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Show TheSalt Lake Tribune AUTO RACING Saturday, May27, 1995 cé6 Enigmatic Hansen Racesat Suntana By Dick Rosetta sen, raced trotters in Salt Lake SPRINGVILLE — As auto racing sagas go, Jay Hansen is an and I raced Great Salt Lake; midgets at the old Hippodrome, enigma The typical racing evolution moves through the pre-schooler with match box cars to the teenager with go-karts to adults with hopped-up street rods. Hansen skipped the formative stages and fast-forwarded to 750 horsepower, Indy-car racing. The 170 mile-per-hour stuff. At 31 years of age. And the auto mechanic from Fairfax, Calif., hardly missed a stroke in becomingone of the top runners on the American Indy Car Series, which makes a Utah stop tonight here at Suntana Raceway. Perhapsit’s the Hansen pedigree. Jay, born in Salt Lake in 1958, is a fourth-generation racer. But the family’s passion for speed hasn't always been auto racing. “Here's one for the books,” says Jay’s father, Gordy. “My grandfather, James Peter Han- way back in the 1920s; my dad. powerboatraceronthe Arn, ¥ Salt Bow! and Fairgrounds seem anyclue that ‘dn’t seemany clue a ereucdidn't Jay would perpetuate the family racing legend. Gordy, a shop foreman for the Army Reserves, traded auto racing for sky-diving when he moved his family from Utah to Californiain the late 60s But embers from a 1950s racing PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER something called a CV joint caughtfire Still, he has some things going for him, and the Las VegasHilton has made him a 7-2 favorite to win. He is starting fourth, he has a car that is likely to outlast the three cars in the front row, and Unser and Fittipaldi will be watching the race. Even Fittipaldi is calling Andretti the favorite, saying: “He's very quick every day.” And Andretti’s famous father Mario, saysofhis son; ‘‘He’stotally focused.” But Michael Andretti is not payingattention to anyofthe positive things, He keeps saying that he is preparing himself to lose. That would not be a shock. Every Andretti who has racedat Indy in Maysince 1969 haslost “This could be the one that never happens to you, for whatever reason," Michael Andretti said Friday of the possibility that he might win. “I've learned to accept it if it doesn't.” Andretti has raced at Indy 10 and says ‘I think we just became _re-retired,’ recalled Gordy. Tulsa, Okla. Jay a inte fond called me oneday ia NCW Hansen fessional driving schoolin south- ernCalifornia.” Next thing Gordy knew, John bought this 1985 Lola-Cosworth Indycar once campaigned byexSalt Laker Dick Simon. “Here's a couple of 60-year , tooling around in a car doing 11,500 rpms,” said the elder Hansen. So, one day Jay isS tuning the monster engine and Streeter sug- times and has finished as high as second only once, when helost a duel in 1991 to Rick Mears. Combine his record with those of his brotherJeff, his cousin John and his father and the Andrettis are a rotten 1 for 49 at Indy. He made a joke Friday when he was asked about his father’s bad luck at Indy. “Maybe he took it with him,” 1 ota Souart , 737,No. Beck (300 W.) Only weeks, later, at Halle “Maybe someofthe sysJars] Speedway in qualified fifth fastest and was fourth in the AIS main event That’s not bad considering the first time Jay got in the car, he ‘sput the pedalto the floor,” causing the turbo charger to kick in BU aa bees ae 10 AM To 2 AM Entertainment driving through a china shop,’ Jay He dreams of his first AIS win coming “back home” in Utah ei a ty Saeaoins 5142 So. State S.L.C. 355-1488 feu remember me.” with might schoolknow, some of those guys Murray 288-1488 C (Private Clubs for Members) Tel yoy from the match box days e LoweredOurPENTIUM Prices! 486DX2-66 © 256KCache 90 PENTIUM 100 PENTIUM 75 # PENTIUM © 258K Cache 256K Cache © Pol an AIS sea- enoughto think 1991 aand said, : ‘Let’s8s gigo eachieeae : about: inaugural at again.’ I thoughthe was nuts until $0" title, In the 1995 Calif, he finSprings, Willow proa for tuitions I sawthe paid behind defending AIS Battles the Family Jinx INDIANAPOLIS — Michael Andretti is supposed to win his first Indianapolis 500 Sunday. But he sureis acting weird about the possibility. He keeps talking about everything that can go wrong Sunday, about how a victory this year would be tainted because the powerful Penske cars, driven by Al Unser Jr. and Emerson Fittipaldi, failed to make the 33-car field, and about how winning would be more ofa relief than a thrill. And Friday he was talking about how he wasjust waiting for some 50-cent gizmo in his LolaFord Cosworth to conk out. With Andretti’s history in the Indy 500, he may have good reason to look on the darkside of the future. He lost last year because of a flat tire. He lost three years ago because a fuel-and-oil pressure belt burned up. Hehaslost when his engine died, when his car picked up a vibration, and when laps. “John sees Jay move as smooth as glass over the course . Continuous banging racing. It's more like scouldalispeue crest relationship with Utahn John Streeter smoldered into the Power Surge. 