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May 28, 1977 - Image 12

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
Michigan Daily, 1977-05-28

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rage Twelve

THE MICHIGAN DAILY

Saturday,. Mauy 28. 19771

RACE ON SUNDAY
Fans pour into Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS l' - Race
fever starts almost the instant
you cross the state line from
Michigan, from Kentucky, from
Ohio, from Illinois. As you ap-
proach dead - center it be-
comes a deluge, a Mosaic in
black and white.
Dead - center Indiana is In-
dianapolis, the home of the
black and white checkered flag,
the STP oval with the "Wel-
come Race Fans" tag, the
wide tired hot rod, the beer-
clutching motorcyclist, the
bare - chested boy and his bare-
bellied girl.
Indianapolis Motor Speed-
way's population during the
months from June to April is
about 15,000. During the first
3/2 weeks in May each year
it grows to about 10 times
that number. And each Me-
morial Day weekend it ex-
plodes to close to half a mil-
lion,
All for the chance to see and
hear 33 drivers careen around
2'12 miles of asphalt for about
three hours.
Those three hours can be al-
most anticlimatic when the
rac is run as it is supposed to
be. A safe, accident free race
somehow leaves a portion of
the multitude feeling cheated,
as though it had paid not for
the sheer beauty of precision

control of machines but for the
flaming, shrieking moment that
turns artistry into ashes.
Those three hours are the
centerpiece-but at the same
time they are a small part
of the scenario played out in
this heartland of conserva-
tism.
Only a few hundred feet from
the track itself and the pits sits
Gasoline Alley where surgeons
with wrenches hover protective-
ly over their $100,000 creations,
oblivious to the swirling mass
of humanity watching them
from beyond the doors of their
garages. Unless you're one of
them, or a driver or owner,
you'll nevbr be noticed. Eye
contact is scrupulously avoided,
as though a moment of recogni-
tion could constitute an invita-
tion into the sanctum.
And only a few feet from the
edge of Gasoline Alley is race
day's throbbing - perhaps even
terrifying - entity, the infield
crowd.
They pay $7 apiece to watch
not the race but each other.
They can't see the track. They
can only hear the cars. But the
mere fact of being there, to be
able to say later on they were
there, draws them by the thou-
sands into the vortex of the
speedway. And they become
their own entertainment, sing-
ing, dancing, smoking, drink-

ing, sleeping, and eating-glut- being enveloped in all that steel But out of the bedlam, as
tons of every type performing and fuel and rubber when the the race near the three hour
their rites while another rite only visible portion is a crash mark, as the field of ma.
spins around them. helmet peering over the lip of chines dwindles, as the sha-
For the most part, they the cockpit. dows change direction, comes
have the best seats in the And seeing the cars and a the knowledge that there is
house. Those who pay $20, segment of track mean little something very human going
$30 or more for a few square once the race is more than a on down there.
feet of space in the bleach- few laps old. As cars string As the number of remaining
ers which ring the track get themselves out over the 21/2 laps decrease, the imagery of
only a disjointed view of the miles and make pit stops, the chaos gives way to the realits
spectacle, a glimpse of the ability to determine just who is of two or more drivers playing
straightaway or a turn. leading becomes warped. Only cat and mouse at incomprehen.
The cars shoot by so quick- the voice of the track an- sible speeds - on a track that
ly that numbers become a blur nouncer-when he can be heard was built nearly three-quarters
and colors become the means over the whine of the engines- of a century ago for speeds less
of identification. One does not saves the spectators from than half those which will be
relate to the driver, the human wholesale confusion. run Sunday.
Mariners spoil Fidrycl's
return; edge Tiers 2-1

