80th Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Speedway, IN
May 26, 1996

Indianapolis 500
Qualifying Quotes from the Speedway:

Index of Quotes available

SCOTT BRAYTON DAVY JONES
ARIE LYENDYK TONY STEWART
FERMIN VELEZ BRAD MURPHEY
HIDESHI MATSUDA JOE GOSEK
SCOTT HARRINGTON JOHNNY PARSONS
TYCE CARLSON


Jones Pict#70 Delco Electronics
High Tech Team Galles (95/L/MI/G)

DAVY JONES

"We just worked up to speed in small increments. If wehad a little more track time, we could have gone faster."

#53
Beck Motorsports

HIDESHI MATSUDA

"I'm so happy right now. I have towork with car a little more and get more comfortable. I try to remember howI was last year and duplicate it.

"Going into Turn 2, the car had little push and I tried to correct it, went out ofcontrol and corrected it...a little bit scared. Used full courseto recover. Turn 3 and 4 performed beautifully and going into Turn 1, I gotpush. I got throttle and the front end tucked in under me and thenI got back on the throttle and used the full course to straighten out. I tryto make every lap the same. When I went back to Japan last year, I thoughtevery night how to run this race and maybe that's the secret for today.

[About going past the photo area when he returned to pit road]: "I forgot topush the brake. I hit brake a little bit and no responseand I didn't want to turn into a lot of people so I went by and then they[the brakes] came back.

[About coming to Indy]: "I love Indy. Four yearsago, I came here as a pit reporter. I was touched by the speed, the sound ofthe cars, everything, and wanted to drive here. I went back to Japan and puta resume together to get a sponsor to come here. I am so happy to be here.

[Whed did he have his ride]: "Yesterday, at 8 p.m.

[About ruinning well on ovals]:: "I agree. I came here two years and I feelcomfortable doing the oval. I might be suited to do oval tracks.

[About what he wanted to say to people in Japan]: "I like to race in the UnitedStates. Give me all your support.

[Response when asked if he or countrymanHiro Matsushita were more famous in Japan]: "We both famous."


Lyendyk Pict#5 Jonathan Byrd's Cafeteria
Bryant Heating & Cooling (95/R/F/F)

ARIE LYENDYK

[after Saturday's disqualification] "It was just...the way I see it, it was an oversight. Thecrew never did weigh it before they put it on the line. It wasn't a panicsituation. The car went through last night and it was five pounds too heavy.We were okay there. Then we broke an engine and then the second engine,something went wrong, I'm not sure. The other car, we didn't check theweight. Our team today screwed up. Call it an oversight, call it a mistake.Seven pounds, according to the engineer [Tim Wardrop] is equal to 1/100th ofa mile. The thing that pissed me off is we'll get a lot of stupid remarksfrom other teams for this. Embarrassed may be a big word. It wasn't doneintentionally. But at any rate, I have never been disqualified from any racein the 24 years I've been racing and I'm proud of that. If a competitor camein and was seven pounds light, they should throw him out, too. The rules are1,550 pounds and that's what it should be. That's why we have a rule book.This has put a damper on things. The fact that I got put off the pole...Icould have gotten over that tomorrow. Actually, my biggest concern isstarting in the middle of the pack. I've been there before and I don't likeit. The guys worked their butts off today and because they did, there's theoversight. I want to try to qualify the car I tried to qualify in the firstplace. I want to try to put down the big numbers. The only thing positiveabout this is that I don't have to stand outside tomorrow morning for the front-row pictures. I really feel badly for Jonathan [Byrd]. This[Indy] is his baby. He's a good person. I really feel bad for him. He's theone who had to tell me about this."

[after the record run on the second day of qualfying] "It wasn't a real pretty run, my lines were different on each lap because I was trying to free up the car. The car was comfortable to drive, but I think we had more in it. I was able to run flat out. That's where we should have been yesterday with this car. It should have been a 235 mile anhour car yesterday. We never had the chance to run it because we had the two engines let go on it.

