1978 Indianapolis 500

sauté May 28 1978 [Applause] from the world-famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis Indiana it's the 1978 Indianapolis 500 this ABC Sports exclusive is brought to you by Goodyear when we race you win by Fram makers of oil air and fuel filters windshield wipers and auto light spark plugs by the coca-cola company and all the people who bring you the bright refreshing taste of coca-cola Coke adds life to just about everything you do and by Toyota Toyota hopes you enjoy today's race you asked for it you've got it when it began a long time ago there still were many more horses than there were automobiles in the state of Indiana it was 1911 a year when World War one still lay in the future when there was no television and no radio but the racetrack you see today is exactly the same as then except that then it was surfaced with paving bricks there's no way to show you all of the people some 350 to 400 thousand of them who have gathered here since the gates opened at 5 o'clock this morning 250,000 are in seats the rest stand in the infield it's more than a sports event really it's an annual occasion the weather today well it's the way we think of Memorial Day weekend hot 85 degrees at the moment and terribly humid it's summertime in the American Midwest now it's time for another tradition here the singing of back home again in Indiana by Jim Nabors and just about everyone else spread out around the sprawling two and a half mile racecourse [Music] Morgaine nnd Oh [Music] the newborn hey synthol it's great [Music] are you [Music] [Applause] and so this exciting month of May began for us with the playing of my old Kentucky home at Churchill Downs and now nears its climax with that rendition of back home again in Indiana here at the Speedway but maybe you're not an automobile racing fan maybe you've never seen the Indy 500 before briefly it is a 500-mile race that 200 laps of this two and a half mile race track for specially built and prepare open-wheel racing cars they'll develop up to 900 of horsepower well over 200 miles an hour in the first race of 1911 they averaged 75 this year an unusual situation our rookie on the first row the only four-time winner in the seventh row and maybe the fastest car in the field starting all the way at the back let's bring in for further word on that our expert on the sport former world's driving champion Jackie Stewart Jackie it's clear but it's hot well it's very hot but it's great to be back at Indianapolis again what an event the heat well it's up close to about 90 degrees right now and this is course is going to have a tremendous effect both in cars and drivers from the drivers point of view Jim five hundred miles is a long way to be in this cramped cockpits of these racing cars tremendously tiring and a driver both mentally and physically from the cars point of view obviously they're going to suffer not only the tires but of course the transmissions and most of all the engines revving as they have to run this super speedway it's a hard day on them and I'm sure we're going to see a lot of attrition I think from my point of view the most interesting fact there is that we've got a 200 mile an hour front row then we've got AJ Foyt back in the seventh row very fast with along him alongside him is Bobby unser right at the back Mario Andretti man who's leading the world championship and road racing now one of the great Chargers the first two or three laps Jim are going to be absolutely incredible no question of that and of course here at Indianapolis the real story is the men much more than the machines and you have sat in that car just before the beginning of this race the tenseness Jim I can't explain it to you the drivers are all wrapped up in their thermal underwear they've got these heavy-duty racing overalls on they've got their crash helmets of course balaclavas below them the perspiration is running off them right now and yet their mouths are very very dry they don't want to be bothered some of them others want to be talking the pulse rate is racing no contact lenses in no dentures in just in the case of an accident there very tense indeed they don't know what they don't even want to leave the solitude of the garage or in gasoline alley they don't care I don't care who it is whether it's AJ Foyt who's been here or twenty-one times this will be his 21st start or whether it's a young man like Rick Mears the nerves are just the same and this pressure is just incredible Jackie as you know the owner of the Speedway Tony Hulman has died since last year's race and there's a bit of a mystery here who is going to say the traditional call of gentlemen start your engines nobody seems to know but we'll find out in a minute [Music] Indianapolis Speedway is a sentimental place for all its accent on technical excellence and harsh reality that sentiment was personified for the much admired owner of the track Tony Holman who died last autumn he's been a lot of speculation in some mystery this month as to who would succeed Tony to utter the words gentlemen start your engines new President Joe crow tears said he would not be the one but he would not reveal who it would be well most appropriately it is going to be the widow of Tony Hulman Mary Holman there's mrs. Holman now obviously moved by this moment ladies and gentlemen start your engines the sentimental moment at Indianapolis mrs. Mary Holman another first for Indy not too many years ago women were not even allowed at the pits with a garage area and now we have a woman driver in the race and a woman officially starting the race with the phrase as you heard lady and gentlemen start your engine and that's what has happened looks like everybody is getting started pretty well I don't see anybody having a major problem looks like they're going to be okay now unser there he'll be in the middle of the second row bar number two [Music] AJ Ford is way in the back and now the mechanics and the press and everyone else must depart leaving them all alone there is the man on the pole Tom stiva this is the time when 32 men and a woman are looked at by hundreds of thousands on the scene and many millions more watching on television nonetheless they're all alone like these men on the front row each in his or her tiny fast-flying world there's a J point way back in the seventh row the defending champion only four-time winner of the row of the race but he qualified on the last day therefore was placed seventh although he's very fast next him Bobby unser a two-time winner Mario Andretti last in the field although perhaps with the fastest car that's because he had to have another man qualify as car remember he was off winning the prom free of Belgium and so it's a very tough seat curvy almost inside out kind of starting field in some ways they're underway now and what will these lonesome people see as they tour the track let's take a run with Jackie Stewart I Drive out the pits and the AJ Foyt coyote keeping below the yellow line here as we go through tone one this is the acceleration lane going out onto the racetrack you get on to the turn one corner there just as you leave the tone one and head into turn two this is where I spun when I first came to Indianapolis in 66 not a pleasant experience now you go through tongue 2 in your head towards the backstretch this long 3,000 foot backstretch where the driver looks at these gauges the tire for files and where perhaps he can pass because they draft along this stretch doing speeds of up to 230 miles an hour they slip pass going into turn three here passing the car and the inside is to commit themselves to turn 3 used to be very bumpy but the race track was resurfaced Bank last year you get close to the wall between three and four and then commit the car to turn for a dramatic corner I also hit the wall here at 67 not a pleasant experience either but as you go down this front stretch again 3,300 feet and land people on both sides of your tremendous feeling of speed as you go down there you take your pit signals from the left-hand side there as the crews give you your information and head again to turn one Khurana speech here up to 185 miles an hour what a speed what a lap that's what they'll be looking at then but right now they're on the parade lap and all the cars we would repeat were started successfully everybody is underway and on the parade lap we'll be right back for the start we're back in the ABC commentary booth in Indianapolis Jim McKay here with former world driving champion Jackie Stewart the crowd well they don't give an official attendance here but the more than 250,000 seats that they have a long since been filled the infield is jammed they're guessing somewhere between 350 and 400,000 people on this hot Memorial Day weekend Jackie there is in fact nothing like it there's nothing like it in the world I've seen a lot of sporting events certainly a lot of motor racing there's nothing more exciting more glamorous or more colorful than this moment here at Indianapolis it's unbearable even for me as a driver I think I'm more tense more nervous as I'm sitting here Jim than I've ever been sitting at a race kappa who's going to win sir I thought I think it has to be one of the Penske cars now I'm taking a wild gamble because there's three of those cars entered this there's of course Tom Stephen the poor Rick Mears and then of course Mario Andretti it's never one for a long long long time I don't think from the poll and I would have to choose I think Tom Stephen I'll take the man just in back of him Johnny Rutherford how about that got a bad bet we're very close to the start now and in fact the cars are on the parade lap there they are there were a couple of pace cars out in front originally and one of them was young Tony George the grandson and namesake the late Tony Hulman and his daughter Mary was with him too let's check the starting grid now these are the faces behind the masks in the first two rows of the 1978 Indianapolis 500 for the first time in a long while there's no former winner in the first row but there are three of them in the second Tom Schneider the former schoolteacher from Spokane won the pole position for the second straight year with that record for lap average of 202 0.156 his luck here has not always been that good in 1975 he somehow survived this horrifying crash in turn two driving again and winning before the season without quite a contrast though to this year when his first lap with a record speed of more than 200 three miles an hour Tom stiva second in the race last year now sitting on the pole as he was last year in the Roger Penske team car number one penny on caius was a blessed flyin Hawaiian after a career on motorcycles and in drag racers he finds himself at age 36 on the front row at Indianapolis in March of this year he served notice that he would be a major factor this season by winning a 200-mile race in Ontario California he had one feisty moment here this month when he crashed during practice in his backup car he was 20th last year was Benny Angus but now he starts in second position in the inner scope team car number 25 Kenny Angus at age 26 rick mears of ventura california is living a dream it's a great surprise to him that he's the first rookie in 21 years to sit on the first row he is raced on road circuits and across the western desert but Indianapolis is something entirely different and Meers poised was most impressive as he qualified at over 200 miles an hour unquestionably he has a marvelous car number 71 one of the three Penske cars built in England for this race powered by British Cosworth engine Rick Mears rookie on the first row now a row of former champion Johnny Rutherford has twice won the 500 and 14 attempts as the Lone Star hope of the British team McLaren Rutherford at age 40 used his backup car to qualify his speed almost three miles an hour lower than rick mears is still plenty fast enough to possibly win the race his car is number four john rutherford middle of row two right behind on Gaia's is another two-time winner Al Unser he won back-to-back 500 to 1970 and 71 now he tried for a new team in a cosworth-powered lola prepared by jim hall a millionaire former sports car driver and designer from texas unsure of all make an intriguing fair for this year's race car number two rounding out the second