 |
| |
|
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
||
 |
|||
EVENTS
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|
 |
Not really complaining Unser glad to get in field, ready to concentrate on race
Updated: Tuesday May 22, 2001 8:52 PM
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- There was a time Al Unser Jr. would have scrubbed his qualifying attempt, gone back to the pits for a few tweaks of the wrench and tried again. Not anymore, not with equipment at a premium. "I thought I was going to run a little quicker than that," Unser said Saturday after a four-lap average of 221.615 mph put him in the Indianapolis 500 lineup far behind the leaders. "We had a slight understeer," the two-time Indy winner said. "In the past, I've had a slight understeer and been off maybe two or three tenths [of a second] and I've waived it off and spent the rest of the day trying to get the speed back. "The best thing was to get it in the show and go on from there. Getting it in the show was far more important than searching for speed." Unser, who qualified for his 14th start at Indianapolis, and rookie teammate Casey Mears were involved in an 11-car crash in the most recent Indy Racing League race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Then Mears crashed again in practice on Tuesday. Another Galles Racing rookie teammate, Didier Andre, also has been struggling for speed during practice.
"It's definitely an advantage for the sponsors on the car," Unser said of the three-car effort. "With Casey and Didier, it gives Galles a better opportunity for championship points. That's what it comes down to. "But because of our wreck in Atlanta -- both me and Casey wiped out our cars -- that left me with no spares. I've only got one set of suspensions. We just kept plugging along and we're in the show now. Now we've got a little time to regroup and get at it with both barrels loaded." Unser turned in four consistent laps in his qualifying run, with his fastest and slowest laps separated by less than one-half mph. "We missed it by a little bit. We ran a little better this morning [in practice]," he said. "But the front end pushed a little too much. There was just enough change I couldn't run turn one wide open, and that cost me all the way around the track." Last year, in his first race at Indianapolis since he won in 1994, Unser finished 29th, the worst of his career. "What wins this race is a good consistent car, good pit stops, catching the yellows right, a hell of a lot of luck, no matter if your starting 33rd or first," said Unser, who also won in 1992. "We'll just work our way towards getting a good, consistent race car and go from there. My guys are one of the quickest teams in the pits and [car owner] Rick Galles calls a great strategy from the pits."
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