"The team was pretty down last night. As a team, this is really good. We're going to have a stronger team because of this, a stronger group of people."Z

[about starting far back on the grid] "Ya, like everybody is slower, I like that. I'll have to consider the inexperience of some of the guys, so I'll have to look out for them. I'm not going to rush into things. I don't care if it's 1995 running with the IndyCar guys, or this year running in the IRL, anytime to start from the sixth, seven row, you're in a bad spot. There's a lot of turbulence and the car does a lot of crazy things. You have to read that situation."


#77 Brickell Racing
Earl's Performance PDM

TYCE CARLSON

[about missing therace]: "I'm fine with it. I'm just grateful that we got an opportunity. At11:00 this morning, I didn't even have a ride. At 11:00 they told me to goget my driver's suit, so I had to break into my buddy's car just to get it.But I figured that there was no way I was going to miss this just because Icouldn't get my suit."

#43 Alta Spring Water/
Perry Ellis/Royal Purple

JOE GOSEK

"It hasn't sunkin yet. That's for sure. I didn't look at the speedometer, that's for sure.I never do that at home in the Super Modifieds, so I didn't want to start ithere. I know that I looked down at one point and saw a 22...something.There's a lot going on out there and you have to concentrate. The month hasbeen unbelievable. I was entranced with the place when I got here. It'sgreat for the IRL. I'm here as a racer. I was given the opportunity throughthe IRL and that's who I'm dedicated to now. There's a lot of good racersout there and I'm one of 'em.

[About his first two weeks]: "I've been tryingto forget about the first part of the month. The first two weeks were veryfrustrating. It took fourteen days to get through. I got out of the ride. Itjust felt like I was wasting time. Then I talked to the IRL. They helped puta deal together for me. They went out of their way to help me out. I wasable to come through for them. It worked out.

[On the potential pursemoney]: "The whole month I didn't concern myself with the purse. I came herewith the thought that if I didn't go home with a nickel in my pocket thatwould be fine. I'm not going to think about it. Now that I'm in the race Ican think about sponsorship.

[About the possibility of being in the racebefore]: "The probability was not in my mind at all before. Before I came outhere with Davey Hamilton. I wasn't one to brag about what I can do. I provemyself out on the race track. As far as I was concerned, there was no hopeat all before, but the IRL has changed all that. When I sat in the caryesterday, it was the most relaxed I've been all month. I don't mean todownplay the opportunity given to me in the first two weeks but, when I satin the car yesterday it was like comparing a Cadillac to a junker. It's areally good car. It felt really nice.

[About his run]: "There's a lot goingon out there. I had to concentrate. I didn't look at the speedometer. Iwanted to concentrate on the track. When I crossed the line, I didn't knowwhether we were in or out."


#44 Della Penna Motorsports
Ralph's Food 4 Less Fuji Film

SCOTT HARRINGTON

[about qualifying run]: "They say that experience builds character, ifthat's true, this will last a lifetime! It's been a month of trials andtribulations, we even had fans coming up and giving us money, but believe me, right now it's well worth it, with the damage tothe other car, this $10,000 qualifying award [My Bubble Burst Award] will goa long way. How much drama can you have in one month? We were in line forinspection, and then the sidepod was loose, so we fixed that and went backin line, then there was an accident. I was excited after we qualified, andthen Gosek goes out and picks the speed up, and I thought here we go, thenTyce went out and I was kind of worried for a while.

[about coming here]"This has been the most up and down two months of my life -- we had problemswith the car, were over one week late in getting here to the track and hadjust completed my rookie lap when the car was destroyed. A lot of peoplestepped up and helped us out after that happened, and fortunately we came upwith some sponsorship money. If I had to write a story about this month, Idon't think I could have made up a better one. We've had to try to do thisthe old-fashioned way, with talent and coming up through the ranks. I grewup watching this race on TV, and I can't tell you what it means to be here.I wouldn't have it any other way. This experience makes you a better person-- when you have to earn your way here. The great guys here worked for it.You sleep in your car if you have to -- whatever it takes. This experiencemakes you a better person.


Brayton Pict#32 Glidden
Menards Special (95/L/M/F)

SCOTT BRAYTON

"I told John you have to give me a chance to drive it.The last two laps I was hunting and looking for any speed because I figured I needed a 234. I tried to keep it as free as it could be."