row is another former winner Gordon Johncock the star of the team managed by George big nutty master mechanic of the Speedway big Noddy has sent more winners to the post and any other chief mechanic in indianapolis history Gordy John car number 20 there are other stars however much farther back for example Bobby unser was classified as a third day qualifier so despite his excellent qualifying speed he'll start on the inside of the seventh row is an unaccustom'd starting spot for this two-time indy champion he will sit on a brand new eagle prepared by dan gurney brand new and therefore perhaps questionable as to its potential in this race Bobby unser in the Kearney car number 48 next to Bobby again surprisingly will be the defending champion and only four-time winner the remarkable Anthony Joseph jr. of Houston Texas AJ had mechanical problems on the first day which cost him a spot on the first row his feed was actually exactly the same as that of Danny on Gaia's he drives a coyote race car which he built he also build his own 8 cylinder Floyd engine Hoyt number 14 and then there's Mario Andretti he was off winning the glory of Belgium last weekend after being rained out here the week before that meant that a substitute Mike kiss had to qualify his car for him that's perfectly legal but the rule also states that a car driven by a man other than the man who qualified it must be started at the back of the pack and ready then in perhaps the fastest car of all number seven another Penske car will start dead last and we'll see the start in a minute the Pirates battled the Phillies the Giants take on the Astros and the Orioles beat the Tigers check local listings for ABC's Monday Night Baseball now you've met the cars on the first two rows let's check row number three on the inside car number six will be one a-tellin back in the middle in the red car number 16 we have Johnny Parsons there you see it in the middle of the racetrack the blue car on the outside number 80 is Larry Dixon row number four on the inside number 17 is dick Simon he's tried everything from parachuting to ski jumping to this in the middle of the veteran Roger McCluskey number 11 and on the outside number 24 is Sheldon Kinser in row five on the inside cart over 40 this team krisiloff the teammate important John in the middle rookie Tom Bagley in car number 22 it on the outside the only woman in the race car number 51 Janet Guthrie in row number 6 on the inside we will have number 19 spike yellow housing in the middle of John mailer in car number 39 and on the outside 443 Tom Bigelow in row number seven a most significant row on the inside former two-time winner Bobby unser in car number 48 the car prepared by Dan Gurney they wanted as a team before and their car number 14 is the remarkable AJ Foyt after his fifth Indianapolis 500 victory and on the outside another excellent driver and car buried there we have Pancho Carter on the comeback trail after a terrible accident last fall in practice in row number 8 number 77 salt wolf unfortunately most remembered for his crash here in 1973 in the middle AJ Foyt's backup car number 84 driven by George Snyder and on the outside number 69 is Joe Saldana in row number 9 number 78 is Mike Mosley who got a ride only at the last day of qualifying number 26 the veteran Jim McElroy number 29 clip usul wrote 1088 Jerry Karl 47 filled freshy 35 Larry rice they're both rookies the last row Gary Fenton Houston had pulled into the pits in car number 98 so he isn't there in the middle Jerry Stephen number 30 and Mario Andretti in number 7 perhaps the fastest car in the field starting dead last on the outside of row number 11 they should be getting the green flag because Jarrod Jim Rassman has pulled the pace car off the track starter Pat Fannin still does not have the green flag out they come to the starting mind and the green flag is out the race and his daddy and I as quickly taking the lead from Tom stiva Johnny Rutherford is in third place and Rick beers drop back make their stroke right back that's my goodness the to meet cars Daniel Tosh is famous for his efforts at the beginning of a race car number 25 the flat car then you see a boy and jump on the rest of the field at what's the latest race car that I've ever seen in Indianapolis but a guy aside they didn't take a second look he certainly did the 36 year old daddy and guys remember in only his second Indianapolis 500 sitting on the middle of the first crowd the lead hurry authoritative free time Steve at the pole sitter is in second position Johnny Rutherford third and I don't wanna premieres on the scar there is our number 24 Sheldon kins are pulling down low of the racetrack that's two cars already that have had problems the attrition rate of Jackie indicated should be very high as they go here again approaches the blank time they have Danny on guys that it stops for the internally relevant and after that God John talk a man who everybody expects please 85 untreated war was something to be a great thrill of that Manzanilla guy she's done it the first laugh he's a new first lap record a hundred and eighty five point one eight five miles per hour with a full load of fuel tremendous brought gaius him at a very quiet manner look at the bunch getting up there for thought 456 position that's Johnny Rutherford leading that pack there bad stomach front and there's the crowd of beggar's in the pitch count number 89 finally Gary Payton House of water disappointment for him the traditional number 98 of JC agajanian and there's Sheldon Kinser slowing on the racecourse but well done Louis should be out of the way but the yellow flag is now out at Indianapolis [Music] we would think that would be for Sheldon Kinser Jackie from what we can see here he is on the racecourse he would be considered to be an obstacle on the racetrack in the first when the cars are so tightly bunched at the beginning of a race like this it's very easy for them not to see a small car traveling down some other car to divert behind a group of cars and run straight into that slow car so that's the reason for the yellow flag and all these yellows are going to use more fuel and they're going to make a much harder wear on the engines the attrition rate should be tremendous now they're under what are called pacer lights here at Indianapolis let's have Jackie explain that for us in some forms of racing such a stock car racing and even Grand Prix racing when the yellow light or yellow flag is shown the driver who might have a 30-second lead could lose that lead by the drivers behind him closing up and grouping behind that lead car here at Indianapolis it was considered that this would be unfair therefore something new was introduced a few years ago they were called pace lights let me try and explain what they are there are eight of those piece of lights around the racetrack when the driver passes a piece of light if for example number two is up there he should reach the next piece of light which is 1,600 feet along the road and still see number two if for example he sees number three up there it means that he's going too slowly if on the other hand he sees number one it means that he's going too quickly so it's this way on only this way that he knows if he's traveling at the right pace and this obviously helps him to keep the gap behind the car in front of them to the prescribed distance the officials here feel that this is the method that they can use to keep these cars going around the track at 80 miles an hour because that's the figure that they consider to be safe while emergency crews are perhaps working on the racetrack remember this there is no pace car around this racetrack now and it means that if any driver goes too fast he will be penalized of course it's extremely difficult to police such a regulation and this is what the officials have to try to do here at Indianapolis well Jackie who've explained the facial lights but it looks like Tom stiva has in fact closed up on Gaia's he certainly seems to have forced up a few yards he can probably do this and get off with it just for a few laps but these yards are going to be noted by the officials and if for any reason they thought he had unreasonably closed up set there could be action AJ Boyd has gone from 20th position to 14th on the first two laps he passed nine cars Mario has gone from 33rd to 24th they're moving up still under the yellow at Indianapolis and we'll be right back we're back again at the Indianapolis 500 sold Walter in the pits very early in the race and that's happened to him before here at Indianapolis on a number of occasions the 30 year old race driver from Dayton Ohio had a lot of bad luck around here back out on the race course again however going to take a look right now an age a boy on the first lap remember he started way back in the seventh row and look at him pass card the orange car number 14 Bobby unser right with him in the black and orange look at him carving his way through there it's amazing how he's getting through this traffic the rest of the drivers obviously feeding that weed through there as quickly as possible AJ taking every opportunity right straddling the yellow line there look at him getting inside of that car as he goes through there out of turn two and down the backstretch obviously turning the total off to try and get himself in the green light goes out at the same time here as you can see the green big Shawn remember what we saw of AJ Foyt was an isolated replay of AJ on the first lap in the race now we're back to the current standings and here is Danny on Gaia's out in front Todd Steve afraid for school however about a hundred yards back and they're going at speeds of about 185 miles an hour that means they're going the length of a football field every second when they're coming down the home stretch and the backstretch coming onto the backstretch down there of course they asked and streaming of drafting and did you see that car he's just within the draft even if it looks quite a long way of the racetrack Danny on guys he's car in a small way is breaking the year lying fever just that little bit there you got some feeling of the speed from that low speed shot up gaius and Tom Steve out in front just behind them you can see Gordon Johncock now number 20 and he's very closely followed by number four Johnny Rutherford and number two Al Unser those are the three cars in your picture right now the blue and white behind him Johnny Rutherford just out of the picture there now is Al Unser who is in fifth place in the race in front again though Danny young guy is only his second Indianapolis 500 and 836 stiva in second place at the moment is in his fifth in the at age 29 and of course he finished second and last year's Indianapolis 500 Danny on Gaia's one of the Chargers one of the men to the Fitz what a disappointment for him so a me in the race under the green light and for the country of Canada click useful the only racer from north of the border in the Indianapolis 500 again back to that race for third place John's mother and the woman in third place followed by Rutherford and Al Unser every one of these a former winner John Cox monitor once brother rich wanted twice and so is Allen sir very hot and of course the can of got John Cox a four cylinder car the off the car of course the other two cars being powered by the cars worth of British made engine and look at the mr. Gordon there the car number two they're really tucking himself in behind Allen attacking himself in behind that Kara Rutherford's they are very experienced drivers not getting themselves out of shape and here too less experienced drivers again on Gaia's only in a second 500 and stiva who crashed here a couple of years ago much more experienced now but still with not the experience of having won the race once which makes a big difference doesn't it Jack Oh the winning banner is an amazing thing it's difficult to fight the key to open the door of winning and so many drivers go for so long without finding that key and there's a car there that Sheldon Kinser Jacky number 24 and hopped on the racetrack and he had his arm in the air there just in case a driver did not see that he was traveling at not 2 miles an hour and the yellow flag not out as yet I thought we might get a yellow on Kinser because they did earlier when he was down