Boat Fortifies Foyt Team as Fastest of Eight Qualifiers

Billy Boat, the only driver bumped from the Indianapolis 500 lineup a year ago, was the fastest among eight qualifiers Saturday and gave the hard-luck A.J. Foyt team two cars solidly in the race.

A week earlier, Scott Sharp crashed for the second time and was hospitalized with a head injury. Then on Friday, Johnny O’Connell, subbing for Sharp, dislocated the arch of his left foot in another crash.

“Luck’s a funny thing. Sometimes you’ve got it and sometimes all you can find is bad,” said Boat, who averaged 215.544 mph for the four laps around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2 1/2-mile track. “You’ve just got to press ahead and eventually it turns around.”

The only Foyt driver who hasn’t crashed this month is Davey Hamilton, who qualified last week at 214.484 for a spot in the middle of the third row. Because Boat’s attempt came on the third of the four days of qualifications, he will start no higher than the outside of the eighth row May 25.

Arie Luyendyk won the pole position last week at 218.263.

Saturday’s qualifiers left only two of the 33 spots to be filled today.

“I’ve had a lot of bad luck in my career. I don’t think anybody’s had any more bad luck than A.J. at the Speedway this week,” Boat said.

His first lap was just under 215, then the second lap was 216.299, his fastest all week. The last two laps were both just under 216.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Indianapolis 500 Lineup

The partial lineup for the May 25 Indianapolis 500, listing the driver, hometown or country, car number, chassis-engine and four-lap qualification average speed in mph. All cars 1995 models unless noted otherwise.

ROW 1

1. Arie Luyendyk, Netherlands, No. 5, G Force-Aurora, 218.263.

2. Tony Stewart, Indianapolis, No. 2, G Force-Aurora, 218.021.

3. r-Vincenzo Sospiri, Italy, No. 8, Dallara-Aurora, 216.822.

ROW 2

4. Robbie Buhl, Grosse Pointe, Mich., No. 3, G Force-Aurora, 216.102.

5. Scott Goodyear, Canada, No. 6, G Force-Aurora, 215.811.

6. Jim Guthrie, Albuquerque, N.M., No. 27, Dallara-Aurora, 215.207.

ROW 3

7. r-Jeff Ward, San Juan Capistrano, No. 52, G Force-Aurora, 214.517.

8. Davey Hamilton, Boise, Idaho, No. 14, G Force-Aurora, 214.484.

9. Eliseo Salazar, Chile, No. 7, Dallara-Aurora, 214.320.

ROW 4

10. Buddy Lazier, Vail, Colo., No. 91, Dallara-Aurora, 214.286.

11. Eddie Cheever, Tampa, Fla., No. 51, G Force-Aurora, 214.073

12. Robby Gordon, Cornelius, N.C., No. 42, G Force-Aurora, 213.211.

ROW 5

13. Stephan Gregoire, France, No. 77, G Force-Aurora, 213.126.

14. r-Affonso Giaffone, Brazil, No. 17, Dallara-Aurora, 212.974.

15. r-Kenny Brack, Sweden, No. 4, G Force-Aurora, 211.221.

ROW 6

16. Lyn St. James, Daytona Beach, Fla., No. 90, Dallara-Infiniti, 210.145.

17. Buzz Calkins, Denver, No. 12, G Force-Aurora, 209.564.

18. r-Jack Miller, Carmel, Ind., No. 40, Dallara-Infiniti, 209.250.

ROW 7

19. Alessandro Zampedri, Italy, No. 34, Dallara-Aurora, 209.094.

20. Mike Groff, Pasadena, No. 10, G Force-Infiniti, 208.537.

21. Roberto Guerrero, San Juan Capistrano, No. 21, Dallara-Infiniti, 207.371.

ROW 8

22. r-Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Ind., No. 44, Dallara-Aurora, 210.793.

23. r-Robbie Groff, Atlanta, No. 30, G Force-Aurora, 207.792.

24. r-Billy Boat, Phoenix, No. 11, Dallara-Aurora, 215.544.

ROW 9

25. r-Sam Schmidt, Las Vegas, No. 16, Dallara-Aurora, 215.141.

26. r-Billy Roe, Gilbert, Ariz., No. 50, Dallara-Aurora, 212.752.

27. Mark Dismore, Greenfield, Ind., No. 28, Dallara-Aurora, 212.423.

ROW 10

28. r-Tyce Carlson, Indianapolis, No. 18, Dallara-Aurora, 210.852.

29. Marco Greco, Brazil, No. 22, Dallara-Aurora, 210.322.

30. Dennis Vitolo, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., No. 54, Dallara-Infiniti 207.626.

ROW 11

31. Fermin Velez, Spain, No. 33, Dallara-Aurora, 206.512.

Field average--217.777 mph. Record 22-car average--227.807 mph (1996).

r-rookie