivers in the final stand Bob Gassoff was killed Sunday Sunday in the 18th annual driver had any passengers. the 1975 race. When Tom Sneva get a little experience under about 50 miles to go, but Foyt machine. ings. but three of them were: night in a motorcycle accident World 600 stock car race at the was involved in a fiery crash, his belt.” was forced into the pits for fuel “Gordie and I got to going at Formula I star Clay Regazzoni Villa Ridge is a community Charlotte Motor Speedway. each other again and I figured and Johncock moved back in of Switzerland. 30th over-all; of 100 about 30 miles west of St . Petty opened the margin front. I’d just wait for the last 10 laps team-mate Dick Simon, 31st, Louis. over David Pearson. World 600 But with 16 laps to go, and go for broke,” said the and Johnny Rutherford—the defending champion and Johncock turned his car onto 42year-old Texan. But champion of a year ago who Gassoff was one of three polewinner at this year’s race, the grass with a blown engine Johncock’s engine broke first. was a dead-last finisher this brothers playing professional in the final 100 laps of the 600- J O E C L A R K and Foyt took the checkered A.J. remembered thinking: time. hockey. mile, 4>fe-hour marathon. flag for the victory. Bobby Allison took third two Foyt not only had Johncock's Ken is with the Kansas City laps back. Allison finished the W A N T S T O engine to thank, but also Tom Blues of the Central Hockey race in Benny Parsons’ Chev Sneva’s less-than-dazzling pit League and Brad is a forward rolet after Parsons became ill crew. Sneva won the pole posi Frustrating day with the Vancouver Canucks. and left the car during the tion with the first official Younger brother Gary is a race. TALK TO YOU 200mile-an-hour qualifying INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - totalling more than 90 minutes, forward with the Vernon Vik Another lap down, Lennie lap. He lost the race because he With the frustrations of her she and her crew decided to ings of the B.C. Junior Hockey Pond was fourth in a Chev spent precious seconds idling first Indianapolis 500 behind call it quits. League. rolet. his engine while Foyt was st her, Janet Guthrie says: “Now “Making a good show would raining his.