1m tecling Deady Indy Favorite Andretti By Dave Caldwell gests Jay take a coupleof practice uled at 9 p.m. “It prettyhairy going side-by-side with that much horsepower. And these cars are pretty unforgiving. It’s not door- 1 Video © 14” 28 N-I Monitor ished third Bill Tempero of Fort champion Collins, Colo., and Tony Turco of oes , ¢ Sagnee Heed Drive © 1MB PCIVideo Hamilton, Ohio Alamoslias biscdigaags 3.14, 2 year Store Hours: Mon-Fri 9-7, Sat 10-6 S$: { pvemeEs oaurmmcneerecen Wranddroyn SPECIAL igs Canou ey nee © 14” .26N- Monitor Py Sep There's no better training ground than short-track racing for the next step up the ladder — the Indy Carcircuit. There will be 16 Indy cars on Suntana’s half-mile é oval tonight in the 60-lap main event sched- ie ’ Wie $999 , fee i en 285 W. & Riverdale Rd. WCCORCEect} (Gon 97430 : (20399-3339 |*oy aon ammssie : qlaX . Fax FINANCING COL Prue ER So (G01) 375-5410 (609998969 AVAABLE a SS Mg ~ through Monday, May 29th! (Clcebotere\y eae Thursday, May 25,Friday, May 26 Saturday, May 21, Monday, May 29 OE es ioe s | | Michael Andretti said Mario Andretti won only once in 29 tries before retiring last year. Michael Andretti has led for 337 laps in the Indy 500 — more than anyone else in Sunday’s race. The problem is, not one of those laps has been thefinallap. Whenaskedabout the possibility of rain shortening the race, Andretti said: “Maybe that’s what it would take for me to win this thing. If it’s meant to be, if the Guy Upstairs says it’s our turn, then it’s going to be our turn. That's all I can do.” Andretti concedes that he is getting more philosophical because heis getting older. Older? He is only 32, but he has won 29 races in his IndyCar career —morethananyotheractive driver. Still, a lot of bad things have happened to him Probablythe worst washis getting fired in 1993 by Team McLaren after only one disastrous season on the Formula One circuit The second worst might have been what happenedto himthree years ago at the Brickyard. He had the fastest car in the field, by far, and led for 160 laps. With 12 laps to go and with a commanding lead, he smelled something that he thought was coming from Unser’s car, which wasin front of him. “I thought, ‘Poor guy,’ Andretti said. “A lap after I thought that, my [fuel-and-oil pressure] belt blew. And what I had been smelling was myown belt starting to wear. That was the one I thought I had. I thoughtall I had to do was cruise. I had a huge lead. Nobody hadbeen ableto run with us all day.” SATURDAY MAY 27TH NITRO FUNNY CARS Larry H. Miller Used Car Sale! “Next to the Larry H. Miller Used Car Center MECCROTEINes totems) 3) |be Be A Winner! 4 Win with over 4 acresof used cars... over 500 in all. v4 Incredible selection from9 different Larry H. Miller dealerships from aroundthevalley. ¥é" Win with free Cokes and hot dogs. “* Win with on-site financing. Larry H.Millerfinancing experts will be on-site to answer any questions... andtailor a car loan tofit your budget. ~é" Win with one low price marked on every car just for this specialsale. No needto haggle. Get Larry H. Miller’s bottom line price. too! “ee Win with a special fun area set aside just for kids... and babysitters (Keith Jackson vs. Walt Fuller) JET DRAGSTERS (Heat Factory vs. Simple Pleasure) Blown Alcohol Dragsters - Quick 16 Shorts & Halter top contest ($300 to win) over 16 years Gen. Admission Men $12.00 Boys $4.00 Ladies $6.00 girls (6 to 12) $2.00 Pit Pass $4.00 First Round Elimn 5 pm Shorts & Halter Top Contest 6pm First Round Features 7pm 250-2600 MEMORIAL DAY OVAL RACE (Monday Evening May 29th) WINGED OPEN WHEEL OUTLAW SPRINTS & IMCA MODIFIEDS (Giant Field of Mtn. States Modifieds) Pro Stock @ Limited Sportsman @ Hobby Stocks 7 pm Gates open 5 pm Time Trials 6 pm Racing (6 to 12) Adults $12.00 Students 8,00 Children 4,00 6555 West on 2100 So. SLC, UTAH = y StateStreet 3 South 3 , a g & auitoMall Drive é ; 2 3 S Larry H witer[J Larry H.Miller | Used Car Sale! Take the 106th South Exit off 1-15, |
