1994 Indianapolis '500' Festival Souvenir Program

              Changes rule Indy Car seene
Chip Ganassi
knew coming
into the 1994
Indy Car season
that he had a
winning combination on hand.
What he didn't
expect was how
quickly that
combination
would become
successful.
"We knew
what we were
looking for coming into the season," Ganassi
admits. "What
has surprised us
was how quickly
things fell into
placer&nd how
quickly \ we've
been able to
succeed."
The veteran
Indy Car owner
J;ias been a
leader in exploring new car
combinations
ancl new
avenues of success. He made a
bold move last
season when he
announced     he
PHOTO BY RON McQUEENEY
would
be
<%pr*1
' 520 V
switching froni a
long-term relationship with
Lola to spearhead a move
toward a
Reynard chassis. ^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^
Throw\into   the
mix a Fqrcl/Cosworth engine ancl a highly competitive driver like Michael Andretti, ancl it's easy to
understand why Ganassi is leading a new wave of
Indy Car success.
That new wave will present itself May 29 for the
78th running of the Indianapolis 500.
"When you look at where we were once year
ago, ancl then to come out and say we would be
switching to Reynard, sure it was a risky move,"
Ganassi said. "At'that point we didn't even know
who our driver would be, but we've been lucky
enough to bring in the right people, ancl it's been
a big success." \
That success started with the first race of the season, when Andretti was able to fight inclement
weather ancl a series of challenges to win the FAI
Australian Indy Car Grand Prix. He had placed his
Reynard/Ford in the first row for that race and\was
one of six drivers racing the new Reynard chassis
to qualify in the top 11.
"I gliess you could safely say there's a new look
to the sport this season," Ganassi said. "I think this
will be the most competitive Indy Car season ever.
I know I've never been this excited."
The Reynard chassis is one of severaknew looks
that will be on display this May at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway. In addition to the Ganassi-
Andretti combination, other successful drivers ^
making the switch to the Reynard include Jimmy
Vasser, Jacques Villeneuve ancl Andretti teammate
Maurico Gugelmin. All those drivers have a
Reynard-Ford/Cosworth combination while Teo
Fabi and Andrian Fernandez have Reynard-lllmor
V8/D combinations.
Development of the Reynard was aided by Bruce
Ashmore, who was instrumental in designing the
highly-successful Lola chassis, but switched to
Reynard last season.
Continued on page 77C
By Tom Hayes
NASCAR
set to invade Indy
Bill Elliott owns the two fastest laps ever turned in by a NASCAR
driver at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And the veteran
NASCAR champion understands the significance of both laps.
"Anything you do at Indy takes on a lot of historical significance,"
Elliott said after turning a top speed of 167.467 miles per hour during a two-day NASCAR trial test in Indianapolis in August of '93,
"Running like this lets you leave this place feeling pretty good,"
Elliott hopes to bring that good feeling back to the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway this August when he and his fellow NASCAR drivers invade the Speedway for the first-ever NASCAR race on the
famous 2-1/2-mile oval. Dubbed the Brickyard 400, the race is set
for August 6. Practice will be held two days prior to that.
The race will end more than two years of planning and will mark
the first-ever non-lndy Car race to be held at the Speedway, a facility that has traditionally been used only for the festivities surrounding the Indianapolis 500.
"I never thought I'd have a chance to run at Indianapolis," said
Elliott, who turned a fast lap of 168.767 during a 1992 NASCAR test
at the Speedway. "This place is so special and I always thought it
would be reserved for Indy cars. I'm just glad we get the chance to
race there and I hope we put on a good show."
Tickets for the Brickyard 400 sold out in less than a month, and,
while no official numbers were released, Speedway officials have
indicated that they received enough orders to fill up the Speedway
seats more than four times. That's enough to get the NASCAR drivers
even more excited.
"This place is just awesome," said NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon,
who grew up in nearby Pittsboro, Ind. "I've driven around here
before in a tour bus and my pickup truck, but that's nothing like racing here. I can't wait till August."
Gordon and Elliott will join famous NASCAR names like Kyle
Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, Terry Labonte, Darrell Waltrip
and Mark Martin at the Speedway in August. Indy greats like Al
Unser Jr., John Andretti and Gary Bettenhausen also hope to take the
green flag for the Brickyard 400.
"It takes a little longer to get down the straightaways, but when
you get into the corners you're going to have your hands full,"
Andretti said of the difference between racing Indy cars and
NASCAR cars at the Speedway. "The car (NASCAR) wants to slide so
much more in the corners. That's the biggest difference I've
noticed."
That ancl speed. While Elliott's 168 plus is far below the track
record of 232.482 set in 1992 by Roberto Guerreo, none of the
NASCAR greats feel that will detract from what promises to be a historic event.
"Racing at Indy in a stock car is a dream come true," Waltrip said.
"There is a mystique when you walk through the garage area and
you think about the tradition and the heritage. In my wildest dreams,
I never thought I'd be racing here."
Those dreams will become reality in August.