Sunday, August 04, 2002
Stewart wins Brickyard pole with record speed
The Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS - The way Tony Stewart likes to handle pressure is to get in his race car and drive - fast.
He did that Saturday, ignoring the oppressive heat, overcoming a slick track and shaking off a myriad of outside distractions to win the pole for today's Brickyard 400.
The Indiana native sat in the window of his Joe Gibbs Pontiac and pumped his fists in the air, taking in the booming cheers of the partisan crowd of about 30,000 after setting a track qualifying record.
BRICKYARD 400
|
|
Distance: 400 miles; 160 laps around the 21/2-mile, asphalt-on-brick track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Cars: 3,500 pounds; use carburetion instead of fuel-injection found on stock models of passenger cars; tubular frames with safety modifications.
Pace car: Chevrolet Monte Carlo, driven by Chevy GM Kurt Ritter.
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Defending champion: Jeff Gordon, who won his third Brickyard at an average 130.790 mph in 2001.
Purse: 2001 race paid a record $6.75 million, including $428,452 to winner Jeff Gordon. (Record payoff $1.64 million to Gordon in 1998).
Crowd: Speedway never discloses attendance but attests to at least 275,000 reserved seats in permanent stands, which are sold out.
TV:
Ch.5, 22; NBC announcers are Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons and Wally Dallenbach; pit reporters are Bill Weber, Marty Snider, Dave Burns and Matt Yocum.
Radio: WCKY-AM (1360), WMOH-AM (1450). About 400 U.S. stations are on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network with anchor Mike King; analysts Doug Rice and Chris Economaki; historian Donald Davidson; turn reporters Jerry Baker, Kevin Lee, Mark Jaynes and Chris Denari; pit reporters Pat Patterson, Ralph Sheheen and Brett McMillan; and garage/medical center reporter Mike Lewis.
Quick fact: Jeff Gordon won the inaugural race in 1994. He is the only driver to start from the pole position as the defending winner of the Brickyard 400, doing it twice.
Up next: Sirius Satellite Radio at The Glen, Aug.11, Watkins Glen, N.Y.
|
His lap at 182.960 mph easily broke the record of 181.072, set in 2000 by Brett Bodine. In fact, the top five qualifiers surpassed that speed despite temperatures in the 90s and a glaring sun that made the 21/2-mile asphalt oval treacherous.
Stewart, who grew up about 30 miles from Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Columbus, Ind., had more than racing on his mind prior to qualifying, and it wasn't the heat.
“As much as I love being home, I hate this week,” he said. “I'll bet my phone rang 400 times last night because everybody knew that it was my only night off and everybody wanted to take me to dinner or go out and ride Harleys or do something.
“Between them and family and being home and wanting to do well in front of all your friends and family, that puts a lot of pressure on me.”
Still, that didn't make winning his second pole of the season and sixth of his career any more gratifying for Stewart, who is determined to win a race here.
“To be honest, I couldn't care less about poles,” he said. “I want my name on a brick and I want my name on a Borg-Warner trophy.”
The winner of Indy's NASCAR race gets his name inscribed on one of the bricks that originally covered the 21/2-mile Indy oval. The Borg-Warner trophy honors the winners of the Indianapolis 500.
Stewart was a star in the Indy Racing League before switching to stock cars. He raced in the 500 five times with a best finish of fifth in 1997 and is now the only driver to start from the pole in both the 500 and the Brickyard.
His best finish also is fifth in three previous stock car starts here.
“I know the track,” Stewart said. “If you look at the amount of laps that these Cup guys have, they probably have as many laps or more than I've had here in the past. But, being able to come here every day in the month of May for three or four weeks at a time, you learn some things day to day about the personality of the track and some things to watch out for.”
The Dodge of Bill Elliott, coming off a victory from the pole last Sunday at Pocono, took the outside spot on the front row at 182.109, followed by the Chevrolet of Dale Earnhardt Jr. at 181.627, the Chevy of Robby Gordon at 181.543 and rookie Ryan Newman's Ford at 181.287.
Stewart noted that drawing the 11th spot in the qualifying line on the hot, humid day was key to winning the pole.
“I think I lost about 5 pounds just in a few laps in a qualifying run,” the stocky Stewart said. “I was never very good at drawing an early number. We've got somebody else doing it now, and he certainly earned his keep this week.”
The top four also were among the first 11 drivers in the line. Newman was the only driver to break the pattern, going out 49th among the 50 drivers who made attempts.
Sports Stories
Reds 4, Padres 3
Reds box, runs
Reds Q&A
Staff ace, Dessens, could be destined for DL
Braves 6, Cardinals 1
Five Questions with Bill Aker
Louisville 8, Charlotte 7
Kickers uptight facing uprights
Bengals notebook
Bengals Q&A
Kitna impresses in competition with Frerotte
Heisman Trophy winner learning new position in NFL
Redskins 38, 49ers 7
Preps Insider
Stewart wins Brickyard pole with record speed