I. 41 the sa j
By The Associated Press
Fined fighters
NEW YORK-Darryl Dawkins of the Philadelphia 76ers and
Maurice Lucas of the Portland Trail Blazers were fined $2,500 each
by National Basketball Association Commissioner Lawrence F.
O'Brien yesterday as a result of their fight during Thursday night's
playoff gamze.
O'BRIEN NOTIFIED the two players of their fines by telegram
and also warned coaches Gene Shue of the 76ers and Jack Ramsey
of the Trail Blazers to avoid any similar incidents during the
balance of the championship series.
"Your conduct ceiuld have resulted in a serious injury to an-
other player and it created the potential for a violent crowd re-
action that might have led to a serious injury to innocent spec-
tators," O'Brien told the players.
"The type of conduct you displayed last night will not be
tolerated by the NBA. You are hereby informed that any similiar
action on your part during the remainder of the series will be dealt
with even more severely."
THE NBA RULES permit the commissioner to inflict a fine up
to $10,000 as well as a suspension.
Dawkins and Lucas squared off in the final five minutes of the
game after the 76er center had swung at Portland's Bob Gross.
The punch connected with Dawkin's teammate, Doug Collins, who
suffered a four-stitch cut over his eye.
Cubs close in
CHICAGO-Home runs by Manny Trillo and Bobby Murcer
backed the sharp pitching of Bill Bonham yesterday and powered
the Chicago Cubs to a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
THE TRIUMPH was the 19th in 24 games for the Cubs who
moved within one-half game of the first place Pirates in the
National League East,
Trillo's homer, his fourth, capped a two-run fourth inning.
Murcer hit his seventh of the season in the sixth to break a 2-2
tie and hand John Candelaria, 6-1, his first loss of the year.
Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead in the second on singles by Al Oliver,
Rennie Stennett and Phil Garner.
CHICAGO SCORED twice in the fourth. Larry Biittner singled,
took second on an infield out and scored on a single by Jerry
Morales who was cut down trying for second. Trillo followed with
his homer,
The Pirates tied it in the sixth. With one out, Frank Taveras
who was hit by a pitch and stole second. Dave Parker grounded
to short and Taveras was called out by umpire Andy Olsen for
interference. Oliver followed with a double to score Parker.

DETROIT (UPI)-A two-
out error by Tito Fuentes on
a routine ground ball per-
mitted Dan Meyer to score
from second base in the
sixth inning with the run
that beat Mark Fidrych in
"The Bird's" season debut
last night, a 2-1 Seattle
Mariners victory o v e r the
Detroit Tigers.
Meyer had doubled with two
out and then disappointed a
crowd of 44,207 when he raced
home as Bill Stein's grounder
skipped up Fuentes' arm, over
his head and into right-center
field. '
Rain
Stym ies
Blue
Special to the Daily
NORMAN, Oklahoma - The
scheduled baseball game be-
tween Michigan (31-13) and
Oklahoma (36-9) was postponed
yesterday due to wet grounds.
Hard rain and tornadoes Thurs-
day night forced the cancella-
tion.
MIDWEST REGIONAL offic-
ials are hopeful of getting the
tournament underway this aft-
ernoon with games at 1 and 4
p.m. (CDT). If the weather re-
mains bad here, and showers
are predicted for this morning,
then the site of, the regional
mighttbe moved toOklahoma
City-and tape away the home
field advantage from the Soon-
Michigan southpaw Steve
Howe (9-2) will oppose Okla-
homa ace Mark Nipp (11-1) this
afternoon if the weather coop-
erates. Regional play will con-
tinue Sunday and Monday -un-
til three teams pick up two
losses - and the winner ad-
vances to the College World
Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
University facts
Each year, 12 professional
journalists undertake nine
months of study at the Univer-
sity. Sponsored by the National
Endowment for the Humanities,
h ey engage in independent
study and specially-designed
seminars to deepen their un-
derstanding of the humanistic
content of the profession.

GLENN ABBOTT and Mike
Kekich combined to hold De-
troit to just three hits for the
third straight game,
Abbott, 2-4, went the first 6/3
and gave up all three hits before
yielding to Kekich, who got his
second save. The obly Tigers'
run came in the third on Tom
Veryzer's second home run of
the season.
Fidrych's first two pitches of
the season were stroked for base
hits, but he retired the next
three batters and pitched shut-
5-C O R E S
seattle 2, Detroit 1
Baltimore 6, Minnesota0 0
Caitornia 4, Toronto I
Boston 10, Kansas City I
Cleveland 3, Oakland I
Chicago (NL) 4, Pittsburgh 2
Philadelphia 5, New York (NL) 4
St. Lois7,Montreag)3
New Yarks (AL)S5, Chicato (AL) 6

out ball until the fifth.
BOB STINSON singled and
went to third on a one-out dou-
ble by Larry Milbourne, which
Ron LeFlore dropped after a
long run in center field. Date
Collins then scored Stinson with
a sacrifice fly to left.
Fidrych was to be Detroit's
opening-game pitcher but under-
went knee surgery March 31 ti
repair torn cartilage suffered
while shagging fly balls in the
outfield 10 days earlier.
Detroit Manager Ralph Hors
insisted all along he didn't want
to rush the Bird and risk re-
newed damage. Fidrych got his
first test May 19 at Cincinnati
in an exhibition game. He pitch-
ed seven innings against the
Reds and gave up just one run
and four hits.

App PhotO
DETROIT TIGFERS' star righthander Mark ::The Bird" Fld
rych grimaces while following through against the Seatl
Mariners last night In his first official start since inji
knee.

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