below now he's dead stop and now the yellows out here it is they're under the yellow it means they must slow down if you call it slow to 80 miles an hour Krista cotta Mackey down in the pits let's go down there ok the leader is Dani on Gaia's car owners Parnelli Jones who won here 15 years ago he's going on hundred ninety-one and a half Parnelli how long can he keep that up on his fuel well I think he can run around that speed all day and with the with the mileage that we have to get and of course the whole track may slow down a little bit because of the heat no no fuel problems at that speed no I don't think so ok there's a story on the leader back to you Jim all right Chris thank you the yellow still out here to get many more of these yellows it could be a problem on fuel and wear and everything else there are the standing so long guys since neva Johncock Rutherford and unser with the yellow out we'll take a break and Norton versus Larry halls Friday June 9th the WBC heavyweight championship 10 Donnie defends his WBC title against Larry Hall and later in June one of golf's most prestigious events the United States Open Golf Championship on ABC [Music] we return to the 1978 Indianapolis 500 exclusive same-day coverage by ABC sports this is Jim McKay with Jackie Stewart and they're still under the yellow flag in the early going here Danny young guy is the leader in the black card over 25 there he is in second place that red white and blue car number one of Tom Stephen who was the USAC national champion last year on a season-long basis but here comes the green flag they're racing against guys to lead and hook it's neva Jackie it's never really picked it up you know he was at the right here at the right time he was obviously looking at the light system that was all the way around the racetrack and he got the jump on Danny up guys Danny must have been slightly asleep there but he's not letting it pass up there but Tom stiva has taken the lead of the Indy 500 as you see very close to him this is a really beautiful motor racing right now and speed to over 185 miles an hour on the straightaway remember it's well over 200 oh they're getting up to close to 2 up in 30 miles an hour there Dani and kya Stockton can I talk Steve a slower car then that's off 77 so forth that's raising his arm to look as if he was raising his best in fact but certainly not to the drivers behind them I wonder if he sees Tom Seaver behind up there as he goes in and he doesn't see Tom Stephen because he'd really shut the door on Tom Steve I going through there alright so they were being slowed down there on Gaia's moving up right behind him and guy is moving down from trying to retake the lead from Tom Seaver and he's done it he really turned up the boost got more horsepower engine and engine and take it over the lead once again and even in those few short years look at the gap that he's got there he's really opened it up but there the young guy a style racing which didn't do that final again from their dismay charge-charge racing driver he really is amazing what an amazing young man he is he's very quiet he hardly says a word but my goodness does he drive he certainly does can you charge at Indianapolis for 500 miles however that might be a question well I don't know I think if there's anyone could do it he is the black horse in the black car okay moving up one yet another slower car as Danny on Gaia's and that might give Steve another opportunity stiva right behind him we had a notion but didn't do it there really are being around there that's the main street that's the banks trees at 3,300 feet there and here you see saw Walters come into the pit here again yeah so water in the pits for the second time early in the going of this 1978 Indy 500 leaders remaining the same on Gaia's followed by stiva and there in traffic there is the black car the leader right now moving threading his way through cars missin Indianapolis is a very difficult thing because the traffic even though it looks lower is still going very fast speed you've gotta and dissipate the driver in front of you the driver at this nervous-looking any medicine you must force respect and likelihood so you can never take the chance of thinking that he knows where you are okay he continues to pass slower cars on Gaius and sniper than Johncock Rutherford and unser the three former winners of the race still working back there and a long long way to go breathing they're the names from the younger less experienced driver look at here at Gaius you know these super speedways as well as the passing very very well indeed now there's AJ Foyt right now with Mario Andretti right behind him their 12th and 13th in the standings at this point having moved well up quite moved up from 20th place but I'm Freddy moved up from dead last in 33rd place he's going faster than AJ what a gruesome twosome they are really Chargers both of them drive very well Mario Andretti tucking himself in there setting up eg for it to get him at the end of the street I'm sure and slingshot some through getting into turn through the air Mario Andretti passes AJ Foyt on the track okay remember we're trying to keep an eye on these cars that started near the back of H a point and Bobby unser who started in the seventh row of Mario Andretti who had to start dead last because he was not here last weekend to qualify his own car you said so just a small portion of this huge crowd by the way then it's all the way around the racetrack remember about 250,000 of them seat seated another hundred thousand or more standing around and standing around at the moment he is very upset man its own team is racing Carla gets back in against with meaning the end of the day for Sir Walter okay we'll keep tabs on that one too Daniel guys no continues ahem problems he's fast he charges but he's very smooth with a to Jackie incredibly smooth and this is the key to the door in Indianapolis because you've got to be smooth you've got to drive around they're almost on the edge of a razor blade you cannot afford to slip or slide the car if you do that you get your tire temperatures very hot the car then does not handle so well you can't afford to scrub any speed off in the corner so drive with ravenous Mario Andretti coming into the pits now he had took past AJ would remember he looks like he's gonna be short he's disgusted himself the engine stopped is called is a very high 21 a terrible error he's passing the point of 18 points it's just a terrible error he obviously thought it was his pit and he's being pushed out this is an enormous amount of pain loss all that great claim that his game of the racetrack has been lost now down there at the pit lane because this is all under the green flag and the other cars are still laughing 180 185 miles an hour look at Mario looks like he's saying oh goodness his hand on his head now going to do a thing like that the man who may well win the 1978 World crown Prix Formula One drivers championship one of the great drivers of our time former winner of this race in 1969 born in Italy raised in Nazareth Pennsylvania made his mark in American Racing first but then went back to the land of his birth to Italy and other countries in Europe and around the world to try to win that World Championship he still have to look at the seconds going by Jackie there's something wrong there than looking at the back of the car this is not a scheduled pit stop okay the pit stops all important here let's see how they were Jackie in the end erase a pit-stop could win or lose the race for the driver in this case Mario Andretti's map it's a demonstration with his team the regulations of Indy stick and only five men are allowed over the world to work in the car here you see the air jack a Penske invention being put into action the jacks lift the car off by air pressure this means that nothing can slip here you see the fuel line and the overflow tank being put into place there is the O field we wish and off by the air tool the rear wheel is taken off put into place by somebody else and then the air to get back into position again and of course the car dropped back onto the racetrack here you see in our split-screen the rear wheel on the lake being taken off by one man being put on by another and the front wheel one man does the entire operation of course using an ef-2 and fourth hands of a car then the car is dropped back on again these jacks you can see what's in there but their tool comes out the jack gets dropped back onto the ground no damage risk of the car with a manual jack then the fuel lane angle at full tank is taken over at the car is pushed away tremendously fast what real synchronized precision at Indianapolis a 14 second spit stock would be what they would be looking for and this is really what could be winning and losing the race remember this will be about 10 pit stops at Indianapolis for every second lost on the track it's almost the length of a football field a real rush of course that was a demonstration earlier the pit stop didn't work that way this time with enter any stopping way short of his own pit now having major problems had out of the car and there is Tom stiva into the fence talking about he's he's obviously very concerned he's gotta get out and look at that an 11.3 pit stop just as we said the demonstration 14 is fast but 11 is very close that is much more her normal Roger Penske team pit stop mr. Khanna Mackey our men in the pits as you watch on Gaius lead Chris what's wrong with it can they fix it there's a problem there with these I blame him all right Chris Mario normally very cooperative say can't blame to these circumstances Danny on guys theater and the race and name of course has pitted that gave the guy's chest one front but he's gonna have to fit very soon obviously he obviously will be concerning himself with that they're still running under they they green light so therefore he's getting as much space on the racetrack as he possibly can Danny on Gaia's be conformed by hopefully his radio and of course the pit signals that he gets as what's going on with the rest of the pattern and the race and look at that he's raising his hand he's coming into the pits he raises his groin or club and he comes over top four so that no car behind is going to be very quickly a deep chest certainly is he does it all time might make the point to Jackie that you can't just go as fast as you want all the way here because you are only allowed so much fuel for the entire day and if you go too fast you have too much boost do you use it on and you won't have a dog spike GelreDome against the wall part of a 19 against the wall look at the right front wheel just about torn off the car spike getting on I don't but you can't see it up all fire but he taking his time looks like there's no fire come on see it up by his actions well he's got the racing town he's obviously alright there's no damage despite their loves it but look at this Danny on guys is still in the pits this is a very Italian much longer than anticipated but remember he's under the yellow look at this replay again the car runs along the wall he's getting lucky that that what wheel there against the wall has knocked him back and forth the hit of this can often happen in Indianapolis he's a very lucky man that wheel stayed on the car did not in any way risk getting itself a few wheels of turn over no damage to the car or the driver in the serious sense but this car is certainly badly damaged but look at this Tom stiva has taken the lead on guys came in under the green before the yellow came out again we've returned to the Indy 500 of 1978 were still under the yellow light here there's time Steve a leading the race just behind him Daniel Gaia's who is in second place then is John Carter Mears and Australis potala Chris economy again Maryana is back on the track after a seven-minute pit stop to replace what they call the black box it's part of the transistorized ignition system one thing about transistorized ignition the extreme heat does affect it and this may have been the reason this particular part failed on the car it's very hot he may have a very fast race car for the rest of the race he may have more trouble one fortuitous circumstance did take place though the yellow flag came out in the only lost seven laps all right as you can see I believe by the beads of perspiration and Chris is proud that it's mighty hot down there the temperature just 85 degrees but extremely humid now there's Rick Myers into the pits just took off his he took it off and gave it to his pingu they did something through it 50 that back into he's his neck again and he was able to get back on the racetrack under those yellows as you can see the yellow and fat for dad holding it the skin of the racetrack all right the yellow still up and we have information Jackie that Steve krisiloff took the lead there a moment ago under the yellow however for taking the lead for having to violate it just now USAC tells us have been violated the Pacer light ruler to explain a while ago krisiloff had been penalized one lap instead of leading the race he's been pushed way back a full lap behind the leader father was suspect there was some speculation Jim whether they would be able to police this correctly but it looks like we've had agreed yes and look at this on Gaia's great behind Stephen looked like he was gonna try to fans him now he drops in behind him Tom Stephen the leader still well last time of course Tom Stephen got the jump front Danny I'm Gaius what guy was trying to get his own back but it just Shores here the use and conditions away the top of the job because trying to gather light situations they've actually released it and that's a finish death penalty our one-lap penalty is pretty low extremely closed dangerous but masterful racing right now between two the Tom race drivers of the world Danny unbiased and Tom Stephen Stephen the pride of the Great Northwest the guy is born in Hawaii more recently living in customize of California look at this a guys that whoa and it really is going by he's got it he's taken four pumps people what an enormous welcome part of these cars have when they that Gustav it's a remarkable performance it just kicks you in the back in that car videos of Gaia seems to be more liberal with these boost pressure and giving himself four horsepower I wonder if he's alright for few because remember this is a 500-mile race and they're only allowed a Shabnam earn a few if you've wasted all to early it could cost you dearly at the end of the race well there won't be all sorts of mixed emotions in the Penske pits right now one of their men in second place battling for the lead but the two others having front and running in for a seven-minute pit stop that go to seven laps rick mears in having an engine on fire leaves have other problems but one man still competitive well Roger Penske the masterful organizer of man and of cars and the machines and of course he does a great job I think the fact that he's got three cars in this this race is of course a very difficult thing to handle but there's there's a steep krisiloff layer he's back in 8th position which would be very disappointing for him because he's been gone what lap because of that him okay a tough break for Steve krisiloff of New Jersey let's go down to build lemming he's with salt wall third in their pits beginning today what happens I've you know I've always taken all the excuses and I've said our team goof and I've always covered up for a chief mechanic but if anyone gets it this year its Tommy Smith I'm good at 98 in this car in practice and I ran 187 get rid of qualified and Tommy changed the entire throttle system last night the night before a race little idiot would do that here he goes one and stand on the brake best team I've ever had we selected they've done a great job Tommy stupid gonna make it a nice to stay here you're gonna be there so I'm not quit we're gonna be there you're they're gonna fire you thing ha you're not gonna fire in here after the Tommy stuff we're gonna cry anymore mismatched assets thing is firing I begged a man I put up with him since 1972 he won't listen you don't make changes the six top drivers we did not do it but he does absolutely in sense salt Walter and we understand Tommy Smith has left the pin although they're still working on the car and is picking up his gear in gasoline aliens going to leave the racetrack also Walter sent an angry man if he had he start to stick open forget to cut one and he locked the brakes up that's more comfortable sensation but look at Daniel guy is trying to get past that on the car there the other car certainly did not northern and it it's random unless you're a very speedy a private car after 11:00 there but he was really chopping off Danny they are obviously not aware of Danny's presents for their of course of the main street whether the hawk or roared the spear on Gaia's get through and get fast okay so Danny ungai is who stole the leader in the race Tom Steve in a second I'm still quite surprised at the statement of salt Walter I've never heard a man so publicly irate during a race now we've got a yellow again we've got a yellow no there's no crash to spin they say there is some sort of debris on the track well let's go down to a native Luger a man who really knows Indianapolis my abc colleague Chris Schenkel chris is an ABC scoring central is going to report from them now okay Chris well there is a searing heat here in the month of May at and Annapolis but no one's as hot a salt Walter what a battle between our guys since neither the two men to qualify the fastest arm is holding true but there are six cars now out of the race and let's take a look at their names and the reason that they're out cliff fusil the 29 year old Canadian is out because of an online malfunction first one out in the fourth lap Shelton Kinser 35 year old native of Wilmington Indiana while pressure problems Jerry sneaker brother of the pole-sitter rear end failure on the 18th lap and filled fresh at 25 is the youngest rookie in the field of five rookies and he did complete 18 laps before he had an oil pressure malfunction so you see but because of the heat these are mechanical malfunctions town Bagley now the 38 year old rookie has completed 25 laps but began overheating and you saw spike Gil housing hitting the wall the mania enclosure wrecking on the 23rd lap in his second Indianapolis 500 he was last a year ago he was taken to the field hospital we called our friend dr. Tom Hanna he has a sprained left foot so that guy said the lead was sleeve a second we'll be back with more racing at nd but first this world super featherweight championship WBC champion Alexis Arguello defends his title against Diego Alcala Saturday on ABC's Wide World of Sports we return to ABC Sports exclusive same-day coverage by 1978 Indianapolis 500 there's AJ Foyt in car number 14 he's been lapped by the race leader Denny on Gaius and although he moved up very quickly on the first lap we saw there some guy as ahead of him right now in the black car number 25 and there is that's the scoring table and leave and the bit open Gaius I believe right there is Danny but AJ Ford as we said is now going much lower than he wasn't to be in the race he's having problems there are the standing and guys and stiva then that group of John Rutherford and unser Danny Etling guy is still the race leader he still is smooth as ever he's still getting around this Speedway threading the needle because that's where that amounts to there he has to be so clean so smooth so precise and this is what I'm guys I think has surprised so many people by doing because they thought he was brought up close and crushing heroes who would get the car sideways he would do quite well at the shorter slower tracks but not so well and he's super speedways there he gets a plus three seconds of the second man that gives him some indication he'd normally watch the radio but generally they also worked with a pit board to try and keep as much peace and quiet at the cockpit of the driver as possible to try and avoid distraction of any kind but he has threats that lead to three seconds now over second place Tom's Niva moving up now and Johnny Rutherford now there is stiva going past each a boy so AJ being passed by the first two cars he's out now that means that he's been passed and laughed finally is not a normal thing to see AJ 40 laps on any race track I don't think we can expect to see a great deal of him today because obviously is cottage not performing as well as it normally does you know let me ask you a layman's question alien guys experience to a great extent look at him try of quite fast Johnny Rutherford now former two-time winner of the race was in drag racing when they go up quarter of a mile straight ahead can you really learn that but wait I'm gonna ask you that again in a minute because we have to go down to Chris encounter Mackay in the pits now with Parnelli Jones okay here's Parnelli Jones again what's the trouble with Danny's radio and how serious is it well it just isn't right at the moment it doesn't seem to we are not be able now what's that going to do it was ability to run and be competitive whew and all that use of the booze well that's that's no problem we can giving them kind of readings on the board but if he's having a particular hard time with a jazz or something out there and he wants to change it for him to tell us on the last stop Parnelli you didn't change tires everyone else man we change on the first one and that's one of the reasons we had to de long pit stop on the first stop we change they didn't get it on a pan making up for lost ground we were having a little trouble with the chassis so we changed them in the first pit stop that's one of the what you say about how the cars running now we're leading and even with the radio not working Parnelli Jones is smiling and Danny on guys pen okay when le John's former winner the ending up with 500 on Team Manager for on Gaia's I asked you Jacky was he'd not anything about racing when your drag race it would just just straight ahead for court of Allah well you don't have to go around many corners but George you've got to be very delicate with the steering and a person you're seeing at Indianapolis is a great deal of delicacy I think daddy and Gaius is basic chemical driving a racing car is the seat of his pants right from the beginning whether it was drag racing or recycling for this kind of racing obviously the man has a gift that God has given up my goodness he's using his computer fair it certainly is at least preventive speeds here at the Indianapolis rubber the cars going faster again this year in qualifying course we've got a couple of yellows so three speed and the average speed is down now because the race is not the yellow count they're also of course they're only going now at that point Danny on Gaia's still the leader naina heat number one ABC 2 ok let's go to Chris Akana Mackey about fuel again one of the more interesting stories on pit road is the fuel situation the sanctioning United States Auto Club has allocated 285 gallons to each entrant for tea in the car and 245 in the pit side fuel tank when the race gets underway but with turbo charges on these cars they can pump many gallons more through the engine unless they can serve each driver has a boost control knob in his cockpit that controls turbocharger pressure and thereby engine horsepower he has to use it rather sparingly to get the 500 miles in now then if there is too much fuel used in the latter stage of the race he's gonna have to turn his knob way down but on the other hand if he's conservative at the end of the race he can turn that knob and get maybe even a thousand horsepower out of his engine then there's the case of the yellow flags the yellow flags slow down the race filled up a fuel reserve this gives the driver a chance to turn that knob up a little bit more and be as they say more racing it makes for an interesting competition between the many pit stop the fuel is measured on this incremental gauge here and the crews use handheld calculators to figure out just how much fuel is left they then tell their driver on the two-way radio how much boost he can have and how racy he can be a very interesting explanation be videotaped earlier by crystianna makya on the fuel situation here through the combination of brave men and deep science going on here well they're certainly working with science nowadays motor racing there's daddy on Gaia's who you saw from his pit signal there had been landing in a hundred eighty eight miles an hour that was plus four seconds in the lead this information very fight at the hip though because father George pointed out his two-way radio system is not working and this could be very detrimental to Danny and Gaia so now he spit signals are of major importance just a few years ago that's the only way you got the information here or anywhere else with the radios that you said have become extremely important in the Indianapolis 500 there's still a long way to go on guys the leader stiva second and then john cochran we'll be back for America again we return to Indianapolis and there are the current standings a guy is still leading Christina that Al Unser has moved up into third place ahead of Gordon Johncock with Bobby unser now in fifth remember he started way back in seventh position both of the standings at the moment the Indianapolis 500 is being brought to you by Goodyear when we raise you win by Bram makers of oil air and fuel filters windshield wipers and auto light sparkplug by the coca-cola company and all the people who bring you the bright refreshing taste of coca-cola both adds life to just about everything you do and by Toyota Toyota hopes you enjoy today's race you asked for it and you've got it what you've got is really something with much more to come we're going to take a break but we'll return with more of the Indianapolis 500 after this from our local station again we return to the Indianapolis 500 Jimmy K here with Jackie Stewart in our commentary booth and their understanding standing up Gaius calm Steven Allen sir in third now Gordon Johncock and Bobby unser so the to us have moved into the top five there is the race leader in the blanket car number 25 of the interscope racing team organized by Ted field the team manager however is Parnelli Jones have you seen a former winner of the Indianapolis 500 Danny a guy is getting right there on the first is very very hot day indeed it's having its toll mechanically it's also having its torment tires we had one of two of the teams complaining that the car was beginning to handle talked to well they came in and fresh tires on and this is of course not an abnormal thing you see folks Niva they are the car number one the you say champion at the present time one guy is really smooth and of course the same could be said of Steven but moving right behind Stephen is Al Unser not behind him moving now right ahead of him announcer had lurked back there in fifth place he got up to third and now has moved into second place into the pit Gordon Johncock remember he had been third this is the team led by George big not a close-up of Gordie Johncock former winner of the race that was in the terrible year of 1973 when it took three brains hard tragedy more days to complete the race but pitstop 12.8 is a very good pit stop and Eden you see the traffic jam coming in and out of the pits they know the cars rushing through this grave pit lane here you can see the mechanics waving to the drivers kalalau to Alex a carto run by Jim Hall Paul takes the very quiet unassuming man you see Alex are there about a great experience place an empty winner he's pointing down at the rear tire to have that checked and looking at an 11 point 1 second pit stop what a terrific pain and you through to Italy this year wonderful all of the leaders coming in from pit stop under the green under the green is worth every tenth of a second actually counts there is um Gaius still out on the race track the leader in the race he probably will have to be coming in of course he might hope for a yellow right about now that would be a big break for him it's an amazing thing for a guy because he seems to have been turning the boost up more than anyone else and yet he's still in the racetrack longer than anyone else so maybe they've been some sort of secret with regard to their fuel consumption and there you have it what laughs it wonder that means the dannion guy from one more lap to go right this two-and-a-half mile Speedway to come into the pits and be refueled incidentally you can literally see the humidity here in some of our shots we can see how it shimmers it's extremely humid 85 degrees but it feels much hotter now Tom stiva who had led the race then was second I was third before the pit stop started into the pits he had to be pushed back a little bit there he's got to be exactly in the right place to take on a few because that fuel line has got three more they're not changing any rubber of the car it's a long pit stop in fact four no rubber it's thirteen point eight seconds so therefore he's lost a little bit on Alex and of course and there here comes on Gaia's into the pits Danny on guy is coming into the pits very fast he's catching that over Karen okay guys it takes a quick left turn into his pit he he really goes fast as long as he can there is a lien guys in car number 25 that looks pretty good so far they'll be getting both he's gesturing for something the cast wishing the COS under speeding he's seen the cars going straight on in the courthouse instead of turning right let's meet this young man up close and personal I was born in Hawaii and enjoyed it very much and yet I have to Oh mostly what has happened to me in Motorsports to the fellows that I spent the last half of my life with in California I got to race motorcycles as most of the young men do today because something that you can become involved in at a very low cost I did that partially while I was in Hawaii and there were some very good people there who helped me to do it and to do quite well at it well from motorcycles I was involved with just some fellows who we happened along with every day and they were involved in drag racing and one day I got to drive one of their cars and along the way I met somebody else who was involved in drag racing and when I moved here gave me the opportunity to start with a car that had previously or the year before been the national champion and with the fellow who had worn that crown and so I had good equipment some good help immediately and that helped very much Danny was asked what interest he has other than racing what we asked him does he do with his spare time well I do about the same thing that the anybody would do every day I enjoy swimming I have enjoyed building model airplanes I like riding motorcycles just generally getting off and doing something different Danny young guy has himself race drive right now however he has been eclipsed by Al Unser because that slow pit stop but Bannion guy is Khalid Al Unser who had the fifth company laps ago has now take a lead in the silence this car number 25 is now second there's party on sir into the pits now he moved in the fourth place while the others were making their pit stop but he will probably drop back to the fence and he makes his own pit stop under the crane it was a good one though Bobby answer driving for the team led by Dan Gurney who himself as a driver finished second fight through their Janet cut three by the way the only woman ever to drive at Indianapolis last year she had very bad luck but this year she is currently installed running ninth in the race a very admirable showing by Janet Guthrie at this point and then she had in and out again she's not making a lightning-fast pit stop of some of those other teams but her idea is simply said she'd throw away plastic bottle accused having a drink out of the throw that that was so look who's in the lead Allen's he's won this race plates before back-to-back victories in 1970 and 71 he used to drive for Parnelli Jones team until this year now he's taken the lead for Parnelli Jones race up to this point was a race between a Gaius Tom Stephen but suddenly innocence followed by a guy and Stephen and Bobby unser and John lot more to come stay with us posting on the race course into the pits is a J point it looks like this will not be the day for AJ he's furious I don't know whether it's with himself as big crew or his car or a combination of all three but there he is coming in he's running and the woman ain't in the race which is just one place ahead of Janet country he would not I'm sure like to finish behind the fellini at Indianapolis he knows if he's run out of fuel jam as he came in there there was water for Newberry Jean seemed a little surprised by that but it looks like he had maybe run out of fuel and therefore was supposed to get nasty little pandemic now he hit 70 as part of tired okay AJ Foyt at the moment though the center of attention as he is when anything happens to Amir very long pit stop for the man from Houston Texas he won the race four times great furiousiy he cares so much let's beat him a little bit up close and personal well we have a woman the name of eg point is synonymous with speed and success AG has become a living legend American racing scene he guards his privacy selfishly living closely through his family and a very few Georgian friends motor racing has been kind to AJ point but it's also crammed his life this for example is his 21st year at Indy he's become national champion six times and he's won this great race four times but there is a very private side to AJ point his home is tucked away and two acres of trees and bushes and the quiet Memorial District of Houston Texas the family fight have lived in this house for six years it is filled with many mementos the trappings of victory the few people from his longtime friend and car owner Jim Gilmer this image of the famous car number 14 Indy car for once not in coyote or aside from the race driver there's a country boy looking deeply with an eg point on the eg point ranch 350 acres which lies 30 miles outside of Christy most of the work is done by the man himself eg point is no gentleman farmer but listen to his thoughts about the ranch it's actually some place I can go and get away and I enjoy working out in the pastures and your mowing grass enjoy the outdoor life and every chance I get I have a chance to go out there either paint fences bill fences or barns or what have you I like everything you see there I've built about 75% of it myself and to me this is relaxation that's reading I don't have nobody there really working just when I'm going out of town I have somebody there to guard the place and that's about it oh you're into horsies and this seems to me that it's almost the second generation of AJ Foyt what's quite true my son said show horses when actually he was going to high school and I favor was gonna have horses since I've always been raised minded that like to have raised horses and it's been a great relaxation I've really enjoyed studying the pedigrees and you know just seeing what we come up with we have twin 20 and 25 horses usually at the tracks and at the farm you know we're raised in some and we probably got another 25 to 30 there plus 10 or 15 brood mares if there was to be a fairy godmother come along and wave a magic wand and say AG poit you can win your fifth ending or you can win the Kentucky Derby what would you say I'd have to go to the fifth Indy Jack yeah to me this is probably the biggest sport in the world it means an awful lot to man I'd have to say horses are still secondary to my auto bill racing I love racing and I really had no intention of retiring not for the next two or three years really the equestrian fatality will have to wait a few more years for the undivided attention of one eg point the risa so don't be too surprised as AJ pulls out of the pit here if one day in the not-too-distant future he tries for the double the Derby and Indy me it just could happen HJ back after that long pit stop however is lagging this year it doesn't look like he's going to win it now unser is the leader in the 1978 Indianapolis 500 he's won it twice before driving for a brand new race team remember organized by Jim Hall of Texas who was a sports car driver himself in the 60s he and Phil Hill used to drive the chaparral cars Jim Hall invented the wing it was a movable wing at that time but it led to the wings on all these race cars today they label them to stick to the racing surface at these speeds of over 200 miles an hour an amazing man came home Texas if a successful I vote for Jim Hall on one occasion I always had room for another text right here John mica but he was successful he won Indianapolis and my goodness here we see another one leading the race of course PG fighting up for that small state there is Janet Guthrie by the way