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By KEVIN KELLY, Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times, published May 28, 2001
INDIANAPOLIS -- A flat tire, rain and a pit-road pileup contributed to another fruitless Indianapolis 500 for Michael Andretti.
The 38-year-old is winless in 12 races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
"There's a good chance we'll be back next year," said Andretti, who drives for Team Green in CART. "Hopefully next year we'll be a little better prepared. I'm sure everyone else will be as well."
Nothing was costlier to Andretti's chances than the pileup during a pit stop on Lap 136.
Andretti was behind Tony Stewart when Gil de Ferran and Helio Castroneves pulled out in front of them in an effort to get off pit road first.
That forced Stewart to brake hard, leaving little reaction time for Andretti. He damaged the left front wing on the car and needed it replaced later in the race.
"We're going out of the pits, and all of a sudden a red and white (Penske) car went straight out in front of all of us," Andretti said. "It was a big pileup, and they locked (the brakes) up. I just happened to be the one that got the worst of it because I was on the end of the pile. ... It was really disappointing."
Andretti led 16 laps. He has led more laps (398) than any non-winner in the Indianapolis 500.
"We didn't get that lap No. 200," he said. "That's the only one I'm caring about."
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN: Stewart's attempt at his first 500 victory was hampered by an ill-handling car and a cramping right foot.
The 30-year-old, racing in the 500 and Winston Cup Coca-Cola 600 on the same day for the second time in three years, was fourth when rain stopped the race on Lap 155. He took advantage of the 16 minute delay and went to the first aid station in the garage for a massage of his right foot.
Stewart ran back to his car two minutes before cars returned to the track. He was leading when the rain brought out a caution on Lap 148, but he made a pit stop before the red flag was thrown. He finished sixth and led 13 laps.
"I was hoping for the shootout at the end and hoping to go fast at the end," he said. "I gambled and lost today."
Stewart left quickly after the race in a helicopter for the Coca-Cola 600 in Concord, N.C.
LUYENDYK'S RETURN: Arie Luyendyk, who came out of retirement to take a shot at a third 500 victory, led one lap and finished 13th.
He stalled twice during pit stops.
"I'm glad I was here," he said. "This is still a great event, and a fun event, but it's only fun if you are competitive, and we really weren't competitive today."
He declined to discuss his plans for 2002.
"We all have bad days," Luyendyk said. "I still enjoy the challenges of the 500, and we had a lot of those today."
NICE DEBUT: Team owner Roger Penske's cars that finished 1-2 were powered by Oldsmobile engines produced by Ilmor, a company partially owned by Penske that did not begin building IRL motors until February.
The engines had never completed a 500-mile test before Sunday.
BEST IN CLASS: With CART drivers taking up the top five spots and Winston Cup regular Stewart finishing sixth, Eliseo Salazar's seventh was highest for an IRL regular.
Salazar gained 10 points on IRL points leader Sam Hornish Jr. and trails Hornish Jr. by 21 points after four races.
ODDS AND ENDS: The last time teammates finished first and second in the 500 -- as Castroneves and de Ferran did -- was 1997, when Luyendyk won and Scott Goodyear finished second for Treadway Racing. ... The 23 cars running at the finish was the fourth-highest total in race history. ... The total purse of $9,615,325 was an event record. Castroneves pocketed $1,270,475.