Parsons Pict#16
Team Blueprint Racing Inc.

JOHNNY PARSONS

"I can't tell you the manyyears of heartbreak it's taken to get here. We're still piecing this cartogether and with a skeleton crew, the effort goes to them. It was the workof the crew that brought this back together in just a couple of laps. We ranalmost 222 in the shakedown this morning and hit 9500 RPM in the backstraight with 30 gallons of fuel. I shifted to sixth gear for the first timeand 223 was comfortable. We decided not to wait because it is not going tobe any better. There's nothing like being in the big show. We never gave uphope of getting here. It's great to get back to racing in the style andtradition it was meant to be.

[Regarding Scott Brayton]: "I remember Scottiefrom way back.. We're going to miss him a lot , but you have to focus on thejob that needs to be done and you can't let anything interfere with thatfocus. We've lost a lot of friends over the years, but I think they wouldall tell us to keep going no matter what. We all know the danger involvedand we accept it."


Stewart Pict#20 Menards
Glidden/Quaker State/Special (95/L/M/F)
photo Phil Abbott

TONY STEWART

"I held the throttle down for four laps. My backup car was almost as good as my primary car. Where we were at that time, it would not have been a logical decision [to bump himself]. We were sitting on the pole, so there was no use in worrying about it. We wouldn't have had time to prepare the car. That car will race very well.

"I got excited. I was really disappointed when Arie knocked us offthe pole, but then when Scotty got back in line and I saw the excitementon his face, I was excited for the team. It was a great morale boosterafter I got knocked off to get one of our cars back on top.

"They better be on their toes on the start, that's all I've got tosay. I plan on leading it in the first turn."


#10
Hemelgarn Racing

BRAD MURPHEY

[regarding his time] "We'd like to befaster. This is the slowest this week. We had some trouble with the boost;the heat does that. But, I can't complain, it's awesome.

"As temperatures rise, it will make the car push more. Thehandling on the car was perfect. It started out smooth. I had trouble on thesecond lap with the pop-off valve and had to get off the throttle and resetthe valve in the back straightaway. The crew has the handling and the carset up perfect.

[regarding being at Indy]: "Just to be a part of it isspecial."

[regarding Scott Brayton]: "It's part of racing. It's tough whenyou lose someone. It's what we like to do. We have a job to do. He'd want usto do it."

[On being absent from racing] "It puts a smile on your face whenyou pass someone. It all comes back. Last race I was in was a CorvetteChallenge. I destroyed the car and had a concussion, which put me on thesideline. I'm glad to be here."

[Preference between broncs, from his rodeo days, or Indy cars]: "Indy cars-race cars."


Velez Pict#34 Cristal
Copec/Mobil

FERMIN VELEZ

"I'm getting more comfortable. I wasgetting better lines. I wanted to be in the race mostly. Every lap I do, Iget a little better. All I wanted was to be in the race because then I wouldbe the first driver from Spain to be in the race. Now that I am, it is a bigrelief and I'm very happy. Finally, I made it. The run was quite easy. Ialways thought it was a dream to come here, but I never thought it was goingto happen. Thanks to the IRL, it happened. Last year, I totally concentratedon the IMSA Championship. Then after that, I started to realize that theywere starting to move with the IRL. Then, I was in Phoenix and finally I hada chance to be here. That's something that's unbelievable because just acouple months ago I never thought that would be possible. It had been aterrible month so far. I had too many problems and during the first weeks, Icouldn't get any laps. Finally today for qualifying I got more laps and gotto the level I wanted to be at. It took me awhile, especially to get theright lines and not to go to sharp into the corners. I want to thank theteam and the other people that helped me to be in the race, especially TonyGeorge, because without him, I wouldn't be here.

[About Scott Brayton's accident]: "It's hard. You never think about it. In thinking about him, I wasout there yesterday and he was out there too and he passed me. Then I camein. Then 'Poom,' that happened. He was doing what he wanted to do. It's verysad, but you've got to keep going."