still run running up in the top ten of the race don't mind AJ point but not too far behind unser a nagaihas John Cox Niva and unser Bobby unser go to the standards [Music] the Pirates battle the Phillies the Giants take on the Astros and the Orioles beat the Tigers check local listings for ABC's Monday Night Baseball [Music] we've passed the halfway mark in the 1978 Indianapolis 500 you're watching ABC Sports exclusive same day coverage of the race into the pitch the race leader Al Unser and that means right now Danny on Gaia's has taken the lead again he's still out there for there's a Lancer in there you see the clock running the last night my Lancer came into the pits it was a little point one seconds and look at the precision they an 11 point dude these are the fastest pistol I've seen so far as always the races he leaves the fence there with the backup canopy G point the amazement ripped by George Schneider theory picks on to the racetrack again as the leader in the race you mentioned by the way that you throw for Jeff Paul the leader of a l'instant team here Jackie you drove another invention of his that they called the vacuum cleaner that was great for the uploaded right well he's been the greatest inventor in his own way and there by the way you see in the pit stand confront lean muscle even touch the time yes he's in for the clock running there also let's see if the Penske better off to the demonstration we did Verizon of course a competition he's parked on the time of islands of 30 point six seconds with a slightly slow take away there by Tom Stephen we were speaking a jib Hall and he brought in the back they called it something underneath the car and it really was a great invention the time and then as you see it was outlawed by the International Party the governing body of motorsport for Greathouse the oppo in the blank greatest daddy on Gaia's and he's heading for pit lane as well again he has his hand in the air first we see a vestige of that vacuum cleaner in the skirts that we see of the indianapolis cars and on three cars but the man of the moment any of Gaius now will lose the lead in the race of course as Al Unser will pledge by and retake it Danny AB guy has picked their pilot only George look at him asking there how he's doing his hand to the left that means that he's getting understeer and they are number two takes the lead that your leader pilots are on the racetrack as many odd guys leave but it's obviously this radio need mech is certainly hampering the information that Daniel guys is giving in this group because when he comes into the pit like that he really has to tell what ports for the car to try and make it rip the track that little bit better everything seems to be working perfectly though for this car number two entered by Jim Hall remember driven by Al Unser of the racing Unser's from Albuquerque New Mexico he's won the race twice his brother Bobby's wanted twice they're the only brothers ever wanted and there you see at this McNeil's Rick Mears has proved right off the restrike caliber 71 ashamed for the man who sat at the front for their a repeat very disappointing the cast walking at the back there it was not in a spin or anything however he just pulled off the racetrack something wrong with his engine so it has not caused any problems in the other cars was not an accident of any sort he just pulled off the yellow is out however he must have dropped some oil again let's check in with our ABC colleague in our scoring central prison Schenkel Chris so we're in our seventh yellow flag we have only 20 racers going at the moment 13 out and here are the latest six let's take a look at them John Mahler 41 year old native of Iowa timing gear failure Roger McCluskey 17500 out because of gearbox failure Pancho Carter coming back after an incredible accident it's only six months ago gearbox malfunction Rick Mears whom you just saw on the grass well he had an engine failure after a hundred and four laps Larry Dixon the 39 year old native of Maria de Ohio he had oil pressure problem and the sixth making a total of 13 out of the race Tom Bigelow thirty-eight years old five-time starter lost a connecting rod on the one hundred and fourth lap we've had five lead changes it's been exciting with a guys leading 71 laps unser 39 its Nita 7 with an average speed of 156 you know all of this year are missing a tremendous man who built the house of Holman 34 years ago Tony Hulman philanthropist sportsman and business giant he died in October of 1977 Tony Hulman was somebody special and we came in contact with Tony Hulman mrs. this gentleman from Indiana who first attracted attention is an outstanding athlete at Wooster Academy and Yale University Tony was a 1924 graduate of Yale an all-american end of the 1923 football team which he also captained a world class track and field star Tony was a big man who never lost touch with the little man he was full of love and he showed it his love affair with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway began in 1945 when he and his President Wilbur Shaw signed the papers of ownership and began rebuilding and developing the Speedway and the race into the world's greatest sports spectacle Tony had the rare quality of combining humbleness with dignity and pride he had great strength gentle but not weak he was never too busy to relate to the famous and the not so famous he befriended many a little man as his friend I know he wouldn't want me to give you a rundown on his accomplishments because he was a shy man Tony always felt that actions spoke louder than words yet once a year in May for 23 consecutive years he always spoke powerful words to the 33 drivers he admired so much and here is his command of a year ago his last to qualify at Indianapolis gentlemen start your engines you know Tony Hulman loved the last line of a poem written by Indiana's poet laureate James Whitcomb Riley mr. Riley wrote it as a tribute to a departed friend and all of us feel this way and it was simply this he is not gone he is just away thank you very much Chris we're still under the yellow here and of course everybody has their favorite Tony Hulman story he was truly one of the most self-effacing and yet accomplishment I've known he was known around the world and respect tremendously Hesperus this is Howard Gilbert AJ Foyt's engine builder what's what's AJ Foyt's problem so far our display the cool nothing wrong your lap down and just in the top 10 yeah we're will be there okay a typical Floyd Pitts interview they won't admit to any problems on the scoreboard ak-47 9th position one lap down just past the halfway mark but confidence in the pits back here Jim all right we're still under the yellow in the Indianapolis 500 the leader of the race is Al Unser in car number 2 there is number 20 Gordon Johncock still in competition in third place so we're going to take a break while we're under the yellow and return for more coverage there is the race leader Al Unser in traffic at the moment in the Indianapolis 500 and his lead which he has started to spread a little bit on Daniel guys feet cutting down by that very back every will trouble moving past those cars you can't go too quickly through traffic just in case something goes wrong because there's the signal be given plus seven seconds to Al Unser has been better and in yes exactly but he has to keep an eye on these other cars there's no point of getting yourself involved in an accident at this stage of the race well that lead had been 13 seconds while we're away it's now down to seven seconds Chris O'Connor Mackie is down with Jim Hall the team leader for Al Unser let's get a report there's Jim Hall okay Chris hey what a way to break in IndyCar racing Jimmy house house fuel mileage it's everything's looking good right now Chris where we make the end of the race riding like we're going so it looks good Bobby's got something reserved to turn up that boost later on how about you guys well we'll see if we run with Indianapolis 500 effort with two-time winner Al Unser back to you Jim okay Jim Hall the leader of the chaparral team and there is their driver Al Unser the leader in the race the chaparral by the way is what they call a road runner that little animal that scoots across the desert you know about that Jackie I don't know about the deserts but I knew something of the cars because it's a Lola that he's driving and it was a Lola that I came to Indianapolis with way back in 66 and 67 and I was driving for a Texan John become at that time and here you have another Texan for another bowler and my goodness is he leading the race - so Danny on guys is got a lot in his plate and that's the kind you see caliber 25 the flank down there and there you see the man there car number 2 the silver helmet red white blue driving the Lola of Jim Hall but you know an Gaius is closing that gap he's beginning to move on with their orders about 5.3 seconds right now look that guy is still moving up they're going out of the picture was on sir there the black bar on Gaia's where like guys can see him of course and right now this is a good break run guys he's behind a slower count that he was in - ton - no you watch him as he comes out a ton - your name of the slower car you'll get the benefit of the draft on the long front stretch there then he comes out of the slipstream of drafting his hands thing shot and now he's got no car between he and Alex on the car - slipping out the screen it was 2 seconds only 2 seconds ends - length of a football field but right now he's not even that much behind him because of the good break that he got there and laughing another cash Alan so certainly will see him in his men are low and that's no real comfort - I'll answer it certainly isn't it we would begin to wonder months or might be having a small problem because Gaia's is gaining dramatically but gaining about a second and a half a lap here well it seems to me is that a guy seems to have something up his sleeve with regards to fuel but here's a man in the pitch getting it fuel it's of course top sleeper carrying car number one we haven't talked on him top stiva sitting in through these glasses sometimes he was contact lenses but when they race they've got the fill glass he's just in case another except the contact lens can be dangerous he's gone out fifteen point five seconds the best event very talented anything under 14 seconds of a good so it certainly has a good man remembers in third place in the race and most important still on the same lap with the leader so don't count him out yet there was a lots are going by and there's none Gaius still closing in on them we are going to have some sensational racing here in just about a minute it looks like they're very close together and Gaius now obviously staking his position here getting himself into a position where you'll be able to slingshot hopefully and for him pass this car in the middle which i think is feed christoph and he would then get up to right on the tail of allan so there you see him and look at that looking really and - laughs - tip that's to say haven't was gonna come in for fuel and only two laps and there's one guy from his close that father was there is that someone there Alex who knows he's got to go into the pits now they're under the Greens of the next pit stop is going to be absolutely crucial for 4th of those drivers it's gonna be a race in the pits with that the lead less than two seconds now to be in a matter of feet pretty soon the way on Gaius is closing in on their son surpassing the slow car Nick Simon's they're in town over 70 has been having lots of trouble in and over the fits all day big Simon's back on the racetrack and well behind and there you see them going from there as they're heading towards the pits they're okay and Gaius getting by Nick Simon and now going out again in pursuit of his only object here the men in front of all I'll answer a pin in one and they're going to give on guy as a sign pit in one they're going to come in up at the same time there to commit at the same hope this has really be dramatic what a tremendous thing for this enormous present look at the enormity of that crowd as our cameras Pat Road here sitting more than 250,000 people with when they come into the stands there everybody seems to stand off the strain though Nair could see these