ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, May 20, 1996 TAG: 9605200040
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: INDIANAPOLIS
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Scott Brayton, the Indy 500 pole-sitter and the most experienced driver in this year's field, died Friday after his car crashed during practice.
Brayton, 37, died 33 minutes after the 12:17 p.m. CDT accident at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, said track spokesman Bob Walters.
The son of an Indy-car driver, Brayton was the 40th Indy 500 driver to die during practice, qualifications or the race, and the first since Jovy Marcelo was killed during practice in 1992. In all, 66 people - drivers, mechanics, spectators and a bystander - have died in accidents at the track.
``Scotty just loved this place. He loved running fast here, he loved the competition,'' said John Menard, owner of Brayton's car. ``He was so proud he had the pole. He worked for that pole.
``It reminds you this is a very serious business we're involved in. Scotty had a perfect race car, a perfect day, and a perfect track, and yet it reached out and bit him.''
Speedway president Tony George called Brayton ``a great ambassador to this sport.''
``He died doing what he loved, going fast at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,'' George said.
Brayton's Lola-Menard did a half-spin and traveled 420 feet before it smashed into the wall on turn two. The car continued sliding along the wall for 360 feet with parts flying off. It then did a quarter-spin and traveled another 600 feet before coming to a stop in the back straightaway.
The right rear and entire left side of the car were damaged extensively.
Brayton was knocked unconscious and rushed to Methodist Hospital, accompanied by Dr. Henry Bock, the track's medical director. Track officials said Brayton was unconscious when he was placed on a stretcher and taken away in an ambulance.
``His death was due to injuries sustained in an accident,'' Walters said, without providing any details.
The announcement was delayed more than three hours until track officials could notify Brayton's family. His mother was at the hospital, Walters said.
Fans at the speedway were told of Brayton's death over the public-address system shortly after Walters' announcement. The accident occurred on the eve of the second weekend of qualifying for the May 26 race.
``I don't know how to take it,'' said Brayton's former car owner, Dick Simon. ``I believe in God very much. We're dealing in a business where risk takes place, but death's not a part of it. It's just a freak accident. That's all I have to say.''
The crash was the third of the month at Indy. Johnny Parsons and rookie Scott Harrington walked away from earlier accidents.
The Indy 500 is competing this year with the new U.S. 500, which also will be run on May 26. The U.S. 500 in Brooklyn, Mich., attracted most of the top drivers who would have been at Indianapolis.
The split occurred after George started the Indy Racing League and reserved up to 25 of the 33 starting spots in the Indy 500 for regulars of the new circuit.
Most of the top drivers are members of the Championship Auto Racing Team circuit and not George's new organization.
Brayton, who hadn't had a full-time ride on the CART circuit since 1992, was one of the beneficiaries of the IRL. He had finished 15th and 18th in the league's first two races.
Brayton, from Coldwater, Mich., was driving one of the Team Menard backup cars, rather than the identical year-old Lola-Menard in which he won the pole last Saturday with a record four-lap average speed of 233.718 mph. The mark was topped later in the day by Arie Luyendyk.
Brayton, who also won the pole last year, turned a lap Friday of 230.126 mph before the crash.
A veteran of 148 Indy-car races, Brayton had qualified for his 15th Indy 500. His best finish at Indy was sixth in 1989 and 1993. His best finish in an Indy-car race was third at Milwaukee in 1992.
Brayton's father, Lee, drove IndyCars but never drove in the Indy 500.In last year's Indy 500, Stan Fox was involved in a spectacular crash in turn one of the first lap of the race. He remained in a coma for five days and began rehabilitation 10 weeks after the crash. He is still in rehabilitation and said earlier this month he would like to race again.
In April testing at the speedway, Brayton set an unofficial record for the fastest lap ever when he went 237.555 mph. He correctly predicted then that the record would fall once practice began in May.
``We've got a chance to not only get another pole, but to do a lot more,'' Brayton said. ``I think the track record will get broken this year, and I believe we have a good chance at doing that.''
Brayton drove into the Indy record book during qualifying in 1985 when his lap of 214.199 mph was the fastest in May. He had to settle for starting on the middle of the front row that time as Pancho Carter's four-lap average was turbo problem.
Brayton is survived by wife Becky, 2-year-old daughter Carly, and parents Lee and Jean Brayton.
LENGTH: Medium: 100 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP 1. Scott Brayton's car slams into the wall duringby CNBpractice Friday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Brayton had won
the pole for the May 26 race.
2. Scott Brayton was the most experienced driver in field for the
Indianapolis 500. KEYWORDS: AUTO RACING