By Dick Mittman
indy500.com
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Nigel Mansell and Darrell Waltrip, both prominent veterans of races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, are among five speed greats who will be inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame next April 28 at Talladega, Ala.
Mansell came to America in 1993 to race in CART after winning the Formula One championship in 1992. He started eighth and finished third in his first Indianapolis 500 start, in 1993.
Waltrip was on his NASCAR farewell tour in 2000 when he shocked many by qualifying on the front row of the Brickyard 400 to start next to pole-sitter and 1997 Brickyard winner Ricky Rudd.
Mansell came to Indy in '93 after undergoing back surgery following an accident at Phoenix. A teammate of Mario Andretti with Newman-Haas Racing, Mansell arrived at the Speedway on Wednesday before Pole Day. He quickly got up to speed and qualified at 220.255 mph.
He again displayed his driving skills in the race, his first on a big oval, by leading 34 laps. But he also displayed his inexperience during a caution period when as the race leader with 15 laps to go he was slow to respond to the green and was passed both by eventual winner Emerson Fittipaldi and runner-up Luyendyk. He chased them across the finish line in third.
Mansell went on to win the CART championship in 1993 to become the only driver ever to win the F1 and CART titles in back-to-back seasons. He was named Driver of the Year for the '93 season.
Englishman Mansell returned to Indy in 1994 and was running among the leaders. During a caution period, he was coming to the pits on the warm-up lane when rookie Dennis Vitolo drove over the wheel of John Andretti and landed atop Mansell's car. Mansell was credited with 22nd place.
Mansell returned to F1 for the 1995 season but retired after two races. During his career, he won 31 F1 races and three CART races.
Waltrip, at 47, was on the waning side of his illustrious career when the first Brickyard 400 took place in 1994. Still, he showed his talent when he raced from 27th to sixth in the inaugural stock car event at the track.
He qualified fourth at age 50 in 1997, and then in 2000 at age 53 pulled off the big surprise with his front-row qualifying run of 180.923 mph driving the Route 66/Big Kmart Ford. This came after he held a touching last race press conference. He didn't win the race, but completed all 160 laps and placed 11th.
Waltrip, a native of Owensboro, Ky., won 84 times in NASCAR to tie Bobby Allison for third on the all-time list and started from the pole 59 times, fourth best.
Joining Mansell and Waltrip as inductees are NHRA drag racing greats Joe Amato and Bob Glidden and boat racer Chip Hanauer. ***
IMS tickets: To purchase tickets, camping or parking for either the Indianapolis 500, United States Grand Prix or Brickyard 400, contact the IMS ticket office at (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, (317) 492-6700 locally or log on to www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com.
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