two great men and right now the stars of this show in fact will be the mechanics the man we're going to change those tires are phillip fuel or do whatever has to be done remember of course that allen says radio is working Danny on guys his radio is not working so if he needs anything in the pits he has to confess he's got a show and he's picked through our try to get handshake with noisy matter and here they come him together Alan's room in run right behind him Hudson will have to stop first while guys will have to get around him and it looks like al might be block him out a little bit but now he's got to pull in and guy is flashing by there they are both in the pitch at split screen now on Gaia's on top unser on the bottom no tire chains for tire chains for either car so father for sitting in there waiting for the fuel to go in very patiently look at this Daniel guys his conduct risk away Ananias has certainly lost ground on Alex of the high efficiency of the Texas chaparral team certainly showing itself there a good advantage for him when such a crucial distance of the racetrack matters so much and so the difference between them right now is not a difference in the cars at all on the racetrack it is a difference between the pit fruit the pit crew of Jim Hall and Al Unser won that race win the big race where they go all the way that's another question because there's still a good long way to go stay with us we're moving towards the finish of the Indianapolis 500 and outlets are in car number two as the race leader about to put another lap on AJ point the only four-time winner of this race AJ is not going to win it this year unofficially that puts him three laps down to the lead car so a he's going to catch up Al Unser leader in the race going extremely smoothly Danny and guy a second then stiva John and Rutherford no radio and Daniel guy is his car at the moment let's go down to Chris got him back in the other doing down there this is the amount of fuel left and a neon gaseous fuel tank 70 gallons the gauge shows with 60 or 57 laps left in the competition we were just down in Toms neighbor's pit that I don't think is telling any tales at us Tom doesn't have quite that much left which means that on Gaia's we'll have the reserve to turn up the boost and call up our say to the race and his battle without sir that perhaps Tom's neva back to you again okay so totally that doesn't look good for stiva but we don't know about Al Unser yet we don't really know what his fuel situation is we'll see if frisky get out and have a look at their gauge and see how they stand there is answer brother al the younger by four years - brother Bobby well in fact he's got a birthday coming up in fact the birthday is coming up tomorrow so he's sitting there leading the Indianapolis 500 what a thirsty present that would be of this young man coming up to the bowl age of 39 could take and be one of the few people to have three Indianapolis wins under his belt and look it up coming out there those three FS is a cup though the front straightaway and he gets through their thing Simon at the rain and the banker behind them and Janet Guthrie just behind Simon Guthrie how are we still running very well what mr. diehr guys smoke coming from the engine all of a sudden the second face bar probably have had it what a disappointment when that's much smoke comes layoff back of a racecar Jim it looks like it might be the end of the day Danny on guys the car handles so well everyone doing the right job Danny against the such quiet and dignified man from Hawaii obviously got an enormous amount of disappointment here look at the smoke coming at Danny's unbuttoning he spies of the entire thing he seatbelt and and I think he's going to get over car Jim you saw one of the pit crew just waving arms horizontally as if to indicate cut it it's all over kill the engine and the engine is already dead what a shame Danny's taking his gloves off the cloud beginning to clap in respect of the performance that he spewed any seat belts being unbuckled by obviously at this event disappointing crewman there and Danny handsome that crash moment for an end was sad it really is and that means that in the race foul Al Unser has a big fat lead and in second place is number one and that would be Tom Seaver but the affords in the pit areas for this man then he hung gaius out of the race a very sportsmanlike fellow under any circumstances there's Parnelli Jones with him Danny does not bragging victory he doesn't moan in defeat quiet man from the islands from the estate of Hawaii the only other prominent race driver I can think of who started his career out there was interestingly the late Peter Revson who went to college in Hawaii and started driving old Morgan sports car up there but here's what happened once again to one guys and obviously happened up between turn three and four because he's entering the pit lane sad day for him okay Chris Nakata Mackey is down there I don't know whether Daniel wanted talked on this occasion or not dressed so drive great job you must be very disappointed the idea that we've fallen out haven't said it yet but I guess did you enjoy that racer without lunch sir well it was gonna begin to tighten up Wardian it was very nice he went wrong with the car I have no idea you're gonna catch out it was a great drive thanks a lot for a great show on guys out of the race after superb performance well there is the quiet man from Hawaii and California Danny um guys what an understated way to put it then that racy he was doing with this man number two he said well it was very nice well he he came out with great dignity and I always admire a racing driver like that because so many other racing drivers in the heat of disappointment can show anger can show disappoint but sometimes even tears and Danny on Gaia's his dignity I'm sure will be recognized by sports fans around the world for the way he conducted himself under not a pleasant experience no question of that there's answer the leader on we begin to wonder however and are trying to check on his fuel supply the only question now it would seem as I plus he would blow an engine or something would be does he have enough fuel left in the tank in the pit to finish the race well that's a big question under any circumstances there very secret the whole people you know they never let anybody see the race cars they've technical improvements or anything else but certainly they're doing a good job so far I'm sure their calculations were pretty accurate knowing Jim Ho well Chris economy is moving down there there he got a look at the fuel gauge and the other pits while ago he has not yet been to the elantra pit were told he we can see he's on his way down there now a lots are still leading the race and again you can see the humidity in the air look at that haze and the shimmering heat 85 and very humid Chris could you give us a report on that now oh look at that okay we saw how much fuel Danny on guys had left and we have much Tom Steve ahead but here they are taped over the fuel gauge so no one knows how much fuel a Lancer has left but the pressure is off now that Danny other guys out of the race he can ease down on the boost pressure he's got over 20 seconds on top Stephen but the secret here remains a secret we just don't know what they're not telling back to you he said they were secretive but there it was taped over the fuel gauge they did in the chaparral Vince we'll be right back well we have a moment here I'd like to remind you that the months of June and July look just as exciting on ABC sports as the month of May has been for example on Friday June 9th 8 o'clock eastern time WBC heavyweight championship fight Ken Norton the champion acknowledged by the WBC group going against Larry Holmes and the following week ending up on Father's Day June 18 the whole weekend of coverage of the United States Open Golf Championship from Cherry Hills in Denver Colorado in July my goodness we've got the British Open Golf Championship coming by satellite and the all-star Major League Baseball game's gonna be quite a summer so in front of you with us as much you can and stay with us now for the conclusion of the Indianapolis 500 as outlets are still leading the race and driving in on slower cars again this year slower cars includes AG boy he's not too far ahead of Hunter it's already been lapped several times and may be left again by the way Gordon Johncock the teammate of Steve Frizzle on who would penalize the lap earlier for violating the pacer light rule Johncock has now been penalized a lot a lap the other car the Jorge big not a managed team for running over an air hose in the pit but of course to consider this to be potentially dangerous and this is why the penalty has been proved on Jorge mcnaulty one of the most official efficient man in the business and then a g40 does get left once again by Alison VG's God really cannot be handling correctly and here you see Alan Saar getting a very comfortable signal lost 30 seconds and at this stage of the race that's a lovely cushion for Jim nothing happens in any race that allow the driver to feel the slightest element of confidence this close to the end of a race because anything can happen okay AJ Ford by the way still just won the place in front of Janet Guthrie John is still doing quite well in her second Indianapolis 500 Gordon Johncock despite that friendly move back into third place as you see here Steve Christophe is teammate is for volatile effect fifth but all of those cars are two laps down is just unser and stiva on the same lap in this race has to be one of the other than pouring strictly unforeseen circumstances who's gonna win the race now hunter we said before he's of the racing Unser's from Albuquerque New Mexico a family well worth hearing a little bit about what do we do that now of close and personal the brothers unser are a story of the great southwest of opponents alike band of brothers who stick together even when they move from their albuquerque homes the quiet retreats in the northern part of New Mexico on the race track their competitors but here they are brothers first Bobby the older this is my home away from home Tom into Mexico center part of the State Fair up on the north side just ten miles from the Colorado border the penny marches and my way to get away from our regular life of racing driving race cars or motion work doesn't work whatever it is and it's a nice way it's a working ranch a complete working ranch 125 acres have her own fishing pond model river running through the place off a lot of work to do and we really enjoy it yes Unser's stick together al the younger brother by five years lives just a mile down the road from his brother Bobby I shot this bear up in Point Hope Alaska in 1971 and I tell you I love to hunt and fish and I just love the outdoors it's it's really a challenge to be able to go out and to go hunting and I think it's it's something that Bobby myself really enjoyed because we get away from our racing but I'll tell you one thing it's all Elsberry you can tell he should have shot that baby this bear squares out eleven half-foot whole lot bigger than Al's and I got it a year before I got here well there's my pride and joy this is a chaperone snowmobile that I designed back in 1972 and believe it or not it was designed for my oldest son to race I ran the race team for a year for the people it's at Burrell and this is what we came up with and then run over 110 miles an hour right out here on the field very very fast machine in a nice machine and I keep it just to remind me how much we did way back then it was a lot of fun and I enjoy it very much let you hear what it sounds like [Music] I think as everybody probably knows that al drives for one team in the automobile races and I Drive to another team so whenever we go the racetrack they look at each other as being two different race drivers not as brothers and that's the way of hashtag week we've always enjoyed the snowmobiling and dash is kind of release of our energies these then auto racing Unser's pour into the racetrack heirs to a racing and heritage of the Loess kept entering the Pikes Peak Hill Climb until they finally passed an age rule to make him stop brother Jerry was killed at Indianapolis their mother known to the circuit as maman sir cheer them on and