Place an Ad Calendars Classified Forums Sports Weather

sptimes.com Text-only News sections Arts & Entertainment AP The Wire Business Citrus County Columnists Floridian Hernando County Hillsborough Letters Movies Neighborhood Times News Update North Pinellas North of Tampa Obituaries Opinion Pasco County South Pinellas Sports State Tampa Bay TV Times World & Nation  Find your local news section Weekly sections Brandon Times City Times Homes Outdoors Perspective Personal Tech Taste Travel Weekend Xpress Special Sections Arena football Buccaneers College football Devil Rays Lightning Police reports Schools Seniority Subscriber Services Subscribe Renew Help Advertise Place an ad In print Online Market Info Join Us Internships Scholarships Times Jobs Contact us

Penske has to remove logos

By KEVIN KELLY

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 25, 2001

INDIANAPOLIS -- Team Penske, making its first appearance at the Indianapolis 500 since 1995, removed the Marlboro sponsorship logos from its two race cars before Carb Day on Thursday.

Phillip Morris was informed last week by the National Association for Attorneys General that it was in violation of the 1998 national tobacco settlement.

As part of the settlement, Phillip Morris agreed to limitations on advertising but was allowed to continue its sponsorship of Team Penske in CART-sanctioned events only. The Indianapolis 500 is an Indy Racing League-sanctioned race.

Ellen Merlo, senior vice president of corporate affairs for Phillip Morris, said the company was "pleased to have reached this resolution."

Crew members wore shirts with Marlboro stitched on the back as of Thursday afternoon, but the driver's suits worn by Helio Castroneves and Gil de Ferran had been changed.

Representatives from Phillip Morris plan to meet with the state attorneys general after the race to establish consistent guidelines, company spokesman Shaunn D'Alessandro said. CART sanctioned six of its drivers and three of its teams to participate in the Indy 500.

CARB DAY: If winning the pole position for the Indianapolis 500 wasn't convincing enough, Scott Sharp showed once more that he could be a contender to win the event.

Sharp, who will start on the pole, completed only eight laps but was fastest during the final practice at 223.678 mph.

"Obviously it's the last chance to run hard," said Sharp, whose best finish in the Indy 500 is 10th (2000, 1996). "The car was real strong and we just didn't need to run any longer."

De Ferran was second at 222.757 mph and defending race winner Buddy Lazier was third at 222.392 mph.

Surprises on the bottom of the speed chart were two-time winner Al Unser Jr., who was 29th at 215.569 mph and Nicolas Minassian (214.407 mph), who was the slowest of the four Chip Ganassi-owned entries.

TIME LIMIT: Neither Tony Stewart nor Ganassi will reveal the exact time Stewart must leave the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to arrive in Concord, N.C., in time for the 5:45 p.m. start of the Coca-Cola 600.

"We're worried about winning races," Stewart said, "not watching the stopwatch and the clock."

Stewart said he needs to leave at least two hours before the 600 starts at Lowe's Motor Speedway or he will risk missing the start, which would hurt his position in the Winston Cup points standings. He is tied for seventh.

Should Stewart reach the time limit before the Indianapolis 500 is completed, Richie Hearn is expected to be his replacement. Hearn was third in the 1996 Indianapolis 500.

ODDS AND ENDS: Harrah's Entertainment, which sponsors A.J. Foyt's two-car team, will be the title sponsor of the inaugural IRL race on July 21 at Nashville Superspeedway. ... The Kelley Racing pit crew for Sharp won the annual pit stop challenge competition, beating Unser Jr.'s Galles Racing crew with a 9.20-second stop in an all-IRL final.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright