Ed Hinton: What Ever Happened to Indy?

Issue date: June 9, 1997

History may show that the epitaph of the Indianapolis 500 was composed on the last lap of the 81st running, by the winner, Arie Luyendyk: "What the f--- are they doing?"

Luyendyk said it all, as the rain-delayed race finally was completed on May 27. He was referring to confusion on the track, created by a mistake on the part of race officials, but the foul-up was so symptomatic of Indy's decline that the champion could just as well have been describing the 500 and its future.

With Indy in trouble—this year's pole-qualifying crowd was the smallest in 51 years, and the rain delay helped to hold the race crowd to 100,000, some 200,000 below normal—Speedway officials were eager to stage an exciting show. Desperate to have the race finish with the cars going all out, chief steward Keith Ward ordered a caution period aborted and the green flag displayed to open the final lap. This came as a surprise to Luyendyk and Scott Goodyear, who until the caution had been dueling for the lead and expected that the race would end under a yellow flag.

To make matters worse, caution lights were left blinking in Turns 1 and 2. The competitors, confused and in the wrong gears, accelerated upon seeing the green, and Luyendyk beat Goodyear to the line.

Asked by UPI if he was amazed by "some of the inept judgment calls that are made here," Luyendyk replied, "You used the perfect words, and it does amaze me."

As motor sports marketing executive William Dyer told The Indianapolis Star: "It's going to be real hard to rebuild the stature of Indy. The product is flawed."

FOYT WINS INDY: 1961 | 1964 | 1967 | 1977