took the famous dinner for the Indy drivers each year until her death the answers of New Mexico if there were no such sport as racing it's difficult to imagine what they would have done with their lives no question what they're doing with their lives a day however al is leading the race Bobby has moved into fifth place again both doing very well man of the hour it appears that Lanza this is his final pit stop however steve-o will pass him almost unquestionably on this pit stop should suddenly a yellow come out for Steven could be a break it isn't quite over yet and this is a pit stop this enormous Lee he hit the car as he came in it seems very strange it's a long pit stop for men I'm afraid he could have done some damage a mechanic seconds that is long corner it seems to me a monster came into the pits far too quickly you walked up on wheel it seems to me that the front wing in fact may have brushed that front wheel let's see it again as he came in you can see that in fact he banged the real yep but man was then there lifting it and there you see the contact area there he in fact was going so fast and there you see it hitting that wheel there he overshot his pit he had to be pushed back a little bit and that was expensive well now here comes Steve into the pits of course he has to make his final pit stop and on this one almost unquestionably unser will retake the lead Tom Stephen the leader as he comes into the pits but now a Luntz are going back out and front out on the racetrack this roger penske on the pit wall unser retaking the lead and that's the fastest pit stop of the day for Stephen either roger penske with his stopwatch in his hand they're telling after hold he's speaking to him in the two-way radio while that is going on they're conversing he's told me at door he's been pushed out and there you see him with his last pitch thought that all he's got to do in the pits today he's really revving into him well the net result of those two pit stops is that a Lancer has lengthened his lead now over time stiva only card to the same laughter then John Cox chrislam and Alan back will be back for the finish of the 500 Alan sir with a 14 second lead as just about three laps to go in the 1978 Indianapolis 500 Jackie mentioned he'll mean 39 years old tomorrow what a birthday present it appears he's going to give himself well I don't know when he's 14 seconds ahead I've beaten that far ahead and themes of snow gone wrong for me you know I just sit in a race car at this time and I said to this from a true musician trembling for that man I'll answer because so many things are moving part 14 seconds is not a belly love me when you're traveling 50 miles an hour up there in the banks well how much did you lead by when your car broke down on in the closing laps here well I was always two laps in the lead with all the eight laps to go oh and my first year in Indianapolis is suddenly the engine just gave out and I can tell you that was an expensive experience it might be a lot of money for an American but for a Scotsman it was a disaster well you would take something like that however to stop Al Unser at this point as you said it it must be a very very dicey moment inside the race car when all you can do is just pray that it all holds together he's driving it so smoothly now you would think his fingers had been filed away just a walk was the flash so they can he feel every vibration look at his head tossing back and forward morovia if he's looking one side then he was looking at the other side so conscious of everybody in the racetrack looking ahead making sure nobody's gonna make any silly mistakes ahead of them he can't afford to get himself into any trouble when he comes up - laughs a capo he gives it a white bell but you know that blood feet of his has come down from 14 to 12 now to ten would you think he'd want to slow down that much even though he's taking it easy you know I was worried he's had the white flag with one lap to go so he's in good shape but I was concerned that the front wing may have been damaged in some way when he came in there and hit that wheel on his last pit stop that could be dangerous look at this he's another car behind John Gordon Johncock he's keeping Weber - Gordon Johncock Swee he doesn't want to begin getting involved in any recent this time with only half a lap to go half a lap until his third Indianapolis 500 victory he's slowed down now if you call it slowing down to one hundred and seventy nine point one four zero miles per hour so down about five or six miles per hour John Cochran by him I said right he should let him go by there's no reason for him to keep him behind and he's just my friend here straddling the yellow ladies he comes through the front stretch for the last time the checkered flag will be waved by Pat Fannin for Al Unser of Albuquerque he has won his third Indianapolis 500 joining the name of of Wilbur Shaw Aparri Roseann h8 point as the only men who have won this race three times AJ of course has one and four for this victory last year now launcher now an enraged Society of three times winners there is breathing believes look at Karen the lovely Karen is right there she doesn't know where to look she doesn't must be a happy lady right Karen waiting waiting in orange 23 torn love there's h8 the final humiliation of the day he stopped on the race course ran out of fuel no doubt there also as well be down the bank in car number six and also out of fuel he will finish well though dalla Bank unofficially in fifth or sixth place will have the final official standing AJ points are to be eight or nine that appears but into Victory Lane is how uncertain Saul over took something over three hours to do in intensity and humidity at Indianapolis which suspect he's not feeling it very much right now the crowd still all in place from 350 to 400 thousand of them America's largest one-day sporting brothers his wife Karen on the left side of the picture off comes the balaclava what a happy couple they are right now what a wonderful feeling all right Chris Akana Mackey is moving in for his usual interview with the winner a shot from the Goodyear blimp okay Chris down now congratulations a fine drive for an all-new team you know this is number three for you how does it rate with the others well Chris I'll tell you you know each one is the same this feels like my first winner that I've ever had here I just have a real good feeling and I'm happy that's that's the main reason you always want to keep winning and you only said when you don't win now just a couple of weeks is a tough crack on the head all month long even ask ye up to what the 500 were and how do you feel physically well physically I feel in good shape Chris I went very strong all day I didn't get tired whatsoever there was some doubt in my mind whether I was ready or not because of the crash but thanks to Jim's loan patience and here ease loan patients and the doctors help Here I am hey Karen what are you thinking about hey Jim Hall what a way to get into the total track racing a former sports car champion congratulations what are your thoughts Kim well I'm really pleased I think y'all did a terrific job out there this is probably one of the toughest races to win in a world this combination just turned out good I'm really pleased how much fuel did he have left we had enough Chris and I didn't look to see how many gallons were left I knew we had enough okay there are the final unofficial results we haven't heard from one member of our commentary team yet Sam Posey the well-known American sports car driver author and painter he's in the garage area now with Janet Guthrie okay Sam Janet a lot of people said a woman could never drive 500 miles and here you are tell us a little about the feeling of the race oh that's nonsense Sam I mean I've been running these 500 600 miles stock car races down south for two years now and and this this is really easier than horsing a stock car around this practice a referal high bank here at first everything is very precise very delicate it's more meddlings that pigging about the other physical Sam is driving with one hand is that true is that because you were trying to rest the other hand or or just because you felt so comfortable in the car no I had a little problem a couple of days ago when I had the shift I held on with my right hand and my left hand across the cockpit to shift where that was pit stops and yellows so you know I mean what is this nonsense about women can't do it well seems to me it's high time it's uh put to rest you finished either eighth or ninth depending on the way the last couple of laps sorted out oh is that right I thought it was night well that's very good but you know I've said all along I thought the Texaco star was gonna run all day it's a predictable car it's an easy car to drive because it tells you exactly what it's going to do I don't have any nasty tricks up its sleeve I am thanks to George big Nadia's preparation of course on the efforts of all my guys you know most visible part on this game people don't realize that there's a mountain of people behind me that have resulted in this car finishing eighth here not the least they'll put your first Texaco that made it all happen did you have any problems at all yeah oh yeah a few next year I'm gonna make sure I have a longer car a longer car alone your car that car was a little bit too short for me and by mid point my rifle it felt like I was standing on a hot poker exact good I used about three more inches chanted revealing for the first time anybody throw with a broken wrist the lady can literally drive with one hand tied behind her back and compete with the men there's a controversy still on this rate involving George pick Maddie and those penalisation laps we'll be back alright we're still at Indianapolis the crowd beginning to pile out a little bit but bill Fleming has pursued George mcnutty the team manager of one of the team's each of whose cars were penalized one lap we understand he's a little upset about it bill what's the story down there I'm with crew chief George McNally of the Steve krisiloff Gordon Johncock team and as we reported earlier each of those drivers was penalized one lap one for going too fast under the pacer yellow numbers and the other for running over an air hose so let's get the opinion out of the racers over from George big naughty George it certainly did have an effect on the end of the race where you're concerned well I guess so I don't know if we get a beat Ali was running real fast but whenever you FINA lized a race you know a lap that's almost 50 seconds and I think that it was unjust ruling I don't know where they came up with that but we didn't really run over the hose at lunch I ran over his nose and hit a tire and they didn't Deena lies him and so until this is posted and we have a chance to go in and investigate it we really don't know but I got a thousand dollars in my pocket and I'm going to protest it because I don't like to see one team get penalized and the other one let go we all got to be treated alike and so I'm very happy that my three cars I should say two art cars and Janet got refinished into that that's pretty good when you get three of them in a race and run 500 miles and they finished off the big critter to admire my engine then I'm pretty happy about that so we'll have to go to you second time just what the heck's going on all right that's the story then of the protest of George the county whole Steve crystal ball fan Gordon Johncock

Channel: NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Views: 72,387

Rating: 4.8719592 out of 5

Keywords: IndyCar, Racing, Motorsports, Verizon, Verizon IndyCar Series, Open-Wheel, Indy 500, Indianapolis 500, Autosports

Id: dvIapLxWcoo

Length: 101min 23sec (6083 seconds)

Published: Thu May 10 2018

Reddit Comments

[u/KimDaebak_72]

Big Al baby :)

[u/hey_its_troj]

Pacer lights are in interesting concept, trying to allow drivers to keep the gaps they've created while under yellow conditions. Can you imagine if this was still in use today?

[u/_Big]

Reminds me of a car I saw a few weeks ago. https://imgur.com/a/LXzhdjz

[u/[deleted]]

the intro is simple yet so cool and attention grabbing, so much better than any intro we've seen in the last many years.

[u/sineofthetimes]

Great job by Jim Nabors. Miss him.