Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 7, 1994 TAG: 9408080063
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-13 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: INDIANAPOLIS LENGTH: Medium
More than three hours before the Brickyard 400, the lines were more than 20 deep outside the gift shops behind the Tower Terrace along the front straight.
And those folks were just trying to get in the door.
That sight alone was enough to demonstrate the near-mania surrounding this inaugural stock car race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Out in Gasoline Alley, the boulevards between the garage buildings were packed with people.
Ernie Irvan's team, sheltered behind yellow ropes, was busy tuning its race engine after spending hours Friday night and Saturday morning tearing it down and then putting it back together. They were making sure an oil filter problem had not hurt the power plant. An O-ring in the filter had failed during the final practice, causing an oil leak.
Rising above the chatter and noise in the crowded garage, the incessant ``tweet-tweet-tweets'' of the whistles blown by the speedway's legion of yellow-shirted ``safety-patrol'' guards cleared the way for crewmen pushing cars and equipment.
``There's entirely too many people in the garage area,'' said Larry McReynolds, Irvan's crew chief. ``It's totally out of control. There's a lot of people in here who have no business in here.
``But I'll say this about the yellow shirts, they have been a pleasure. After all we heard about them, we haven't run across a single one that wasn't pleasant.''
Like all the NASCAR newcomers here, McReynolds was amazed at how many guards there were. ``The traffic jam we found at 4:30 this morning was mostly yellow shirts going to work,'' he said.
In his trailer, pole-sitter Rick Mast was autographing a stack of programs, still going almost non-stop since he won the pole Thursday.
``I tell you, I couldn't get this much publicity if I'd won the Daytona 500,'' he said. ``Somebody told me there were 250 television crews here. And I said, `Well, I've been interviewed by every one of them. Twice.' ''
Two hours before the race, the drivers' meeting featured a rare appearance by NASCAR president Bill France. He was joined by speedway president Tony George.
``Over the last few days, I've come to see that this is a neat thing,'' said George. ``This is the neatest thing, bar none, of this magnitude. Thank you all for being a part of this.''
``You guys are a part of history,'' France said. ``You're carrying the name for NASCAR. Everyone one in the world will be watching us here. I'm proud to know you and I'm proud to be a part of you. Let's have a good race.''
Leave it to A.J. Foyt to loosen the atmosphere. ``I have a question,'' he said. ``I heard a rumor we're going to invert the starting grid.''
About an hour later, all the drivers gathered at the bricks next to the start-finish line for a group photo - a tradition that goes back to the earliest Indianapolis 500s in the second decade of this century.
And not long after that it was time for a link to Indy's past. Mary Fendrich Hulman, the widow of longtime track owner Tony Hulman gave the command: ``Gentlemen, start your engines!,'' clearing the way for a contest in which NASCAR's link to the future, 24-year-old Jeff Gordon, authored the first chapter in the history of a new race.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB