Scott Brayton

Scott Brayton, 37, of Coldwater, Mich., on Friday was the 66th person and 39th driver killed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since the track opened in 1909. * Indy 500 history: Qualified last Saturday for the pole position for the second consecutive year, only the ninth time that feat had been accomplished. . . . His four-lap average of 233.718 mph in a Lola-Menard was a record, but it later was broken by Arie Luyendyk on the second day of time trials. . . .

Whoever wins today's 500 will be busy for the next few days. After the victory banquet Monday night, where a record $8 million in prize money is expected to be handed out, IRL officials have arranged a whirlwind tour of media interviews. Starting with a luncheon Tuesday at the Tavern on the Green in New York, the tour flies to Dallas on Wednesday, then will be at the new Pikes Peak track near Colorado Springs, Colo., on June 9-11 and in Orlando, Fla., on June 13-14. * John Paul Jr.

Before qualifying began for the Indianapolis 500 this year, Scott Brayton told friends that he expected to win the pole. He made good, tooling his Menard-powered Lola around Indianapolis Motor Speedway at a 231.604 m.p.h. average for four laps. For today's 500-mile race, he's not so sure of the outcome. "If we're still around toward the finish, we might make some trouble for someone," he said.

Speedway officials are planning a tribute before the running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday to Scott Brayton, the pole-sitter who lost his life in a crash while practicing last Friday. Not determined, however, is how do it. Suggestions range from having one of John Menard's team cars, carrying Brayton's No.

You're Emerson Fittipaldi and everything's all right. Car owners are fighting to put you in the driver's seat. You get your pick of the cars, the crews, the parts. You fly first class, stay in the Palace. Money is no object. You're Danny Sullivan, any Andretti, Rick Mears, Bobby Rahal, and you're getting in the automotive elite. The Roger Penske team, the Babe Ruth Yankees of auto racing, is courting you. You get machines hand-tooled for speed in elegant test centers in England.

Whoever wins today's 500 will be busy for the next few days. After the victory banquet Monday night, where a record $8 million in prize money is expected to be handed out, IRL officials have arranged a whirlwind tour of media interviews. Starting with a luncheon Tuesday at the Tavern on the Green in New York, the tour flies to Dallas on Wednesday, then will be at the new Pikes Peak track near Colorado Springs, Colo., on June 9-11 and in Orlando, Fla., on June 13-14. * John Paul Jr.

Scott Brayton has a special reason for driving a Buick-powered car in Sunday's Indianapolis 500: The engines are built by Brayton Engineering of Coldwater, Mich., which is owned by Scott and his father, Lee. "That's not why I choose the Buick over the Chevrolet I drive the rest of the year," Brayton explained. "There's no sentiment in racing. I chose the Buick because after testing both cars here at Indy, I felt it was the best package, the best combination of chassis and engine for this track."

He won a $100,000 bonus. He won a $35,000 Dodge Tiara van. He won them for driving an automobile 234 mph, to take the pole position for the 80th running of the Indy 500. Say a car passing you on the freeway is doing 58. Picture one going four times faster. Scott Brayton's did. "The good Lord willing, He allowed us to get through it all. I'll tell you, we had a major heart rate going," Brayton said. May 11, 1996. * May 27, 1982. Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway was closed Friday, but pole-sitter Scott Brayton drove a couple of laps over the track--in the Goodyear blimp. Brayton took the controls from pilot John Moran and circled the Spirit of Akron around the track, taking a close look at what he will be racing on in Sunday's 500-mile race. "It's nice up here," he told a couple of writers and photographers along to record the feat. "The walls aren't nearly as close.

Danny Ongais, who has not raced seriously since 1987 when he crashed hard and missed the Indianapolis 500, will be in Scott Brayton's car in next Sunday's Indy 500. It's the the same car Scott Brayton qualified on the pole at 233.718 mph--six days before losing his life in a 230-mph crash while practicing in a backup car. "We looked long and hard for someone who would be appropriate to do this," car owner John Menard said. "We're wishing it was under other circumstances.

Danny Ongais, who has not raced seriously since 1987 when he crashed hard and missed the Indianapolis 500, will be in Scott Brayton's car in next Sunday's Indy 500. It's the the same car Scott Brayton qualified on the pole at 233.718 mph--six days before losing his life in a 230-mph crash while practicing in a backup car. "We looked long and hard for someone who would be appropriate to do this," car owner John Menard said. "We're wishing it was under other circumstances.

A pall hung over Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday in the aftermath of Scott Brayton's shocking death during practice Friday. Even though five more rookies qualified for the May 26 Indianapolis 500, bringing the field only two drivers short of filling the traditional 33 spots, nearly everyone's thoughts were on the young man who qualified on the pole for the second consecutive year a week ago, only to have his life taken in a 230-mph crash.

He won a $100,000 bonus. He won a $35,000 Dodge Tiara van. He won them for driving an automobile 234 mph, to take the pole position for the 80th running of the Indy 500. Say a car passing you on the freeway is doing 58. Picture one going four times faster. Scott Brayton's did. "The good Lord willing, He allowed us to get through it all. I'll tell you, we had a major heart rate going," Brayton said. May 11, 1996. * May 27, 1982. Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

It was already the strangest racing season in the history of Indy cars. It didn't need to turn tragic too. But it did. Cocky, cheerful Scott Brayton, a driver who never won an Indy car race but who was always going to win his next one, was killed in a crash at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday while practicing for the Indy 500 on May 26. That was the tragedy. But as is so often the case in racing, there was irony too.

Scott Brayton, 37, of Coldwater, Mich., on Friday was the 66th person and 39th driver killed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since the track opened in 1909. * Indy 500 history: Qualified last Saturday for the pole position for the second consecutive year, only the ninth time that feat had been accomplished. . . . His four-lap average of 233.718 mph in a Lola-Menard was a record, but it later was broken by Arie Luyendyk on the second day of time trials. . . .

Bumping at the Indianapolis 500 isn't supposed to start until the second weekend of qualifying. Team Menard advanced the procedure to opening day Saturday during a dramatic gamble in which veteran Scott Brayton withdrew one of John Menard's colorful Lola-Menards he had qualified in the second row, then returned in another team car to bump Arie Luyendyk off the pole for the May 26 race.

Speedway officials are planning a tribute before the running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday to Scott Brayton, the pole-sitter who lost his life in a crash while practicing last Friday. Not determined, however, is how do it. Suggestions range from having one of John Menard's team cars, carrying Brayton's No.

Scott Brayton spun during testing for next week's Brickyard 400 stock car race Wednesday, crashing his Ford Thunderbird into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway wall and suffering a concussion and a broken ankle. "He's fine, alert, talking," said spokeswoman Charlotte Hatfield of Methodist Hospital, where Brayton was expected to stay a few days for observation. No surgery was scheduled.

Scott Brayton spun during testing for next week's Brickyard 400 stock car race Wednesday, crashing his Ford Thunderbird into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway wall and suffering a concussion and a broken ankle. "He's fine, alert, talking," said spokeswoman Charlotte Hatfield of Methodist Hospital, where Brayton was expected to stay a few days for observation. No surgery was scheduled.